Intercultural Dialogue Research Articles

Ukrainian theater as an instrument of cultural diplomacy and its role in modern integration processes

The purpose of the article is to determine the significance of theater art in the cultural diplomacy of Ukraine. The object is the cultural diplomacy. The subject is the role of theater in cultural diplomacy.
 The relevance of this article lies in the need to understand the historical role of the theater in the formation of the identity of various nations It has become quite natural that countries actively use their own dramatic art in presenting themselves to the world community.
 The methodology of the theoretical analysis in this article is based on both the whole complex of ideas related to the object of research and a specific scientific toolkit formed by the morphological and methodological discourse. It is noted that the theater operates within cultural diplomacy in four main ways, each of which implies different expectations of interaction with the target audience. At the first and simplest level, a theatrical performance can simply be a pleasant and interesting gift to the audience; at the second level — a way of forming perception and informing; at the third level, the theatrical performance becomes a mechanism for creating interaction between the source and target groups; and at the fourth level — it can be part of the strategy for the development of art and the creative public sphere in a given country.
 The results. 1. The concept of people-to-people contact is extremely important in cultural diplomacy because it facilitates access to intercultural dialogue, thus allowing people to learn more about each other, other cultures and different ways of life. The advantage in this case is that existing prejudices are overcome in a casual and informal way. In addition, cultural diplomacy and its various projects contribute to openness and tolerance for the development of civil society. 2. Ukrainian cultural diplomacy has some experience of involving theatrical art in the presentation of Ukrainian culture abroad, but in general it can be characterized as sporadic, non-systematic, and ideological. 3. Ukrainian theater faced the task of not only actualizing old and finding new artistic images and symbols, in order to form the proper image of the country, but also to form a certain basis for the effective implementation of the tasks of cultural diplomacy of Ukraine, which is appropriate in relation to the challenges of the time. 4. Over the past decades, the theater festival has become an inseparable component of the artistic life of Ukraine, as well as the cultural diplomacy of our country. Theatrical festivals gained tangible audience sympathy and turned out to be not only an important event in the artistic life of our country, but also realized the understanding of the “brand”, becoming a symbol of quality for connoisseurs.
 The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that the theater can be a diplomatic mechanism for initiating two-way conversation and exchange. The means of implementing this task can vary from promoting the staging of works by foreign theater groups in one’s own country to attracting foreign producers and directors for joint development, to selecting plays with the aim of creating new discussions.
 The practical significance of the article lies in the fact that the scientific analysis allowed us to identify the cultural diplomacy as a type of diplomacy that uses the country’s cultural heritage as a means to achieve its goals: art, in particular theater, cinema, music, literature, and education.

Intercultural dialogue and the mobilisation of aural skills

ABSTRACTA model for incorporating diverse musical content into the core conservatory aural skills curriculum is presented. We position the contemporary conservatory as a solid institution providing Western musicians with a sense of stability and heritage in an age of anxiety (Bauman’s ‘liquid modernity’). Despite these benefits, we argue that the conservatory education leaves graduates ill-equipped for the society in which they will build their careers. We therefore advocate for diversification as a means of producing more versatile graduates. Two aural perception classroom workshops were led by a Chinese pipa expert. A range of Chinese notation systems were introduced, before students were led through interactive practical activities engaging these systems. Reflecting on the success of our workshops alongside student feedback, we conclude that intercultural musical experiences encourage students to critically examine their existing skillsets. Intercultural dialogue presents an opportunity to mobilise these skills and recognise their diverse potential.

Kaapora Chair: non-hegemonic knowledge and knowers at the Federal University of São Paulo

This article shares and discusses experiences that have been developed at the Federal University of São Paulo, under the Kaapora Chair of Traditional and Non-Hegemonic Knowledge. Created in 2016 and linked to University's Dean of Extension and Culture, Kaapora works as a platform for dialogue between academic and non-academic worlds. One of its distinguishing features is that it values the leading role of those with non-hegemonic knowledge, being open to their own ways of learning and exchanging. The Kaapora Chair proposes a set of initiatives that combine teaching, research and community outreach, carried out by teachers and students from various courses and campuses, with the support of university staff. We organize courses inside and outside the curriculum, workshops, in-person and remote lectures and debates, short field trips, surveys, artist residencies and publications – both alone or in partnership with other organisations. In this way, it aims to contribute to broadening the intellectual, aesthetic and epistemological horizons of all those involved in its activities and to transforming the university into a “pluriversity”. Keywords: Kaapora Chair; Federal University of São Paulo; non-hegemonic knowledge; intercultural dialogues; epistemic quotas.

РОЛЬ ПРАЗДНИЧНЫХ МЕРОПРИЯТИЙ В АДАПТАЦИИ ИНОСТРАННЫХ СТУДЕНТОВ РОССИЙСКИХ ВУЗОВ (ИЗ ОПЫТА РАБОТЫ)

The article is dedicated to the topical pedagogical problem of adaptation of foreign students in Russian universities. Authors analyze the experience of adaptation of foreign students who study Russian at the International Education Faculty of Tambov State Technical University. Peculiarities of extracurricular work in the form of festive events aimed at overcoming the boundaries of intercultural communication are revealed. The article touches upon some peculiarities of organizing the celebration of Maslenitsa (Pancake Weak), International Women’s Day, New Year, National Culture Days as well as the complex of events dedicated to the Day of the Victory of Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. Authors come to the conclusion that the organisation of festive events promotes intercultural dialogue that develops the linguistic-cultural and communicative competence of students, respectful attitude to Russian history and culture. It contributes to the successful adaptation of inofon students to a new sociocultural and educational environment.

Challenges in ‘Intercultural Dialogue’ Among the Non-governmental Organizations for Integrating North Korean Migrants in South Korean Society

Challenges in ‘Intercultural Dialogue’ Among the Non-governmental Organizations for Integrating North Korean Migrants in South Korean Society

Communicating Your Way Through Clashing Cultures

This article examines the handling of Socially Acute Questions (SAQs) in the English language classroom. SAQs have been described as complex and controversial issues that are considered acute in society, in research and professional domains, and in educational contexts. Although intercultural communicative competence (ICC) is being encouraged by our educational authorities, teachers feel at a loss as to how to achieve that learning outcome in their teaching-learning units (TLUs). Many of them have encountered problems and even conflict when trying to deal with SAQs. Even though they are struggling with a sense of frustration, they continue to consider that addressing such issues in their TLUs is key to 21st-century education. In this article, a customizable toolbox is proposed that second language (L2) teachers can draw from to foster and facilitate constructive intercultural dialogue when dealing with SAQs in their increasingly diverse English language classrooms. It starts off with a literature review providing perspectives on SAQs from transdisciplinarity, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and the Pedagogy of Encounter. It continues with an introduction to safe spaces, brave spaces, and story circles, as well as an overview of relevant concepts from cross-cultural pragmatics. The methods section then gives a detailed action-research-driven account of a racist incident that occurred in the author’s intervention group, a conversation class at the language institute of Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium. Drawing from the literature review as well as the case study, and in the absence of institutional support to handle SAQs appropriately, the article concludes with a proposal for a customizable SAQs toolbox, meeting the stakeholders’ (the L2 learners’ and teachers’) academic expectations as well as emotional needs. Little or no work has been done so far on how to deal with SAQs in tertiary education. The actionable roadmap proposed in this article tries to bridge that gap. Even though the case study focuses on racism in the English language classroom, the customizable toolbox can be adapted across languages, academic disciplines, and other forms of discrimination.

Indigenous justice and its relationship with constitutional principles in ecuador: a theoretical and critical study

This theoretical and critical study examines how indigenous justice, recognized in the Ecuadorian Constitution of 2008, coexists with constitutional principles and human rights. The implementation of indigenous justice generates tensions due to diverse and sometimes conflicting interpretations regarding its coherence with national legal frameworks. These tensions include aligning universal constitutional principles with indigenous local norms, as well as ensuring individual rights in the face of community decisions. The study emphasizes the importance of a pluralistic approach that respects Ecuador's cultural and legal diversity, while ensuring comprehensive and equitable protection of fundamental rights for all citizens, regardless of ethnic or cultural background. The proposed critical analysis addresses the ongoing need for intercultural dialogue and constant review of regulations to ensure that indigenous justice not only respects local traditions but also aligns with constitutional standards and universal human rights, thereby promoting a plurinational state that recognizes and values diversity as a fundamental asset of the nation.

Intercultural communication during pandemic: new ways to build intercultural dialogue and relationships

ABSTRACT The article explores how intercultural relations can be fostered at the level of an undergraduate university degree during the pandemic. It offers one specific intervention within intercultural education to provide new ways of thinking about how intercultural relations can and do happen. By drawing on the self-reflexive narratives of the article’s authors – a university lecturer and three students – we consider the ways in which intercultural education can enable people from diverse cultures to build a learning community. On the basis of a thematic analysis, we explore the role of reflection and action in the creation of intercultural knowledge that can lead towards developing meaningful relations and can assist in further supporting students in their well-being. We first map some key issues in intercultural education at the university level and provide a short literature review. Secondly, we briefly describe our intercultural initiative. We put our narratives into conversation in order to facilitate deeper understanding of how to build meaningful intercultural relationships, while learning, and collaborating together. Our goal is to reflect on perceptions of the quality of intercultural relationship experiences at the level of a university degree and to show how complex relational work fostered intercultural collaboration during the pandemic. On the basis of our inductive research, we offer an original approach to fostering intercultural education based on four stages: constructing and fostering an initial encounter; promoting group participation; emphasising reciprocity; and constructing activities to promote trust and care. Our experience demonstrated how forming intercultural relationships can meaningfully help students with their expectations, aspirations, and ultimately, careers.

Critical Analysis Hadith of War: Between Historical Context and Contemporary Relevance

Perceptions that associate Islam with acts of violence have been the subject of protracted debate. This article delves deeper into this issue while emphasizing the significance of analyzing the historical context and interpretation of religious texts. The research adopts the methods of talāzum and al-takhrīj to interpret the traditions to understand their meaning and integrity. By detailing the understanding of the traditions of jihad in Islam, it can be asserted that the act of killing can only be justified in the context of war and self-defense. This understanding is critical to clarifying false claims regarding the use of violence in Islam. A concrete example of the justified understanding can be seen in the decisive action taken by Abu Bakr in the face of rebellion. However, in the contemporary era, acts of radicalism that involve killing clearly contradict the concept of jihad presented by the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah. It also violates the law, humanitarian principles, and ethics. This article discusses why educative approaches and intercultural dialog are considered more effective solutions for countering extremism and achieving peace in a diverse global society.

Tourism and Intercultural Communication: A Theoretical Study

All aspects of social life are involved in communication, which is an important component in the formation and processes of culture. In a modern society characterized by globalization, cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue are highly discussed topics. One of the main topics in the study of intercultural communication is cultural differences. Having an understanding of other people's cultures is essential to recognize the nature of these differences and to relate to others through an attitude of understanding and tolerance, which is the basis for actual intercultural discussions, especially in the field of tourism. Communication is an act of human connection, but it is culture that drives it. In tourism, the quality of communication is related to the culture and means used. The experience of intercultural communication not only helps travelers to learn and appreciate other cultures, but also helps them understand their own culture better.

Developing an Attitude of Positive Tolerance Among Young People in Poland a Collective Case Study

This paper presents the findings of a quality study conducted in 2021 on developing an attitude of positive tolerance among young people in Poland. The collective case study method was applied. Five cases of educational institutions were analysed whose statutes provide for the promotion of the pedagogy of tolerance inspired by the teachings of John Paul II. The research sample comprised: The Centre for the Thought of John Paul II, the “Opus of New Millenium” Foundation, the John Paul II Institute for Intercultural Dialogue in Kraków, the St. John Paul II Youth Aid Foundation “Wzrastanie,” and the Association of Friends of Catholic Schools. The educational programmes of these institutions mainly address young people in Poland. The study revealed that positive tolerance, based on an axiological foundation, occupies an important position in the activities of these institutions. Founded on the teachings of John Paul II, it incorporates human dignity, respect, the common good, responsibility, intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, and cooperation. The study revealed that educational initiatives were diversified concerning the content and methodological solutions, whose aim is to discover the essence of positive tolerance and its boundaries. These create various opportunities to get to know another person, show respect, dialogue, change prejudices, cooperate, and build unity in diversity. Young people are encouraged to engage in intercultural and interreligious dialogue both directly and using the latest information and communication technologies that favoured the development of a positive tolerance attitude.

Intertextual Inquiry and Interpretive Creation: Pope.L’s Experimental Staging of William Wells Brown’s The Escape

Abstract This contribution discusses Pope.L’s 2018 provocative restaging of William Wells Brown’s anti-slavery play The Escape: Or, A Leap of Freedom (1858) at the Art Institute of Chicago. Drawing on Linda Hutcheon’s theory of adaptation, it argues against a source-oriented assessment of the production, which would prioritize the original over its interpretation and delimit aesthetic evaluation to questions of fidelity. It proposes to consider Pope.L: The Escape as an interpretive creation in its own right. Engaging in a complex intertextual and intercultural dialogue with its antetext, Pope.L’s staging brings into focus particular aspects of the contemporary moment. While Brown’s play presents race as first and foremost a performative category and stresses the possibility of autopoiesis qua performance, Pope.L reduces slavery to an ontological condition. Its title and manifold multimedia performances notwithstanding, there is no escape from enslavement in Pope.L: The Escape. Performance remains contained in and prescribed by an ongoing condition of physical and psychic enslavement. With this radical adaptation, Pope.L responds to what Paul Gilroy identifies as the “ontological turn” in recent Black thought. In light of the ongoing structural and quotidian violence against People of Color, this approach insists on the central significance of the bodily experience of racializing attributions for understanding social relations as well as Black collectivity. It also provocatively asks whether the performative does indeed suffice to unsettle the structural coordinates of anti-Blackness that continue to impact and overdetermine contemporary lives.

IDIOMS AND SLOGANS IN POSTER LIKE PROPAGANDA

21-st century is very busy, contradictive and tensed because of several cores of wars, accordingly abundant information flows out from the internet. Nobody has time to read several pages for a long time. Minimalism in words is appreciated more. As the 12 th century renaissance period Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli said in the prologue to his famous masterpiece "The Man in the Panther’s Skin”: “A long word is told shortly” (in few words is uttered a long discourse) as “Minstrelsy is, first of all, a branch of wisdom “…
 So, the idioms, slogans, proverbs, parables, some other kinds of phrasal verbs and witty sayings are still the object of scientific studies as far as they have been in use side by side with ballads, poems, songs and preaches since time immemorial up today. You may meet them in modern publicist texts, in posters, in adverts, in web design as well. Therefore, interpreting the idioms adequately isn’t so easy. It’s well known that idioms are the set of fixed expressions, which is impossible to understand directly and, in most cases, one should consult with the dictionaries of idioms.
 Thus, presented article’s topicality is conditioned by researching some idioms in posters for filling the information gap and developing intercultural dialogue. The methodology of investigation is qualitative, based on researching different posters, describing and analyzing.
 Propaganda is an attempt to influence peoples’ opinions or behavior through the use of specific images and words. It usually gives limited information which is heavily biased in its presentation. Propaganda typically achieves its aims by generating an emotional reaction in the viewer. For much of the twentieth century, public posters were a common way for governments to use propaganda to persuade their citizens. They often relied upon simple images in order to manipulate people through fear or guilt. Propaganda uses stereotypes so that audiences can readily identify which people group is the target of the poster.

Ancient medicine for a modern disease: traditional Amazonian medicine to treat substance use disorders

ABSTRACTBackground: There exists an underexploited opportunity to develop innovative therapeutic approaches to SUDs based upon the complementarity between modern and traditional health systems.Objectives: Illustrate the feasibility and potentiality of such an approach through the comprehensive description of Takiwasi Center’s treatment model and program, where health concepts and practices from traditional Amazonian medicine work synergistically with modern psychotherapy and medicine in an intercultural dialog to assist in the rehabilitation of people suffering from SUDs.Methods: The description was built from a review of the literature, institutional data, participatory observation and unstructured interviews with staff, researchers and patients during treatment.Results: Since the foundation of the Takiwasi Center in 1992 in the peruvian Amazon, more than a thousand patients with different socio-cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds have received residential treatment. We present how traditional Amazonian medicine techniques and health concepts cooperate to complement modern psychology in a therapeutic community setting and propose some hypotheses about the neurobiological, psycho-emotional and spiritual healing mechanisms triggered by the program to help people identify and heal the roots of their substance misuse and addictive behavior. We also summarize quantitative outcomes during treatment showing significant improvements in a wide variety of mental health indicators.Conclusion: Takiwasi Center’s program is an option for people seeking non-conventional treatment who are sensitive to traditional Amazonian medicine practices and ready to explore the roots of their addiction. From this intercultural approach, some lessons could emerge toward a broader understanding of SUDs that may result in better patient care.

Принципы и качество поэтического перевода: опыт коми-литературы

Literary translation into Russian is the most important means of intercultural dialogue and preservation of the languages of the peoples of Russia. The article considers the Komi poet Albert Vaneev’s system of views on the process of poetic translation: excellent knowledge of the translation language by the translator, high-quality subscript, connection with the original text. The selection of translations of different poets means for Albert Vaneev an indirect form of authorization and evaluation of the equivalence of translation and the adequacy of its perception in another culture. The quality of translation itself depends on objective and subjective factors.

Translating Political Discourse: A Critical Review of Studies in Western and Chinese Contexts

The translation of political discourse serves as a linchpin in promoting intercultural dialogue, strengthening diplomatic relations, and advancing international cooperation. This study offers a critical analysis of the translation of political discourse within Western and Chinese paradigms. It commences with a brief introduction to the subject under investigation, succeeded by a discussion on the intercultural salience of political discourse. Subsequently, the paper engages in a comprehensive review of seminal research in the field, elucidating pivotal findings and adopted methodologies. Building upon this analytical framework, the paper delineates prominent lacunae in existing knowledge. This endeavor seeks to galvanize focused research efforts, invigorating the domain of political discourse translation studies and encouraging a global exploration of untapped territories and cross-cultural communication strategies.

PROBLEMS OF DETERMINING THE SIGNS OF EXTREMIST CRIMES AND CRIMES WITH SIGNS OF EXTREMIST ACTIVITY

The purpose of the study is to update the problem of the participation of mercenaries in extremist activities, the main importance in the resolution of which is given to criminal law counteraction. The theoretical significance of the study of this topic is determined by the ability to develop scientific concepts, approaches and methodologies for analyzing and combating the consolidation of the presented socially dangerous phenomena, which also contributes to deepening knowledge about the mechanisms of their functioning. The conclusions and recommendations obtained as a result of the study will form the conceptual foundations of state policy in the field of countering extremism and terrorism, while taking into account the specifics of the use of “illegal recruitment” in the specified criminal activity. Among other things, factors have been identified that can become prerequisites for improving countering mercenarism, modernizing the prevention of such phenomena, as well as promoting intercultural dialogue and tolerance in society.

Evaluating and Designing Active Citizenship Education for Youth Resilience to Preventing Violent Extremism at Public Sector General Universities of Sindh, Pakistan

Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in Pakistan have experienced unprecedented on-campus violent extremism. Large-scale research led approach is needed to prevent homegrown violent extremism through transformative active citizenship education at HEIs in Pakistan taking into account that youth under the age of 30 constitutes 63% of the total population of Pakistan. As recognized repeatedly by the UN Security Council, violent extremism poses a significant threat to global peace and stability, with tremendous impact on social cohesion, eroding development progress and hindering future gains. This paper assesses the current state of citizenship education at Higher Education Institutes in Sindh province. The problem, however, is that many countries, including Pakistan, do not give citizenship education the importance it deserves, nor use approaches appropriate to the development of informed and participatory citizenship. (Dean, 2000; Kerr, McCarthy, and Smith 2002; Torney-Purta and Amadeo 1999). Citizenship active citizenship in youth is a social leadership program that promotes intercultural dialogue and social responsibility as key leadership competencies in the 21st century and results in community resilience. For this purpose, institutionalizing active citizenship for developing youth resilience to violent extremism warrants a massive radical reform of the education system to develop critical analysis skills among youth enabling them challenge violent extremist narratives. This is a preventive and initiative-taking strategy to develop active citizenship to be capitalized as glue for social inclusivity, integration and national cohesiveness in Pakistan. Active citizenship encompassing volunteering, democratic engagement, environmental sustainability, community development and reflective thinking is most likely to prevent vulnerability to recruitment of violent extremist organizations.

The dark sides of an intercultural-based teaching of RFL: A critical approach

This article aims to analyze the topic of culture and intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in Russian as a foreign language (RFL) at an academic level. The work offers a critical overview of the main relevant studies in the Russian language on RFL and ICC from 2008 to 2022. The findings show that even the most recent research (in the wake of lingvostranovedeniye and lingvokul’turologiya) still leans on an ambiguous, essentialized, and nationalistic idea of ‘culture’. Finally, through a critical reinterpretation of intercultural dialogue, the author provides a first insight into some new perspectives on RFL teaching.

European Union and colonialism remaking: Shaping Europeans through intercultural dialogue

The proliferation of migrants in the European Union implies an increase in the number of cultures and nations whose views may not be in line with those of Europe. In this regard, the issue of engaging in intercultural dialogue as a tool for regulating a common living environment and meeting the interests of both Europeans and others arises. Based on this, the study aims to analyse the role of intercultural dialogue in the process of formation of Europeans, their cultural values and interaction with other citizens. The study used the analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalisation, and abstraction methods. As a result, intercultural dialogue is an important method of communication between people across cultural boundaries. Thus, approaches based on mutual empathy and non-domination between representatives of different nations prevail in the European Union. The study has identified ways of implementing intercultural dialogue between its participants through the discourse developed by the European Union in the field of politics and education. It is established that Europeans express their a priori historical existence, but do not encroach on the views and rights of other people who are different from them. The paper proves that subjects who do not consider themselves to be Europeans form a multicultural environment within the European Union. The results obtained can be used in the development of regulatory and legal documents to regulate relations between social groups in multicultural communities, as well as to address the problem of cultural interaction between them