1. Living in a Multicultural-Living in a Multicultural-
Multinational community-Multinational community-
Opportunity or Crisis!?Opportunity or Crisis!?
Joshva RajaJoshva Raja
Queens FoundationQueens Foundation
2009 September2009 September

2. BlacksBlacks
AsiansAsians
BritishBritish
PacificPacific
EuropeansEuropeans
othersothers

3. Words can mean many things!Words can mean many things!
When Kentucky Fried Chicken entered theWhen Kentucky Fried Chicken entered the
Chinese market, to their horror theyChinese market, to their horror they
discovered that their slogan "finger lickin'discovered that their slogan "finger lickin'
good" came out as "eat your fingers off"good" came out as "eat your fingers off"
An American T-shirt maker in MiamiAn American T-shirt maker in Miami
printed shirts for the Spanish market whichprinted shirts for the Spanish market which
promoted the Pope's visit Instead of "Ipromoted the Pope's visit Instead of "I
Saw the Pope" (el Papa), the shirts read "ISaw the Pope" (el Papa), the shirts read "I
Saw the Potato" (la papa)Saw the Potato" (la papa)
I got a mouse

4. Do we recognize Different Cultural Groups within
ourselves? It follows their interest…
High
popular
Mass
Folk/ Traditional
Sub

5. Attitude and culture may varyAttitude and culture may vary
A European visitor once asked anA European visitor once asked an
Indonesian about the Balinese funeralIndonesian about the Balinese funeral
custom of placing fresh fruit on a grave.custom of placing fresh fruit on a grave.
"When does your aunt climb out of her"When does your aunt climb out of her
grave to eat the banana?" he asked with agrave to eat the banana?" he asked with a
smirk. "At the same time your unclesmirk. "At the same time your uncle
comes up to smell the flowers," was thecomes up to smell the flowers," was the
matter-of-fact reply.matter-of-fact reply.

6. Learning together with diverse age
groups and cultures
YouthChildren
Adults
Women
Outsider

7. Of course when Children makeOf course when Children make
noise can I study? Part of Queens’noise can I study? Part of Queens’
Package of learning?!Package of learning?!

8. Some drink and Some Don’tSome drink and Some Don’t

9. Do we mind each other’s business?Do we mind each other’s business?
Yes we do sometimes!Yes we do sometimes!

10. Learning Theology togetherLearning Theology together
When theological
students come to the
College many of them
regularly pray then?
As the journey begins
many of them are
overloaded with a lot
of theologies and
other stuff some sink!
But you can
still do
Ministry

11. When People cross boundaries?When People cross boundaries?

12. Who often Cross theWho often Cross the
BoundariesBoundaries
A Child who just walks and
does not understand the
difference between the colour
and race or rich and poor…
A Mentally Challenge Person who
is in Chains because he often
crosses the boundaries of caste

13. Encoding
Decoding
EncodingDecoding
Message
Message
Interpreter Interpreter
Negotiation
Rejection
Acceptance
Stuart Hall
How do you cross boundaries?

14. MONOCHRONIC PEOPLE POLYCHRONIC PEOPLE
do one thing at a time do many things at once
concentrate on the job
are highly distractable and subject to
interruptions
take time commitments (deadlines,
schedules) seriously
consider an objective to be achieved, if
possible
are low-context and need information
are high-context and already have
information
are committed to the job
are committed to people and human
relationships
adhere religiously to plans change plans often and easily
are concerned about not disturbing
others; follow rules of privacy and
consideration
are more concerned with those who are
closely related (family, friends, close
business associates) than with
privacy
show great respect for private
property; seldom borrow or lend
borrow and lend things often and easily
emphasize promptness base promptness on the relationship

15. Cooperation!Cooperation!
Try to reduce theTry to reduce the
use of Stereotypicaluse of Stereotypical
words, images…words, images…
Less EthnocentricLess Ethnocentric
value judgements…value judgements…
avoidingavoiding
Categorising othersCategorising others
as a monolithicas a monolithic
groupsgroups

16. Making some differences?Making some differences?
Buried for TreatmentBuried for Treatment
in Japan for
treatment
In Australia for fun

17. Offerings are made to a mediator who is buried up to the
neck in sand. He suppresses the sensations of the flesh
while attempting to free his mind through meditation.

18. Living and
learning together
using all senses
To send and receive
Transmission
view
To share and participate
Ritual View
To speak
To see
To hear
To taste
To smell
To touch

19. Developing Cross Cultural skillsDeveloping Cross Cultural skills
Willingness to interactWillingness to interact
Establishing aEstablishing a
ContactContact
having Relationshiphaving Relationship
Trying to UnderstandTrying to Understand
Taking Courage forTaking Courage for
mistakesmistakes
Risk with HumblenessRisk with Humbleness
to learnto learn
Sharing KindnessSharing Kindness
Make Mistakes in the
beginning?!

20. Can I make difference?Can I make difference?
Listen to storiesListen to stories
Look at the faceLook at the face
Smile with themSmile with them
Imagine the contextImagine the context
Observe the actsObserve the acts
Smell the fragranceSmell the fragrance
Feel the situationFeel the situation
Taste the foodTaste the food
Imagine the mind of theImagine the mind of the
otherother

21. Starting points are learning points!Starting points are learning points!
Anything wrong?

22. You never net a fish without gettingYou never net a fish without getting
wetwet

23. Cross Cultural starting pointsCross Cultural starting points
Misunderstanding leads to UnderstandingMisunderstanding leads to Understanding
Confusion leads to Fusion of culturesConfusion leads to Fusion of cultures
Unity is not uniformityUnity is not uniformity
Oneness is not samenessOneness is not sameness
Chaos is starting point of creationChaos is starting point of creation

24. Some examples from Bible andSome examples from Bible and
History that crossed the boundariesHistory that crossed the boundaries
and transformed the communitiesand transformed the communities
Egyptian Nurses in ExodusEgyptian Nurses in Exodus
Peter and Paul in the first ChristianPeter and Paul in the first Christian
Council in JerusalemCouncil in Jerusalem
Francis of AssisiFrancis of Assisi
Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson MandelaMahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela
Mother TheresaMother Theresa

25. Thank you for Seeing and ListeningThank you for Seeing and Listening
In Heaven you can only feed othersIn Heaven you can only feed others