Journeys to Intercultural Wisdom and Equity

We live in an increasingly diverse city where we are more likely to interact with people from different cultures and countries who have been shaped by different values, beliefs and experiences.  

Journeys grew out of the cumulative and collective knowledge and experience of the Multicultural Health Brokers Coop in serving individuals, families and groups from many different cultures.  Through the learning opportunities in these workshops, the MCHB Coop is able to share this body of knowledge, grounded on the realities of people we serve and strengthened by concepts in the intercultural development field. 

We believe that intercultural learning and to be interculturally competent doesn’t “just happen”. It must be intentionally addressed and planned to create safe spaces for all of us to be self-aware, to develop intercultural mindsets and attitudes, and to build skills.

Available in English, this program is designed for service providers, professionals and community workers who work and interact in a culturally diverse environment.

Journeys consists of a suite of learning experiences designed to meet the diverse and unique needs and interests of participants. The workshops use a variety of experiential and interactive learning activities for participants available online and in-person. 

Journeys  offers the following workshops: 

Foundations for Intercultural Practice Workshop 

This foundational workshop will increase our knowledge about interacting, relating and communicating with as culturally diverse people.  Participants will be able to: 

• incorporate diverse cultural contexts in their work and practice 
• be more confident to address cultural issues in a personal and professional context 

Topics may include: 

• Overview of Diversity and Immigration
• Cultural Self-Awareness 
• Cultural Knowledge 
• Introduction to Intercultural Learning and Development   

Skills Building Workshops 

The skills building workshops will enable participants to apply intercultural strategies and tools in various areas of practice. We recommend that individuals complete the Foundations of Intercultural Practice Workshop to maximize the learning experience. The suite of skill building workshops include: 

• Intercultural communication – communication styles, verbal and non-verbal communication and intercultural communication bridging strategies  
• Intercultural planning and engagement – designing and evaluating programs and services across cultures, engaging people and communities from diverse cultural backgrounds 
• Cultural mediation and brokering – the concept and practice of acknowledging and bridging differences in a variety of context  

• Trauma-informed workshop – focusing on the unique causes and impacts of trauma on immigrant and refugee populations.. 
• Practice-specific workshops – parenting in two cultures, family violence prevention across cultures, chronic disease prevention in culturally diverse communities  

The length of any of these workshops can vary from 2 – 6 hours depending on the interests and preferences of participants and requesting organizations. 

Intercultural Learning and Social Justice Workshops 

These workshops intend to increase knowledge and build skills of participants in understanding social and cultural identities and how they influence experience of privilege, oppression and marginalization. These workshops explore broader issues of inequities and the complexities of building intercultural alliances to achieve social justice and change 

Workshops can include: 

• Integrating a racial equity lens in policy and practice  

• Organizing culturally diverse communities for change