"Cultural differences should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity. Intercultural dialogue is the best guarantee of a safer and more peaceful, just, and sustainable world."
Robert Alan Aurthur
We love this quote as it expemplifies what we do, improve intercultural dialogue, one person at a time. We cannot value what we don't understand. The Institute's goal is to inspire you to learn to value differences as you have never been able to before, in a way that will enrich all your interactions.
Engage in our self-paced experiential courses and activities to explore the other side. This institute is all about transforming how we view and interact with others, one person at a time.
Our first online course Intercultural Mediation is for medical interpreters who wish to qualify their cultural services. Sign up with the Institute in order to see the course and enroll in it.
"I can see things now so clearly like I couldn't see before, like when we look through a microscope, ."
- Miriam Figeroa
Charlotte, North Carolina
Hi, I’m Dr. Izabel Souza
Interculturalism is my passion. I was born into a world-traveling family, with a diplomat as a father, and a translator as a mother. Who lives in 8 countries before turning 18? I am what researchers call a 'Third Culture Kid'. TCKs have many things in common, their own subculture, as the world is their home; their cultural makeup and background is a bit more diverse and fragmented than the average person. Nonetheless, we are all essentially multicultural with our own special and unique cultural makeup.
Few people can see us as we truly are. The largest ethnic group in South Africa, the Zulu, greet each other by saying sawubona which literally translates into 'I see you'. When we see a person as he or she truly is, without judgment, that is the utmost form of respect. People want to feel fully seen and acknowledged just as they are, with their differences being celebrated and not looked down upon. Only in this environment can there be trustworthy, safe, and effective intercultural communication.
I started my journey in the Translation and Interpreting professional field in 1981, as a certified translator, when we still used typewriters, big dictionaries, and whiteout. I worked in many sectors: healthcare, legal, educational, religious, and conference.
As many interpreter educators, I ventured into cultural competency training as it was so needed. I founded this non-profit organization to provide educational services on intercultural mediation, dialogue and competence as a vehicle for a new collective strength and for more inclusive work environments.