Key factors to consider
Key principles
The most successful, stable and secure societies are those in which people have the confidence, whatever their racial, religious, class or cultural backgrounds, to interact with one another and deal with difference through dialogue in order to establish common ground and shared goals both locally and globally.
The British Council is a leading world facilitator, encourager and promoter of intercultural dialogue.
There are nine key principles underlying the British Council's approach to ICD:
- For ICD to be effective it needs to be underpinned by human rights, promoting at its core, equality, human dignity and a sense of common purpose.
- For ICD to be meaningful it needs to go beyond the superficial level (one-off events do not tend to create lasting behavioural changes) and be sustained.
- Effective ICD is about targeted dialogue which is well planned, evaluated and is outcome focussed.
- Interactive communication processes, empowerment or the development of self-confidence in individuals and a sense of collective responsibility provide the bedrock of ICD projects.
- Dialogue for the sake of dialogue is limited, however dialogue which is based on social action or tackling divisions will allow for greater participation and ownership of outcomes.
- For those participating in ICD it has to be a learning experience, especially where there has been non-dialogue and engagement is within a context of hostility, division and difference.
- One size does not fit all, therefore delivery of ICD should be based on local priorities, have relevance to the region and be guided by corporate priorities.
- Good practice in one place may not be transferable to another but may inspire other areas to adapt practice to fit their context.
- Promoting ICD has wider benefits to individuals, groups, communities and society as a whole.
