If nothing else, the credit crunch, the natural disasters of Cuba,
Pakistan and New Zealand, and the continuing tragedy unfolding in Japan have brought home to us all that we can no longer be ‘islands’ of nations any longer.  We need the support of, and give support to, a proactive international community that pulls its resources for the betterment of all.

So, if you have a child under 18, how important do you think it is that s/he should be encouraged to think globally and think of themselves as a  global citizen? A recent UK survey highlights that around three-quarters of parents believe that schools should help their children think globally (71%) and to develop abilities to be responsible global citizens (72%). It also demonstrates that the teaching of global issues is important to parents…

How about getting involved with International
Conflict Resolution Day? In 2011, it will fall on Thursday, October 20th. One of the easiest ways you can help spread awareness is to let others know what is happening in your area on or around Conflict Resolution Day. What kind of special activities are planned? Will you personally be doing something to honour the day? Can you sing conflict resolution-related songs? Want to read a poem for the world to hear? Phone it in! In celebration of CR Day, there’s a fun set of online games with conflict resolution content appropriate for different age levels. Fun and educational too.

Australia and New Zealand are the most generous charitable
givers in the world according to a new report from the Charities Aid Foundation: The World Giving Index 2010. The report demonstrates that charitable behaviour differs immensely across the globe. An act that is considered charitable in one country may be seen as a regular, everyday, activity in another.  However, the research also found that the correlation between happiness and giving is stronger than the correlation between wealth and giving. This means that an individual is more likely to give to charity if they live in a ‘happy’ country, than if they live in a ‘wealthy’ country. Read below and see how your country compares…

In December Ethical Traveler released the 2010 version of its annual  “The Developing World’s Best Ethical Destinations” report. The report identifies countries that are “serious about preserving their natural assets, promoting mindful travel, and building an economy in which local communities reap the benefits of tourist revenue.”

Intellectually, the first world would say, we have a global economy,
shared responsibility for climate change and that every country has a sporting chance to compete in the World Cup.

I want to pose a simple question; can humans think globally? During the World Cup…

Many congratulations to my Colleague from the Transcultural Business Group who has successfully accomplished climbing the seven peaks of the world. Ania Lichota, who was born in Poland, has just reached the summit of Mount Everest and sent intercultural greetings from the roof top of the world. See more spectacular photos…

The ‘Faces the Mediterranean’ exhibition is a regular event
taking  place in April and May each year. It’s part of the Anna Lindh National Networks of Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Lebanon, Bulgaria and Cyprus, which aims at engaging with young people and with individuals from migrant backgrounds. Watch the video…

 

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1. Learn something about the country, local customs, and cultural sensitivities to avoid making faux pas while abroad. Get a good grasp of why understanding cross-cultural differences is important in global business.

2. Always err on the side of formality and conservatism. Be low-key in dress, manners, and behaviour. Very few countries are casual in approach. The Australians are the most casual.

But they all speak English, don’t they?”
This is the most frequent excuse we in Britain use for not learning foreign languages, whether we are tourists in Spain or representing a business trying to exploit the German market. To a large extent, it is true that many more people in Europe speak and understand English than speak and understand, for example, Czech. With several universities dramatically cutting the provision of language courses, it is perhaps time to re-evaluate the value of foreign language training to SMEs (small-to-medium-sized businesses) in Britain, especially when 11% of UK SMEs claimed they had lost a significant contract owing to a lack of language skills…

by Richard Cook

Why we need to become global networkers

When organisations ‘go global’ we often think of the formal networks that need to be stretched and expanded to accommodate the increase in communication that results. What we often fail to realise is that as individuals, we now need to network on a global scale as well, in order to maintain the effectiveness of our role. Having teams spread out across the globe, having key opinion leaders in remote offices means that our influencing skills can be severely tested as we try to continue applying them but now mostly virtually instead of face to face…