Intercultural Communication and Translation News

A “cultural cloak of sensitivity” is preventing figures in authority, including police, teachers and social services, from protecting basic human rights for fear of upsetting certain ethnic minority communities, David Cameron warned yesterday.

In his strongest attack on multiculturalism, which he said had created a “cultural apartheid” by allowing communities to lead separate lives, the Conservative leader claimed that society was caving in to “extreme elements” who should be sidelined. Cameron cited two examples:

· authorities often turn a blind eye to forced marriages – schools in Derby have recently refused to put up posters about the issue – amid fears that they might be perceived as racists;

· Victoria Climbié, the eight-year-old who was tortured to death by her aunt and her aunt’s boyfriend, was not properly protected by social services because they did not want to offend a family that had recently arrived in Britain.

Read more > Cameron 

A breakfast seminar on ‘cultural intelligence’ showing how organisations can improve cross-cultural communication and harness the diversity of their employees, will be held in London on 29 April 2008.

Called Cultural Intelligence: Making cultural difference an advantage, not a problem, the seminar has been organised by drama-based learning specialist Steps Drama.

Aimed at managers and HR practitioners in multinational organisations, it will combine presentations, advice and live action drama sequences to introduce the concept of ‘cultural intelligence’ and to show how it can be applied to improve cultural perception and to resolve cross-cultural friction points.

Amanda Leacy, a Global HR Director at Accenture, responsible for IT Delivery Centres in 15 worldwide locations, will explain how cultural intelligence is integral to success when running a global network of teams.

To bring the learning points to life, professional actors from Steps will present short scenarios showing cross-cultural team members in a fictional organisation – with different expectations, attitudes and assumptions – trying to use and apply the concepts.

Read more > Cultural Intelligence 

Rastafarianism is a religious movement born out of the black slums of Jamaica which harnessed the teachings of the Jamaican born black nationalist, Marcus Garvey and conditionally uses selective Old Testament Christian writings to support its teachings and practices. Born in 1887, Garvey’s influence on the poor black slave descendants in Jamaica came to its peak in the 1920′s where his message of encouragement and calling on black people to take pride in themselves won some fanatical supporters. Although historically Marcus Garvey was a political leader interested in making the black race economically equal with the white, in oral tradition he has become a divinely anointed prophet.

With the crowning of Ras Tafari Makonnen on November 2nd 1930 in Ethiopia, many believed Garvey’s prediction of a black king crowned in Africa who would be a redeemer and liberator of the dispossessed black race had come to fruition. Makonnen claimed for himself the titles of “Emperor Haile Selassie I, Conquering lion of the tribe of Judah, Elect of God and King of the kings of Ethiopia.” Ethiopia holds great significance to Rastafaris who believe in a coming judgement day when the righteous will be called home to Mount Zion (identified with Africa) to live forever in peace and harmony. Marcus Garvey, although no admirer of Haile Selassie, as he observed that slavery still existed in Ethiopia, continued to be revered by the fanatical Rastafarians despite being a Roman Catholic by birth who never spoke out explicitly to support the growing movement.

Read more > Rastafarianism