Crossing Borders Education

Why initiate Dialogue?Short Awareness Exercise using Film

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Toolclip introduction

In this Toolclip you can explore potentials, fears and hesitations of initiating dialogues on pressing social issues. It provides you with one film clip, discussion manual and debrief questions to engage your students in short peer-to-peer dialogues.
  • Suggested class time: approx 15 minutes
  • Learning areas: Social Skills, Cross-Cultural Skills
  • Suggested usage: in classroom or student orientations, at seminars or extra-curricular events
Video summary: Conflict facilitator Ana describes how confronting conflicts through dialogue can lead to increased awareness, deepened relationships and growth of personal strengths.

Possible points for discussion

  1. What strengths and potentials do you see in entering dialogue? What are hesitations and limitations?
  2. What personal qualities are needed to engage in dialogue constructively?
  3. Would it have changed the way you received Ana’s message, if she would have been a different race? If so, how?

Detailed suggestions for how to use in class can be found on page 8 of the facilitator manual. You may also find it helpful to learn about our educational approach.

Facilitator Manual

Related event

Growth of Personal Strengths (April 2017)

How can we support our students ​at this time of concerning headlines ​to overcome apathy and ​experience a sense of hope? Often it is by stepping out of familiar comfort zones and having the courage to ask questions. The toolclip below can help you explore how to use tensions constructively with your students and colleagues. In this short video, conflict facilitator Ana describes how confronting conflicts through dialogue can lead to increased awareness, deepened relationships and growth of personal strengths.

Also included is an inspirational article by the American Council on Education about our intercultural impact on campuses.

Now is a critical time for institutions to facilitate open discourse…

American Council on Education

Links: higheredtoday.org

Discover more

This toolclip comes from our toolkit American Textures Clips which explores topics and sections of the film. The film clip is an excerpt of our feature film American Textures (78 min) which applies intercultural learning and conflict mediation skills to intergroup dialogue.

Crossing Borders – Encountering the ‘Other’ – Discovering Ourselves