A Better World Volume 2

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Building global harmony through

intercultural action

Willow Neilson, Development and Education Technology, Cultural Infusion; Cameron Magusic, Executive Assistant

and Project Coordinator, Cultural Infusion

xperts have identified training in intercultural

understanding as an effective social-cognitive inter-

vention to reduce violence. The task is therefore to

go beyond teaching young people to tolerate difference and

to see others’ points of view.

Australian organization, Cultural Infusion, has developed

many programmes to build intercultural understanding as a

core value and key competency of global citizenship, employ-

ing the arts, education and digital technologies as vehicles

to foster social cohesion and realise the possibilities of inno-

vation and progress for society. The organization’s range of

programmes is designed to engage with K-12 education

existing community programmes, tertiary institutions and

special events.

These interactive live and online programmes provide

students with real-life, intercultural experiences such as the

national in-school incursion programme,

Discovering Diversity

that promotes cultures of the world. It encourages intercul-

tural dialogue through the fun and inspirational medium of

performing arts and storytelling. Culture bearers and present-

ers from wide-ranging backgrounds attend schools to display

their art and convey its relevance to their nation. The message

of cultural harmony and inclusiveness is emphasized, with

students’ active participation encouraged. These education

programmes reach over 300,000 students a year.

Cultural Infusion’s first digital offering,

Sound Infusion

began in 2013. It is a free online music studio allowing

users to create their own tracks by combining thousands of

cultural music samples from around the world. The samples

were specially recorded and designed for a person with no

musical training to combine a wide range of musical cultures,

inspiring curiosity through experiential learning and explo-

ration. The accompanying website contains detailed cultural

information on over 100 cultures represented within the

music samples.

The Sound Infusion project has gained international recog-

nition and awards including the United Nation’s Alliance

of Civilisations’ (UNAOC) Intercultural innovation Award

(2013), Second Runner Up at the Australasian Learning

The ICAP programme, recognised and endorsed by the UNESCO Chair for

Intercultural and Inter-religious Relations, Asia-Pacific, develops intercultural

understanding competencies in students

The

Multicultural All Day

programme offers students a one day global

experience

Image: Cultural Infusion