Expanding Our Horizons

Last week, I had the opportunity to chair the annual meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges. The theme of the convention was Diversity: Our Vision, Our Value. There were a number of sessions focusing on understanding different cultures and what value that brings to the individual, organization, and community. This week, I am committed to speaking to a local group on a topic titled Beyond the Dream: A New Dialogue in Cross Culture Interactions. This presentation is for Beyond Differences, which is a group established to bring people, ideas, and principles together and to look beyond differences and find commonalities in creating an inclusive community.


For a number of years in this country there has been a focus on the value of diversity. Now, we seem to be taking another step, and that is to recognize the differences and commonalities that exist within and between various ethnic groups and cultures. Most importantly, the AACC convention and my speech will focus on understanding the "added-value" of differences and commonalities. Too often in society we might recognize differences but do not fully appreciate the fact that these differences are not just to be tolerated but add value.


Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to provide opening remarks to a group of GTC international students and their local hosts on the value of international relations, education, and exchanges. I commented that international students are always very thankful for the opportunity to study at GTC. Why is that? It is because they see different aspects of our culture, learn from it, and take that back to their home countries. It does not mean they agree with everything in our culture, but that they recognize the differences and understand that their personal lives have been enhanced because of the exposure to these differences. I believe these students also understand that diversity in a global sense can be defined as the uniqueness of not only different groups but differences within a specific group such as varying ideas and perspectives.


Look at it this way - any successful organization today embraces an environment which respects and builds upon a diversity of ideas and approaches to the mission of that organization. The pursuit of this goal is appropriately continuous, and that is how we improve. It is these same organizations that are also readily characterized as innovative.


As the AACC convention's closing speaker, CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien, stated, the answer to "understanding is to keep pushing." I welcome your ideas on pushing forward with this issue.