Intercultural empathy is an essential competency in our diverse, global society. It leads to better communication, understanding, and respect for each other. Like any other skill, we must develop it by being aware of our blocks and replacing them with understanding and better communication skills. In doing so, we open ourselves to forming deeper and…
What 2020 Has Taught Us About Humanity
“Together, we form a necessary paradox; not a senseless contradiction.” ― Criss Jami Reflecting on a year that’s gone by is something we typically do this time of year. We think about all the things that happened to us: the wins, losses, and lessons. More importantly, we think of the ways we can make the…
How to Use Social Media to Promote Social Good
“Don’t use social media to impress people, use it to impact people.” — Dave Willis Social networking has become an integral part of our lives. It’s changed the way we communicate, access and exchange information, form relationships, and make decisions. Social media networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and TikTok have given people a…
Why We Need to Stop Accent Shaming and Discrimination
“Accent is the soul of language, it gives to it both feeling and truth.” – Jean Jacques Rousseau Humans are visual creatures. Appearance has a deep impact on how we perceive others. It’s why we’re told to dress and groom for success. But, it turns out that people’s impressions of us also extend to the…
What Colorism is and How to Overcome it
“I am not my hair. I am not this skin. I am the soul that lives within.” –India Arie Porcelain. Sand. Honey. Olive. Maple. Deep Chocolate. Cinnamon. Mocha. Caramel. Bronze. These are a few of the names used to describe different shades of skin. When buying makeup, recognizing the microscopic gradients in skin color is…
Why it’s Important to Talk About Privilege and How it Impacts Us
“What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.”― Brené Brown Privilege is a relatively new concept to me. On some level, I was aware that a pecking order exists in society based on one’s socio-economic status and physical appearance, but I had no idea how privilege determined the opportunities I had, compared to others. The everyday…
Diversity is Beautiful. Here’s Why.
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” – Stephen Covey When we talk about diversity, we often think of a melting pot – a society where different types of people blend together as one. We see this in countries like the United States where multiculturalism has become the norm. People of different races and ethnic…
Why Healing Ourselves Will Heal Our Planet
“When we heal the Earth, we heal ourselves.” – David Orr Lately, it feels like the world is imploding. The aggressive Coronavirus has been spreading like a ferocious wildfire, leaving a trail of destruction and chaos wherever it goes. As a species, we’re facing a cataclysmic war, not between humans, but between humans and nature….
5 Ladylike Qualities Still Important Today
“The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.” – Audrey Hepburn The idea of femininity has drastically changed over the past century. Women have won their rights and have gained influence in almost every field. They have more opportunities for…
How to Deal with Culturally Ignorant People
“There is nothing more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity” – Martin Luther King Jr. Have you ever encountered someone who judged or made an assumption about you based on your race, nationality, education, or socio-economic background? It’s certainly happened to me. Many times. I’ve been asked strange questions like if I rode camels…