Encounters with people from other cultures can be enriching, but also lead to misunderstandings. Which “prejudices” do we ourselves have and how can we handle them? What does culture mean and what shapes us?
Volunteers from the Sprachtreffs St. Wendel and Marpingen addressed these and other questions in the two-part training course “Intercultural sensitisation” in the youth café Marpingen. Speaker Yasmin Dahy, an intercultural trainer, designed the course in a practical way and with many examples, such as thinking about stereotypes, prejudices, self-reflection and other people’s perception. The participants quickly found common ground in their shared experiences and discovered similarities and differences in various workshops. Especially taking a look at their own culture and influences surprised the participants and was lively discussed. Yasmin Dahy answered many questions about situations and uncertainties pertaining to language and reading mentorship accurately and with concrete tips.
The second evening of training ended with a little more self-awareness and many suggestions for practical application. Motivated and prepared for further work with refugees, the volunteers left the youth café and are looking forward to further training.
Photo: Petra Philipczyk
