"Communication is not universal." How the Slovo 21 project supported intercultural competencies in practice
The Slovo 21 project, titled Strengthening Intercultural Competencies, helped civil servants better understand people from different cultural backgrounds and manage the situations they encounter in their work. The project concludes this August. In this interview, Kateřina Kopečná, the project's lead methodologist, discusses the project's progress, her experience as a trainer, and why there is no universal guide to communicating with others.
An unfamiliar environment, traumatic experiences. Project Your New Home in the Czech Republic will help 300 holders of international protection find their way in a new country.
They often arrive in the Czech Republic from countries where they have experienced traumatic events, and leaving their homeland was rarely a voluntary choice. Holders of international protection are a specific group among foreigners in the Czech Republic who require additional support. Through our new project, Your New Home in the Czech Republic, we have been working since March to make their start in a new country easier, primarily by providing them with essential information.
Family Next Door registration is open! Meet new friends and discover food from around the world
Another year of Family Next Door is here! Across the Czech Republic, dozens of Czech families will sit down at a set table with families of foreigners, even though they have never met before. We have been connecting people of different nationalities, religions, and customs this way for over twenty years. Join us too – sign up now.
How to interact with foreign nationals: Slovo 21 to train 800 civil servants, police officers, and firefighters in intercultural communication
Over the next two years, a total of 800 civil servants, police officers, municipal police officers, and firefighters will undergo special training provided by the Slovo 21 organization. The program will help public administration and security personnel improve their communication skills when working with foreign nationals from third countries.
I really didn't know that about migration. Our Hello Czech Republic workshops are a hit with students!
"I never want to migrate!" That was the reaction of one teenager to our Hello Czech Republic workshop, where we talk to elementary school students about migration. We discuss what it’s like to be a refugee in a foreign country, without friends, extended family, or a favorite teacher. Last year, a total of 331 students went through the workshop, and we will continue these sessions this year.
A project that connects Czechs and foreigners. Family Next Door on the main CT news broadcast
One Czech family, one Ukrainian. They didn't know each other before, but now they visit each other regularly and have even become friends. They were brought together by this year's twentieth annual Family Next Door – just like dozens of other families across the Czech Republic. One of the best-known integration projects in the country was even featured in a report on the main news broadcast of Czech Television.
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We did it, and we are moving forward. In 2023, we trained over 100 officials in intercultural communication.
The year 2023, a turbulent one from the perspective of international geopolitics, is behind us. It is a year that also marks a milestone for our project Strenghtening of Intercultural Skills.