Walking together: Healing and hope for Colombian refugees

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w a l k i n g t o g e t h e r 39 Resources for developing Cross-Cultural Competency and Intercultural Communication skills: Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot - and Cold - Climate Cultures, author Sarah A. Lanier, is an easy but enlightening read about cultural differences. While not specifically about Colombia, it applies well. Availably through YWAM or your local bookstore. (ISBN: 158158072X) Learning from the Stranger: Christian Faith and Cultural Diversity, author David I. Smith. According to the review on the Mennonite Church Canada website “Learning from the Stranger clearly explains what “culture” is, discusses how cultural difference affects our perceptions and behavior, and explores how Jesus’ call to love our neighbor involves learning from cultural strangers. Built around three chapter-length readings of extended biblical passages (from Genesis, Luke, and Acts), the book skillfully weaves together theological and practical concerns, and Smith’s engaging, readable text is peppered with stories from his own extensive firsthand experience.” Available through the Mennonite Church Canada resource centre. (ISBN: 9780802824639) http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/resourcecentre/ResourceView/2/12165 The Canadian Centre for Intercultural Learning website has an excellent resource called “Country Insights”, whose Colombia page offers detailed answers to intercultural questions from both a Colombian and Canadian point of view. Although geared to the work place, the insights are useful for other contexts. There are also links to other websites for additional information on history, politics and culture: http://www.intercultures.ca Beyond Intractability, a website devoted to “constructive approaches to destructive conflict”, offers a variety of articles on cross cultural communication tools. For example: Communication Tools for Understanding Cultural Differences: http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/communication_tools/ Cross-Cultural Communication: http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/cross-cultural_communication/ CULTURAL TIPS Colombia is a multi-cultural country. Its cultural diversity includes but is not limited to the Afro-Colombian culture on the Pacific coast, the Caribbean culture on the Atlantic coast, a wide variety of Indigenous cultures throughout the country and the Andean culture in the mountain ranges running through the centre of the country. Added to the mix are people of Spanish, Western European, Lebanese and Jewish descent. The country is heavily regionalized, with each region having its own culture, industries, traditions, music, food, accent and even vocabulary. Unsurprisingly, most Colombians feel a profound sense of regional identity. A notable result of this sense of regional identity is the presence of regional stereotypes, both positive and negative, held by most Colombians toward their compatriots from other regions. The following is a list of general tendencies found across the range of Colombian cultures. These insights are given in the spirit of increasing awareness rather than encouraging adoption of Colombian customs. The refugee family will have to adapt to Canadian customs, however understanding some basic Colombian customs may help interpret some of the things that your sponsored refugee family does or says at first, or may explain why the family acts surprised or even offended at some of the things you do.
40 w a l k i n g t o g e t h e r Importance of Relationships Constructing and maintaining good relationships is of paramount importance in Colombian culture. The following collection of cultural tendencies highlights the importance of relationships for Colombians: Greetings: In small gatherings between family and friends, it is considered polite to greet everyone personally upon arrival. Likewise, goodbyes are often said to everyone. Failing to greet or say goodbye, at the very least in a general sense, could be considered rude. In the context of a larger groups of people this would not be expected. When arriving late to a meeting Colombians will often interrupt and greet the group. It is considered more polite to give a verbal greeting than to simply take a seat silently, especially if it is a meeting between colleagues or in a familiar setting such as church. In formal meeting environments, such as conferences, this would be much less likely to happen. Between women and women, or women and men, it is common to greet with a hug or a “cheek - to - cheek” kiss. Colombian women sometimes substitute grasping one another’s forearms for a handshake. Men always greet other men with a handshake, perhaps accompanied with a pat on the back, or a hug if they are good friends. Colombians will greet each other each time they meet, even if it is several times in a day. If you find yourself passing by someone you have recently greeted, you can just say “how’s it going?” or even simply “goodbye.” Acknowledging the presence of the other with a simple greeting is extremely important. Failing to do so is quite rude. Small talk is an important part of Colombian greetings, and must be engaged in before the conversation reaches a deeper level. Three common themes reoccur in Colombian small talk: 1) “How are you?”
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Walking together: Healing and hope for Colombian refugees

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