The 2025 Call for Nominations for the Board of Directors of SIETAR USA is now open. We invite all members to step up and join us in the leadership of our organization. We are committed to developing a diverse and dynamic Board team that leads, inspires and connects with all our members, helping to transform and sustain our intercultural community into the future.

 All SIETAR USA members are invited to participate in the nominations process and to vote for candidates. We also welcome you to bring energy and creative ideas by getting involved in our project teams. It is up to all of us to create a professional society that best serves our individual and community needs, and that promotes intercultural understanding with a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.    You may nominate yourself or another member of the organization.  Any candidate for Board positions must meet the general board criteria posted on our web site in addition to the role-specific requirements listed in each position description. 

SIETAR USA Mission Statement

The mission of SIETAR USA is to provide an interdisciplinary community of educators, trainers, and researchers that nurtures and supports transformational growth, intercultural understanding, and professional interchange with a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and social justice.

OPEN POSITIONS

PRESIDENT-ELECT (This is a 4-Year Commitment: 1-Year as President-Elect January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026; followed by a 2-Year Term as President; followed by a 1-Year Term as Immediate Past President)

The President-Elect is a member of the Executive Committee and is an officer of the Board.  The President-Elect will succeed the President and will preside when the President is absent.  In preparation for their term of office as president, the President-Elect will attend Board meetings, support the president’s initiatives and familiarize themselves with the Bylaws and Standing Rules, policies, procedures and the financial status of the Society.  A key responsibility of the President-Elect is to co-chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee, working with the Leadership Development Director to identify, recruit and vet potential Board members as part of the nominations and elections process.  The year of preparation should be used to determine new initiatives or innovations in society processes and activities to be ready to put them in place as early as possible in their term of office.

SECRETARY (3-Year Term January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2028)

The Secretary is a member of the Executive Committee and is an officer of the Board.  The Secretary is responsible for maintaining the policies of the Society as specified by the Bylaws and Standing Rules.  As the individual in charge of the records of the Society and working with the Administrative Officer, the Secretary keeps the minutes and attendance at Board meetings, ensures that notices as directed by the Executive Committee and the Board are sent out in a timely manner, and oversees the document retention and destruction policy to ensure that Society documents are protected appropriately.

TREASURER (3-Year Term January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2028)

The Treasurer is a member of the Executive Committee and is an officer of the Board.  The Treasurer is responsible for oversight of the financial details of the Society.  As the individual responsible for maintaining the financial accounts and records, the Treasurer works closely with the Administrative Officer to ensure the fiscal integrity of the Society.  The Treasurer is instrumental in providing research and general knowledge to influence fiduciary decisions regarding how SIETAR USA will use its funds.  Primary responsibilities of the Treasurer are to prepare the annual budget, approve expenses, monitor the accounts, and prepare financial reports as required.

LOCAL GROUPS COORDINATION (3-Year Term January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2028)

The Local Groups Coordination Director is the point of contact between the SIETAR USA Board of Directors and the Local Groups. The Local Groups Director is responsible for providing support and encouragement to existing Local Groups, and for assisting and supporting leaders who want to establish a Local Group in their area.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (2-Year Term January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027)

The Professional Development Portfolio Director is responsible for developing and monitoring a program of information and opportunities that sustain the professional development of the membership.  The Director will explore how the professional needs of the membership can be met through activities sponsored and/or supported by SIETAR USA.  The Director of this Portfolio will have conference-related responsibilities such as reviewing proposals, sourcing speakers and working with the conference chairs to develop the conference program.  The Director of this Portfolio is encouraged to establish a committee to support the work.

SPONSORSHIP PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (1-Year Term January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026)

The Sponsor Development Director is responsible for bridging individuals, companies and institutions with SIETAR USA to provide supporting funds for the annual conference and other activities throughout the year.  The Director of this Portfolio will initiate, direct and support the relationships with sponsors and association partners, highlighting their support and providing them with good value for their investment in SIETAR USA.  This Director is encouraged to establish two committees to focus on a. conference sponsorship activities and b. supporters to provide a financial foundation for other society activities.

Detailed position descriptions for these roles are available on the SIETAR USA website.

Nomination Submission Deadline

All nominations must be submitted in writing by e-mail to info@sietarusa.org and boardleadership@sietarusa.org.  Please email both addresses by Friday, October 10, 2025 at 5PM PST.

Please be sure to include your resume or CV and a brief statement of intent that addresses the following:

• Why do you want to serve on the SIETAR USA Board of Directors?
• What do you consider the primary strength(s) or skill(s) you bring to SIETAR USA?
• What are your vision and objectives if elected as director for your portfolio of choice?

Process

The Nominations Committee identifies candidates through a nomination process for each position based on the required skill and knowledge sets needed for each position.  The Slate is then announced to the members of SIETAR USA.  If there is more than one candidate for a position, an election will be held.

Term of Service

Board members will serve a three-year term starting January 1, 2026 and carry responsibilities for the portfolio for which they were elected.

Note that the role of Professional Development for the 2025 election is a commitment of two (2) years to fulfill and complete the term that began January 1, 2024.  Sponsor Partnership Development for the 2025 election is a commitment of one (1) year to fulfill and complete the term that began January 1, 2024. Upon completion of a three-year term, every board member can choose to self-nominate for three more years of the same or a different board position and go through the nomination process as any new candidate would during that same nomination cycle. According to the Bylaws, SIETAR USA Board membership generally cannot exceed nine (9) consecutive years.  

General Duties of Members of the Board of Directors

Board members serve a three-year term (unless noted otherwise) and carry responsibilities for the portfolio to which they are appointed.

Board members must sign and abide by the Board Code of Ethics and Conflict of Interest documents. As with all members of the Society, they are encouraged to support and sign the Living Code of Ethics.

Board members are expected to attend the SIETAR USA Annual Conference, the Annual Board Meeting (a one-day in-person meeting before or after the conference), and the Board of Directors Annual Retreat (a three-day business meeting generally held each year in February or March).

Board members are expected to participate in monthly Board of Directors teleconference meetings. 

We look forward to your responses to this Call for Nominations and your participation in this process. Feel free to contact us with any questions at boardleadership@sietarusa.org or info@sietarusa.org.

Thank you for supporting SIETAR USA!
 
Elmer Dixon
SIETAR USA Immediate Past President &
Nominations Committee Co-Chair
 
Jon DeVries
SIETAR USA Leadership Development Director
and Nominations Committee Co-Chair

By submitting your statement, you agree to serve out your full term and to abide by the Bylaws of SIETAR USA if selected.

By Sue Shinomiya

The SIETAR USA Board of Directors and leadership team held a productive and inspiring retreat in Portland, Oregon, in March 2025! What happens at a Board Retreat? Some members have asked that question, so we provide you with a glimpse into our time together, the activities, discussions, who was there, and some conclusions.

One of the benefits of being on the Board is our opportunity to collaborate in person at our annual retreat. During our weekend in downtown Portland, we reflected on SIETAR USA’s current situation and how we can continue to build and grow our organization and community with strategic planning and future initiatives. Facilitated by Tatyana Fertelmeyster, along with Sue Shinomiya and Jon DeVries, we held valuable discussions and brainstorming sessions on what our organization can do in the current challenging environment to support our members. By holding an in-person meeting, we achieved our goals for building strong relationships and fostering collaboration on our team. We identified key areas of focus: Membership and leadership outreach, collaboration with other organizations, new activities to sustain our organization, and grow our IC and DEIB community.

(pictured above from left to right: Sandra Fowler, Monica Mumford (sitting), Hannah Strack (standing), Jon DeVries, Elmer Dixon, Tatyana Fertelmeyster, and Cheryl Woehr. In the second photo, Dr. Kwezi Ewoodzie joined virtually with Cheryl Woehr and Sue Shinomiya.

A shout-out to Monica Mumford, our Treasurer and logistics coordinator, for her arrangements with the Embassy Suites by Hilton Downtown Portland, which will also be the venue for our 2025 SIETAR USA Conference and 25th Anniversary Celebration to be held November 11 – 15, 2025.

This is a picture of dinner at the hotel on the first evening. From the left: Monica Mumford (Treasurer), Jon DeVries (Leadership Development Director), Cheryl Woehr (Conference Oversight Director), Sandy Fowler (Communications Director), Hannah Strack (Membership, Outreach, and Diversity Director), Elmer Dixon (Immediate Past President), Tatyana Fertelmeyster (Retreat Facilitator and former President), Sue Shinomiya (President).

We were joined by our two Conference Co-chairs, Chris Cartwright and Tessa Sutton (virtually), who brought us up to date on conference planning. They and their team have been working on the Conference Proposals.

The board and Chris hosted a “happy hour” party for local interculturalists, who we hope will join us for the Conference in November. Special thanks to Yoko Sakurauchi and Caliopy Glaros (pictured below with Sue), both on the conference team.

In a process led by former President Elmer Dixon, we discussed how to work towards overcoming racism, individually and as an organization, and what more we can do to support our community members and practitioners who are facing adversity at this time.

We took advantage of this location and enjoyed walks along the waterfront, the Portland Saturday Market, and a few of us visited the beautiful Portland Japanese Garden, with Pilar Montejo as our host.

A big thank you to our Board colleagues for their contributions and collaboration throughout this process: Sue Shinomiya, Monica Mumford, Jon DeVries, Melissa Neu, Hannah Strack, Cheryl Woehr, Sandy Fowler, Elmer Dixon, and Kwezi Edwoodzie, who joined us virtually. Also, our thanks to our Advisory Council members Patricia Malidor Coleman and Rob Pusch, who also joined virtually when possible. We got to know our new Administrative Officer, Cheryl Anne Farmer, who just started working with us in late March - welcome, Cheryl Anne!

We invite leaders in the field to step up and join this wonderful Board team in the various positions that are open right now. Joining the Board in a year with an in-person conference is the best, with many opportunities to interact, collaborate, and lead to help us carry out our mission. We’re also seeking collaborative partnerships with sponsors who share the desire to support intercultural competence-building.

Our action plans will strengthen our ability to sustain and grow our organization and support our membership of intercultural and DEIB practitioners, students, and researchers, and provide transformational learning opportunities to learn, network, and connect. I'm eager to see the positive outcomes as we grow together!

• How do in-person meetings enhance collaboration and decision-making within organizations?
• What role do you believe intercultural collaboration will play in addressing global challenges?
• What cool ideas do you have to grow and sustain our organization financially?
• How would you like to engage with us to help shift the narrative and build a more interconnected, interculturally competent world of the future?
• Is it your turn to step up and join us? Contact us about leadership roles available on the SIETAR USA Board of Directors at info@sietarusa.org.

By  Neal Goodman, Ph.D.

There is so much misinformation out there today about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Here’s an overview and clarification of the basics.

Suddenly, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is in the news, and the news from some sources is that DEI is a dangerous, toxic movement undermining our society. Organizations are being threatened for promoting DEI, even though they have demonstrated tangible benefits from their DEI initiatives.

There is so much misinformation that we need to take a step back and objectively review DEI to decide if it is a danger or enhancement to our organizational and societal well-being. As leaders in Training and Development, you are critical gatekeepers in helping your employees and organizations succeed during these turbulent times, with accurate information about the subject. Since the topic may be new to many of your employees, this column will provide a brief overview and clarification of the basics.

Photo by Alexander Grey

Diversity

Diversity is all of us. Humans have the unique ability to control a part of their destiny. We can create social environments that are conducive to providing the benefits of humanity to all or to a very few. For example, cancer is a medical disease that afflicts all humanity, while bigotry, bias, and discrimination are social cancers created by humans to isolate and insulate us from one another. This will keep us weak and ignorant, leading us to apply our creativity, ingenuity, and resources to build walls and weapons rather than building opportunities to learn from each other. Bias can build intragroup solidarity and intergroup hostility. This will keep us weak and ignorant, leading us to apply our creativity, ingenuity, and resources to build walls and weapons rather than building opportunities to learn from each other.

There isn’t a person or group who has not been the object of discrimination and bigotry. The status of any group is based on history, location, and power. Diversity is not simply a matter of skin color, religious persuasion, gender, sexual orientation, or any one of the hundreds of factors that have been used by one group to feel superior and/or threatened by another group. There clearly are those from any group who are ethnocentric and preach the superiority of their group over others. No one group is inherently superior or inferior to any other group; it all depends on context. One way of understanding context is by considering the meaning of the term “minority group.”

A minority group is any group that is singled out for differential treatment based on physical, cultural, or social factors and sees itself as an object of discrimination. The key difference between a minority group and a dominant group is power. Power is the ability to control one’s future, and, in most contexts, power is not distributed equally. Those in power typically try to retain and increase their privileged position to the detriment of those with less power. In some cases, those in power are not even aware of their “unseen privileges.” DEI is not going to end inequality of power. But it will help us to understand the cost and harm bias has on our common destinies. Any initiative to help us overcome our biases should be celebrated, as it adds value to us all.

Equity

Equity is creating an environment where there are the same opportunities for all. Equity is not the same as equality. Equity is giving everyone an equal opportunity to be unequal. For example, in some countries, all schools get the same budget per pupil, teachers get the same pay, there is a common curriculum, and support is given to anyone who wants extra help at no cost. While this does not result in everyone being equal, it does improve the opportunity for each individual to succeed and to make a greater contribution to the whole of society. Societies that allow wealthy children to get a significantly better education than those with less wealth are creating a society that must be unequal, even if the same measures of “merit” are used in college admissions, hiring, advancement, etc.

Inclusion

Inclusion can also be referred to as belonging. Inclusion is the active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with all diverse group members, especially those who are prevented from full engagement with the group. For example, leaders provide opportunities for professional development only to those who are in a similar social class, religion, race, etc. Those who are not members of the “in” group will be excluded and will be more likely to leave their jobs, which will prove they are less loyal and justify not promoting them. This process of “blaming the victim” is well known to those who are not part of the “in” group. For example, in many cases, people who work at headquarters get better professional development opportunities than those who work in distant locations simply because they have better access to leaders and information. This is referred to as “proximity bias,” and organizations can take actions to remedy this.

Training and Development

DEI education and training have helped create more inclusive organizations by giving diverse employees the opportunity to be heard and increase their chances to make a meaningful contribution to the organization. Diverse perspectives improve all aspects of the organization, including employee engagement, marketing, innovations, and other success factors. One of the largest sporting goods brands believed that only men would buy their products until the organization appointed its first female member to its board of directors. The new board member convinced the company to offer products aimed at females. The company now sells more products to women than to men. In the past decades, we have learned much from veterans, those with unseen disabilities, and others, which helps us to build more inclusive organizations.

Next Steps

Each person reading this will have to make difficult decisions about providing education and training around DEI. To make your job a bit easier, here is a link to many of my “Best Practices” articles published by Training magazine: https://trainingmag.com/author/neal-goodman/. These short articles provide practical information, as well as insights into areas such as:

• Measuring the Impact of Diversity Training
• Should Diversity Training Be Illegal?
• How to Have Difficult Conversations
• Unconscious Bias
• Selecting a DEI Trainer

I want to invite all readers to write to me with any questions regarding DEI. I will answer them confidentially and privately, and at no cost. We all must do our best to build on and defend the progress our society and organizations have made in diversity, equity, and inclusion. As leaders in professional training and development, we must do what we can to call out bigotry and bias at work and in our communities and provide the training and development that helps all of us to reach our full potential.

Neal Goodman, Ph.D.

Dr. Neal Goodman is an internationally recognized speaker, trainer, and coach on DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion), global leadership, global mindset, and cultural intelligence. Organizations based on four continents seek his guidance to build and sustain their global and multicultural success. He is the CEO of the Neal Goodman Group and can be reached at Neal@NealGoodmanGroup.com. Dr. Goodman is the founder and former CEO of Global Dynamics Inc.

(Reprinted from Training Magazine with permission) 

By Brianna Harrison

Thinking of attending SIETAR USA’s 2025 conference? Here’s what you need to know:

• The conference will be held from November 11-15, 2025, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Downtown Portland. You can book your hotel room at the conference rate by clicking this link.

• The theme of this year’s conference is Inclusive Interculturalism: Purpose, Possibilities, and Progress. We are invited to consider how we can practice inclusive interculturalism in our fields. We commit to promoting inclusivity in our environment, communities, organizations, and within ourselves.

• Our keynote speakers will be inspirational and social activist Donna Beegle and transformative leader and founder of Real Mentor Tamara Thorpe, two dynamic speakers whose work truly serves the intercultural and DEI community.

• The conference workshops and sessions will be presented by seasoned interculturalists as well as newcomers to the field. Their expertise on various intercultural topics will both enlighten us and challenge us to think of interculturalism in new and revitalized ways. Topics range from utilizing social media effectively to understanding neurodiversity across cultures to artificial intelligence and interculturalism, and many, many more!

• Refreshments will be available at the conference and are included in the cost of registration. Feel free to grab a coffee and a cookie between afternoon sessions. For those who stay at the Embassy Suites, a full breakfast is provided as well as evening Happy Hour with snacks

• Come explore Portland! From cultural districts to global restaurants, Portland is a city full of opportunities to enjoy interculturalism. Stroll along the nearby Waterfront or through the LanSu Chinese Garden. Hike in Forest Park. Explore the Pearl District or one of Portland’s many cultural museums. Or browse the iconic Powell’s City of Books or the Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya. There are plenty of opportunities to have fun and meaningful experiences. Also, did you know that Portland International Airport has been named the best airport in the country? Come see for yourself what makes it special!

• For more information about the conference, visit our website at https://sietarusa.wildapricot.org/2025-Conference. Stay up to date on all things SIETAR USA on social media. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for news on the 2025 conference and much more. Be on the lookout for our Conference Connect newsletter for more updates.

• A special THANK YOU Chris Cartwright and Tessa Sutton for spearheading this huge endeavor as our conference co-chairs, and to Cheryl Woehr for providing support as the SIETAR USA Conference Oversight Director!

The conference will be a time learn, grow, network, and celebrate interculturalism and inclusion. We hope to see you in Portland in November! Registration now open!

News about sietar's global community

By Aliona Yermalayeva

In recent years, SIETAR groups across the world have seen an incredible surge in interest in global connections, reflecting a shared desire to learn from and engage with each other. This growing momentum led to a significant milestone last year: the creation of SIETAR Global. The foundation for it was laid by the dedicated leaders representing SIETAR Europa, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Southeast Asia, Chile, Australasia, and Argentina, including our own SIETAR USA President Sue Shinomiya, who now represents our organization within the Global network. This initiative is dedicated to fostering intercultural dialogue and collaboration with the aim of creating a more harmonious and resilient global intercultural community.

With this in mind, we are excited to introduce our new column, bringing you direct updates and valuable insights from the SIETAR Global network!

Newsletters & Blogs

• To kick things off, we invite you to explore Young SIETAR’s blog, which features:
• • TOPOI GPT – an AI bot, designed to enhance intercultural communication.
  • Insights on Bilingual Networking.
  • Discussions on recent developments in intercultural communication.
• In its June Newsletter, SIETAR India presents multiple articles ranging from the culinary arts to parenting and expatriation, all viewed through an Indian lens.

Publications

For those seeking deeper insights, we highly recommend exploring The Swiss Journal of Intercultural Education, Training, and Research. The 2024-2025 issue highlights the following topics:

Past & Upcoming Events

• The recent SIETAR Switzerland 2025 Conference in June 2025 brought together professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts from all over the world to Lucerne to discuss topics around Intercultural Leadership. Explore more information about the Conference, including keynotes and speaker biographies, here.

• Looking ahead, mark your calendars for the SIETAR Europa Virtual Institute & Film Festival 2025 on September 22–27^th. Co-hosted by SIETAR Europa and Young SIETAR, this virtual event invites educators, researchers, and change-makers to explore the theme “Navigating Interculturalism in an Era of Disruption: Where are we coming from, where are we now, and where do we want to go?” The final program and full list of speakers is available at: vi2025.sietareu.org

• 40th Anniversary Annual Conference in Japan with the timely topic of “Intercultural Communication and Peace-Making Efforts” will take place in Tokyo on October 11-12^th, 2025.

And to wrap up a busy year, November will see four other significant events happening (nearly) simultaneously!

• SIETAR South East Asia Conference will be held November 7-9th with the theme of “Intercultural Insights for Thriving in Asia”, to be co-hosted by Kasetsart Business School, Bangkok, Thailand.  
• We look forward to seeing many of you on November 11-15^th in Portland, Oregon, for the 2025 SIETAR USA Conference “Inclusive Interculturalism: Purpose, Possibilities, and Progress”.

However, if you find yourself in France or Germany during that time, make sure to check out the following events:

• SIETAR Deutschland FORUM 2025 “Interculturality in Transition: Insights, Inspiration, Perspectives”– November 13-15^th, Erfurt, Germany.
• Hybrid International Congress “Intercultural Negotiation” - November 13-15^th, Montpellier, France.

This was just a snapshot of resources and events from our global network, and we encourage you to explore what else other SIETAR Global groups have to offer. For more information, please feel free to reach out to Sue Shinomiya – our point of contact for SIETAR Global. Stay connected and continue building bridges with us!

REMEMBERING Stella Ting Toomey

Written by Leeva Chung

Stella Ting Toomey (Ting Wun Chu), a prolific intercultural communication theorist and scholar whose work focused on achieving adaptive and mindful communication with others, passed away peacefully at home in Fullerton, California. She leaves behind her premium joy—her son Adrian (partner Susy), and three close brothers, Tom, Henry, and Victor. Stella was born in Hong Kong in the auspicious year of the Dragon in Hong Kong, on 22 May 1952, the only daughter of parents Ting Chun Wen and Wang Shu Chin.  At twenty years of age, Stella left Hong Kong to attend the University of Iowa. After receiving her BA, she and her husband, Charles, moved to the University of Washington for her MA and PhD in communication.

Best known for her theories of face and identity negotiation, for more than forty years, Stella was considered a leader of intercultural communication. Her influence extended far beyond communication to many of the social sciences, business, and global studies, and her work was transformative, clear, and impactful. She (co)authored more than seventeen books, including academic monographs, edited volumes, and educational materials, and published more than 120 scholarly articles and book chapters.  Much of her work was closely connected to her passion and love of teaching students in the classroom. In fact, her theories were deeply personal to her and aligned her behavior with her interactions with others, such as validating the face (projected self-image) and identity of others, despite cultural differences.

Stella’s public image was that of a serious scholar, private, reflective, and the opposite of spontaneous. She was known for her meticulous editing, reliance on multiple USBs to save all her documents, and incredible work ethic. Her private image was that of a woman who loved her L.A. Lakers (when they were winning), sharing an appletini on a special occasion, listening to classical music, and her fun obsession with Korean Dramas, which would keep her up until the late hours of the night. Motivated during COVID, Stella went back to playing the piano.

In her identity negotiation theory, Stella reflected on how we can respect, support, and understand those who are different from us. This powerful observation is the very nature of Stella as a true inspirational life scholar. In her passing, Stella’s legacy will continue through the students, colleagues, and workshop attendees, and she continues to transform lives in her writing.

Photo of Stella Ting Toomey & Leeva Chung  

Adam Komisarof, former president of the International Academy of Intercultural Research (IAIR), author of At Home Abroad and 5 other intercultural books, shares information about his open-access paper New Developments in Hofstede's Individualism-Collectivism: A Guide for Scholars, Educators, Trainers, and Other Practitioners that critically analyzes Hofstede's and Minkov's work on Individualism-Collectivism in IJIR. It also helps readers make sense of the conflicting scores and names for Hofstede's dimensions that they will find on the internet:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014717672500063X

In addition, he recommends The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Communication, which was edited by Adam Komisarof, Shuang Liu, Zhu Hua, and Levi Obijiofor, and published in January 2025.

Following William Gudykunst's classic volume, The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Communication offers a contemporary, global, and interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complexities of intercultural communication in our diverse and interconnected world. Featuring contributions from leading and emerging scholars across multiple disciplines, including communication studies, psychology, applied linguistics, sociology, education, and business, this handbook covers research spanning geographical locations across Europe, Africa, Oceania, North America, South America, and the Asia Pacific. Topics include migration, managing cultural diversity in the workplace, creating culturally inclusive learning environments in educational settings, navigating intercultural relationships within families, understanding the role of media in shaping cultural perceptions, intercultural communication in crises, and many others. The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Communication serves as an indispensable resource for understanding and navigating the complexities of intercultural communication. Read more here:

https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-handbook-of-intercultural-communication/book285700

Let us know if you have a recently published article, chapter, or book. We would be pleased to let our readers know about it. Contact Sandy Fowler sandymfowler@outlook.com

Remembrance for SIETAR USA

Dr. Leslie J. Thornton II

September 15, 1946, to December 5, 2023

 “Leslie Thornton II, age 77, died peacefully at home in Ann Arbor, Michigan on December 5, 2023. Les earned an undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies from Michigan State University and a Master of Social Work and Ph.D. in education from the University of Michigan. He was a beloved professor at UM-Dearborn from 1991-2013. He was a professor of multicultural education and served as an academic adviser for countless graduate students.“

The quotation above is the beginning of Les’ official obituary. It goes on to describe his passion for teaching, his students, and his love for travel. These are the facts. However, I believe SIETARians deserve to remember and celebrate the essence of Les, not merely the facts.

I met Les when our sons were kindergarteners. He was deeply involved with a group of parents attempting to begin an “open education” program within the traditional school system. He was already a seasoned interculturalist and educational professional. I was a newbie, but he always listened to my ideas respectfully. We eventually succeeded in beginning the program. I continued working to assist with molding the school, but Les backed away. He was more interested in creating the change…seeing how something could be better, working to get it moving, and, if he was successful…going on to something else. That desire to improve education, society, and the world was a driving force in Les’ life.

For several years I heard Les speak about an organization called SIETAR. He raved about a conference in Ireland and mentioned being on the Governing Board. It sounded exotic and fascinating but not relevant to my professional life. In the early 90’s, when Les served as the chair of the conference in Jamaica, he convinced me to attend. Thus began my involvement in SIETAR International. Les challenged me to incorporate what I learned at the various conferences with my own nascent training/teaching career. In those days, leaders didn’t understand how intercultural practices and knowledge could be useful in a “not multicultural” environment. To combat their resistance, I created what I called “stealth training,” incorporating interculturalism in a manner so no one knew that’s what they were learning. Les, of course, was delighted by the guerilla methodology. For him, the key was to always tell the students the unvarnished truth, no matter how it was accomplished.

As the years progressed, academia changed, funds for multicultural programs got cut or eliminated and it became increasingly difficult for Les to travel or be involved with SIETAR USA. He eventually made peace with that. After all, his passion was in nudging, visioning, and doing the difficult intellectual work of creating, not in the day-to-day minutia of running that creation.

During his memorial, family, friends, colleagues, and students spoke about Les’ intellectual prowess. Of how he changed their lives by challenging them while always staying true to who he was. His belief in a multicultural society never diminished. SIETAR USA’s Mission Statement says we are an “interdisciplinary community that supports transformational growth, intercultural understanding, and professional interchange with a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and social justice.” Those core values resided deep in the soul of Les Thornton and guided his life.

A SIETAR International Board and Council meeting at the Boston Conference, 1994. Les is 3^rd from the left in the back row.

Long before most of the professional world even knew what being intercultural meant before diversity, equity, and inclusion were a goal, Dr. Leslie J Thornton was a living and breathing embodiment of them. SIETAR and the professionals within created an intercultural and emotional home for him. The intercultural field and SIETAR are a bit smaller losing one of its lions. My life is a bit smaller losing my North Star. Les’ love of SIETAR rubbed off on me and, I believe, changed both our lives. He was a mentor, friend, and colleague who relished nothing more than a good battle of ideas. I miss those spars. I suspect many of us do. Thank you, Les. Your memory lives in us all.

Written by Dr. Deborah Orlowski 

SIETAR USA member, Chair of the SIETAR USA 2020 Conference

By  Neal Goodman, Ph.D.

While the world may seem to be spinning out of control over divisive politics, a strong, unseen undercurrent of training that builds respect and understanding has been running through global organizations.

The article linked below provides two cases of cross-cultural and diversity training that take place outside the USA. These cases can stimulate

interest in training programs in and outside the US. Six additional shorter cases exemplify (mostly) non-US companies or training issues. Please address any questions or comments to the author at their new email address, Neal@NealGoodmanGroup.com https://trainingmag.com/going-global-with-training-and-development/

For your viewing pleasure you are invited to watch a video conversation between the new SIETAR USA President, Sue Shinomiya and Sandy Fowler, Communications Director. Recorded on the day celebrating the Lunar New Year, Sue explains this Asian custom and shares a story. Sue also talks about her plans for her first year as president. View Conversation Here!