Learn to Earn ~ The Encounter (http://learntoearn.org.za/)

The Encounter intends to increase understanding of ourselves, our respective cultures and their uniqueness, and the ways we interact with one another for better and for worse. As a result to develop a level of consideration that moves participants toward reconciliation and better relationships.

Objectives

The multi-faceted objectives of The Encounter are:

To create a ‘safe space’ for participants to explore, understand, analyse and respond to their own cultural assumptions and biases
To establish understanding, communication, and differences through the interpretation of symbols, actions and speech
To identify and highlight stereotypical understandings/reactions we have toward people based on one’s racial and/or ethnic assumptions
To establish a basis and commitment which will allow the emotional and psychological processes of (re)conciliation to run its proper course
To celebrate from where we’ve come and to look ahead to where we must go

To accomplish these objectives, The Encounter uses and incorporates a variety of tools and activities as conduits through which the bulk of the course’s content will be experienced and learned. The venue of activity will be as neutral as possible and outside the comfort zone of the traditionally dominant or power group.

The Encounter is designed to create a space for encountering oneself and the above aforementioned realities, enabling participants to see, feel, touch, taste and hear the voices of personal mutual oppression in an attempt to move participants toward change for the better. The Encounter is an invitation and an opportunity for our corporate experience and understanding to form a foundation for meaningful interaction and growth among people who are different, yet the same.

The Encounter

Preface

In our young democracy we have made significant progress bringing stability to the country. This has helped avoid investor panic in our emerging market economy (The Times, London, August 2001). Our Banking sector has been consistently ranked in the top 10 in terms of competitiveness (IMD, Switzerland). At the dawn of democracy in 1994, South Africa was insolvent. In 2004 the Government's deficit is negligible - one of only a handful of countries in this position. Our economic growth rate was 0.7% today it is 3%. These are only some of the significant positive developments we have been a part of in this country.

However, some people would argue that economic growth was almost a natural consequence of democracy. This view over looks key factors that set the tone for a successful transition and the management of the process until now. That is the human factors. This does raise one aspect of our young democracy, which would make for an interesting analysis, the question concerning relationships. What would be the result if we held and audit to determine the level and extent of the progress that we have made on the intercultural relational front?

As humans we were created to be in relationship with one another. Despite the promulgation of human rights bills, technological advances, growing economic stability and changes in accessibility to world resources, humanity has continued to struggle with the reality of a lack of basic respect, integration, and oppressive systems. These systems have resulted in the dehumanisation and degradation of some and in so doing affect the relationships between us all.

Our political legacy and at times cultural – social status has ingrained in us avoidance of different cultures, encouraging us to develop within our own comfort zone. In fact, these influences magnify themselves in spates of fear. The fear factor card was played often in the form of the “swart gevaar.” In addition Affirmative Action has done nothing to ally these innate and overt fears. All it has done is bring the people we have sought to avoid into our comfort zones. Therefore our own security, significance and appetites have been exposed.

Unfortunately this fearful reaction is clothed in designer negativity, which continuously seeks to entrench its position of power in one’s life. However, there exists a flip side to this that has enormous potential of revolutionising your business and the relationships contained therein. Also it is of paramount importance for us to develop intercultural relationships, as this is the only way of ensuring the longevity of the current success of our young democracy. World history bears significant testimony to what happens when this is neglected.

The richness of relationships, which develop has been our experience at Learn to Earn. It is with gratitude to the staff over the years, for their willingness to be vulnerable that has helped discover the inherent strength of such vulnerability. This has given birth to The Encounter course and has underscored its value as a tool for transformation in society.

Roché van Wyk

The Encounter

CONTENTS

Ground Rules

Module 1. Introduction: Cultural Assumptions

To introduce participants to their own cultural assumptions, stereotypes and biases as a foundation for transformation through The Encounter course

Module 2. What Are You Communicating?

To identify and understand subliminal messages contained in cross-cultural communication, for better and worse

Module 3. Personal Experience of Culture

To construct a workable and corporately understood definition of culture through sharing personal stories and experiences

Module 4. What is Culture?

To define culture and its resulting patterns of response within a given culture, as well as identify one’s own set of basic values and priorities

Module 5. The Need for (Re)Conciliation

To recognize the need for and components of (re)conciliation, then AND today

Module 6. Conciliation: A Definition

To define conciliation and identify the requirements for transformation

Module 7. Recognizing and Understanding the Problem

To identify the subtleties of racism and the need for conciliation in every facet of life

Module 8. Conciliation and Human Development

To engage participants with the problems created by oppressive systems that require ongoing conciliation

Module 9. Retreat Weekend

To experience or relive (albeit to a limited degree) what daily life was/is like for oppressed people groups. Identify and work through resulting observations/concerns for self and community

Module 10. Identification of Systemic Evil

To identify systems of evil that lead to deprivations that affect the Basic Human Needs set out by Manfred Max Neef

Module 11. Resolving to Derive a Solution to Systems and Problems Identified

To create motivation and cause for celebration; initiate change toward transformation

Module 12. Integration: Application of Experiences and Newly Acquired Education

To personally apply practical next steps of the ongoing process of conciliation within a ‘legislated society’ (e.g. home, family, friends, church/faith group, business environment)