INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL DIVERSITY HANDBOOK

GLOBAL SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH DEVELOP A CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT CURRICULUM

Sister Patty Johnson, CSJ
January 2016

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has generously funded a project of the Cultural Diversity and Conflict Management Program of the Global Sisters of St Joseph. The Hilton Foundation encourages collaboration; however, this is the first time that they have funded a project of multiple congregations connected globally by a single charism.

“This project was developed in response to what global leaders of the Sisters of St Joseph describe as their most pressing concern, helping new sisters incorporate into communities that are rapidly becoming more ethnically and culturally diverse,” shared Sr. Patty Johnson, the Director of the US Federation of Sisters of St Joseph. “In some countries, sisters are living in community with sisters who are from ethnic factions that are warring and killing each other. Modeling non-violent conflict management in their community life is both an unprecedented challenge and timely transformational opportunity,” Sr. Patty shared. These leaders identified cultural diversity and conflict management programs for formators, new sisters and the communities in which they live as its most critical area of need.

Sr. Belle Benedicte Sage, from Ivory Coast, illustrated the need for this program by talking about her experience, “During my time in the novitiate [living as a professed sister] I lived with eight sisters from five nationalities - all of us African. We had to live something difficult, hard, and very painful - and on the other hand, a lot of joy and wealth. So, developing these sessions on how we could manage that diversity in a very good way and how to manage conflictual situations will be useful.”

Sr. Irene O’Neill, from St Paul- Carondelet, one of the grant developers noted, “Women religious have the unique call to bridge gaps between opposing cultures. They understand the interconnectedness of life itself. Globalization and migration intensifies this diversity among the sisters and those with whom they minister.”

This project will develop a curriculum for cultural diversity and conflict management that will be prepared and presented in five languages. It will be presented five times to 25 sisters each time in Le Puy France at the International Center. Sisters who are formators or newer members from diverse cultures will come together for a ten-day programs of intensive training in non-violence, living interculturally in community, and mediating cultural conflicts. Those who attend will be certified as official curriculum trainers. They will take this program back to their regions and countries and offer it to their sisters, associates, and partners in ministry. Our goal is to educate formators and newer members to mediate conflict, live non-violently, and foster communities of peace, respect and reconciling love.

The International Leaders identified a diverse and experienced curriculum design team. This team held its first meeting in Le Puy in October/November 2015. Gathering were Sisters Maria del Pilar, (Lyon, Egypt originally from Mexico), Eliza Zuannazzi, (Chambery, Brazil), Marie Louise Ralisoa, (Aoste, Madagascar and currently serving in Ivory Coast), Loraine Delaney, (Chambery, India), Gloria Philip, (Buenos Aires), Janet Gagnon, (Lyon, USA) and Bella Benedicte Sage, (Institute St Joseph, Ivory Coast, originally from Senegal). Sr. Griselda Martinez Morales, (Lyon, Mexico), is the Project Coordinator leading this important work.

Sr. Janet Gagnon described the design team’s working together, “This process fascinates me. We are all sitting around this table as one community now. We have been in the struggle. This is an important part of this process - what we did that first morning - calling each by name, looking into each other’s eyes; it melted the fears and apprehensions, of coming to a new group. I don’t feel like a new group anymore - I feel like we have a lot in common no matter where we come from.” Sr. Griselda shared, “This project is needed at this time in our world. As we talking about reconciliation, forgiveness, human relations, respect and how to speak without prejudice, all our energies were going to make these words a reality among us. We were thinking and imagining this sense of community for our newer members.”

For the 125 sisters traveling to Le Puy, this programming will further network them globally with other Sisters of St Joseph and provide valuable skills. Once the 125 return home and begin teaching this curriculum, it will seed local community living situations with a greater number of sisters prepared to mediate cultural conflicts. The participants will be empowered to model and teach the value of unity in diversity where they live and minister. This programming will be developed so that it can be easily replicated for other groups, especially non-profits.

The Hilton Foundation staff wisely advised us to engage a University partner who could help us design and improve the curriculum. Avila University’s Center for Global Studies and Social Justice in Kansas City, Missouri, USA will assist the curriculum designers and 125 certified teachers, through the lenses of quality management and systemic improvement, to infuse learnings from participants’ real life experiences into future curriculum refinements. This will allow us to produce a tested, multilingual, culturally sensitive curriculum that will ensure the transformational quality of the program. The design team was joined by our Avila University evaluation team of Ken Parsons, Ph.D., Carol Coburn, Ph.D. and Sr. Eva Solomon, D.Min, (Member of the Anishinaabe Henvey Inlet First Nation Reserve and of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie).

Sr. Griselda speaking about the Avila team said, “Ken, Carol, and Eva were amazing in helping us. They are really engaged, always giving input but supporting our efforts as a group. They are professional people but they are engaged in our mission.”

We set our goals high for this program. Our desire is that participants’ worldview will be expanded and transformed by their global connections with other sisters and more deeply grounded in respect for unity in diversity. They will be able to engage in nonviolent communication and conflict resolution, have critical engagement with difference, and demonstrate the role of empathy for understanding and right relations within a diverse community. This will amplify the unifying factors in their local religious communities and ministries.

Sr. Griselda noted, ”In the time we were together we were building the basis for harmony and reconciliation. Some people were thinking about war and soon after the terrible situation in Paris happened. What are we doing [with this curriculum]? We are building something different.” She shared, “Already we are doing something for the next generations. This makes me feel confident and hopeful. It challenges me. Nothing is too big for the Sisters of St Joseph. Our certitude is that another world is possible.

Design Team Members