Welcome to September!
In this month's newsletter, we discuss our CEO and Founder, Peter Mousaferiadis, travelling to New York City for the United Nation's General Assembly Week and an article featuring our Diversity Innovator and Project Assistant, Saman Akbaryan, who developed our accessibility application, Inclusion Atlas. We also unpack the recent Intercultural Learning Pedagogy webinar by our Education Strategist Nisha Feik and highlight our Multicultural Full and Half Day incursions to celebrate the end of the school year!
United Nation's General Assembly Week and the UN Global Compact’s Private Sector Forum
This month, our CEO and Founder, Peter Mousaferiadis, will be travelling to New York for the United Nation's General Assembly Week and the UN Global Compact’s Private Sector Forum.
This year marks the 77th session of the UN General Assembly under the theme 'A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges.'
A critical success factor for companies and public organisations today is greater reporting and transparency for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The work we are doing at Cultural Infusion’s Diversity Atlas enables organisations to measure diversity in precise and useful ways.
Once organisations gain a deeper understanding of themselves, they are able to develop a range of intervention strategies and policies that support greater equity, inclusion and representation. Stronger organisations make stronger communities, contributing towards achieving global objectives and overcoming challenges.
“Businesses are generating huge benefits for themselves and their stakeholders, however everyone today is expecting more from businesses and organisations"Peter Mousaferiadis, CEO & Founder of Cultural Infusion
Inclusion Atlas highlights accessibility and inclusive features of buildings and spaces
The University of Melbourne's Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology recently published an article featuring Cultural Infusion's Diversity Innovator and Project Assistant, Saman Akbaryan, who co-developed the accessibility application, Inclusion Atlas.
Achieving a Masters of Information Technology, specialising in Human-Computer Interaction, and as a wheelchair-user himself, Saman has drawn on personal experience to develop the idea behind this project, finding new and innovative ways to improve the lives of those living with disability. Inclusion Atlas is an application designed to highlight the accessibility and inclusive features of buildings and spaces.
The unique crowdsourcing platform draws on User Generated Content, allowing users to actively contribute by rating venues, uploading photos and providing up to date information, supporting diverse-ability and cultural needs in the physical world. By drawing on its users' lived experience, this application catalogues the real-time accessibility and inclusive features of venues across the world, ranging from restaurants, to retail, to recreational spaces.
The beta version is set to be launched on a number of platforms, including a browser based website, Google Play and the Apple App Store. This application helps communities find accessible spaces, where individuals can safely feel welcome, comfortable and included. Inclusion Atlas will launch by the end of 2022.
“Inclusion Atlas is for everyone, not just people with a disability. Everyone can advocate for a friend or family member who requires assistance. All of us can be a part of the solution.”Saman Akbaryan, Project Manager and UX Specialist for Inclusion Atlas
Intercultural Learning with Sound Infusion
Our Education Strategist, Nisha Feik, discusses her Intercultural Learning Pedagogy webinar and editorial written for Youthwise magazine on Intercultural Learning with Sound Infusion.
Nisha recently had an extremely positive response to an Intercultural Learning Pedagogy webinar. There were several opportunities for discussion about resourcing music programs and participants provided useful information for each other that complemented the advice provided during the webinar.
The webinar content shared teaching ideas from three cultures: capoeira from Brazil, a song from the Torres Strait Islands and a song from Italy. Participants received the lesson plans that these were based on as well as information about how to book relevant Cultural Infusion presenters. Videos provided context, and one video demonstrated how to arrange music using instruments from Brazil on Sound Infusion. Anecdotes were shared about cultural sensitivity in schools, and the group reflected upon a video featuring a government employee speaking on behalf of a cultural group without introducing them or asking them to talk about their music. This helped everyone to understand about how cultural sensitivity and respect are necessary for intercultural understanding.
"This was such a beneficial webinar and made me think about what I do and how I do it. I loved the capoeira lesson as I have never experienced anything like this- thank you! It was totally worth my time to participate in your interactive and highly motivating webinar."Stacey Harrell, Teacher at Wingham High School
Nisha has written an editorial for Youthwise magazine about Intercultural Learning with Sound Infusion. This will be published in October 2022. Schools have provided Sound Infusion anecdotes about students sharing stories about their grandparents or parents playing instruments from their cultural heritage and creating musical arrangements on the weekend just for fun, or to explore sounds from previously unfamiliar places.
Sound Infusion is the ideal blended learning tool to combine with more traditional forms of teaching and help students to empathise with people and cultures from around the world.
Multicultural All Day and Half Day Programs
Celebrate the end of Term 4 with Cultural Infusion's Multicultural All Day and Half Day Programs!
Our cultural incursions make for the perfect end of school year celebration. Our presenters cater to any year level, producing programs that are interactive, vibrant and memorable.
There are many programs to choose from, celebrating diversity and culture from around the world.
Choose 3 (half-day) or 5 (full-day) programs, and explore the histories, traditions, music and art forms from the chosen cultures. Each incursion is paired with a complementary lesson plan, giving your students practical activities, intercultural knowledge and the historical context of the culture.
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Cultural Infusion (CUIN)Address: Suite 2, 273-277 Wellington Street, Collingwood, VIC 3066
Email: info@culturalinfusion.org.au
Website: https://culturalinfusion.org.au