Professional Development Opportunities
for your Organization 

Understanding and valuing diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the community is a necessity for organizational success and enhanced quality of life. Interacting with people in a diverse environment requires the ability to respond respectfully to the dynamics of cultural differences. These differences can include:  race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, cultural values, religious beliefs, lifestyle, communication style, sexual orientation, economic status, etc.  In situations where differences cause discomfort, misunderstanding or hostility, they threaten otherwise strong, positive business and personal relationships. We live in a global society that is strongly connected through information technology and by the events happening around the world every day. Ultimately, we are all challenged to look at the worlds' cultures with a new and fresh perspective in order to respond peacefully and respectfully to the dynamics of global cultural differences.

As a leader in the area of diversity education, the MultiCultural Development Center (MCDC) is pleased provide a “Customized Professional Development Training Program” for members and the community at large, with a multitude of unique presentations to suit your training needs. This MCDC Training Program is designed to enhance workplace performance, productivity, profitability and community relationships, and to ensure inclusion. The Program's objective is to increase awareness and build cultural competencies (individual and organizational) in areas of diversity and cultural relations while living, working and interacting with people from various walks of life. It is designed to initiate vehicles for greater understanding and skill acquisition for maintaining an inclusive environment. The Program will assist individuals and organizations to recognize how differences impact their own everyday interactions with people and how they can apply the skills that they learn to challenging situations and conflicting issues here at home and abroad.

MCDC Presentations and Customized Training Programs include:

- Fundamentals for Understanding Cultural Diversity

- Building Cultural Competencies: Living, Working and Communicating Effectively with Muslims in the U.S.

- Understanding the Culture of Afghanistan : Guidelines for Building Positive Relationships

- Cultural Integration and Adaptation: An Immigrant's Story

MCDC is able to customize and deliver a variety of presentations in addition to those listed below. Find out more information about this unique training opportunity, contact MCDC via email at info@mcdc.org or call 952-881-6090.

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I. Fundamentals for Understanding Cultural Diversity

Learning objectives:

• Increase your knowledge and awareness of the principals and values of diversity and inclusion in our changing communities and in our workplaces
• Teach you how your business objectives can support, and be supported by your diversity initiatives
• Help you understand how an inclusive organizational culture can influence recruitment, retention and workforce productivity

The contents of this training will assist you to:

• Identify the value of diversity and inclusion in your organization.
  One important focus of this training is recognizing, valuing and respecting the broad range of differences among and between the people within your organization.
• Identify major demographic trends in the U.S. that impact our workplaces, and consequently, our communities.
• Recognize the relationship between your cultural and personal identity and the perceptions of others.
• Determine factors that contribute to a positive/productive work environment as opposed to a hostile/non-productive work environment, including how to avoid negative factors.
• Recognize and determine the communication skills that are critical in a multicultural environment.  A major focus of diversity at any organization should be on promoting effective interaction between and among the diverse people.
• Identify steps to break down barriers to establishing positive relationships with individuals different than you.

Presenter: Dr. Ghafar Lakanwal, MCDC Executive Director

Length: 4 hours, can be customized

Fee: Contact MCDC for an estimate; fees do not include travel or accommodation costs.

Request process: see Speaker Request Application

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II. Building Cultural Competencies: Living, Working and Communicating Effectively with Muslims in the U.S.

Learning objectives:

• Increase awareness and understanding about Muslims, including developing individuals' knowledge about Muslim values, beliefs, rituals and practices, and communication styles
• Increase your knowledge and awareness about the basic, guiding principals and values held by Muslims
• Help you understand how an inclusive culture can result in a more productive workplace as well as positive community relationships by fostering effective communication and interaction with Muslims
• Help to eliminate stereotypes which exist related to Islam and Muslims
• Provide guidelines for assisting individuals when interacting with Muslim employees, customers and clients, students, faculty, staff, neighbors and colleagues
• Offer recommendations to aid organizations in the creation of respectful policies, procedures and practices

This training will upgrade your knowledge, skills and ability to:

•  Build new foundations for enhancing your relationships with Muslims, based on mutual understanding and respect.

•  Recognize how cultural differences, including religious values and beliefs, impact your own everyday interactions with Muslims.

•  Identify barriers to communicating with Muslims.

•  Strategize on how to remove communication barriers to better serve, work with and build relationships with Muslims in the workplace, educational institutions, and the community at large.

•  Effectively manage and resolve challenging issues resulting from living, working and interacting with Muslims.

•  Create and implement organizational policies and practices that are respectful of all employees, including Muslim employees.

Presenters: Dr. Ghafar Lakanwal, MCDC Executive Director, Laurie Trousil, MCDC Manager of Resources and Product Development

Length: 4 hours, can be customized

Fee: Contact MCDC for an estimate; fees do not include travel or accommodation costs.

Request process: see Speaker Request Application

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III. Understanding the Culture of Afghanistan : Guidelines for Building Positive Relationships

Learning objectives:

•  Improve your understanding of Afghanistan and its people

•  Expand your knowledge of Afghanistan 's geo-strategic importance as well as its history, culture and the society's ethnic make-up

•  Increase your understanding of the social, economic and political institutions in present-day Afghanistan

•  Assist you to understand the responsibility of the United States and the international community to bring peace, stability and economic prosperity to this war-torn country

This training will upgrade your knowledge, skills and ability to :

•  Understand the culture and its influence on the process of change in Afghanistan .

•  Live, work and communicate effectively with employees, students and neighbors of Afghan descent at the U.S.

•  Build your cultural competencies to work and communicate effectively with people in Afghanistan .

•  Identify social, cultural, economic and political factors impacting your own everyday interactions with Afghans in Afghanistan as well as in the U.S.

•  Resolve cross-cultural conflicts when working with both Afghans in the U.S. as well as Afghans living in Afghanistan .

Presenter: Dr. Ghafar Lakanwal, MCDC Executive Director

Length: 4 hours, can be customized

Fee: Contact MCDC for an estimate; fees do not include travel or accommodation costs.

Request process: see Speaker Request Application

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IV. Cultural Integration and Adaptation: An Immigrant's Story

Learning objectives:

•  Increase your awareness of and knowledge about new immigrants coming to the U.S.

•  Understand cultural and individual identity and how it influences personal, business and community relationships

•  Understand new immigrants, their struggles for survival and their achievements

•  Find an answer to the question: Is this country a land of opportunity or adversity?

•  Discover the impact of new immigrants on U.S. society

•  Learn how new immigrants adapt and integrate themselves to their new society

•  Understand your own story as well as stories of others in your community, workplace, schools, colleges and universities

•  Eliminate stereotypes which exist in the community as well as in the workplace related to new immigrants

This training is based on a real-life story that will help you to:

•  Build relationships with new immigrants based on mutual understanding and respect.

•  Recognize how cultural differences impact your own everyday interactions with new immigrants.

•  Identify barriers to communicating with new immigrants.

•  Strategize to remove communication barriers to better serve, work with and build relationships with new immigrants in the workplace, educational institutions and the community at large.

•  Effectively manage and resolve challenging issues resulting from living, working and interacting with new immigrants.

•  Create and implement organizational policies and practices that are respectful of all employees, including new immigrant employees.

Presenter: Dr. Ghafar Lakanwal, MCDC Executive Director

Length: 4 hours, can be customized

Fee: Contact MCDC for an estimate; fees do not include travel or accommodation costs.

Request process: see Speaker Request Application

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What Past Clients Say

Thank you for spending time with our Ridgewater College faculty and staff at our in-service day. Your morning presentation, as well as the afternoon breakout sessions…were very informative and thought-provoking. We appreciate you taking time to share ideas on how we can influence positive relationships and foster effective communication and interaction with Muslims in our communities.
Dr. Douglas W. Allen
President
Ridgewater College

Thank you for the wonderful session. I am encouraged by the staff's dialogue with you. I think they will have a more pro-active approach to cultural diversity.
Shirlee Holyfield
MN Department of Agriculture

Thank you so much for your presentation to our staff. So many of my colleagues have told me that they found your talk interesting, informative and energizing. As a school psychologist, I know I will carry with me your story of encountering the special education system with your son. We are taught that “best practices” in ESL assessment is to rely heavily on nonverbal assessment, such as the blocks you described. Clearly our best practices are not good enough.
Susan Zirkes
Lincoln Elementary, White Bear Lake

Thank you most kindly for investing your time and energies for today's convocation presentation at Carleton College . Your lecture was enlightening, informative, and challenging. It was a message we needed to hear, and I am grateful to you. It was an honor and pleasure to meet you.
Kerry Raadt
Director of Events, Office of College Relations
Carleton College

On behalf of our Diversity Action Council I would like to express our sincere thanks for your presentation on the culture and history of Afghanistan . The council members have had tremendous feedback about the presentation. Your knowledge and passion about Afghanistan are remarkable….Your presentation has generated much discussion on culture, war and peace, and civic responsibility – which means the presentation achieved its goal.
Linda De Rosa
Manager, Human Resources
Progress Casting

Thank you so much for coming to speak to our volunteers. Your stories and life journey serve as inspiration for us in the work that we do. They are a reminder that we are all responsible for sharing and celebrating diversity and what makes us unique individuals. We look forward to working with you and the MultiCultural Development Center again! Many thanks!
Match Support and Volunteers
Big Brothers Big Sisters

I recently attended a seminar that was presented to Mesabi Academy in Buhl. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for sharing your life story and all of your extensive knowledge about multicultural diversity. The information presented was extremely helpful, and has opened several discussions between staff and youth alike. Thank you for all of the inspiration that you have personally brought to my life.
Rhonda Byron
Criminal Justice Major
Intern at Mesabi Academy for Bemidji State University

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Contact MCDC for More Information

We would be happy to talk with you about your organization's needs and possible solutions. Please contact Charissa Blue at info@mcdc.org for further information about how the MultiCultural Development Center (MCDC) can assist you.

info@mcdc.org
ph. 952.881.6090
fax 952.887.6099

Copyright 2008 MCDC, All Rights Reserved