Intra-Cultural Development

The Key Concepts

Concept No.1 IDENTITY IS AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING

Who do people think they are? What stories do individuals use to identify themselves as members of small groups, national, or international communities? These questions lie at the heart of all the social, economic and political actions and decisions that people make in their lives.

 

Concept No.2 SOLUTIONS LIE WITHIN

Underneath discrimination and conflict problems lie core questions of identity–do people feel that they are the same or different from each other and how so? Solutions can be found by exploring what is going on between communities (inter-group solutions). However, a focus on how people have conceived themselves as members of their own cultural groups (intra-group solutions) can reveal new opportunities to repair and regenerate divided communities.

 

Concept No.3 PEOPLE RESPOND TO NEW EXPRESSIONS OF WHO THEY ARE

Individuals respond to newly expressed ideas of who they are and who they can potentially be. This “reframing” of the cultural histories and traditions that people use to express themselves can often cause large scale violent human conflict (e.g. Bosnia, Rwanda). This very same reframing of identities, however, can be effective in building cohesion, preventing conflict and solving problems.

 

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If you would like to contribute and/or collaborate with the OICD please visit our contribute & collaborate page. To find out more about how Intra-Cultural Development can be applied to particular human development sectors, why not begin by familiarizing yourself with the sectors we address by looking through the list below. Then, to learn more about Intra-Cultural Development Theory and Practice, why not start by looking at Intra-Cultural Development At a Glance.

  • Peace Building and Reconciliation
  • Conflict Resolution and Prevention
  • Social Cohesion
  • Community Development
  • Counterinsurgency Strategy
  • Multicultural Policy and Identity Building
  • Intercultural Communication Training
  • National Integration Strategy
  • Anti-Prejudice, Anti-Sectarian and Anti-Racism Policy Building and Implementation Strategy
  • Social and Economic Stimulation Strategy
  • Security Building Initiative