Our Projects

The John Howard Society (JHS) of Ottawa works to prevent crime, reduce poverty and build self-sufficiency within its network of clients. Through an adaptation of OICD's EMIC™ method, the OICD is helping JHS caseworkers analyze the identities of their clients and build intervention strategies.

Read our Identity Digest article about this work here

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Conflict transformation and peace building are sectors which heavily rely on whether identities and identity dynamics are understood well to be effective. The work with Embrace Dialogue (ReD), is a partnership working to create spaces for mutual understanding among conflict groups. We have been training ReD members in the OICD’s EMIC™ method, so they can use those tools to better promote peace to the region.

Read our Identity Digest article about this work here 

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Our partnership with Goldsmiths University in the UK focuses on giving teachers the tools to help children understand how their identities function. This improved "identity literacy" can help the child to recognize and resist divisive cultural narratives as well as effectively process and manage discriminatory attitudes and behaviors in themselves and others.

The course we have developed for the Goldsmith's teachers Centre allows the teacher to gain an understanding of how identity works as a psychological and social system in children and in adults. The course encourages teachers to develop ways to equip the child with the understanding of how their own identities function in everyday interactions. Through doing so, the child can learn to recognize how flexible and diverse identities are created and shaped. This learning extends the child’s “identity literacy”, increasing resilience and self-actualization as a result.

Decreasing discrimination, prejudice and marginalization through policy making is challenging when our models of how society works are incomplete. Through our workshops, attended by policy makers from various sectors, and consultancy services - offered to international organizations and governments - the OICD is helping policy makers to incorporate identity and culture dynamics as a means to increase social, political and economic inclusion.

See all our past workshops below.

Click here for an article on OICD-IAI Kenya policy advisory project.

Impact Analysis is a sector which compiles the future impact a building project may cause on the surrounding communities and environment. The OICD has helped Narratives Inc. to access and represent IA data in new ways, highlighting the way in which environmental impact can have knock on effects on the cultural and identity profiles of entire human communities.

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Identity and culture are critical components to consider in both economic and social development. Through our knowledge and training workshops, we draw attention to how identity and cultural information has the potential to solve many conflicts in a plethora of sectors, contributing to the release of human potential.

See below for all our past workshops

Understanding how the forces of Identity and Culture play a key role in creating conflict or cohesion can dramatically increase the ability for change agents to reach their goals. Our instructor-led training program in partnership with St. John’s Malta delivers an introductory course on identity and conflict, providing some key frameworks and tools for community leaders, professionals and practitioners from a range of backgrounds.

Click here for more information about their work