Intercultural Dialogue Institute is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to advance social cohesion through personal interaction by promoting respect and mutual understanding among people of all cultures and faiths through dialogue and partnership.
Intercultural Dialogue Institute aims to promote enduring interfaith and intercultural cooperation, tolerance and dialogue by sharing our differences and similarities in an effort to enhance civil society, to promote the development of human values, and to advance diversity and multiculturalism in the society. The Institute aims to eliminate or reduce false stereotypes, prejudices and unjustified fears through direct human communication. By this mission IDI aims to contribute to improvement of diversity, pluralism and multiculturalism throughout Canada.
In this regard, IDI organizes social, educational and cultural activities such as lectures, seminars, conferences, discussion forums, luncheons, informative dinners, programs for students and youth, intercultural exchange trips, courses, outreach programs.
History
IDI was formed in 2010 as a joint effort of several organizations and currently have 11 chapters and regional office in major cities of five Canadian province.
The Institute grew out of the need to address the question, “How can citizens of the world live in peace and harmony?” From this question a conversation took root and began to grow. The founding members of the IDI knew from personal experience that a discussion on cultural differences did not have to digress into confusion, conflict, and anarchy. On the contrary, the founding members understood that peace could be achieved by sharing different perspectives by listening to each other from the space of love, respect, tolerance, mercy, and compassion.
Principles
- We seek and welcome the gift of diversity.
- We respect the differences among religions and cultures.
- We maintain the highest standards of integrity, ethical conduct, as well as accurate disclosure of information.
- We honor the richness and diversity of all languages, religions and cultures.
- We value constant positive action based on universal values such as love, respect, tolerance, mercy, and compassion which are crucial for healthy dialogue in a diverse university environment.
- We respect the uniqueness of each religion, and differences of practice or belief.
- We have no one particular agenda and no inherent ideology, other than a genuine concern for the spiritual quality and welfare of life on Earth.
- We make efforts to be absolutely inclusive, and to deny participation to no one.
- Our members and participants are entirely free to disagree on matters of belief, but join together to act in a common spirit of friendship and mutual respect.
- We are committed to universal values of democracy and human rights.
- We act from sound ecological practices to preserve our world for future generations.