“It’s not sufficient to simply bring people together, even in the same classroom, [to say], ‘Oh we have a very intercultural classroom, they’re all there, so magic will happen,’” Deardorff said. "Same with sending people abroad and magic will happen. Things don’t just happen, unfortunately. We have to be very, very intentional. There have been studies coming out of Harvard [from Robert D. Putnam] that show that simply being in the vicinity of  those who are different can lead to greater distrust and more suspicion, so we need to be very intentional about how we create that environment for integration."

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/02/20/gathering-senior-international-educators-integration-international-students-was#ixzz2ttZYF0Up 
Inside Higher Ed 

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/

Tips on how to act in a Muslim home or countryWHAT TO DO OR NOT TO DO :: Whether you are meeting at a Muslims home or doing business in a Muslim country, there are certain social graces, customs and behavior which, when understood, can help avoid unnecessary complications or hurts.

General Behavior, Attitudes and Demenour
The Golden RuleJesus said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets”. (Matthew 7:12)

The so called ‘Golden Rule’ of Jesus best sums up how to be prepared for going to any foreign country or to a neighbors house – despite customs and cultural differences. With regards to Muslims, it is intertesting to note that in an imitation of the golden rule, a hadith says: “A Muslim should treat others as he would wish them to treat him…Like for others what he would like for himself.”


To read the entire article, go to http://www.30-days.net/islam/culture/customs/. 

Read the entire article at http://www.immihelp.com/newcomer/american-culture-and-behavior.html. 

As an American, you can find volumes of travel books instructing you how to behave when you visit other countries—which seemingly innocent hand gestures are vulgar in Romania, for example, or how close you can stand to a Japanese businessman. But what about when foreigners visit our country?

It’s not easy to find out what the non-English speaking world thinks of us, as it is another unique peculiarity of Americans that most only speak one language. But Google speaks many, even Russian. So with Google’s help, I set out to learn more about “американский этикет,” or, Russia’s take on American etiquette. (Note: Some of my interpretations of these translations may be a bit liberal, and we welcome any translation help from Russian-speaking Flossers.)


Read the entire article at http://mentalfloss.com/article/54461/4-russian-travel-tips-visiting-america. 

With the help of Google Translate (and an ability to interpret completely random sentence structure), an American can find out what kind of advice the Japanese give to their own countrymen on how to handle the peculiarities of American culture. Here are some things tolook out for if you are visiting America from Japan.

Read the entire article at http://mentalfloss.com/article/55140/10-japanese-travel-tips-visiting-america. 

Welcoming International students on your campus is a great way of reaching the nations without ever having to leave home. Being away from their potentially Christian resistant settings back home, these students are now much more willing and able to receive the message of Christ. If you are able to reach them, then you send them home with a lot more than a collection of funny American t-shirts. You send them with the message that can transform their friends, family, and country like no outsider visiting their home-town ever could.

Starting an international student ministry (ISM) can seem daunting, but it does not have to be. You can start with simple outreach efforts on your own, or you can join an ISM that already exists on your campus. The following is a list of Nation-wide International Student Ministries that exist on college campuses in North America. Take a look to see if any of them can be found on your campus. If not, you could reach out to them about starting a new chapter with your help!

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT MINISTRY WEBSITES

Ambassadors for Christ (reaches Chinese students)

Bridges International

China Outreach Ministries

Chi Alpha Internationals- One More Friend (Assemblies of God)

International Crossroads (Horizons International)

InterFACE

International Friendships Inc

International Students Inc

International Student Ministries (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod)

International Student Ministries Canada

Intervarsity Christian Fellowship ISM

Japanese Christian Fellowship Network (specializes in Returnee ministry)

Navigators ISM

Reformed University Fellowship International (Presbyterian Church America)

WHAT IT ISReaching Internationals.com is a website devoted to helping anyone wanting to build relationships with international students for the sake of spreading the gospel. Most of the resources provided on this site are in the form of simple articles, although there are many resources that can be downloaded directly to your computer as well. Topics include: how to meet internationals and build relationships, how to present the gospel to them, how to meet their felt needs while in America, and even how to build lasting movements specifically for them.

Read the entire article at http://www.campusministrytoolbox.org/toolbox/reachinginternationals-com/. 

By Zeke Zeiler - November 8, 2013

WHAT WOULD YOU THINK IF……you found out that at this very moment, thousands of students, from all over the world were studying on your campus? And what if it turned out that half of them came from the “10/40 Window,” that horizontal slice of the globe where there is almost no access to the Gospel? Well, if you have a ministry at a large university, this may very well be true for your campus.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF……you knew that these same students not only had a deep curiosity about Christianity, but could return to their homelands as ambassadors for Jesus Christ in positions of leadership? Most international students are usually students of high achievement. It is highly probable that they could go on to represent Christ in the top-levels of politics, business, or education.

THEN HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF……you arrived on a campus halfway around the world from your home, all of the other students were total strangers, represented a strange culture, and spoke a strange language, and no one befriended you?


Read the entire article at http://www.campusministrytoolbox.org/filters/mobilization/wake-up-theyre-here/.