Sharing Perspectives Foundation
Bosboom Toussaintstraat 29-2, 1054AN Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Pays-Bas
- Youth and education
Our mission is to initiate, stimulate and facilitate international cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration to foster knowledge and understanding of each other’s perspectives by utilizing new online communication platforms. The Sharing Perspectives Foundation’s innovative Virtual Exchange concept takes place through web-based online video-conference technology. Our programs directly bridge academia and civil society by stimulating students and professors to cooperate academically through new media technology and social networks, while bringing in the voices of the communities participants live in through survey research. This way, the classroom itself becomes an opportunity for intercultural dialogue and encounter where knowledge of the ‘other’ is fostered. The SPF wants to contribute to a world where communication creates mutual understanding and respect, where people take the time to explain their thoughts and opinions, and listening becomes part again of the way people communicate.
Presently, the SPF has one ongoing project titled ‘Perspectives on the Euro(pean) Crisis’ (PEC), which started last October in collaboration with eight universities across Europe. It addresses graduate students who want to learn more about the deep causes of and possible solutions to the Euro(pean) economic, political and socio-cultural crises. The SPF has designed its second program for next spring titled ‘Perspectives on Changing Societies in the Euro-Mediterranean’ (PCS), which will revolve around the unprecedented challenges that have been investing the Euro-mediterranean region over the last three years. In order to generate a feeling of ownership and inclusiveness in decision making processes in the participants and, on the other hand, give stakeholders the possibility to reflect on their policies, SPF programs entail a final summit that gives the best students the possibility to present the findings of their research to policy makers and institutions.
The SPF would be able to contribute to the goals of the Anna Lindh Foundation network through the implementation of programs that foster intercultural dialogue, peaceful coexistence and respect for diversity. Moreover, given the strong research component of our Virtual Exchange programs, the whole network will benefit from collected data concerning relevant economic, political and socio-cultural aspects in the region. Such data can definitely serve as a solid foundation for following research, working papers and recommendations to institutions and policy makers. Finally, thanks to its access to web-based online video-conference technology, the SPF will be able to provide members of the network not only with the opportunity to meet regularly without necessarily travelling - thus cutting the costs and strengthening the network itself - but also with our professional UN-certified facilitators we can stimulate effective cooperation and increase mutual understanding.
Like the Anna Lindh Foundation, the SPF aims at bringing people together across cultural and national borders and promote mutual understanding and respect between cultures. With our programs, in fact, we foster intercultural dialogue and the overcoming of those stereotypes that too often lead to identity claims and xenophobic rhetoric, thus undermining the possibility to engender positive common change in the respect of diversity. Moreover, by allowing the participants to its programs to present their findings and research to policy makers, institutions and stakeholders, the SPF also aims to reestablish a sense of ownership on the future and spark hope on the possibility to have an influence on the solution of crises they face. Being part of the Anna Lindh Foundation network would be a very important accomplishment for the SPF, inasmuch as it would undoubtedly facilitate the development of common actions with other member organizations at a regional level.
