How to Build Safe Spaces for Cross Cultural Exchange

I recently co-led a training on interfaith leadership with college students and leaders. Conducting these training sessions is particularly fulfilling for me because I have the opportunity to build safe spaces for cross-cultural dialogue. I vividly remember my college days, when I first delved into the art of facilitating dialogues aimed at fostering peace. It was thrilling to witness two people from different cultural backgrounds connect over a shared value, experience, or interest during a dialogue that I facilitated. To this day, my excitement for these connections remains strong.

Building safe spaces is essential for fostering cross-cultural dialogue. So, how do we guarantee the safety of all participants to engage and actively take part in such spaces?

The first step to building safe spaces is to physically write the rules down with the people in the room. When we collaboratively develop a list of community agreements, we build a space where respect is at the forefront of our conversations.  

What’s particularly interesting about this list is its adaptability; it varies depending on the specific context. Some environments aim to instill a particular cultural ethos, prompting specific rules. In other spaces, participants may have limited experience navigating challenging discussions, requiring a detailed breakdown of the rules. By having a conversation with the participants on what rules are most important to maintain, we can build a space where all participants understand how to interact with one another.

I’ve compiled a list of rules that I have gathered and used over the years. I hope this can serve as a starting point for you if you do not already have a list. For others with experience facilitating cross-culture dialogues, please let me know what rules I am missing.

Be Respectful

Building a safe space without instilling respect is impossible. It is key that we all enter this space with a deep sense of respect for one another, for ourselves, and for all the differences that exist within this room.

Active Listening

We must actively listen in order to be fully present in a conversation. It is ideal to just listen, not listen to respond. It can be challenging to not formulate a response when listening to another person, especially for those who are uncomfortable with silence. However, the tendency to prepare our next thought while someone is speaking is counterproductive. It prevents us from being fully present in a conversation, potentially resulting in misunderstandings or overlooking the core of what the other person is saying.

Use “I” Statements

When we use “I” statements, we speak from our own experiences. This helps us avoid speaking on behalf of others or making generalizations. For instance, two people in the space may identify as Christian and hold very different beliefs. Therefore, one person should not speak on behalf of Christianity, but rather, speak from their own experience.

Embrace Curiosity

When we approach conversations with genuine curiosity, we embark on a journey of discovery. Curiosity serves as a catalyst for learning about the people in the space and building stronger connections with one another.  

Maintain an Open Mind

The essence of maintaining an open mind lies in your capacity to truly listen to the other person and understand their beliefs and perspectives from their point of view. This rule is especially important in spaces where individuals come from diverse cultures and hold opposing thoughts, perspectives, and ideologies. The goal is not to alter your own perspective, but rather to fully grasp the other person’s point of view and rationale behind it.

Avoid Assumptions

It serves no purpose to make assumptions about another person. You may have encountered a stereotype or generalization related to someone’s identity, belief system, or political affiliation. When we bring these assumptions into the space, we inhibit our ability to listen with an open mind.

The Vegas Rule

Similar to the saying What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, it is beneficial to apply the same principle to build safe spaces for cross-cultural dialogue. I once heard someone say what is said in this space stays in this space, but what is learned in this space can be taken from this space. This allows us to instill confidentiality while also allowing valuable insights from the conversations in the space to be shared beyond the room.

Respectful Tech Use.

Similar to the Vegas Rule, we want to ensure confidentiality in the space. In our digital-centric world, we often reach for our phones without noticing. If you are on your phone while someone is speaking, it signals to the speaker that you are not fully engaged. It is also unclear to the speaker whether you are sharing their experiences with others outside of the room through text messages, video, etc. Restricting tech use in these spaces can help maintain a safe and respectful environment where participants feel genuinely heard.

So, this list could continue indefinitely. Nevertheless, these rules represent a few fundamental ones that I have encountered in my experience as an interfaith leader. They have helped me improve the safety of the spaces I create for cross-cultural dialogue.

Ultimately, the goal is to build a space where everyone feels at ease sharing their thoughts and perspectives. At times, individuals in the space may forget these rules, and in such instances, it is helpful to have a facilitator gently remind them of the breached rule, ensuring adherence to the community agreements.

In our multicultural society, we will continually engage in the exchange of ideas, thoughts, experiences, and diverse points of view. We will also not always agree with one another. Therefore, the more safe spaces we establish for cross-cultural dialogue, the greater the opportunity for mutual learning and relationship building there will be.