My Philosophy

Philosophy and intercultural relations do not stand far apart. Philosophy attempts to provide an account of how the world works. While there are no definite philosophical answers, there are countless different ones, some of which seem more significant than others.

It is just the same with cultures. Our great cultural diversity offers us an almost infinite spectrum of possibilities. We merely have to seize the opportunity – but always with respect and oppenness. That is exactly what I want to communicate through my intercultural work.

During my time abroad, I learned to recognise and appreciate cultural differences, and even accepted some as my own. I took along alot from the countries I lived in.

In Prague, I experienced what influence a political system can exert on its people. I will never forget our neighbour, who - up to this point silent, almost dismissive - greeted us with a pitch-perfect 'Guten Tag' on the day of the velvet revolution in 1989 and from this day on supplied us with fresh Fruit from his garden.

New Delhi gave me my first opportunity to see the world from a non-eurocentric perspective, and I recognised how small and unimportant a role Europe played in relation to the rest of the world. At the same time I realised that this part of the world represents my cultural home.

In Brussels I was submerged into a hitherto unknown world - the francophonie - and I developed funded language skills which allowed for new perspectives in my professional life.

In Helsinki I underwent a massive culture shock, which subsequently had a positive effect on my future. It was there that I started to deal with intercultural subject matter, a foundation of my current professional career.

My most recent stay in China, Shanghai, made me aware of how it is to be surrounded by a culture which I can neither read nor write. Communication does not necessitate speech and it is fascinating to realise how well our perceptive and non-verbal communication skills can work.