Our Mission
SIETAR‘s purpose is to encourage the development and application of knowledge, values and skills which enable effective intercultural and interethnic relations at individual, group, organisation and community levels.
SIETAR Europa serves as a forum for exchange among national SIETAR organizations and supports the establishment and development of new national SIETAR organizations. SIETAR subscribes to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and works towards the elimination of every kind of discrimination based on race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, family and marital status, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Our Values
Our core values define us as an association—and as individuals:
Openness: We are open to new ideas, approaches and cultural mindsets in order to advance the knowledge in our field.
Respect: We encourage fair, objective and respectful attitudes toward opinions, beliefs, and practices that differ from our own.
Diversity & Inclusion: We display diversity in terms of our cultural background, multidisciplinary experiences and through our practices, we aim at providing an inclusive environment that allows development for different kinds of people who share our values.
Our History
SIETAR was founded in the United States in 1974 by a few dedicated individuals to draw together professionals engaged in various forms of intercultural learning and engagement research and training.
The Society rapidly grew beyond the borders of the United States attracting people from around the world who had similar concerns and interests and was named SIETAR International in 1982.
SIETAR Europa was founded in 1991 in an effort to establish closer links between interculturalists within the continent. Since then national organisations have been formed in Europe, and today SIETAR Europa is, on the one hand, an umbrella organisation for the European SIETARs, and, on the other, unites intercultural academics and practitioners who live in countries without a national organisation.