The second capacity building workshop for the ten most recent recipients of the Intercultural Innovation Award took place in Melbourne, Australia from 22 to 27 July 2018. Hosted by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group, and, for the first time, in collaboration with Accenture, the workshop focused on the topics of leadership, measuring impact, organizational culture and managing change.
The workshop was attended by the organizations who received the Intercultural Innovation Award at the ceremony held at the United Nations headquarters in November 2017. Awardees from Argentina, Ecuador, Egypt, Israel, New Zealand, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, participated in various training sessions designed to build their capacity with a view to enhance the long-term effect and sustainability of their projects, such that their initiatives can expand and replicate in other contexts. Leveraging on Accenture’s expertise, the first part of the workshop concentrated on leadership and measuring impact. Attendees received training on leadership and social styles, design thinking and learned about a variety of practical tools to effectively assess and evaluate the impact of their projects. The second part of the week was focused on organizational culture and managing change, with participants learning interventions for building a strong organization and how to make the transformation happen.
As part of the workshop, participants had the opportunity to visit and learn about the work of Cultural Infusion, a Melbourne based organization that promotes understanding of different cultures across communities as well as learning more other Australian based initiatives focused on promoting social inclusion and integration.
The training in Melbourne, Australia is part of the one-year support provided to recipients of the Intercultural Innovation Award. Launched in 2011, the Intercultural Innovation Award is an example of the role that corporate social responsibility can play within the United Nations system. UNAOC and the BMW Group jointly mobilize their resources, time, and networks to support awardees. This model of collaboration creates deeper impact, as both partners provide their respective expertise to ensure the sustainable growth of each project.