and counselling provided me with an under- standing of the symbiotic relationship be- tween culture and gender, and how it shapes cultural traditions,


customs and practices. However, my brief immersion in the Swetswana culture crystal- lized many of these theories and ideologies. I was no longer “working from a dominant culture providing adjustments to accommo- date the less dominant culture” but rather engrossed in the daily realities of the “less dominant culture”. For instance, in Canada, we aim to work within our client’s cultural framework, in the example of a client whose parents prohibit her from dating or social- izing outside of school as sustained by her cultural views or religious beliefs. When working with this client, we may strive to provide culturally appropriate therapy, but regardless, we are prohibited from fully shedding the lens of the dominant culture as our practice is still governed by the law set forth by the dominant culture (which takes precedence over our client’s own religious or cultural laws).


In contrast, I participated in a case consulta- tion involving a minor who was repeatedly raped by her father over several years. Her mom disclosed that the “social workers and community members tried to make him stop” (Note: her translation from Swetswana to English may have played a role in the non- chalant tone of the previous statement). At the time of our discussion, the father was not charged and continued to live in the commu- nity; while the mother and her children were condemned by the community for taking the matter to the justice system rather than to tribal court. An additional example, dur- ing my workshop on Suicide Intervention & Assessment, I was informed that if a person attempts suicide and is admitted to the hos- pital, the police are notified and the person is charged as they have attempted to commit a crime (suicide is deemed a criminal offense in Botswana). Should a suicide attempt be completed, the law requires that the police handcuff the deceased.


As a counsellor trained in Canada, my train- ing in cross cultural counselling is more tailored and easily adapted to the Canadian social service system and hence my own ease in adapting my counselling approach and techniques to a culturally diverse Cana- dian population. However, working outside of


the dominant cultural framework in which I was trained involved a deeper self reflection and re-examination of my values and beliefs, both personally and professionally. I had to redefine my competencies, accept my defi- cits, respectfully question and challenge the practices of the Swetswana culture, and work collaboratively and at many times in a posi- tion of “not knowing”, with the counsellors at SSI.


“ My experience at Stepping Stones International in Botswana crystallized my theoretical conception of


being a global citizen. ”


My experience at Stepping Stones Interna- tional in Botswana crystallized my theoreti- cal conception of being a global citizen. My fears and self-doubt surfaced numerous times throughout this experience. However, I came to deeply value the bi-directional sharing of skills and knowledge between cultures, particularly those among my coun- sellor colleagues working and belonging to cultures different from my own.


A heartfelt & sincere thank you to all my col- leagues at Humber College, my colleagues at Stepping Stones International, the staff at WUSC, CECI & Leave for Change in both Can- ada & Botswana, and everyone (family and friends both in Canada & Botswana) who have contributed to making this a rewarding and life changing experience. If you would like more information, please contact me at shivon.raghunandan@humber.ca


If you would like to contribute to Stepping Stones International, please visit their web- site: http://www.steppingstonesintl.org/news- ite/


If you are interested in converting your vaca- tion time into a Leave for mandate in one of 13 countries of intervention, please visit the Leave for Change website at www.leaveforchange.ca for additional infor- mation.


For more information and if you’re interested in participating, please contact Carrie McElroy – the Leave for Change Senior Program Offi- cerat carriem@ceci.ca


WWW.CCPA-ACCP.CA 13


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