Our philosophy

We are living in an increasingly globalized and interconnected world. Yet we see rising levels of potentially dangerous polarization, isolation, and division. This phenomenon is affecting us globally, nationally, and locally, causing increasing resistance to communication across differences and an erosion of spaces for positive and constructive engagement. While technological advances and social media appear to enable us to be more connected, aware, and informed, we see diminishing levels of trust across communities, in our institutions and in our sources of information.

Living in increasingly siloed and self-selected communities has limited out exposure to new ideas and different perspectives leading to heightened levels of political polarization, stereotyping, and prejudice. As a result we see a growing inability to understand and empathize with one another, inhibiting the kind of creative and critical thinking necessary to address the local and global challenges we face collectively like COVID-19, climate change and issues of social justice and inequality.

In this environment, the need for experiential learning rooted in intercultural exchange across differences and lines of division has never before been more important. Building on over a decade of experience in developing and leading immersive international experiential and transformative learning programs across the world, CIEL has the established expertise to be a global leader in addressing these challenges. By bringing diverse groups together through intensive experiential learning programs centered on direct human-to-human interaction, participants are asked to step outside their normal context and learn first-hand from other communities’ experience of conflict. Through these engagement, CIEL strives to create space for a more authentic interconnectedness: one that is based on empathy and understanding and facilitates global connections and partnerships. In doing so, we create space for new ideas and transferrable best practices and inspire and empower participants to counter forces of polarization and division in their own local communities.