Having diverse friends is literally good for kids (and adults). As I explained in Part 1, children with friends outside their own social, ethnic, racial, economic, or religious bubbles develop important skills and abilities that those who stay in their own group bubble won’t. Sounds great, so what’s the problem? The problem is that having … Continue reading Diverse friends are good for kids (and require confidence!) – Part 2/2
All of us belong to different groups – social, ethnic, racial, economic, religious, etc. Yet often, many, or most, of our close friends are members of our same groups. Growing up, every child I knew I was white and certainly all of my close friends. But it doesn’t need to be like that for my children. … Continue reading Diverse friendships are good for kids (and require confidence!) – Part 1/2
#FriendsUniteNow Friends united for fun, United for good times, United against racism and prejudice. What is this movement about? #FriendsUniteNow uses the general awesomeness of diverse friendships to stand up to racism and prejudice. (Oh, and it’s based on 70 years of research into intergroup contact and prejudice reduction. So this is not just a feel-good campaign. … Continue reading # FriendsUniteNow – Fight Racism & Prejudice Together
One Globe Kids focuses on cross-group friendship because it’s the most powerful way to move beyond prejudice. Researchers describe the mechanisms through which this occurs as building affective bonds, self-disclosure, trust, anxiety and empathy. I describe them a little differently. I feel emotionally connected to my friends because we share things about ourselves, which makes … Continue reading Having Muslim friends removed my fear
“Over millions of years humans have learned to be wary of things that feel foreign, to back away rather than approach. But in our globalized world, this is no longer a smart instinct. World citizens of the future will be happier and more successful when they are Globe Smart.” That’s the summary of the 300-word … Continue reading The Story Behind my TEDx Talk – Ideas Worth Spreading
Over millions of years humans have learned to be wary of things that feel foreign, to back away rather than approach. In Anne’s view, in our globalized world, this is no longer a smart instinct. World citizens of the future will be happier and more successful when they are Globe Smart. While Anne is busy … Continue reading Soon: talking Globe Smart at TEDxEde
No summer travel plans? Kids with lots of energy? A globally-minded, after dinner dance party could be your lifesaver! Pharrell William’s “Happy” song has spread like wildfire, even appearing on Oprah, but that doesn’t mean it’s old news. With cover videos continually uploaded from around the globe, people everywhere are using the song to show … Continue reading “Happy” Summer: Dance Around the World!
One Globe Kids makes the foreign feel familiar One of our aims is to help children feel capable, willing, and interested in interacting with those they may otherwise have considered “other”. As the world becomes more interconnected, our kids will need to be able to collaborate with people with very diverse backgrounds. Either because they’ll … Continue reading Kids Travel the World Before They Can Read! (Virtually, of course.)
If we’re serious about creating a better world for our kids (and we are), we need a serious plan with proven strategies for reducing prejudice. Most of what I do at One Globe Kids is focused on creating a positive, virtual cross-cultural experience for children. The app is designed to simulate a real friendship with … Continue reading How to Reduce Prejudice? What the Research Tells Us
As we get ready to celebrate MLK, Jr. Day, I want to share a perhaps lesser known fact from the era of the American Civil Rights Movement. And it is about empathy. Even great leaders are influenced by seemingly inconsequential, personal experiences. President Johnson is known for declaring War on Poverty and supporting civil rights. While … Continue reading Empathy Guided President to Push for Civil Rights
