Experiencing the natural beauty and grounding ourselves in place are cornerstones of GIC retreats. We build afternoon excursions into our retreats to explore the geography — the natural spaces, the foods and spices, the means of movement, and the ways of playing in that area.
- For more on our 2016 retreat experiences in the Pacific Northwest.
- For more on grounding ourselves in place for our 2019 Retreat in the Pacific Northwest
As we enter into a new neighborhood or into a new community, we also strive to understand the personality of that community, the history of that community, the power dynamics between groups in that community, and the cultural stories and traditions of that community. An exploration of both the historical cultural influences and the more recent cultural influences that shaped that region is critical to understanding the context for that community. Finally, all of these factors contribute to the global intercultural dynamics of a given community. As one engages with members of that community, one enters into this broader global intercultural context.
As planning evolved for the 2018 GIC Iowa retreat, we challenged ourselves to discover the global intercultural dynamics in central Iowa. We asked ourselves:
- What are some of the unique historical and contemporary forces which shape the cultural undercurrents for Clear Lake and Des Moines, Iowa?
- What traditions persist from the early native peoples and waves of immigrants from northern Europe such as the Dutch (visibly evident in Pella) and the German (visibly evident in the Amana Colonies).
- How have more recent waves of immigration and intentional efforts to bring refugees to Iowa (under Governor Ray) and to celebrate their contributions shaped intercultural dynamics in this area?
Our co-hosts brought to our attention a book about Governor Ray which documented how under his leadership Iowa was uniquely positioned to welcome refugees from southeast Asia. They also introduced us to organizations which actively invited recent immigrants to share their experiences coming to Iowa.