What Expats Can Do (WECD) is a non-profit project
with the goal of promoting awareness in the expat community about the skills expats have that our communities desperately need
WE BELIEVE THAT OUR WORLD IS IN DIRE NEED OF HOPE
Our societies are deeply affected by increasing loneliness and social isolation.
We are suffering from a loss of empathy and of human connections,
We are struggling to face the global challenge
of increased interaction with human diversity.
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WE FIRMLY BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF EMPATHY
As a resource that can change the attitudes of people and bring hope to the world;
we are convinced that because of the kind of life they have experienced,
Expats have the ability to create and promote empathy
and can be powerful agents in spreading it.
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WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF CONNECTIONS
We encourage people to connect at a personal level, in our lives
through contact with different cultures, and in a discussion at large.
We believe this will result in finding new and impacting ways
to increase respect for diversity
while encouraging curiosity for the unfamiliar
and becoming better people.
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WE BELIEVE IN THE DANGER OF A SINGLE STORY
We want to tell stories that add diversity and expand points of view
about a place, a group of people, a culture, or an individual.
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WE ENCOURAGE THE PURSUING OF LINGUISTIC EMPATHY
to facilitate the overcoming of cultural obstacles
and build authentic human connections
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We know the expat community
HAS THE SKILLS THE WORLD DESPERATELY NEEDS
and
WE HIGHLIGHT AND EMPOWER THE POTENTIAL AND SKILLS
of the expat community and encourage them to take action.
Expats develop the abilities to deal with diversity and create workable solutions,
making unique and valuable contributions to modern society.
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WE BELIEVE IN THE NECESSITY TO PROMOTE
AND DEVELOP AWARENESS IN EXPATS
both as individuals and as a community,
drawing attention to their own potential to make an impact on society.
WE CALL THE EXPAT COMMUNITY AT LARGE TO ACT
to use their skills to increase hope in the world.
In our view and experience these skills include:
the ability to make/build CONNECTIONS
(persons, things, places, situations,..)
*
the ability to build HIGH QUALITY HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
in a short period of time and to maintain them long-distance
*
a capacity for EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE
(personal development, relational issues, parenting, friendship, stress management in difficult family situations).
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WE ARE INSPIRED BY STORIES OF EXPATS
who have done – or are doing – something that can spur others into action,
and are happy to collect them to spread them around.
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WE WANT TO PROMOTE AND DEVELOP AWARENESS IN SOCIETY
about the enormous potential of the skillset the expat community can offer:
KNOWLEDGE on how the world “works”
collected through direct experience in different countries and cultures
(law, customs, languages, history, economy, technology, …)
*
INTERCULTURAL EXPERTISE based on daily life experience
*
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE in a variety of working contexts
*
Diverse points of view, and the ability to THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
*
CHANGE MANAGEMENT abilities
*
The ability to DEAL WITH DIVERSITY and CREATE WORKABLE SOLUTIONS
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WE WANT TO RESEARCH, DISCOVER, AND SUPPORT
what expats can really and practically do
for the present and future of our global society.
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WE RESEARCH AND PROMOTE INTERACTION
with all the entities and individuals interested in reflection, interaction, and discussion
on the topic of diversity, inclusion, empathy and human development
inside and outside the expat community.
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