Cross-Cultural Vincentian Leadership: The Challenge of Developing Culturally Intelligent Leaders

As the Hay-Vincentian Leadership Project (HLP) becomes international in scope, Vincentian values must be applied in and sometimes adapted to cross-cultural contexts. The concepts of cultural diversity, cultural competence, and cultural intelligence are explained in general and against a Vincentian background. Qualities that make leaders effective in cross-cultural situations are explored. Vincent de Paul set an example for such success in the preparation he mandated for those going on foreign missions and in the sensitivity he showed in his own work with people from other cultures. Culture’s relationship to leadership is examined using the work of the anthropologist Edward Hall and other scholars. The methods by which the HLP assists and assesses cross-cultural Vincentian leadership development are described. The leadership model arising from the HLP’s research is outlined and diagrammed. Specifically Vincentian cross-cultural competencies are identified, as are the different intelligences needed for successful Vincentian leadership. The importance of spiritual intelligence is emphasized

Hospitality Ethos with Justice and Dignity: Catholic, Vincentian, and Jesuit Perspectives on Global Migration

Marco Tavanti examines the causes, consequences, and problems of global migration, and particularly forced migration, as human rights issues. We owe caritas, “human-divine love,” to migrants and must therefore treat them with a hospitality founded on justice and dignity. In the Abrahamic religions, hospitality is “generosity and graciousness” extended to friends and potentially dangerous strangers alike as a “service to God and humanity.” Such hospitality is “based on the needs of the guest, not the benefit of the host.” Hospitality was central to early Christianity and remains an imperative for today’s Church. Social justice’s role in hospitality is explored, especially as exemplified in the Jesuit tradition. The Jesuit Refugee Service operates on the principle of accompaniment, seeing the world from refugees’ perspective. Respect for dignity is the cornerstone of hospitality in the Vincentian tradition. This entails collaborating with poor persons to meet their needs and establishing reciprocal relationships with them, an essential aspect of charity. Charity as an extension of justice is discussed. The United Nations’ guidelines for policies on migration are included in this article. Also included are the U.S. and Mexican Episcopal Conferences’ principles for migration policy that protect the rights of migrants and host countries

Introduction: Sacred Hospitality Leadership: Values Centered Perspectives and Practices

Thomas Maier and Marco Tavanti introduce this issue of Vincentian Heritage by exploring the sacred meaning of hospitality and the role it should play in leadership. Since hospitality is a reflection of God’s love, it calls us to practice charity in all our relationships and to address the causes of injustice, particularly those that force people to leave their home countries. It is an essential part of modern society as humanity becomes increasingly migratory. The morality of hospitality leadership is discussed. It requires “serving others, developing the capacity of others, sharing your resources with others in recognition of their inner dignity as human beings and as children of God.” Providing quality service is a hallmark of hospitality leadership

What Would Vincent Study Abroad? Option for the Poor and Systemic Change for the Development of Socially Responsible Leaders

The effectiveness of the DePaul University School of Public Service Chiapas Program is evaluated according to “Vincentian values of experiential learning, systemic change, and the option for the poor.” Including students’ own words, the article summarizes what participants learn as they work directly with poor persons, their leaders, indigenous organizations, local NGOs, and Mexican academic institutions in Chiapas. As Marco Tavanti and Heather Evans write, the program’s goal “is not only to increase knowledge and skills but to challenge and transform cultural attitudes, learn from context, and engage in professional collaboration and dialogues for social change.” The value of system thinking is explained. The program puts the Vincentian approach to systemic change into practice. The connections that students make between conditions in Chiapas and those in Chicago are described, as are projects students have initiated on their return. Tavanti and Evans argue that all study abroad programs should transform participants into global citizens who have a profound awareness of poverty and a commitment to social justice

Vincentian University Partnerships for Urban Poverty Reduction

This article discusses the vital need for academic and intersectoral partnerships in the effort to reduce global poverty, especially in cities of developing nations. The academic alliance between DePaul and Adamson universities, and their cooperation with popular organizations (POs) from the communities of poor persons in Manila are described. The activities of Adamson’s Vincentian Center for Social Responsibility (VCSR) and the POs are profiled. DePaul, Adamson, the POs, and the VCSR are working to “increase the leadership and organizational capacity of the POs.” The tenets of academic social responsibility and their reflection of Vincentian values are highlighted

Cross-Cultural Vincentian Leadership: The Challenge of Developing Culturally Intelligent Leaders

As the Hay-Vincentian Leadership Project (HLP) becomes international in scope, Vincentian values must be applied in and sometimes adapted to cross-cultural contexts. The concepts of cultural diversity, cultural competence, and cultural intelligence are explained in general and against a Vincentian background. Qualities that make leaders effective in cross-cultural situations are explored. Vincent de Paul set an example for such success in the preparation he mandated for those going on foreign missions and in the sensitivity he showed in his own work with people from other cultures. Culture’s relationship to leadership is examined using the work of the anthropologist Edward Hall and other scholars. The methods by which the HLP assists and assesses cross-cultural Vincentian leadership development are described. The leadership model arising from the HLP’s research is outlined and diagrammed. Specifically Vincentian cross-cultural competencies are identified, as are the different intelligences needed for successful Vincentian leadership. The importance of spiritual intelligence is emphasized

What Would Vincent Study Abroad? Option for the Poor and Systemic Change for the Development of Socially Responsible Leaders

The effectiveness of the DePaul University School of Public Service Chiapas Program is evaluated according to “Vincentian values of experiential learning, systemic change, and the option for the poor.” Including students’ own words, the article summarizes what participants learn as they work directly with poor persons, their leaders, indigenous organizations, local NGOs, and Mexican academic institutions in Chiapas. As Marco Tavanti and Heather Evans write, the program’s goal “is not only to increase knowledge and skills but to challenge and transform cultural attitudes, learn from context, and engage in professional collaboration and dialogues for social change.” The value of system thinking is explained. The program puts the Vincentian approach to systemic change into practice. The connections that students make between conditions in Chiapas and those in Chicago are described, as are projects students have initiated on their return. Tavanti and Evans argue that all study abroad programs should transform participants into global citizens who have a profound awareness of poverty and a commitment to social justice

What Would Vincent do Today to Overcome Poverty?

This short article introduces the Vincentian Poverty Reduction Symposium of 2007 and further introduces this issue of Vincentian Heritage, which has a special focus on what Vincentian academic institutions from all over the world can do to reduce povert

Vincentian University Partnerships for Urban Poverty Reduction

This article discusses the vital need for academic and intersectoral partnerships in the effort to reduce global poverty, especially in cities of developing nations. The academic alliance between DePaul and Adamson universities, and their cooperation with popular organizations (POs) from the communities of poor persons in Manila are described. The activities of Adamson’s Vincentian Center for Social Responsibility (VCSR) and the POs are profiled. DePaul, Adamson, the POs, and the VCSR are working to “increase the leadership and organizational capacity of the POs.” The tenets of academic social responsibility and their reflection of Vincentian values are highlighted