and Queer (LGBTQ) groups. In an organization, staffs may practice various faiths and favor different political doctrines. Cross-cultural issues are, therefore, complicated…and often times sensitive. Cultural differences then seem to be widened and deepened by times and the issue of cross-cultural understanding has become a top agenda of
governments,
businesses,
and
education
institutions.
This
emphasizes Fulbright vision and mission in fostering friendship across cultures. We do believe everything starts with mindset. It is important and much easier to work first from our end. In order to ‘reset’ our mind for more tolerance, understanding, and, if possible, appreciation of different cultures, we suggest four useful key words as a thinking baseline. Key Words # 1: Pride and Prejudice! It is human nature that we have pride in ourselves/group and prejudice against others. It is a challenge to lessen or even eliminate our inherited bias. Being aware of the fact, however, could make us less prejudicial and more open – the very first and crucial step towards cross-cultural understanding. Key Words # 2:
Mirror Mirror!
Knowing ourselves is the best way to understand others because we can see with critical eyes the reasons for differences. The self-reflection necessarily includes views from other perspectives. How are ‘seniority’, ‘face-saving’, and ‘krengjai’ seen and practiced by Thais and by Americans? Likewise, how are ‘democracy’, ‘human rights’, and