By Chris Cartwright, Tessa Sutton, 2026 Conference Co-Chairs
Thanks to all of you who participated in the SIETAR USA conference this past
November. You joined us both online and in person with open minds, open hearts, and a spirit of grace and goodwill—the hallmarks of a SIETAR gathering. As we read the post-conference evaluations and listened to the testimonials offered in the SIETAR Coffee Hour Webinar in December, we are deeply humbled by your response and the reported impact of this endeavor.
The conference planning team viewed the theme, “Inclusive Interculturalism: Purpose, Possibilities, and Progress,” as an opportunity to reframe what a conference could be and to embrace the challenge of being a truly inclusive event. We recognized that broader political, economic, and social conditions were affecting our field and our members’ experiences. As a result, fostering a shared sense of belonging across the diverse perspectives and experiences within our membership became a central focus.
The conference was intentionally designed to inspire, build awareness, and foster connection—equipping participants to sustain shared work, identify supportive people and processes, and connect with colleagues who can share the responsibility of complex work.
Stacie Walton and Marcia Bonato Warren preceded us as conference co-chairs and later stepped away from their roles for personal and professional reasons. In doing so, they entrusted us with the overall conference theme and a set of thoughtfully designed presentation tracks that opened meaningful avenues for engagement across areas of our work that are often siloed.
- Inclusive Interculturalism in the environment, communities or field(s) we serve.
- Inclusive Interculturalism within the organizations we serve
- Inclusive Interculturalism within ourselves and the individuals we serve
Interculturalists often (but not exclusively) prefer to focus on global cultural differences within the sector they serve. They often (but not exclusively) start their interventions at the individual (self, dyad, or triad) or small-cohort level and rarely initiate at the system-wide level.
The diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) specialist often (again, but not exclusively) tends to prefer to focus on social justice issues within a narrow context (region, community, organization, etc.) in whatever sector they serve. They also often (again, but not exclusively) start their intervention engagement at the system and possibly cohort levels, and rarely initiate at the individual (self, dyad, or triad) level.
NOTE: These are broad generalizations. There are many examples of interculturalists who address social justice issues at the local level and are skilled at systems-level interventions. Just as there are DEIB professionals who work globally and are skilled at the individual (self, dyad, or triad) interventions.
We framed the conference program around purpose, possibilities, and progress in inclusive interculturalism. We then placed and sequenced presentations within their tracks that encouraged presenters and participants to engage with intercultural and DEIB perspectives and to learn from one another across sectors and intervention levels. This approach helped cultivate a broader and more inclusive sense of belonging.
Thank you to Marcia and Stacie for these thoughtful constructs, and to our dedicated program team and volunteers for co-constructing such a rich buffet of SIETAR engagement options - they worked wonderfully well! From the highly interactive welcoming session, the long breaks, the dine-around arrangements, morning wellness activities, the pre-conference cultural tours of Portland, and the genuine conviviality of our participants. A unique opportunity in this year’s conference was the hosting of the Intercultural Communication Institute (ICI) Reunion. It was a delightful evening of shared closure and celebration of an agency that launched many of our careers in this field and supported many others in refining and growing their competencies in this field.
Intentional instructional design and purposeful planning are only as good as the outcomes for conference participants. Here are a few of the quotes we have received:
“I have been to this conference in the past, and had a good experience, but this one was intentional in every way. There was a curated space for authentic connection…I see myself here.” — Aqueelah Roberson
“The energy and planning were amazing … Tamara’s keynote was a wake-up call to the need for accountability in our work.” — Liesbeth Huysmans
“This was the first SIETAR conference I’ve presented at, and I felt so supported. This was the most inclusive place I’ve ever been—bar none! I was never alone, never unseen; it was a truly openhearted space.” — Beth Barich
“Daniel Yalowitz’s session piqued my intellectual curiosity deeply … Donna Beegle’s session inspired me to watch several videos of her work on YouTube … we need to carry this energy forward.” — Stephen Henderson
“The conference was perfect, including the glitches. … It was hard to choose sessions; there was such richness in the offerings. I appreciated the modeling of the Silent Auction items (such fun!), Milton’s framework on how to deal with the craziness of authoritarianism—offered with detached emotion—and Ernie and Cheryl’s insights about inclusion in different countries around the world.” — Kathy Ellis
“The session from the presenters at Prepa Tech in Mexico opened my mind to the dream of having a curriculum for youth that is truly integrative! … This conference was a transformational moment for me.” — Aliona Yermalayeva
“Proud to join honest self examination in our field: are we missing something? Appreciated Beegle’s focus on poverty as culture, Dickinson’s focus on “intercultural” not just “international”, and grateful to find welcome for myself and others online.”— Cassie Quinlan
“The first session on Listening Circles set the tone for my engagement. I met some wonderful new people and changed my plans on which sessions to attend based on seeing the program through their eyes. The young participants from Mexico were remarkable—thank you for arranging for them to attend and present. … The whole event was thoughtfully constructed and embraced belonging.” — Kim Brown
"[My faith in] humanity has been restored after coming to the SIETAR USA conference." — Allison Iurato
Hosting a conference in the United States focused on inclusive interculturalism at this moment presented challenges on many levels. Yet we remain deeply convinced that this shared work is needed now more than ever as we navigate increasingly complex times. Reframing a conference with the strong history and tradition of SIETAR USA is not easy—change requires intention, courage, and care.
Our hope is that this conference offered a space for inspiration, awareness, and connection. More importantly, we invite you to carry what you learned into action—to apply insights in your organizations, classrooms, communities, and relationships, and to continue advancing inclusive interculturalism through thoughtful practice and collaboration. Progress happens when learning moves beyond the conference and into daily work, sustained by connection and shared responsibility.
Thank you for being part of this collective effort and for contributing to the future we are building together.
With Love and Respect,
Tessa Sutton and Chris Cartwright
If you missed the conference, the ICI Event and/or the follow up Coffee Hour and would like to know more, or to find out about access to conference materials or recordings, please inquire at info@sietarusa.org with the subject line “SIETAR USA 2025 Conference Materials Inquiry” with your specific areas of interest.
