Le Duc - Opportunities and Challenges to Interculturality in the Digital Milieu

Abstract

Interculturality has become an important sociological and missiological paradigm in recent years as a way to rectify shortcomings in how issues pertaining to culture have been addressed by social and religious institutions. As this paradigm aims for ideals such as reciprocity, respect, appreciation and mutuality in terms of how people from different cultures engage with each other, this paper sets out to examine whether interculturality characterized by these ideals can be achieved in the contemporary digital milieu. The paper argues that the present digital age with extensive use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can present both opportunities and challenges to promoting interculturality. The paper sets out to: (1) briefly present the concept of interculturality as understood by scholars in the Church today; (2) explore a number of opportunities and challenges to in tercultur ality in the present digit al milieu ; and (3 ) proposes how interculturality can be advanced with the support of ICT. The thesis is that the work of achieving interculturality has to be actively carried out, using means of communication available in modern society. In the digital age, traditional ways of communication alone will not be effective in the face of many challenges to interculturality coming from present directions in development and use of ICT. Keywords: Interculturality, Intercultural, ICT, Communication technology