The newness and unknown of cultures other than what we are already familiar with can be daunting. Moving from a mental place of culture shock to ‘culture comfort’ involves a process of three steps we each can follow in our own time and in our own ways; 1) Flâneurie (or wandering while wondering), 2) Embrace the space around us and 3) Reflection on our actions and activities. When arriving, beginning and being in a new space of any kind have a go at following these steps and see what happens!

Kris is in his final year of a BA in International Relations with a BSc in Geography at Macquarie University. He is curious about people and wants to understand the ways we interact with each other around the world. Kris wants to find the answers to questions like; what impact public spaces have on our behaviour? Why do we fear what we don’t understand? How do we design cities to encourage trust and social well being? Having studied abroad in India, France and the Czech Republic where he has gathered observations about how culture is created, Kris sees that the world is moving away from nationhood and that we need to learn the power we can muster when we work for diversity. Kris is keen to contribute to the world in a way that celebrates intercultural community building through education, planning and innovation.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx