Ethiopia: the value of diversity

Every culture is in reality multicultural, and diversity is a rich resource to be explored and developed.

An international company that faces the challenge of multiculturality every day and needs to exploit all its potential was looking for a way of highlighting the value of diversity.
The aim of our Ethiopia programme was to make participants more familiar with a culture profoundly different from their own and from those already encountered in their working experience.
After careful research and study in collaboration with Ethiopian professionals, we organized a full-day experience focusing on the discovery of a fascinating country with deep cultural roots.
We chose cuisine and the kitchen as the guiding theme, because the kitchen is the ideal place where all differences can be overcome, merging into an experience of particular significance.
Assisted by an Ethiopian chef, the Tetra Pak group explored and prepared several typical dishes of this splendid country.
The experience of discovering and combining colours and aromas to create something good to eat is fundamentally a metaphor for life itself, and increasingly so for work as well, where the capacity to engage in multiple activities while conserving personal characteristics is often required.
The culinary component was complemented by the Coffee Ceremony, a vital part of Ethiopia’s social and cultural life and considered to be a sign of sincere friendship and respect.
Participants later took part in activities that included traditional dances and music-making, using percussion instruments, inspiring great energy and amusement.
A successful company must be able to interpret and bring out the values of diversity, which can be the source of new corporate vitality.