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Deborah Levine founded the American Diversity Report in 2006. She is a Forbes Magazine top "Trailblazer" and award-winning author of 20 books. Her published articles span decades including: American Journal of Community Psychology, Journal of Public Management & Social Policy, The Bermuda Magazine, The Harvard Divinity School Bulletin.
As we gather together virtually for the July 4th celebration, my first thought is to ask for the blessing of our Creator who has placed us all on this precious planet. Our faith leads us to a shared hope for a future where we can harmonize, not homogenize, at the intersection of race, ethnicity, religion, generation, and gender represented in this country. That hope was not a conscious one growing up in British Bermuda as the only Jewish little girl on the island. But I’m honored to now be recognized as a top Diversity & Inclusion Trailblazer by Forbes Magazine. And I’m both honored and astounded to be an Award-winning author of 20 books on cultural diversity and the founder of the American Diversity Report where I’ve served as editor for 19 years.
I’m astounded because my early dream was to be a ballerina, forever in pink ballet slippers. But God had other plans for me. Perhaps that’s why, even as a youngster, I was surrounded by diverse cultures and appreciated their artistic expressions. Continue reading July 4th Prayer – by Deborah Levine→
Public libraries are huge community assets. They not only house books, but provide educational programs, arts classes, computer access, archives, and more. Even in my childhood in Bermuda in the 1960s, the library was growing into an island asset. No wonder my grandmother donated her Encyclopedia Britannica to it, ensuring the education of future generations. But now, the federal government proposes defunding libraries, including a potential $435,000 to our Chattanooga library.
Religion plays a major role in our increasingly divisive world and expertise is needed if we are to achieve inclusive, productive and collaborative dialogue. The lack of expertise across a variety of communities and organizations is reflected in the tendency to not get involved. The resulting silence may only intensify religious conflicts and add to a paralyzing sense of being overwhelmed.
The ADR Religious Diversity Kit provides articles, books, and podcasts for leaders who deal with diverse communities, employees, and clients. It’s designed to empower Religious Competency and lead to collaboration in our current environment that often demonizes “The Other”.
I didn’t take it seriously when a friend in the internet security business told me that AI is reshaping the world and our future. Surely that was an exaggeration. Or so I thought until I was recruited to speak about intercultural leadership in the ‘Age of AI’ during a 3-day virtual symposium for SIETAR (Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research). It was an honor, but also a vital opportunity to learn about AI from researchers and educators around the globe.
Reading the emails from Harvard president Alan Garber that accompanied my various 55th reunion invitations was enlightening. It looks like there’s a movement to take Harvard back to its origins in 1636 when Harvard catered to wealthy, White Christians. DEI didn’t exist then, or in the 1900s when Harvard’s president tried to suppress the number of Jewish immigrants like my dad. Fortunately, diversity became an asset with Harvard’s merged with the women’s Radcliffe College in 1967. The bans on Cliffies from campus areas like Lamont Library were lifted. Exciting! But an equitable presence wasn’t easy given the signs defacing library walls: “Cliffies Go Home!”
I’ve rarely given in-person presentations since the pandemic. Taking a deep breath, I did speak to Civitan International’s Chattanooga chapter about my documentary: Untold, Stories of a World War Liberator. With Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) on April 23, it was relevant timing for a topic that’s very personal for me. My dad was a U.S military intelligence office during the war assigned to interrogate Nazi POWs. My documentary is based on his wartime letters.
I’m honored to carry on his legacy, especially for our youth, which is why pre-pandemic, I spoke at a local high school’s Holocaust education elective class. I began by asking the students why they’d chosen this Holocaust elective. One student said, “I wanted to hear both sides of the story,” and added that she’d read online that the Holocaust is just propaganda and didn’t really happen.
Fathers and Mothers Days are great American traditions, but I’m not sure I like them. Unhappily, I have a really big problem with these days because I don’t have the goods. My mother and grandmother who were such loving figures in my life are gone. My father, who I take after in so many ways, is gone, too. I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself. My children live far away but will no doubt call or send a card. I’m grateful for their love but I would really like to call my own parents. Just knowing they were around made life balanced and feel more secure.
I don’t often use AI, but I made an exception over the weekend when severe storms were expected and schools announced closings for Monday. The report echoed the storms of a few weekends ago when 60 tornadoes and 40 deaths came close to us. Was this the new norm? I couldn’t resist going to my computer and asking AI if this weather was unusual. Here’s the AI response: “Yes, Chattanooga’s weather has a high risk of severe storms, including damaging winds, tornadoes, and large hail…” Unnerved, I asked a native Chattanoogan friend her thoughts on this unusual weather. “There was nothing like this growing up. These severe storms and tornadoes are relatively recent. Same for Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi.” When I whispered “Climate Change is real”, we both nodded in agreement.
Agreement that climate change is real science is growing. Earlier this year, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication published the results of a survey on global warming. The national average of believers in global warming is 72%. And 71% of those surveyed worry about the effects on future generations. Some may doubt that the global warming is caused by human action, but even before these storms, 75% of respondents supported funding research into renewable energy.
Unfortunately, the current administrationsEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it’s starting the process of undoing 31 environmental regulations. Check out these media blasts: “Trump administration aims to eliminate EPA’s scientific research arm”,“E.P.A. cancels climate grants, intensifying battle over $20 billion”, “Climate group (Breakthrough Energy) funded by Bill Gates slashes staff in major retreat”, and “Trump has fired the scientists who monitor the ocean”.
Does the EPA have regrets over these changes that put our planet at risk? Hardly! This is what EPA administrator Lee Zeldin wrote in the Wall Street Journal: “By overhauling massive rules on the endangerment finding, the social cost of carbon and similar issues, we are driving a dagger through the heart of climate-change religion.”Supposedly, this “kill” will usher in a new Golden Age.
That “climate-change religion” phrase is intended to demean and is part of the new goal to dismiss the many religious leaders emphasizing our responsibility to take care of the planet. Don’t let that happen! One of my favorite climate-change religious leaders is The Rev. Dr. John Pawlikowski who reported how The Chicago Council of Global Affairs in 2019 brought together 51 mayors & staff to develop a flexible mayoral covenant on climate change.
Four years later, Pawlikowski wrote about the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) where governments discussed how to prepare for future climate change, including transitioning away from fossil fuels. But given the complex politics over the COP28 which was controversially held in oil-rich Dubai, it’s obvious that our planet’s stability is in the hands of a small group of rich entrepreneurs and their political supporters. Follow the money!
The EPA now wants to reject saving the planet and humanity in favor of cheaper cars and unregulated industries. But the EPA’s own 2009 endangerment findings block that move.The findings concluded that human-produced greenhouse gases did threaten public health and welfare and must be regulated. So now what? The EPA will no doubt discredit its own endangerment policies and denigrate its supporters. Are you ready for a vicious storm of attacks on climate change believers and environmental projects?
We must remain strong and persevere. Religious leaders and community organizations must come together regardless of one’s political party affiliation. Reject the “hoax” conspiracies and embrace our responsibility to protect the future of this planet and ourselves. If not us, then who?
ADR (Deborah Levine): Papa Balla, thank you for joining us. You’ve worn many hats in the AI and intercultural world , as the creator of SIETAR AI, the promoter of the Intercultural AI Framework, and a lead contributor to the EU ACT in GPAI. Could you start by telling us what inspired the creation of the Virtual SIETAR AI Symposium?
Papa Balla Ndong: Thank you for having me. The Virtual SIETAR AI Symposium was born from a sense of urgency to ensure that intercultural perspectives are not an afterthought in the AI space, but a foundation. AI is shaping how we work, communicate, and understand the world. Yet, without cultural sensitivity and ethical alignment, it risks deepening global inequities. The symposium is a space where engineers, educators, policymakers, and cultural practitioners can co-create a more inclusive and responsible AI future.
ADR: How does the Intercultural AI Framework inform the structure or strategy of the Symposium?
Ndong: The Framework is the backbone. It’s not just a theory , it’s a methodology that centers on three pillars: intercultural sensitivity, iterative dialogue, and ethical adaptability. Each session in the symposium maps to one of these, whether we’re discussing dataset bias, AI ethics across borders, or the human element in machine learning. We’re not just talking about inclusion; we’re practicing it through multilingual panels, cross-regional collaboration, and time zone-aware scheduling.
ADR: SIETAR AI is still quite new. What role does it play in this initiative?
Ndong: SIETAR AI is our think-and-do tank. It connects interculturalists who may never have imagined themselves working with AI. Through this platform, we’ve trained educators on AI literacy, advised on ethical AI curricula, and collaborated with tech developers to humanize AI systems. For the Symposium, SIETAR AI serves as the bridge between the intercultural field and the technological ecosystem.
ADR: You were also selected as a lead contributor for the EU ACT within GPAI. How has that shaped your perspective on global AI governance?
Ndong: Immensely. Being part of GPAI’s EU ACT group means engaging in the practical drafting of codes of conduct and frameworks that could shape legislation. What I bring to the table, and advocate for — is the recognition of cultural plurality. We must understand that a one-size-fits-all approach to AI ethics won’t work. African values, Asian philosophies, Indigenous epistemologies — they all matter. The Symposium reflects this ethos by offering a platform for those voices to be heard and integrated into AI norms.
ADR: This all sounds very ambitious. What are the main challenges you’ve faced in organizing the Symposium?
Ndong: Time and trust. Coordinating across continents is a logistical puzzle. But even more, gaining the trust of communities who’ve been excluded from tech dialogues takes time. We’re saying: “Your voice is not only valid — it’s vital.” That shift doesn’t happen overnight. We’re learning to listen deeply and build long-term partnerships, not just events.
ADR: Who are some of the key collaborators or participants in this year’s edition?
Ndong: We’re bringing together UNESCO experts on education and technology, grassroots AI developers from Africa and Latin America, European policymakers, and even artists and poets. AI isn’t just technical — it’s deeply cultural and emotional.
ADR: And what would success look like for you, after the Symposium ends?
Ndong: Success is a seed. If someone leaves the symposium with a new partnership, a project idea, or simply the sense that they belong in the AI conversation — then we’ve done our job. We want the Intercultural AI Framework to live beyond documents and symposiums. It must become a living practice.
ADR: Finally, for our readers who might want to get involved, how can they connect?
Ndong: We’re open. Anyone can join the mailing list of SIETAR AI, attend the symposium (many sessions are free), or contribute to our collaborative Intercultural AI Framework. This is a global dialogue, and everyone has a seat at the table.
ADR: Thank you, Papa Balla. Your work is a reminder that technology without culture is incomplete — and that the future of AI must be both human and humane.
Ndong: Thank you — and may we build that future, together.
Note: Deborah will give a presentation on Intercultural Leadership in the Age of AI for the Symposium on Friday, April 11.
As we approach this year’s holy days, we know that faith can be a source of great inspiration. We also know that religions can also generate the most divisive forces on the face of the planet. There are wars fought in the name of religion, as the Middle East demonstrates and many people prefer to be in the unaffiliated or atheist categories rather than be associated with organized religion. But diverse religions are part of the world reality and regardless of your faith or non-faith, ignorance of religions and religious traditions doesn’t help anything. Religious literacy is a must-have when you encounter and/or work with diverse religions whether they are fellow employees, friends, markets, or communities. Yes, it’s a bumpy road, but well worth traveling.
