From Difference to Connection
7 MINUTE READ Author Across Cultures Yang-May Ooi’s trail of her Hakka roots takes her to Jonathan Spence’s book God’s Chinese Son, the true story of Hong Xiuquan, who believed he was Jesus’s younger brother. In this extraordinary real life history, Spence weaves a tale of Christianity, Chinese religion and political discontent that all came... Continue Reading →
10 MINUTE READ Author Across Cultures, Yang-May Ooi, is prompted to expand her worldview after reading David Goodhart's "The Road to Somewhere". From her habitual globalist, cross-cultural perspective, she finds herself reflecting on her shallow contact and connection with people who are more single-place and traditionally focused. In this book review, she discusses the fresh... Continue Reading →
In our increasingly divided and unsettled world, we need good leadership more than ever. Not just at a national and international level, but also in business, organisations, education and technology. So what makes a good leader? And what role does Belonging have in good leadership? Author Across Cultures Yang-May Ooi talks with Edward Brooks, Executive... Continue Reading →
6 MINUTE READ Many of us cannot imagine what it is like to lose someone in war or conflict. We cannot imagine living day after day under the terrifying conditions of bombardment and the attack of warfare. How do those who have experienced such bereavement and fear process what has happened and may still be... Continue Reading →
10 MINUTE READ There are some prejudices in Britain today that have become socially unacceptable: open racism, sexism and homophobia are now widely condemned in mainstream public life. Yet there is one form of prejudice that still seems OK, particularly among the educated middle-class: contempt for the white working-class. Author Across Cultures, Yang-May Ooi, questions... Continue Reading →
10 MINUTE READ Following on from her feature on The Dark Side of Belonging: Extremism, Identity and Purpose, author across cultures Yang-May Ooi writes frankly about the time in her youth when she was drawn into an extreme corner of the Evangelical movement at a time of loneliness and desperation. While not violent or extreme,... Continue Reading →
8 MINUTE READ When arguing with someone in an extremist group or caught up in conspiracy theories, we might counter with facts and scientific evidence or cite (to us) reliable sources such as mainstream news media, university research, the medical establishment, the laws of physics. But to no avail. Following on from The Dark Side... Continue Reading →
Is a feeling of Belonging solely defined by place or a community? What happens if you find yourself a stranger in a new place with no support system due to circumstances you cannot control? What if your home life is chaotic and you have no-one stable you can turn to for guidance or help? Is... Continue Reading →
8 MINUTE READ While Belonging Across Cultures aims primarily to celebrate Difference and to highlight how a sense of Belonging might be created in a positive way we also need to understand how cultural and social division occurs. In this article, author Yang-May Ooi shares some of her investigation - based on scientific research -... Continue Reading →
5 MINUTE READ In today’s divisive world, it is all the more important that there are charities that work across conflict and political or religious lines. One of them is Beyond Conflict, a small charity offering mental health support for people impacted by war and conflict around the world. Started only eight years ago by... Continue Reading →
9 MINUTE READ The BBC UNBOXD Report came out earlier this month, surveying the attitudes and lifestyles of Gen Z (16-24 year olds) in the UK. The results will inform their programming for the younger generation going forward. The findings of the Report around attitudes to friendship and disagreements seem to reinforce a progression towards... Continue Reading →
7 MINUTE READ “There’s an engaging energy in giving a talk live and in-person to deep-thinking folk,” says cross-cultural author Yang-May Ooi. She shares here notes on the talk she gave to the GX Philosophy Group a few weeks ago on the theme of Belonging as well as some of the meaty discussion that emerged... Continue Reading →