The Intercultural Institute of Montreal (IIM) was a Montreal-based community organization dedicated to intercultural dialogue, cultural pluralism, and social transformation. The IIM built a rich legacy of public activities, training programs, research, and publications. Guided by the conviction that cultural diversity is a living reality to be understood and celebrated. This website preserves its archives as a resource for all those inspired by its vision.
In the mid-1990s IIM’s mission statement of IIM read as follows:
The Intercultural Institute of Montreal is a non-profit research and social action organization, dedicated to promoting an ever-deepening understanding of cultural pluralism, intercultural dialogue and social change. Its scope is at once local, national and international.
Although harmonious ethnic relations and cultural diversity are generally recognized as desirable, little is understood about the transformative possibilities they offer our pluralistic world. IIM is committed to exploring these possibilities to meet contemporary political, economic, ecological, social and civilizational challenges. These can only be met by a sincere search for wisdom, knowledge and know-how from the diverse cultures of the world, through dialogue, understanding and co-operation.
The philosophy and practices of IIM find their roots in the non-institutional and community sectors of our society. The Institute’s spirit has been one of engaging itself in a dynamic interaction between the public and private or the formal and informal sectors, without compromising its identity as a community organization.> The last decade of IIM’s history can be described as a period of consolidating its philosophy, approach and methodology for an alternative interculturality. Based on the premises that diversity and pluralism are inherent to the Reality of humans and nature (non-human), it proposed the following principles:
- Critical examination of the actual monocultural and colonial framework of unequal relationships between peoples and cultures, locally and globally, as an obstacle to dialogue, mutual understanding, justice and peace.
- Framing intercultural philosophy and action on the basis local-global dynamics. This means deconstructing the paradigm of inequality inherent to North-South relations, thereby forging a new basis for dialogue between the cultures of the North and of the South.
- Transforming the monocultural paradigm of modernity as the universal model for human living to a pluralistic and intercultural horizon where diverse s cosmovisions and paradigms can co-exist and interact with each other in dialogue. Thus, allowing the emergence of intercultural alternatives for living in today’s pluralistic world.
- Giving priority to the issues of colonial relationships with Aboriginal and First Peoples throughout the world as a condition for engaging in any intercultural research and action.
- Making social spaces more dynamic at the grassroots level.
- Recognizing and regenerating knowledge and the local know-how of communities and cultures.
- Engaging in dialogue between political actors and institutions, civil society and grassroots organizations.
- Working towards application of an alternative intercultural practice at all levels of our society.
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PHASE 1. 1963-1970: CATHOLIC QUEBEC OPENS UP TO OTHER RELIGIONS AND CULTURES
In 1960s Quebec society was shaped particularly by the following features of the Quiet Revolution: critique of the role of Catholic Church and reform of the church-based education system, a strained relationship between the English and French populations (the “two solitudes” as it was named); the continued subjugation of Indigenous peoples; a new demographic trend in immigration where the number of immigrants from non-European countries (from the South) was on the rise. Together, these immigrants constituted a racially, culturally, and religiously diverse population and it is in this context the philosophy and action of IIM began to evolve. IIM began as an educational project at the Collège Saint Laurent by Jacques Langlais c.s.c of the Holy Cross congregation.
In 1963 a group of Catholic missionaries returned home to Quebec from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Under the leadership of Jacques Langlais c.s.c. a space was created to share their experiences of a foreign culture and to open the people of Quebec to dialogue with other religions.
In 1968, at the time of its official incorporation as a civil organization, the organisation’s mission was four-fold and can be summarized as follows: a) to offer a social space where people of all ages and different cultural and religious background can encounter or meet each other and engage in dialogue; b) to provide the general public with information on various religious traditions through its activities and more importantly by establishing a documentation centre on cultures and religions; c) to respond to the youth searching for new socio-cultural horizons. d. English-French dialogue.
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PHASE 2. 1971 -mid 1980s: FORGING A VISION OF PLURALISM AND INTERCULTURALITY
Under the leadership of Robert Vachon as director and Kalpana Das as co-director, IIM began to widen its scope beginning in the 1970s. This was in response to the socio-cultural and spiritual trends in Quebec of that period that were to a great extent characterized by the increasing awareness of multicultural, multi-religious, multi-racial nature of Quebec’s population. From the late 1970s onward the greater involvement of the State at both federal and provincial levels, its governments and its institutions in the domain of diversity and intercultural relations presented a new challenge for the work being done at the institute. This period was characterized by concerns about issues at several levels: government policy of Multiculturalism (Canada) and Interculturalism (Quebec); policies concerning the Indigenous Nations and the movements for their cultural survival and self-determination; increasing institutionalization and politicization of inter-ethnic and race-relations.
This phase was marked by a broader organisational mission at several levels: a) engaging in deeper reflections on the notions of pluralism, culture, interculturality; b) extending the scope of culture learning programs by going beyond the Asian cultures and religions to the Indigenous and African cultures and spiritualities; c) working on critical issues such as cultures and international development/cooperation, cultural pluralism and human rights; d) bringing into focus the colonial history of Canada-Quebec regarding indigenous nations, and advocating reconciliation with the indigenous nations as a fundamental condition for any intercultural policy development and action; e) introduction of intercultural training programs for social actors both in formal and informal sectors.
In 1979 Centre Monchanin takes on the name of Centre Interculturel Monchanin (Monchanin Cross-cultural Centre).
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PHASE 3. Mid 1980s – late 1990s: SYSTEMATIZATION OF PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICES OF PLURALISM AND INTERCULTURALITY
Since the 1980s IIM explicitly took the international and the global context as a backdrop for the elaboration of a comprehensive framework of intercultural philosophy and practice. The confrontation of cultures in international affairs induced by the history of colonialism and its vestiges led to the stratification of cultures of the North and of the South on the scale of modern-traditional or civilized-primitive. This unequal relationship between peoples and their cultures became crucial to frame a critical theorization of interculturality, along with an intercultural critique of the hegemony and imperialistic culture of modernity. Thus, the application of the intercultural approach to activities such as international development and cooperation, human rights action, international aid and so on became essential part of the institute’s activities during this period.
During this decade IIM undertook the task of systematizing its philosophy, a methodology for interculturality, and developed applications in various fields of human activities: spiritual, religious, cultural, social, political, economic, health care, education etc. It was considered urgent to explicitly define this vision and approach to interculturality in the context of emerging debates about policies and the institutionalization of the question of diversity, not only locally, but also nationally and internationally.
Some foundational principles proposed for the conditions of interculturality: the necessity for an intercultural critique of monocultural and colonial World Orders and the coloniality of modernity; the desire to reconstruct the stratified relationships between peoples and cultures of the world on the basis of equality. IIM took the position that this unequal framework of relationships between peoples, cultures, countries (nations), is a hindrance to any effective interculturality in practice. Thus, the following conditions are required: a. decolonization of global and local systems (cultural, social, political, economic); b. transforming integrationist-assimilationist ideologies to the path of interculturalizing societies; c. promotion and acknowledgement of knowledge systems of different cultures and communities in order to respond to the contemporary human conditions and crises based on intercultural cooperation; d. regeneration of local communities and reappropriation of their knowledge and know-hows to counter the impacts of coloniality and hegemony of the culture of modernity.
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PHASE 4. 2000-2012: INTERCULTURALITY, AN UNAVOIDABLE OPTION FOR LIVING IN A PLURALISTIC WORLD
The 1990s were the years when two trends emerged in Quebec-Canada to address the question of diversity namely, diversity management for integration of immigrants and inter-ethnic and race relations. Government policies and programs were being put in place in order to mandate its institutions to implement these policies. This paved the way for the creation of a market for intercultural trainers and consultants, and intercultural expertise became a new commodity in the private sector. In the process, the pioneering work of the non-institutional or community sector became marginalized. In response, IIM felt a need to articulate an alternative grassroots discourse on pluralism and interculturalism and adopted a course of action that was considerably different from actors in the private and public sectors.
Profile of founder-directors
Jacques Langlais c.s.c (Founder-director 1963-1970)
“The time has come for the feast of nations” Jacques Langlais
Born in Rivière-Bleue, Quebec in 1921, Jacques Langlais was ordained a priest in 1946 and was a member of the Holy Cross Congregation of Quebec. He studied at the Institute d’ethnologie et sociologie de la religion (1955-1956) in Paris and at the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill university (1957-1958). He was a member of Ecumenical Centre of Montreal (1958-1968).
Some highlights of his activities:
In 1963, Jacques Langlais founded the Centre Monchanin (later to become Intercultural Institute of Montreal). He left the Centre Monchanin in1970 for his doctoral studies at the University of McMaster on the Jesuits in China and their perception of Chinese traditions. Upon his return to Montreal in mid-70 he took a teaching position at the CEGEP Champlain and continued to be involved with the Centre Monchanin (Intercultural Institute of Montreal), in different capacities until 1998, especially as an honorary member of the Administrative Board and as co-editor of the French edition of the journal Interculture with Robert Vachon.
- Opened the Quebec Branch of the World Religions for Peace (1980);
- member of Canadian Council of Christians and Jews (1989-1993);
- founding member of the organization Dialogues Saint-Urbain (1989-1998);
- served as president of Canadian World Conference on Religions for Peace (1994-1997).
Langlais received the honor of the Order of Canada in 2002 and was named Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Quebec in 2005.
Publications :
- Le Bouddha et les deux bouddhisme (Fides 1976) ;
- Le Québec de demain et les communautés culturelles with the collaboration of Pierre Laplante et Yossi Levy (Édition Méridien, 1990) ;
- Jews and French Quebeckers, Two Hundred Years of Shared History with collaboration of David Rome (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1991);
- Du Village au Monde: à la rencontre des cultures (autobiography, Les Éditions Carte Blanche, 2000)
- Robert Vachon m.s.: (Co-founder at the time of civil incorporation of the Centre Monchanin in 1967-1968 and Executive Director from 1970-1979)
“Peoples and cultures are not emptiness to be filled but fullness to be discovered”
Robert Vachon m.s.: (Co-founder at the time of civil incorporation of the Centre Monchanin in 1967-1968 and Executive Director from 1970-1979)
“Peoples and cultures are not emptiness to be filled but fullness to be discovered” Robert Vachon
Born in 1930 in New Hampshire USA to a French-Canadian immigrant family, Robert Vachon’s childhood and youth were marked by two cultures of North America namely French and English cultures. His life was shaped by an early education in the USA and Quebec and later higher education in Europe. His passionate interest in inter-religious dialogue, intercultural understanding, and social justice shaped his profession as a priest and as a researcher on popular education and interculturality.
Some highlights of his activities:
In 1963, Jacques Langlais founded the Centre Monchanin (later to become Intercultural Institute of Montreal). He left the Centre Monchanin in1970 for his doctoral studies at the University of McMaster on the Jesuits in China and their perception of Chinese traditions. Upon his return to Montreal in mid-70 he took a teaching position at the CEGEP Champlain and continued to be involved with the Centre Monchanin (Intercultural Institute of Montreal), in different capacities until 1998, especially as an honorary member of the Administrative Board and as co-editor of the French edition of the journal Interculture with Robert Vachon.
- Opened the Quebec Branch of the World Religions for Peace (1980);
- member of Canadian Council of Christians and Jews (1989-1993);
- founding member of the organization Dialogues Saint-Urbain (1989-1998);
- served as president of Canadian World Conference on Religions for Peace (1994-1997).
Langlais received the honor of the Order of Canada in 2002 and was named Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Quebec in 2005.
Publications :
- Le Bouddha et les deux bouddhisme (Fides 1976) ;
- Le Québec de demain et les communautés culturelles with the collaboration of Pierre Laplante et Yossi Levy (Édition Méridien, 1990) ;
- Jews and French Quebeckers, Two Hundred Years of Shared History with collaboration of David Rome (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1991);
- Du Village au Monde: à la rencontre des cultures (autobiography, Les Éditions Carte Blanche, 2000)
- Robert Vachon m.s.: (Co-founder at the time of civil incorporation of the Centre Monchanin in 1967-1968 and Executive Director from 1970-1979)
“Peoples and cultures are not emptiness to be filled but fullness to be discovered”
Kalpana Das: Co-director (1971-1978) and Executive Director (1979-2012)
“Assimilating this plural world into a single world system of modern culture is not only an unattainable utopia, but also the fundamental cause of most of the contemporary conflicts everywhere.” Kalpana Das
Born in Bengal, India, she has been deeply influenced by the educational philosophy of the great poet-philosopher-educator of India, Rabindranath Tagore, who was also the creator of new school of fine arts traditions of Bengal (music, dance and painting). Her vision and life-long commitment to intercultural work is rooted in her experiences of being born and raised in a multicultural, multiethnic, multi-religious, multi-lingual society of India and in the colonial history of the subcontinent.
Kalpana Das had her formal training in Political Science, (B.A honours program in international relations at the University of Calcutta 1966); studied with Dr. Raimon Panikkar, professor of Cross-cultural Studies of Religion and Inter-religious Dialogue at the University of Santa Barabara, California, USA (1978); she also completed coursework in Psychotherapy and Diversity: Cross-cultural training issues, at the Continuing Education of Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, USA (1989). She joined the leadership of IIM in 1971 three years after her arrival in Montreal opting for a career in social education and social activism instead of pursuing one in academia.
For over five centuries (with the discovery of Americas 1492) human history has undergone a process of assimilation of plural cultural worlds into a One World System, a process that has resulted in the disappearance of languages and the erosion and subjugation of cultures. This colonial and hegemonic history of the West has been one of the driving forces in the work of Kalpana Das. Her professional trajectory is a story of innovating knowledge from the margin and the grassroots proposing alternatives to the dominant system of knowledge and creating a new field of study, social education and social activism on diversity, and on cultural pluralism in today’s societies
Thus, the challenges of cultural, religious, racial and ethnic pluralism in contemporary societies became the focus of Ms. Das’ intellectual journey. Intercultural studies in action became for her, the most needed path to find alternative responses to face the contemporary cultural, political, economic, ecological challenges brought about by the hegemonic culture of modernity. She has to her credit over forty years of creating programs on Intercultural Studies and Actions with an inter-disciplinary approach at the IIM.
Highlights of her activities:
- Intercultural education programs for children (1972-74);
- Intercultural Training programs for school and social-healthcare professionals (since 1975); for agents of international development and cooperation as well as for actors in Human Rights (since 1984);
- For the actors in community organizations and NGOs.
- Action-research on the issue of cultures and development, with the collaboration of Robert Vachon (1980s)
- Since 1990 she directed and coordinated series of community-based research-action projects focused on youth, families, women and seniors of immigrant and ethnocultural communities.
Das served on numerous advisory committees in various institutions/organizations in Quebec, such as the Human Rights Commission of Quebec; le Centre de services sociaux et de santé du Montréal Métropolitain (CSSMM); la Fédération des organismes ethnoculturels (ACCESS). For four years she chaired the Ministerial Consultative Committee for the accessibility of social and health-care services to immigrant, minority communities.
In the 1990s Kalpana Das turned her attention to intercultural issues related to modernism-postmodernism and globalization, focusing on community regeneration through intercultural dialogue. In collaboration with Robert Vachon, she created three programs: International Network for Cultural Alternatives to Development (INCAD); International Grassroots Alliance for the Protection and Promotion of Local Knowledge (IGRA); ROOTS, a bibliographical database on endogenous and traditional knowledge.
Publications: She has authored and contributed numerous articles in the journal Interculture of IIM and other journals, on intercultural education, intercultural social intervention, immigration and ethnic relations, interfaith dialogue and so on. She co-authored a book in French entitled l’Hindouisme (Sanatana Dharma), for Quebec’s schools, edition Guérin, 1987.