ACHIEVING NATIONAL PEACE THROUGH INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE

^1.Ameen Akeem, ²Ebenezer O. Onabanjo, ³Muritala Imam Suleiman, ⁴Zakari Ishiak and ⁵Kolawole Saliu

^1-5Department of General Education Studies, Kwara State College of Education (T.), Lafiagi

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Abstract

Communication is central in human interaction. It is a social process that facilitates exchange of ideas and feelings among individuals in societies. However, most of the times when communication takes place, it involves interaction between individuals who do not share similar characteristics. In other words, the interactants, though may speak the same language while engaging in communication, can differ in terms of cultural backgrounds. And because they differ, their world views tend to differ too thereby resulting to crises and conflicts. It is, therefore, not enough to have linguistic knowledge but also to have intercultural communication competence in order to reduce uncertainty in the mind of the receiver of the message and to establish relationships through the process of interaction thereby preventing miscommunication as each culture is distinguish and unique. So, considering the role of culture in various domains including communication and interaction process, the role of communicative competence in general and intercultural communicative competence in particular cannot be ignored. This is important for our educational system as it will go a long way in addressing some of the conflicts emanating from the lack or poor knowledge of intercultural communication. Hence, this position paper highlights the importance of intercultural communication competence as a method of ensuring peace among the people in the society. It is the belief of this paper that such knowledge of intercultural communication competence will enhance the learners’ ability to communicate appropriately in all situations. It will bring about peace communication, a situation where intercultural communicators reciprocate empathetically and develop trust. This will also lead to emergence of ‘interculturality’ in which people with differing cultural identities learn from each other, develop intercultural personhood, and mediate between different perspectives.

Keywords: Intercultural Communication, Competence, Conflict, Peace building

ACHIEVING NATIONAL PEACE THROUGH INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE