Mission
ICC is a community center where people of diverse backgrounds can come together to engage in community building programs, social action projects and educational programs built to promote pluralism and social cohesion based on mutual respect and harmonious coexistence.
Goals
- Promote the participation of individuals and families with various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds in civic engagement, cross-cultural and interfaith dialogue, and community service.
- Develop a vibrant community of engaged citizens with the resources to peacefully mitigate any social and political conflict through effective cross-cultural approaches.
- Decrease a culture of misunderstandings, fear and violence.
History
Realizing that real action and change must take place at the community level, in 2011 WORDE established the International Cultural Center (ICC). The establishment of this center, located in a 10,000 square foot facility in Gaithersburg, Maryland, has given WORDE the wonderful opportunity to transform policy into action.
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The Crossroads Program provides culturally proficient counseling and access to social services for Montgomery County residents (with low to moderate incomes).
ICC Crossroads in partnership with the Gaithersburg Beloved Community Initiative co-hosted its latest installment of Courageous Conversations, an intergenerational & interracial workshop tackling issues of bullying/discrimination, on Thursday, April 27th at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD. WORDE Senior Fellow, Nouf Bazaz, facilitated the event that brought together diverse youth and adults including […]
Read MoreThe ICC’s dynamic community building programs are designed to foster mutual respect for various cultural and ethnic traditions, while developing new friendships and avenues for collaboration.
On Thurs. June 15, 2017 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, seven adults from various faith communities met with Dr. Earl Stoddard, Director of the MoCo Office of Emergency Management and with Jim McClelland, Emergency Management Specialist, at the Silver Spring Civic Building for their training to be certified as Emotional & Spiritual Care Volunteers. […]
Read MoreOver the last year, youth and families from the Greater Washington DC area have participated in a range of activities at the ICC that promote social action through service-learning projects.
With the support from the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Silver Spring, we were able to create 37 backpacks filled with school supplies. 30 of these were donated to the Stepping Stones Shelter and 7 were donated among the local refuge families. Thank you for your generous donations!
Read MoreAttend hands-on workshops, seminars and town hall discussions with policymakers, analysts and academics on critical issues that affect our community such as conflict resolution, domestic violence, and the impact of violence on our youth.
On February 9th, the ICC hosted 60 people from diverse faith traditions who came together to increase community awareness of issues related to water quality at “Greening Our Sacred Grounds”. Speakers included Paul Hlavinka of the Muddy Branch Alliance and Rev. Mary Gaut from Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake. The following presentations engaged congregations in […]
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