April 29, 2025
Our CEO and Founder Peter Mousaferiadis travelled to the UK, France and Macao, where he forged new relationships with several people across the areas of cultural diversity, disability, AI, saving the planet and science, and got to reconnect with key friends. Closer to home, he also visited Colac with Sumardi. Learn what else our busy team are up to and read on for details of Peter’s amazing trips in this edition of the newsletter!
Table of Contents
New Friends
Peter’s trip to the UK and Paris gave him a chance to meet a world authority on multidisciplinary thinking and author of globally acclaimed book The Polymath, Waqās Ahmed (top left) and see Windsor Castle, which is directly opposite Waqās’s office. He also met environmental activist turned disability rights champion, Founder and President of the Disability Resilience Network Philip Connolly (in the banner pic), Co-director of NGO Culture et Développement Valeria Marcolin (top centre) and Global Systems Architect and legendary activist at Greenpeace International. 23 April saw Peter delivering a Keynote in Macao at the Asia Universities Summit. These new relationships and journeys are inspiring and informative. They help strengthen our resolve and position as champions of cultural diversity.
Big Data & AI World London, part of Tech Show London
Our European team, Nicole Jolaoso, Kasia Hayward, Mario Chatzidamianos, along with Peter Mousaferiadis, participated in Big Data and AI World London as part of Tech Show London. This was the second year in a row for Diversity Atlas.
Mario moderated a panel with data experts Helen Dodd and Manivannan Janakiraman (top right), discussing global regulations on data and AI. Peter moderated two panels that were described by many as some of the highlights of the event, where he spoke briefly on AI and the risk of losing our must human advantage: our cultural diversity. We posted a summary of Peter’s opening remarks on the blog.
Techerati Interview with Peter Mousaferiadis
News network Techerati published a compelling interview with Peter on AI’s global impact, opening with the following question,
Do you think AI is moving too fast for ethical considerations to keep up, or is regulation slowing down its potential benefits?
Let’s first look at previous advances in technology and their impact: for a start, we know that there’s a correlation between the rise in social media and the decline in peace. We need measures in place so AI doesn’t lead to these unintended consequences. Regulation is important.
We are witnessing a largely profit-driven race towards AGI, a race to create fully autonomous vehicles and so forth, and we’re seeing a lot of breakage on the way, and a lot of mistakes. This is inevitable and largely excusable in the development of anything new. What is worrying is the concentration of power among too few developers and the lack of transparency and apparent representative diversity in their teams. Democratic governments have a responsibility to dispense funding for new technology in a way that aligns with democratic values.
Peter Mousaferiadis and Amna Ben Amara at UNESCO
Last newsletter we announced the appointment of Cultural Infusion as pro bono Secretariat for the Civil Society Organisations contributing to the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. This global network of more than 100 key organisations works pro bono to promote cultural diversity and strengthen the role of cultural expressions in education, policy, and society.
Peter and our colleague in Paris, Amna Ben Amara, spent three impactful days engaging in extensive meetings at UNESCO. Amna says, ‘Although we didn’t choose the background of the photo, its message is a stark reminder: “culture should never be a target”.’
At a time when cultural identities are increasingly under pressure, whether through conflict, politicisation, counter-politicisation, marginalisation or digital divides, their discussions focused on how a data-driven approach to cultural diversity can help shape inclusive policies and initiatives so that no one is left behind.
UNESCO’s commitment to cultural diversity is crucial. We love to show that data can be efficient, but more importantly, humane!
Pak Sumardi’s Tour of Australia
Sumardi lit up the office when he dropped in for a visit ahead of his big Australian tour. It’s been a huge delight to connect with this brilliant artist and great friend.
Following is a testimonial from Sumardi’s 22 March performance at the Hawthorn Cultural Centre (pictured above):
‘It was magical – the attendees loved the story and the puppets. Sumardi is a very gentle person and was very engaging during the Q&A session at the end of the performance.’ Melinda Brown, City of Boroondara
Sumardi performed at the Colac Performing Arts Centre (pictured above). Peter accompanied him on his tour, and says,
To even become a dalang is to perform continuously for nine hours – without a single break, not even for the toilet. That’s the level of dedication this ancient craft demands…
This marks Sumardi’s 10th tour to Australia with Cultural Infusion. Since 2004, he’s performed over 1,000 times across cities, regional towns and remote communities – from the east coast to the far reaches of the Pilbara in WA.
What’s especially powerful is that Sumardi is a deeply devout Muslim performing stories from the Hindu epics, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. That’s the beauty of Wayang Kulit – a centuries-old art form that lives at the heart of Indonesia’s rich cultural fusion.
Though these tales have Hindu roots, they’re still cherished and performed by Muslim communities across Java – a reflection of how Islam arrived peacefully in Indonesia and embraced, rather than erased, the culture it met.
Don’t miss your rare opportunity to see a great practitioner of Wayang puppet theatre, which is inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Book now!
New Presenters and Programs
We have added the following new programs to our extensive offerings: Chinese Infusion (VIC) (pictured above), Swedish Dance & Culture (QLD), Colombian–Caribbean Rhythms & Culture (NSW), Thai Infusion (QLD), Yalla! Arab Dance & Culture (NSW, VIC), Māori Infusion (QLD), Maloyan Infusion (WA) and Rhythms of Latin America (SA).
We can’t wait to share these exciting programs with you, with more to be announced soon!
NAIDOC Week (6 to 13 July) The Next Generation: Strength, Vision, and Legacy
NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week is a fantastic opportunity to learn from and support the vitality of the original cultures of Australia. Our excellent Aboriginal cultural programs help make NAIDOC Week one of our busiest weeks of the year.
The popular Aboriginal Infusion educational program is available in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales and the Aboriginal Culture For A Day program is available in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia showcasing Aboriginal cultures through dance, symbolic art, didgeridoo and a wide range of other engaging activities.
Students can learn traditional Aboriginal symbols from our First Nations presenters in our Aboriginal Storytelling Through Art educational program, available in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales. This unique experience will give students the opportunity to create and share their own stories and is a perfect intercultural experience for any age!
Aboriginal Storytelling and Artefacts is available in New South Wales, Australia Capital Territory and Western Australia and combines storytelling with an introduction to the history of some Aboriginal tools and artefacts. Students will have the opportunity to act out stories and engage with cultural artefacts.
To mark NAIDOC Week, Cultural infusion is launching a competition. Take a photo or video of your Cultural Infusion experience during NAIDOC Week. Post it on Instagram tagging @CulturalInfusion using the hashtag #NAIDOCwithCulturalInfusion.
The best post (photos and/or videos) will win 20% off their next booking.
Book your NAIDOC program early to avoid missing out!
Centring Culture in Science
Peter Mousaferiadis took to the stage at the Times Higher Education Asia Universities Summit, hosted at their partner organisation, the Macao University of Science and Technology.
Peter put forward the case for centring culture, as inextricable from our humanity, in all scientific endeavours and initiatives.
Agree? Do you think culture is sidelined? Of course you do, since you are here! What would science look like if it centred culture? How would this be done ethically?
He also ran the Diversity Atlas survey, and while only 29 people participated in time for the reveal, it already yielded fascinated information, including 12 different countries of birth, with the Philippines taking first place, and 22 different cultures. As we find each time, once you get into the level of detail Diversity Atlas does, every group is so richly diverse.
Diversity Atlas can be run on any group larger than 25 to uncover their collective and often hidden cultural composition. If you or someone you know is ready to discover the full diversity of their group and support ethical technology, why not get in touch with our team now for a free demo?
Learning Lands Gift
This year, we launched an initiative to give everyone who books a program with us three months’ free access to our Learning Lands suite of constantly updated intercultural education resources, comprising internationally award-winning apps, games and activities that integrate the arts, music, geography, history and Indigenous perspectives to put students at the forefront in intercultural competency. We have been delighted by the enthusiastic response to this offer and are pleased to continue it into 2025.
Calendar Spotlight: 21 May, World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue & Development
World Day for Cultural Diversity celebrates the richness of cultures worldwide and the importance of intercultural dialogue and harmony. By learning about diverse traditions, philosophies and social structures, we grow – becoming more adaptable, empathetic and open to new perspectives.
The United Nations states, ‘With 89% of all current conflicts in the world occurring in countries with low intercultural dialogue, to forge effective cooperation and sustain peace, strengthening intercultural dialogue must be a priority.’
UNESCO writes, ‘On this Day, UNESCO would like to call upon everyone to celebrate cultural diversity, through which we will be able to build the intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind.’
Our Multicultural Day Program available in all states is a comprehensive cultural workshop exploring language, music and more. With interactive and engaging activities students gain a deeper understanding of cultural complexity and develop the empathy and respect needed to thrive in our diverse, globalised world.
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