Introduction We live in a time when distance no longer protects us from difference. A team meeting may include colleagues from six continents. A classroom may hold children whose families speak ten languages at home. A single street in a modern city can carry the sounds, smells, and stories of dozens of nations at once. In this kind of world, the ability to understand, respect, and work across cultures is no longer a soft skill that is nice to have. It is becoming a core huma