Introduction - Why I wrote this book and why you need to read it.

Chapter 1: Be a Friend

• consider the virtues needed for being a true friend
• practice the Golden Rule
• distinguish between the politics of a country and its people
• make inter-cultural friendships
• know the correct name to call your friend by
• observe Do's and Don'ts for making friends from diverse backgrounds
• access great resources like books, websites, music, globes and more
• assess how you're doing with an International Quiz.

Chapter 2: Greet Your Friend

• be conscious of offering a friendly greeting in any culture
• coach your kids on what a good greeting looks like – here and around the world, for young and old
• be comfortable greeting someone with a name that is unfamiliar to you
• play games using the world's most widely-spoken languages
• see the U.S. and the world in a new perspective
• learn greetings in the world's top ten languages
• try speaking a new language and consider various strategies, from immersion to dabbling
• play and learn with foreign language resources for various ages.

Chapter 3: Play

• experience the world through soccer and the Olympics
• play sit-down games across cultures and generations
• try playground games from various countries
• play geography, language and culture games
• support play and sports in needy communities worldwide
• look for positive and global experiences in video games
• get off the couch and get active, with strategies tried worldwide.

Chapter 4: Go to School

• help your school become more internationally competent
• respect teachers and share your global perspective with them
• draw on home-schooling resources
• tap into the arts
• make music and learn how it's done elsewhere
• start global learning at a young age
• imagine what it's like in the best- and least-equipped schools of the world
• turn your school into a laboratory for global experiences
• encourage partnerships – with other schools, diverse community members, companies and charities
• improve your geography literacy.

Chapter 5: Break Bread

• imagine what and how people all over the world eat
• compare school lunches worldwide
• try new kinds of foods
• learn about the foods we all share
• host a "World Meal" – the average meal eaten by most people on the planet
• picture how McDonald's adapts its menu to local tastes worldwide
• experience eating-out with kids around the world
• master how to eat with chopsticks
• create a multi-cultural Thanksgiving meal
• take a weekend to "travel to a new continent" even if it's just across town
• try food remedies made by grandmothers everywhere.

Chapter 6: What Do They Believe?

• consider how the religions can contribute to peace
• learn what the faiths teach and have in common
• read their myths and stories
• learn the etiquette for visiting various houses of worship
• appreciate the faith-inspired arts
• create spaces for the sacred in your own home
• work to overcome prejudices
• share metaphors that help make sense of the diversity of faiths
• get comfortable respectfully, openly sharing faith experiences with friends whose beliefs differ from your own.

Chapter 7: Celebrate with the World

• share a new celebration with friends
• become familiar with diverse cultural and faith celebrations
• introduce global Christmas customs
• learn about various New Year observances
• initiate meaningful practices learned from global Life Cycle celebrations: birth, coming-of-age, marriage and coping with death
• encounter birthday celebrations worldwide
• try new birthday party themes and activities
• consider how best to direct a portion of your celebration to a good cause.

Chapter 8: Watch the World • Read a Movie

• open your minds to watching movies not made in Hollywood or set in the U.S.
• aim for a fun, not simply "educational" experience
• look for the international angle in familiar Disney movies
• become acquainted with global versions of Cinderella, "oldies," and other favorites
• process – or discuss – what you watch
• attend an international children's film festival
• get used to watching films in sub-titles
• beware of different standards for family viewing which you might not consider appropriate
• watch my favorite foreign films, grouped by audience age and genre to take your own journey around the world.

Chapter 9: Sustain Your Friendship • Service & Giving

• consider service and action locally and globally for making the world a better place
• evaluate if your actions reflect your priorities and family's values
• create a giving plan
• get informed about the issues you care about
• familiarize yourself with websites and organizations whose missions match your vision
• join the movement to eradicate global poverty by 2015
• engage in one or more of the eight Millennium Development Goals: Discuss them with your family and start making a difference!

Conclusion: Parting Thoughts - Widening Our Circle of Compassion

Start with something, anything, to connect with the larger world – and enjoy the ride.

Appendix : Action Steps to Advance the Millennium Development Goals

Notes

Acknowledgements

Index