The June 2002 Foundations of Communities of Practice workshop included eight students from Royal Roads University. Here's an article about it in the RRU newsletter: KM 650.
The issues and possibilities that come up in collaboration between a university and a community (such as the one we simulate in the worskhop or such as the one that has actually grown up around the Foundations workshop) are complex and quite interesting. Alice MacGillivray and I worked on a paper about the subject but haven't yet finished it (or found the right place to publish it!) ...
Each workshop includes guest speakers who share their knowledge and experience -- philosophical stance and survival tips. This gem from Matthew Simpson caught my eye:
The biggest challenge we face is time zones and language. I don't think these two things make the lion's share of cultural diversity.
Quite simply, I have never encountered a 'cultural' difference that acted as an obstacle. Instead, the more diversity a community has, as long as members are sensitive to the communication loop and willing to ensure that it is closed, the better.
But that's a mighty big IF. Often people do not tolerate communication gaps, and instead, interpret malicious intention or some other personal shortfall of the 'other.' When people do this, it's important to find ways to deconstruct the basic beliefs that contribute to that bias. (as if that was easy to do)
In a nut shell, if people know how to listen, how to communicate, how to tolerate confusion and the act of clarifying misunderstandings... If they resist the temptation to attribute malicious intention... And if they all can speak the same language and transcend time zones... Cultural factors really add spice to community. The more diversity the better.