I am a seasoned communication, writing, media development and intercultural trainer

For more than 20 years I have conceptualised and facilitated numerous communication, journalism and writing workshops around the world.

In workshops for journalists from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Zimbabwe, the aim was to improve their journalistic practice, prepare them for reporting on conferences or build their thematic skills.

In these countries I have conducted tailor-made communication training courses for communication officers and development cooperation experts: Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, Egypt, Georgia, India, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Azerbaijan, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

As a certified intercultural trainer I help people to build their intercultural competencies and to work more efficiently in or lead culturally mixed teams. I prepare managers, project managers and specialists for assignments abroad in tailor-made training courses that focus on cross-cultural sensitisation and dealing with foreign cultures. I give professionals and their families the cultural skills they need to make their jobs and everyday lives in Switzerland, the USA and South Africa smoother. For example, by introducing them to the different communication styles in these countries and allowing them to reflect on their own culturally influenced communication style.

I am a tough-but-nice editor

I help writers find and get to the point, structure their articles and content to improve readability and rhythm, polish their stories and find the language appropriate for their target audiences.

I am a field-tested communication specialist

I worked as a communication specialist for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) for more than 10 years. I am familiar with the ins and outs of government communication and also have an in-depth knowledge of development and international cooperation.

I am an award-winning journalist

For over 20 years I have worked and continue to work as a reporter, senior writer, foreign correspondent and freelance journalist in the United States, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and South Africa.

I covered headline-grabbing crises from the 1994 Rwandan genocide to the violence-ridden 2002 elections in Zimbabwe. I reported on international and national conferences from the UN’s Beijing+5 UN conference in New York, or the World Conference against Racism in Durban, to South Africa’s national “Speak out on Poverty!” hearings. I reported on historic and more mundane events from school board meetings in rural Minnesota to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings in post-apartheid South Africa.

I wrote about issues that rarely make the front page: from the life realities of asylum seekers in Switzerland, of Saharawi refugees in southeastern Algeria, or of poor communities in rural or urban Africa.

I wrote “soft” pieces from travel features to columns for women’s magazines.

I am versed in a range of styles: from short news stories, news features and long-form narrative articles, to opinion pieces and profiles.

I have won awards including the Minnesota Newspaper Association award for „Best columnist“, the „Katlego Development Journalism Award“ of the South African NGO Coalition, and a second place in the print media category in the  „CNN African Journalist of the Year Award“

Biographical information:

  • Swiss born, raised in Switzerland in a binational family (Switzerland/USA)
  • Attended Swiss primary school and the American International School of Zurich (now: Zurich International School)
  • Native English and German (and Swiss German) speaker; very good French in a work context
  • University studies in the United States and the United Kingdom
  • Further studies: “Train the Intercultural Trainer”, IKUD, Göttingen/Germany, certified by the German Society for Intercultural Training Quality (dgikt); “Intercultural Competences Development for Professionals”, University of Groningen Winter School, taught by Dr. Janet Bennett, Executive Director Intercultural Communication Institute, USA; FAMU International film school, Prague/Czech Republic
  • Member of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit
  • Passionate about photography, film, history and travel

Visit my LinkedIn profile for more information: linkedin.com/in/christinastucky