Australia is a country made up of a diverse and multicultural population from different backgrounds and beliefs. In Australia, there are issues of intercultural conflict in daily life as well as in work environments. Intercultural conflict issues include communication, cultures, religion, and nonverbal behaviors. Without an understanding of conflicts, misunderstandings can arise within the broader community. Language can cause cross-cultural conflict in the workplace between workers because they may not understand the instructions that have been given, leading to communication problems. This could lead to anxiety and conflict between people and create division within the work environment. To overcome issues of cross-cultural conflict and resolve situations that may arise, workplaces must demonstrate acceptance and empathy towards the diverse cultures in the community. As a population made up of a wide range of diverse cultures and backgrounds, society must be open and respectful of the cultural differences and attitudes of others. This allows all members of the community to belong and be accepted in a harmonious multicultural country. Many issues can cause intercultural conflict in societies. These include language, religion, personal appearance, cultural norms and nonverbal behaviors. As a society, accepting and respecting different cultures to understand their origins opens new understandings of acceptance. By ignoring cultural diversity and believing in one dominant culture, we fail to show respect and understanding of other cultures. Religion can be a very sensitive and personal choice/issue and in a work environment it can cause problems...... middle of paper ...... and show empathy towards the problems that could develop, shows that people are important and allows them to feel a sense of belonging to a community. Works Cited Adcq.qld.gov.au. 2013. ADCQ: Home. [online] Available at: http://www.adcq.qld.gov.au/ [Accessed: December 15, 2013].Erc.msh.org. 2013. Theme 9: Nonverbal communication. [online] Available at: http://erc.msh.org/mainpage.cfm?file=4.6.0c.htm&module=provider&lingual=English [Accessed: December 15, 2013].Geldard, D. and Geldard, K. 2012 . Basic personal advice. 7th ed. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Books.Open Colleges Pty Ltd, 2011. Diploma in Counselling. Work effectively with culturally diverse clients and colleagues. [Online] Available at: http://repository.cengage.edu.au/Repository/file/9bb42f99-1e3f-9f1f-4f77-a4a1d859b19c/3/22022A_ebook%20Portal.pdf [Accessed December 15 2013].