An opportunity to sit down together at the “table of brotherhood” (and sisterhood) at a local high school, Mother of Mercy, recently was lost because of outcries from a few who missed the larger and more important messages of peace, and justice and interfaith understanding. Earlier in their efforts to find common ground, Catholic and Muslims students were seeking ways to expand their own learning of each others' religious traditions by breaking the traditional Ramadan fast with a shared meal. Regrettably, that particular meal was never prepared.
In one of the most critical moments in his life, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. guided us with his words from The Strength to Love (1963), when he wrote “The ultimate measure of a man (or woman) is not where he (she) stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he (she) stands at times of challenge and controversy." In his honor, a stone monument stands in our nation’s capitol as a reminder to all of us and generations to come that justice and peace aren’t easily attained.
BRIDGES for A Just Community has stood with the greater community to bring voices to the voiceless, and as a mediator and advocate when communities and people find themselves on opposing sides of important social and human rights issues. From our early work under the name of the National Council for Christians and Jews to the evolving inclusive efforts as the National Conference for Community and Justice, BRIDGES for a Just Community (our new corporate name) continues to work quietly, behind the scenes, and when necessary, visibly and publicly as a convener to bring together people with varying points of view to seek and find common ground. We have a long, rich and proud history of human relations work in the Greater Cincinnati community.
Yet, our work is far from complete. BRIDGES recently partnered with more than a dozen like-minded organizations to plan an upcoming community-wide commemoration of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. This group, which includes the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-OH) and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati – are working together, along with the other 14 organizations to “remember, unify and hope.” Amidst the effort to focus on the events of 9/11, a smaller disruption of unity occurred when a student-led opportunity to come to the “table of brotherhood and sisterhood” was lost.
The high school students who wished to simply eat together and learn from one another was a courageous act to achieve Dr. King’s dream. We are hopeful that the cancellation of the dinner at Mother of Mercy (although it was still held at a different location) will open dialogue rather than to slam the door on learning about differences.
Especially as we approach the observance of the many tender and unifying commemorations of 9/11, we hope that this episode will not prevent the students from losing hope to serve our community and our nation - together. For too long, we have asked young people to care about one another with their words AND their actions. Now, we must ask ourselves, will the school, the students, and the parents close their hearts and minds to others who worship differently? Will the students be too discouraged to care about one another? Will the barriers of misunderstanding and misinformation prevent important dialogue and community service from occurring? Will the communities that would have been served by these young, enthusiastic people suffer because of pressures outside of their control?
Our community is facing serious economic and social challenges that require every citizen to work together. We encourage the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and CAIR-OH to engage in constructive and respectful dialogues to heal and find common ground. We hope that everyone involved will stand together, even when it is uncomfortable, to set an important example of leadership, love and conviction modeled for all of us so many years ago.
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About BRIDGES for a Just Community, Inc.
BRIDGES for a Just Community brings people together to achieve inclusion, equity and justice for all who live and work in the Greater Cincinnati community. As the region’s leading human relations organization, BRIDGES’ vision is to create a respectful, equitable and welcoming community for all citizens through education, advocacy and dialogue. Formerly the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) of Greater Cincinnati, BRIDGES for a Just Community has served the region since 1944. For more information, call BRIDGES at 513-381- 4660 or visit online at www.bridgescincinnati.org.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
JUST Community 101
Even though I don’t teach anymore, I still get excited about the beginning of a new school year. One of the best things about a new school year is the opportunity to meet a new crop of students who have the potential to impact your life and teach you as much, or more, than you can teach them. Well, my opportunity to learn came a little early this year. On a sunny and hot day in July, I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with thirty-three energetic, interesting and thoughtful students from the greater Cincinnati area.
So, in the spirit of the back-to-school season, here are some lessons I learned at JUST Community 2011:
You are never too old for a great game of Musical Chairs.
Long-time volunteer Eddie lead the group in a high-energy game of musical chairs after lunch. I initially thought this was a just a fun way to prevent the students from getting sleepy; however, I was in for a huge surprise. After a few rounds of musical chairs, he reminded the students that the same energy they used to play the game is the same energy they would need to challenge bullying and bigotry in their schools and communities.
Honesty + Vulnerability = Enlightenment
Over the course of the week at JUST Community, the students had to take part in various exercises designed to get them to think about race, gender, sexual orientation and a whole host of other issues that would intimidate most adults. One such exercise, “60 Seconds,” required them to think about their own bias and use of stereotypes. By the end of the exercise, the students learned that when they are honest about the stereotypes they believe in and vulnerable enough to confront them, they can then begin to see the real person, not a label.
Gold is good, but platinum is better.
One of the first things you learn in home or school is the Golden Rule. Although the Golden Rule is still an important, JUST Community participants abided by the Platinum Rule: ‘Treat others the way they want to be treated.’ The Platinum Rule shifted the focus to the feelings of others and gave the students a new and improved way to relate to their peers and counselors.
Diversity and Inclusion aren’t synonymous.
Diversity can mean having a lot of different people from a variety of backgrounds and experience. JUST Community did indeed have a large group of young adults, from different schools, all with a range of different experiences. But the group that I saw was more than a diverse community; the group was an inclusive community. In an inclusive community, everyone has a voice and a role to play. By the end of the day, each student had an opportunity to participate. While some students were more vocal than others, it was obvious that even the quiet students appreciated the opportunity to engage with their peers and develop a sense of their leadership potential. One of final activities for the day included the students developing their own back-to-school Action Plan in which they outlined the ways they could change their respective communities by using what they learned. In doing so, they learned from each other and I learned a lot from them.
BRIDGES has a GREAT Program Staff
I already knew that the Program Staff was wonderful and JUST Community gave me another great opportunity to see their commitment and talent in action. Many thanks to David, Shawn,Tynisha, the Public Allies and all of the volunteers for a great JUST Community 2011.
MW
So, in the spirit of the back-to-school season, here are some lessons I learned at JUST Community 2011:
You are never too old for a great game of Musical Chairs.
Long-time volunteer Eddie lead the group in a high-energy game of musical chairs after lunch. I initially thought this was a just a fun way to prevent the students from getting sleepy; however, I was in for a huge surprise. After a few rounds of musical chairs, he reminded the students that the same energy they used to play the game is the same energy they would need to challenge bullying and bigotry in their schools and communities.
Honesty + Vulnerability = Enlightenment
Over the course of the week at JUST Community, the students had to take part in various exercises designed to get them to think about race, gender, sexual orientation and a whole host of other issues that would intimidate most adults. One such exercise, “60 Seconds,” required them to think about their own bias and use of stereotypes. By the end of the exercise, the students learned that when they are honest about the stereotypes they believe in and vulnerable enough to confront them, they can then begin to see the real person, not a label.
Gold is good, but platinum is better.
One of the first things you learn in home or school is the Golden Rule. Although the Golden Rule is still an important, JUST Community participants abided by the Platinum Rule: ‘Treat others the way they want to be treated.’ The Platinum Rule shifted the focus to the feelings of others and gave the students a new and improved way to relate to their peers and counselors.
Diversity and Inclusion aren’t synonymous.
Diversity can mean having a lot of different people from a variety of backgrounds and experience. JUST Community did indeed have a large group of young adults, from different schools, all with a range of different experiences. But the group that I saw was more than a diverse community; the group was an inclusive community. In an inclusive community, everyone has a voice and a role to play. By the end of the day, each student had an opportunity to participate. While some students were more vocal than others, it was obvious that even the quiet students appreciated the opportunity to engage with their peers and develop a sense of their leadership potential. One of final activities for the day included the students developing their own back-to-school Action Plan in which they outlined the ways they could change their respective communities by using what they learned. In doing so, they learned from each other and I learned a lot from them.
BRIDGES has a GREAT Program Staff
I already knew that the Program Staff was wonderful and JUST Community gave me another great opportunity to see their commitment and talent in action. Many thanks to David, Shawn,Tynisha, the Public Allies and all of the volunteers for a great JUST Community 2011.
MW
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Reflections on a day at Just Community Camp
This seems to be my summer for going to camp. In June my husband and I went to Tai Chi camp at a small Catholic college in western Indiana. We played a lot of tai chi, honed our skills, made new friends, had some good laughs and got deeply immersed in the spirit of support and comradeship of fellow tai chi players.
On Friday, July 23, I had the privilege of spending most of the day with the students and counselors in the Just Community Camp at Wilmington College. I was only there for part of the day—from 11 to about 3:30, but I could tell that the group was experiencing that same level of support and comradeship that we had felt in our camp earlier. That’s probably part of the point of going away to camp: participants are outside their normal environment and able to focus whole-heartedly on the subject at hand. In the case of Just Community, the students even agreed to leave their cell phones off—a whole week unplugged! By the time I showed up, near the end of their experience, any isolation they may have suffered from being off the grid seemed to have been replaced by strong bonds with each other, by verbal communication rather than texting.
So what is JUST Community all about? Why should 33 teenagers from 15 different area high schools spend a week together on a college campus? What are they supposed to learn or experience?
Listening to them de-brief from exercises and looking over the curriculum for the week, here is my take: BRIDGES is invested in this program because it allows the participants to identify and become aware of all of the various “isms” that confront them every day. Biases that may lead to unfair treatment or bullying. Then it helps them figure out some constructive ways to confront those “isms” and to become change agents in their schools. Some of the “isms” they looked at were classism, gender/sexism, ableism, and racism. Not easy stuff to deal with in one fast week.
Posted on the walls around the large room where they met were the products of their exercises and discussions. There was a set of posters developed from the “60 Seconds” exercise on the first day where students recorded all the descriptors of terms like “white person” or “handicapped” they could come up with within a minute. The second part of the exercise was to read back the list while a person of that descriptor stood in front of you. It was pretty powerful, just reading some of the lists. Early on, students filled out a Life Map questionnaire about themselves: gifts they possessed of hands, head and heart, questions they would like to answer in their lifetime, what they would like to change in their school and their world.
These will be revisited at the end of the week. Reading the ones posted on the walls, this is an inquisitive and ambitious bunch of high schoolers.
One of the activities I got to observe was a series of role plays about how to handle conflict in school situations, for example, girls getting in a dust-up about one stealing the other’s boy friend. As someone who has spent some years studying conflict resolution and mediation, it was really heartening to see their creativity in finding ways to defuse potentially hostile situations. They were also pretty tough on themselves during de-briefing, looking for still better ways to resolve the conflicts.
After lunch, and after a very competitive game of musical chairs to see who would win a midnight snack, the first floor (girls) or second floor (boys), the students began to come up with ideas on which issues needed to be addressed in their schools and how to best approach the issues they identified.
In one way, this exercise was what the whole week had been leading up to…how to take what they had learned and apply it in their lives back in the “real world.” The issues they identified were tough: gay-baiting, disrespect for teachers in the classroom, racism, picking on anyone who was different. Some of the solutions were creative, others were sort of tried and true. All of them have the potential for success because the students will act as agents for change within their schools.
They will be the voices speaking up and the bodies standing up to call out the bullies and the disrespectful. The kids know it won’t be an easy task. But they have acquired the tools. They also know that staff from the Just Community program will be available to support them and help make sure school administrators work together to address the issues. They know they have absorbed the lessons of the week at camp. They have the ideas and the tools to make their schools better places to learn and grow. They have the ability to make permanent changes for the better in their communities. That’s what Just Community Camp is all about and why it is worth every penny.
WRITTEN BY BETSY SATO
On Friday, July 23, I had the privilege of spending most of the day with the students and counselors in the Just Community Camp at Wilmington College. I was only there for part of the day—from 11 to about 3:30, but I could tell that the group was experiencing that same level of support and comradeship that we had felt in our camp earlier. That’s probably part of the point of going away to camp: participants are outside their normal environment and able to focus whole-heartedly on the subject at hand. In the case of Just Community, the students even agreed to leave their cell phones off—a whole week unplugged! By the time I showed up, near the end of their experience, any isolation they may have suffered from being off the grid seemed to have been replaced by strong bonds with each other, by verbal communication rather than texting.
So what is JUST Community all about? Why should 33 teenagers from 15 different area high schools spend a week together on a college campus? What are they supposed to learn or experience?
Listening to them de-brief from exercises and looking over the curriculum for the week, here is my take: BRIDGES is invested in this program because it allows the participants to identify and become aware of all of the various “isms” that confront them every day. Biases that may lead to unfair treatment or bullying. Then it helps them figure out some constructive ways to confront those “isms” and to become change agents in their schools. Some of the “isms” they looked at were classism, gender/sexism, ableism, and racism. Not easy stuff to deal with in one fast week.
Posted on the walls around the large room where they met were the products of their exercises and discussions. There was a set of posters developed from the “60 Seconds” exercise on the first day where students recorded all the descriptors of terms like “white person” or “handicapped” they could come up with within a minute. The second part of the exercise was to read back the list while a person of that descriptor stood in front of you. It was pretty powerful, just reading some of the lists. Early on, students filled out a Life Map questionnaire about themselves: gifts they possessed of hands, head and heart, questions they would like to answer in their lifetime, what they would like to change in their school and their world.
These will be revisited at the end of the week. Reading the ones posted on the walls, this is an inquisitive and ambitious bunch of high schoolers.
One of the activities I got to observe was a series of role plays about how to handle conflict in school situations, for example, girls getting in a dust-up about one stealing the other’s boy friend. As someone who has spent some years studying conflict resolution and mediation, it was really heartening to see their creativity in finding ways to defuse potentially hostile situations. They were also pretty tough on themselves during de-briefing, looking for still better ways to resolve the conflicts.
After lunch, and after a very competitive game of musical chairs to see who would win a midnight snack, the first floor (girls) or second floor (boys), the students began to come up with ideas on which issues needed to be addressed in their schools and how to best approach the issues they identified.
In one way, this exercise was what the whole week had been leading up to…how to take what they had learned and apply it in their lives back in the “real world.” The issues they identified were tough: gay-baiting, disrespect for teachers in the classroom, racism, picking on anyone who was different. Some of the solutions were creative, others were sort of tried and true. All of them have the potential for success because the students will act as agents for change within their schools.
They will be the voices speaking up and the bodies standing up to call out the bullies and the disrespectful. The kids know it won’t be an easy task. But they have acquired the tools. They also know that staff from the Just Community program will be available to support them and help make sure school administrators work together to address the issues. They know they have absorbed the lessons of the week at camp. They have the ideas and the tools to make their schools better places to learn and grow. They have the ability to make permanent changes for the better in their communities. That’s what Just Community Camp is all about and why it is worth every penny.
WRITTEN BY BETSY SATO
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