Why? At every level – world, national, local – the sources of conflict and violence remain deeply rooted in the lack of cross-cultural unity and understanding. Our college campuses are a critical place to shape the minds and hearts of our future leaders. Yet, even here, you need not look far to find examples of people who are devalued by others simply for who they are, what they look like, where they come from, or what they believe. It is evidenced by the staggering incidences of cross-cultural conflict on our college and university campuses. Research, experts, and intuition all point to the need to confront division within our campus communities. The statistics documented by The Southern Poverty Law Center in a national survey speak clearly:
- Every minute a college student somewhere sees or hears racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise bias words or images.
- Every day at least one hate crime occurs on a college campus.
- Every year 500,000 college students are targets of bias-driven slurs or physical assaults.
While not every campus experiences overt tension, relationships on campus may still lack depth and authenticity in the midst of differences.
What? The Safe to Relate – Town Hall Meeting presents a non-threatening, interactive cross-cultural experience to counterbalance the forces that perpetuate intolerance, aggression or even violence. TheTown Hall Meeting offers a safe place for a deeper connection between diverse people who comprise your campus community. It is geared toward promoting a broader understanding of the challenges, issues, and opportunities that face not only students and staff of color, but also their peers from all cultures, faiths, and socio-economic backgrounds.
How? Town Hall Meeting is facilitated by a Safe to Relate trained moderator. Approximately two hours is devoted to addressing the personal, relational and systemic issues around cross-cultural topics. This is accomplished through the unique combination of:
- Movie clips depicting cross-cultural themes common to your campus
- Live testimonies & stories from members of your campus community
- Participation in pre-Town Hall 20 question online Cross-Cultural Climate Survey
The Benefits?
1. Affirm a diversity-friendly campus – by providing a safe place for face-to-face dialogue between many segments of your campus community
2. Empower all participants to share their views – vocally or anonymously using online survey
3. Expose obstacles to building authentic relationships – through a protocol that encourages honesty and self-examination
4. Assess your campus cross-cultural climate – with customized cross-cultural survey results to fit your needs
Who Attends? A cross section of staff, students, leaders, various interest groups that represent your college campus. Community leaders might also be invited to attend.
Where? At a central location on your very own campus!
Cost? $2,000 + expenses.
Next Step? Call 303.588.7487 or e-mail Peter A. Vogel, pvogel@cultureprep.com, to start the steps above and schedule the dates!