Fwd: Transforming Community Spaces/Lessons From Charlottesville workshop and presentation on Oct. 25 in Minneapolis

[Saciido Shaie]

Dear friends, Community Leaders and Restorative Practitioners,

Community Mediation & Restorative Services, Inc (CMRS) of Minnesota has two fabulous opportunities happening on Thursday, Oct. 25th and we are asking for your help in getting the word out to our community of circle keepers, advocates, community organizers, local leaders, facilitators and mediators and those who are involved in decision-making in local communities.  

In August of 2017 all eyes were on Charlottesville where the local city council (and high school students) prompted conversations around a local statue.  We see a variety of conflicts in our own local communities and are becoming increasingly aware of the traumatic and racial context of these conflicts:

• the placing of a transportation line, 
• the (re)naming of a high school or mascot or lake or park or neighborhood, 
• the display of public art, 
• the narrating of/removal of a statue 

Some of these conflicts leave us more polarized, with missed opportunities to hear and learn about the context that gives rise to the conflict.  As people who believe deeply in thoughtful and intentional process, how might we think about designing processes that allow us to talk to and not at each other, to facilitate narrative changes, to reach hearts and minds, to give space for racial healing and lend to more resilient and connected communities?

Through a grant from the Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Initiative, Facilitators Dr. Frank Dukes and Dr. Selana Cozart of Charlottesville will be training and speaking in Minneapolis on Thursday, October 25th.  Both events will take place at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.  

PLEASE – help us spread the word by forwarding.  We are looking for the collective wisdom of our community.  Who needs to be here?  Can you extend that invitation?  We invite people to come prepared to think about how this might apply to local communities in Minnesota and our shared work of helping people have better conversations.

I’ve attached two flyers – one for the workshop, “Transforming Community Spaces: Bending the Arc of Memory Toward Healing and Justice" that takes place from 9-4 (space is limited) and the other for the evening event, “Monumental Conversations: Lessons from Charlottesville”.  The presentation begins at 7pm (with a meet-the-presenters reception at 6 for those who select that option).  Parking ramp is connected by skyway to the building. 

Reservations requested: http://communitymediations.org/training/

For more details, please contact CMRS Director Beth Bailey at (763.561.0033) or email: director@CMRSmn.org or simply reply to me through this Email or my Cell 1-612-203-0829 

Thank you for your help in sharing this information.

Saciido Shaie

Saciid...@gmail.com 

www.ummahproject.org 

www.saciidoshaie.com

612-203-0829 cell

Founder and the President of Ummah Project

Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission

Member of the MN Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee

Member NRP Policy Board 

CommunityMediations.org SALAM Project 

Parent Leadership for Child Safety and Permanency

Young Women Innitiative 

http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/CulturalEthnicLeadershipCouncil