Convened by Kai Degner
Session III
Attendees (among others): Zulfiqar Ishaq, Brian Gumm, Heather Da’Mes, Yusuf Espinel, Anmar Saif, Nasser Alsaadun, Holly Martin, Kristee Trumbo, Diana Woodall, Erin Gumm, Scott Kim, Sam Nickels, others
This session focused on the possibility of creating a structure in which people in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County could individually work to interact with people who are different from them. The target group for this program would be people that are interested in and willing to build bridges, but do not know the best ways to do it.
The idea, which Kai heard presented first by David Campt, involves creating a directory of the many currently ongoing events, programs, and organizations that center around someone they have in common (religious services, socio-economic status, ethnicity, etc). The directory would include dates, times, and locations where willing groups invite others to come learn about them and their activities. The directory could take the form of a booklet, and a program could be developed that challenges people to attend a certain number of activities with groups that are different from them in some way.
The conversation as the session focused on how to add more value to this idea, and how to practically make it happen. Certain areas of diversity are more easily included in such a program than others.
A six-person group formed to continue exploring the creation of such a program.
Contact: Kai [at] FairfieldCenter.org
