Community Conversation

Art as Activism: Excerpts from Khūrākī

Commissioned by the Office of Public Art as part of their Artists in Residence programs, Khūrākī (“eat” or “meal” in the Afghan language Dari) celebrates the beauty of Afghan culture through “theatrical portraits” of strong women who will forever be Afghan but have recently become Americans as well. What do they miss about their homeland? What have they been able to preserve in the flight from home–in their traditions and in their hearts? What do they hope to cultivate here in this country? And what do they want you to know about the beautiful land where they were born?

Six Word Stories Part One: Workshop

By taking the time to listen and learn about peoples’ experiences that are different from our own, it makes it more difficult to “other” them, and it makes us more likely to try and understand them, accept them, and advocate for them. Even if their ideas, faiths, cultures, and families are different from our own.

Part One: Workshop

Responding to the Tree of Life Attack: Panel Discussion and Networking

The Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Law invite you to a join us on December 3 from 2 – 4:30 p.m. in 2500 Posvar Hall for a joint event to address the Tree of Life attack and the systemic issues that contributed to it and other acts of violence against marginalized and targeted populations.

Screening of the Netflix Documentary 13th and Talk Back Session

In this thought-provoking documentary from director Ava DuVernay, scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom. The screening will be followed by a discussion facilitated by Dietrich School Professor Waverly Duck.

Combating Food Insecurity

Food, housing, and wellness security are all essential in ensuring that our students are mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy as well as successful in their studies. And yet a 2018 survey conducted by researchers at Temple University and the Wisconsin HOPE Lab indicated that 36 percent of college students say they are food insecure.

How can the University community compassionately respond to students who are unable to meet their basic needs?

What is Immigrant Justice and Why Do We Need It?

Gain a better understanding of the current political climate. Understand what options immigrants have to come to the United States. Learn struggles immigrants face once they are here in the United States and discuss ways to support immigrant justice work.

The session will be facilitated by Monica Ruiz, Executive Director of Casa San Jose, a community resource center that advocates for and empowers Latinos by promoting integration and self-sufficiency.

The Matter of Money featuring Patricia Boswell

How do factors such as generational learning, relational styles, and emotional expression define and impact our experience with money? And how can we move beyond our experiences to best support our economically disadvantaged students?

This session will address:

Curiosity Dialogues: Practicing Cultural Humility

We each bring our own experiences, beliefs, expectations, and attitudes to every conversation and interaction. We also bring assumptions, prejudices, and biases. How can we use critical self-reflection and ongoing personal development to cultivate empathy for others and challenge power imbalances, even when we’re the ones in power?

Creating Compassion Through Deep Listening and Shared Humanity

“People fail to get along because they fear each other. They fear each other because they don’t know each other. They don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

What do you wish people knew about you and why do you think they don't yet? And how can we get beyond our fears to truly be “in relationship” with others?

Curiosity Dialogues: Making Connections in Spite of Our Differences (THIS SESSION IS NOW CLOSED)

Curiosity can be born out of fear and trepidation while it can also come from a desire to connect and find commonalities. How are these intertwined? People may be afraid but also want to know and share. We fear, but we are wired to want to connect.