Intergroup Dialogues for Parents and Guardians
Are you a parent or guardian who has been looking for connection with other parents and guardians who are navigating raising emotionally connected and aware children?
Are you hoping to find a space to talk about navigating our multicultural world with an aim for inclusivity and belonging?
How do you feel talking with your children about race, gender, sexuality or any other aspect of each of our lived experiences?
Join our dialogue facilitators Francine Ortega and Rebecca Cannara as we explore these themes in a culturally sensitive space.
2 Tuesdays a month from 10am-11:30am PT.
Suggested donation $40/month, but nobody will be turned away.
All are welcome!
Advanced Facilitator Training: Intergroup Dialogue
Are you a dialogue facilitator, educator, or play a similar role in your personal/professional activities?
Are you interested in learning more about intergroup dialogue and how to offer the intergroup dialogue model in your community or workplace?
Have you had challenges navigating conversations you are leading about various topics in the world?
Do you just want time to practice your dialogue and facilitation skills and meet interesting new people?
Join Intergroup Dialogue facilitators and researchers Dr. Manpreet Dhillon Brar and Rebecca Cannara
Attend 4 intergroup dialogue (IGD) sessions that include debriefing the overall activity through a facilitator lens and practicing your own IGD facilitation.
First session is January 27th 8am-noon PT, with remaining 3 sessions to be scheduled with the attendees.
Suggested donation $100-$400, but all are welcome!
Advanced Facilitator Training Informational Session
Are you a dialogue facilitator, educator, or play a similar role in your personal/professional activities?
Are you interested in learning more about intergroup dialogue and how to offer the intergroup dialogue model in your community or workplace?
Have you had challenges navigating conversations you are leading about various topics in the world?
Do you just want time to practice your dialogue and facilitation skills and meet interesting new people?
Join our dialogue facilitators Manpreet Dhillon Brar and Rebecca Cannara for a free introductory session.
All are welcome!
Disability Awareness Community Dialogues
REGISTER TODAY!
Facitilated by Mishon Johnson and Dr. ODessa-Elise Downing
All are welcome!
More information:
The Disability Awareness Dialogue Group is a space dedicated to fostering open conversations, deepening understanding, and promoting inclusivity for individuals with disabilities. In our group, we believe that dialogue is a powerful tool for breaking down barriers, challenging misconceptions, and building empathy. We come together to share our experiences, stories, and insights, creating a supportive environment where everyone's voices are heard and respected. Through our discussions, we explore a wide range of topics related to disability awareness, including accessibility, representation, advocacy, and the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities. We encourage active participation, asking thought-provoking questions and engaging in thoughtful conversations that inspire growth and change. Our group embraces diversity and recognizes the intersectionality of disability, acknowledging that disability experiences are influenced by factors such as race, gender, sexuality, and socio-economic status. We strive to create a space where all perspectives are valued and where we can learn from each other's unique experiences.
Together, we work towards raising awareness about disability-related issues, challenging societal norms, and promoting positive change in our communities. By fostering understanding and empathy, we aim to create a more inclusive and accepting society for individuals of all abilities. Whether you have personal experiences with disability, are an ally, or simply want to learn more, we welcome you to join our Disability Awareness Dialogue Group. Let's come together to listen, learn, and grow as we strive towards a more inclusive future.
Register
Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMod-qgqTMiGdGsSuluk32BiwklKFZz4Nxz
Intergroup Dialogues for Parents and Guardians
Join us each Tuesday at 10am PT for a 90 minute dialogue that combines the intergroup dialogue approach with the role of parents and guardians.
Register here
Dialogues on houselessness
In person, every thursday 6pm-7:30pm, starting 10/12/23
Salvation Army, Santa Monica
(exact location to be shared with rsvp)
Picking up from our 2019-2020 series, we will be back together in person every Thursday to connect and to talk about the real issues people are facing when it comes to income and housing inequality. Everyone who joins is an expert in their experience, and all are welcome, no matter your current housing status.
Please rsvp by contacting
rebecca@uhri.ngo or texting 415-385-0462
Sponsored by
UHRI, Civic Well Being Partners, and
Santa Monica Human Relations Council
The Non-profit Industrial Complex: More Harm than Good?
Join the dialogue
with activist and community organizer JiJi Wong
facilitated by Abigayel Bryce
Wednesday, September 20th
6-7:30pm PST / 9-10:30pm EST
Our next dialogue features activist and community organizer JiJi Wong (they/them) in dialogue with UHRI facilitator Abigayel Bryce (she/they) and you! We’ll explore the question posed by Jiji: While we think of non-profits as inherently philanthropic and overall beneficial, is there something more insidious about them?
The non-profit sector is a trillion dollar industry, with the non profit industrial complex tying non-profits intimately with governments, foundations, and the owning classes. Join the dialogue and share your perspectives on how the system of relationships can cover up more insidious goals and contribute to human rights violations. AND explore how certain community organizations and nonprofits use this knowledge to reduce harm.
About JiJi
As a multiply marginalized Malaysian Chinese person, JiJi (they/them) has a first hand understanding of what it means to be from the Global South living in the imperial core, thus bringing their complex and nuanced understanding of revolutionary struggles. They are an experienced disability justice advocate, transformative justice worker, and general community organizer who has done workshops for all ages from middle schoolers to university students to adults.
As a core member of Xin Sheng Project, a Chinese diasporic collective fighting mis- and dis-information, JiJi has led social media narrative change campaigns and built out the guiding charter to resist the non-profit industrial complex. They are also a founding member of Divine Zine and Think Out of Frame, both anti-imperial publications. At their day job, is a reference librarian straddling the line between social worker and teacher while building information on a microcommunity scale.
Disability Awareness Community Dialogue
REGISTER TODAY!
Facitilated by Mishon Johnson and Dr. ODessa-Elise Downing
All are welcome!
More information:
The Disability Awareness Dialogue Group is a space dedicated to fostering open conversations, deepening understanding, and promoting inclusivity for individuals with disabilities. In our group, we believe that dialogue is a powerful tool for breaking down barriers, challenging misconceptions, and building empathy. We come together to share our experiences, stories, and insights, creating a supportive environment where everyone's voices are heard and respected. Through our discussions, we explore a wide range of topics related to disability awareness, including accessibility, representation, advocacy, and the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities. We encourage active participation, asking thought-provoking questions and engaging in thoughtful conversations that inspire growth and change. Our group embraces diversity and recognizes the intersectionality of disability, acknowledging that disability experiences are influenced by factors such as race, gender, sexuality, and socio-economic status. We strive to create a space where all perspectives are valued and where we can learn from each other's unique experiences.
Together, we work towards raising awareness about disability-related issues, challenging societal norms, and promoting positive change in our communities. By fostering understanding and empathy, we aim to create a more inclusive and accepting society for individuals of all abilities. Whether you have personal experiences with disability, are an ally, or simply want to learn more, we welcome you to join our Disability Awareness Dialogue Group. Let's come together to listen, learn, and grow as we strive towards a more inclusive future.
Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpduisrz4qHNJqXYxeDyiO4FG-uvHMAxlh
Paint and Sip Fundraiser
Unlock your creative side and raise money for human rights education!
When:
Thursday, June 8, 2023 6-8pm
Where:
Paint Lab
1453 14th St, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Cost: $65 per person
includes food, drink, and 1 ticket toward gift basket raffle
additional raffle tickets for sale at event.
Sold out!
"At the intersection: Human Rights and Climate Justice"
Join us on April 21, in honor of Earth Day, for an in depth dialogue with international advocates working at the intersection of human rights and climate justice. We’ll bring the spirit of dialogue to this difficult topic!
Embracing the intersectional challenge of climate change and climate justice means stepping into a brave space, over and over again. So, how do we do this while also maintaining joy? While maintaining a learner’s stance and being open to possibility? This panel + dialogue will dig in to those questions, plus more, including how human rights are inextricable from climate justice.
Free Intergroup Dialogue Series - Jan 2023
That's right--we're hosting another free dialogue series!
Based on the University of Michigan 4-stage model of intergroup dialogue, our participants learn from each other’s shared and divergent experiences while developing skills that honor and include marginalized voices. Our dialogue model supports participants through critical reflection processes that lead to allyship and action.
We're offering a Winter series beginning on January 18, 2023. Sessions will be held through March 22, 2023.
Each week, we will advance the 4-stage model, using our time together to establish trust, communication guidelines, share our stories and practice effectively applying dialogue to difficult situations or conversations.
This series is for anyone seeking a first experience with dialogue or wanting further immersion into intergroup dialogue. No previous experience is necessary. It is also great for those looking for personal or professional development in dialogue, social justice or human rights fields.
Register today!
Each session is 2 hours on a Wednesday, schedule subject to change due to holidays.
Jan 18, 2023 4pm-6pm PT, 7pm-9pm ET
Jan 25, 2023 4pm-6pm PT, 7pm-9pm ET
Feb 1, 2023 4pm-6pm PT, 7pm-9pm ET
Feb 8, 2023 4pm-6pm PT, 7pm-9pm ET
Feb 15, 2023 4pm-6pm PT, 7pm-9pm ET
Feb 22, 2023 4pm-6pm PT, 7pm-9pm ET
Mar 1, 2023 4pm-6pm PT, 7pm-9pm ET
Mar 8, 2023 4pm-6pm PT, 7pm-9pm ET
Mar 15, 2023 4pm-6pm PT, 7pm-9pm ET
Mar 22, 2023 4pm-6pm PT, 7pm-9pm ET
Cultural sensitivity in the workplace
In partnership with National ACE's AAPISTRONG programming
4 part series for business leaders, HR managers, workplace teams, or anyone interested in fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging in their workplace (built on the intergroup dialogue model)
Dates: 10/29, 11/5, 11/19, 12/3
Times: alternate mornings and evenings (see below)
Stage 1 (10/29 @ 9am-10:30am PT): Our cultural connection to our workplace: finding common ground through storytelling
Stage 2 (11/5 @ 3pm-4:30pm PT): Workplace connections to systems of socialization and discrimination and how it impacts our community
Stage 3 (11/19 @ 9am-10:30am PT): Navigating challenging interactions including bias and discrimination: focus on homelessness as a hot topic example: How do business owners deal w/folks experiencing homelessness who impact their businesses? How to create increased compassion. Is there a way to make it easier on both sides?
Stage 4 (12/3 @ 3pm-4:30pm PT): Getting Involved: Action and Alliance Building and what it can look like in the workplace
Interactive dialogue facilitated by UHRI facilitators; opportunity to build coalition with other business leaders and take action together.
Register here!
Mental Health challenges for AAPI Small Business Owners: Making time for self-care and mindful self-compassion while managing the stress of discrimination
Facilitated by UHRI facilitators
With guest speakers from business and mental health community
Panel format with moderator, including a built in opportunity for networking and dialogue
In partnership with National ACE's AAPISTRONG programming
Register here!
Promoting human rights in businesses: How Can Business Owners Lift Up the Community and Their Workers?
Facilitated by UHRI facilitators
With guest speakers from prominent large and small businesses
Panel format with moderator, including a built in opportunity for networking and dialogue.
In partnership with National ACE's AAPISTRONG programming.
Register here!
Diversity Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in Business: The Work We Each Need to Do
Facilitated by UHRI facilitators
With guest speakers from prominent large and small businesses
Panel format with moderator, including a built in opportunity for networking and dialogue
In partnership with National ACE's AAPISTRONG programming
Register here!
Summer 2022 Intergroup Dialogue Series
That's right--we're hosting another free dialogue series!
Based on the University of Michigan 4-stage model of intergroup dialogue, our participants learn from each other’s shared and divergent experiences while developing skills that honor and include marginalized voices. Our dialogue model supports participants through critical reflection processes that lead to allyship and action.
We're offering a summer series beginning on June 17. Sessions will be held most weeks through August 1.
Each week, we will advance the 4-stage model, using our time together to establish trust, communication guidelines, share our stories and practice effectively applying dialogue to difficult situations or conversations.
Week 1, Friday, June 17th: 9am-12:30pm PST; 3.5-hour retreat with breaks
Week 2, Monday, June 20th: 9am-11am PST
Week 3, Monday, June 27th: 9am-11am PST
No meeting week of July 4th, online independent work
Week 4, Monday, July 11th: 9am-11am PST
Week 5, July 18th: 9am-11am PST
Work on action projects in pairs from July 19th to July 31st (2 weeks, at least 3 hours of work and meetings)
Week 6, Monday, August 1st: 9am-12:30pm PST; 3.5-hour retreat with breaks
This series is for anyone seeking a first experience with dialogue or wanting further immersion into intergroup dialogue. No previous experience is necessary. It is also great for those looking for personal or professional development in dialogue, social justice or human rights fields.
Register here
Celebrating Diversity and Connection in the AAPI/APIDA/AANHPI * Community and Beyond
You are invited!
Join us for a 4-part participative dialogue and panelist series to create equitable and responsive engagement for everyone interested in challenging hate in our communities. Learn dialogue tools, connect with community and build alliances.
Co-hosted by
National ACE
Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce
Brookline Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce
Register today!
Join any or all of these sessions:
May 6, 13, 20, 27, 2022
10am PT / 1pm ET for 90 minutes
Session 1: Intersectionality of AAPI/APIDA/AANHPI identities
May 6, 2022: 10am PT/1pm ET for 90 minutes
Interactive, dialogic experience to explore the diversity of identities within the AAPI/AAIDA/AANHPI community, how they intersect to create our unique selves, and how we navigate society’s perceptions and pressures.
Session 2: “I am and I am not…”: Dismantling stereotypes through storytelling
May 13, 2022: 10am PT/1pm ET for 90 minutes
Interactive, dialogic experience to explore socialized and internalized stereotypes and stigma that can perpetuate anti-AAPI/APIDA/AANHPI hate, and exploring our resiliency and perseverance during challenging times.
Session 3: Hot Topics: guest speakers to present on key issues facing the AAPI/APIDA/AANHPI community and what they are doing
May 20, 2022: 10am PT/1pm ET for 90 minutes
Interactive, dialogic experience with guest panelists, invited from the AAPI/APIDA community to share their journeys and the issues they work on every day
Panelists who are already signed on:
Dr. Anita Gupta, D.O., MPP, PharmaD - FDA Advisory Board , Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine of John Hopkins
Carol Chen, Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP, Former Federal Prosecutor
Sarah Haque, Policy Associate, National ACE
Session 4: What can we do about it: Target, Agent, Bystander and Ally roles
May 27, 2022: 10am PT/1pm ET for 90 minutes
Interactive, dialogic experience to explore the different roles we play in combating hate and promoting compassion. Participants will complete the series with a renewed self awareness and understanding of broader systems at work, and with a sense of meaningful action they can take in their lives.
Register here for any or all sessions!
*We recognize our role in uplifting terms that are inclusive and will use the terms AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander), APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) and AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander) across the series to encompass the broad demographic included in Asian communities in the U.S. We welcome feedback and dialogue around terminology!
International Dialogues on Homelessness
In partnership with the Academy of Professional Dialogue, our monthly series, continues….
We are pleased to share that Dulce Garcia, Executive Director of Border Angels, will join us to share about the urgent work that her organization does to support displaced people. All are welcome to join.
May 3, 2022
5pm London, 9am Los Angeles, 12pm New York, 6pm Paris, 12am Beijing.
Dulce Garcia grew up in a predominantly Mexican and Mexican-American community in the USA. She is undocumented and found it impossible to find financial aid for college. So, she attended college at night and on weekends while working as a paralegal along with other jobs in order to pay her way through school. She has a bachelor's degree in Political Science and a law degree with a concentration in Civil Litigation. When Dulce opened her private practice in 2016, she provided over 100 free consultations and over 20 Know Your Rights workshops to inform community members of their rights. She also volunteers to represent low income clients in court in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate and various non profit organizations. In 2017 Dulce and other DACA recipients formed San Diego Border Dreamers to advocate for more humane immigration laws and policies. Dulce also sued Trump and the administration after the termination of DACA on September 2017. As a result of those efforts in court, hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients are able to renew their DACA status while the case is in litigation. Dulce was in the Supreme Court on November 12, 2019 defending DACA.
REGISTER HERE
Spring 2022 Intergroup Dialogue Series
That's right--we're hosting another free dialogue series!
Based on the University of Michigan 4-stage model of intergroup dialogue, our participants learn from each other’s shared and divergent experiences while developing skills that honor and include marginalized voices. Our dialogue model supports participants through critical reflection processes that lead to allyship and action.
We're offering a full, 10-week series beginning on March 15 from 9am-11am PST.
Sessions will be held each week through May 17.
Each week, we will advance the 4-stage model, using our time together to establish trust, communication guidelines, share our stories and practice effectively applying dialogue to difficult situations or conversations.
This series is for anyone seeking a first experience with dialogue or wanting further immersion into intergroup dialogue. No previous experience is necessary. It is also great for those looking for personal or professional development in dialogue, social justice or human rights fields.
Registration closed
Dialogue on Vaccines, Mandates and Human Rights
Explore the fundamentals of dialogue as we take on the intersection of vaccines, mandates and human rights. Inspired by the real time conversations our facilitators, friends and communities are having around COVID vaccines, we invite you to dialogue across the divide and find a shared meaning behind vaccines and mandates.
In dialogues, we go beyond right or wrong. We explore experiences, how you arrive there and how you move forward. Let's share a conversation!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
This December 10th, join us for a virtual brunch!
December 10th is International Human Rights Day.
The end of the year approaches. Are you finding the connection you need? How do connection and social relationships relate to human rights?
It’s through listening to others’ experiences that we see how human rights come under threat, generate urgency to respond to crises and reflect on our existing knowledge. Education and connection go hand in hand. What is the most pressing human rights issue you think about right now?
The UHRI team will facilitate a reflective dialogue where you can learn about our intergroup dialogue model and chat with other curious community members about human rights.
Register Now!
Interview with Francine Ortega and Rebecca Cannara
Linda Ellinor and Nancy Dixon from the Academy of Professional Dialogue will be interviewing Francine Ortega and Rebecca Cannara about their intergroup dialogue facilitation on Nov 17 from 12pm-2pm EST (9am-11am PT).
Rebecca and Francine have been bringing together groups, drawn from the community and schools, in English and Spanish, to help build bridges during this time of increased polarization. The process they use, called Intergroup Dialogue, was developed over 30 years ago at the University of Michigan in response to a racial issue that occurred on campus. They are trained facilitators in this model and will be sharing their experiences bringing the model from academic to community settings.
Register here
Santa Monica Community Dialogues: Session 5
Taking Action and Building Alliances: Explore the kinds of roles we play in any given situation, such as target, agent, bystander, and/or ally. Explore the challenges for each of these roles and what meaningful action and allyship can look like.
Actuar y construir alianzas: Explore los tipos de roles que desempeñamos en una situación determinada, como objetivo, agente, espectador y / o aliado. Explore los desafíos para cada uno de estos roles y cómo puede ser una acción significativa y una alianza.
More information here
Register here (only if you haven’t already registered for one of the dialogues in this series) or email info@uhri.ngo for more information.
Regístrese aquí (solo si aún no se ha registrado para uno de los diálogos de esta serie) o envíe un correo electrónico a info@uhri.ngo para obtener más información.
Santa Monica Community Dialogues: Session 4
Our connections to power, privilege and oppression: Explore bias at the intersection of gender and race, social class, and other identities and understand how these are connected systems that privilege some at the expense of others.
Nuestras conexiones con el poder, los privilegios y la opresión: Explore los prejuicios en la intersección de género y raza, clase social y otras identidades y comprenda cómo estos son sistemas conectados que privilegian a algunos a la desventaja de otros.
More information here
Register here (only if you haven’t already registered for one of the dialogues in this series) or email info@uhri.ngo for more information.
Regístrese aquí (solo si aún no se ha registrado para uno de los diálogos de esta serie) o envíe un correo electrónico a info@uhri.ngo para obtener más información.
Santa Monica Community Dialogues: Session 3
Gender and Sexuality: Explore our conceptions of gender and sexuality to deepen our understanding of our fluid identities, emotional connections and gender expressions, and how these connect to our communities.
Género y sexualidad: Explore nuestras concepciones de género y sexualidad para profundizar nuestra comprensión de nuestras identidades fluidas, conexiones emocionales y expresiones de género, y cómo se conectan con nuestras comunidades.
General information here
Register here (only if you haven’t already registered for one of the dialogues in this series) or email info@uhri.ngo for more information.
Regístrese aquí (solo si aún no se ha registrado para uno de los diálogos de esta serie) o envíe un correo electrónico a info@uhri.ngo para obtener más información.
Santa Monica Community Dialogues: Session 2
Me, Myself, Identities, and Privilege: Recognize and explore the multiple identities that impact us and our neighbors in various ways on a daily basis.
Yo, yo mismo, identidades y privilegios: Reconocer y explorar las múltiples identidades que nos impactan a nosotros y a nuestros vecinos de diversas formas a diario.
General information here
Register here (only if you haven’t already registered for one of the dialogues in this series) or email info@uhri.ngo for more information.
Regístrese aquí (solo si aún no se ha registrado para uno de los diálogos de esta serie) o envíe un correo electrónico a info@uhri.ngo para obtener más información.
Santa Monica Community Dialogues: Session 1
Exploring our Cultural Chest: Bring an item, jewelry piece, or artifact to share that represents your cultural heritage and build connection around our intersecting identities.
Explorando nuestro cofre cultural: Traiga un artículo, una pieza de joyería o un artefacto para compartir que represente su herencia cultural y establezca una conexión en torno a nuestras identidades que se cruzan.
General information here
Register here or email info@uhri.ngo for more information.
Regístrese aquí o envíe un correo electrónico a info@uhri.ngo para obtener más información.
Buy One Get One Free Solar Chargers and Lights for Unhoused Residents
Solar Powered Chargers and Solar Lights for LA Neighbors 4 Neighbors, an LA based mutual aid group
September 14-20 is our Buy One | Give One (BOGO) sale with Unite to Light. That means if you visit this link https://www.unitetolight.org/buy-one--give-one.html#/ and purchase the BOGO product on Unite to Light's website, you will be donating one to our fundraiser AND you will receive one. These Lights and Chargers are great for camping, your emergency kit, bedside reading and anywhere else you need portable power and light.
This campaign will send Lights and Chargers to LA Neighbors 4 Neighbors, who...
Both the Chandler Chargers and the Luke Lights are the best in class for efficiency, durability and energy production. They were designed for people living without electricity and meet a variety of energy and lighting needs. To view the specifications and details, visit this link https://www.unitetolight.org/buy-one--give-one.html#/
Unite to Light has granted us 50 Chargers and 50 Lights already. Can you help us expand our goal to 50 more this week? All devices will go our unhoused neighbors in October! Remember that for every one you buy, we get one! Please share with your network. Together we can light the world!
Thank you for your generosity!