The ADL Training Program at Rutgers University: My Takeaways

    Anti-Defamation League: https://www.adl.org/

On October 18, 2018, Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences hosted A Campus of Difference™, a training program created and presented by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).  The program provides participants with “knowledge and skills needed to effectively interact in a culturally diverse campus environment”. The half-day program was held for administrators in the morning and for faculty in the afternoon.

The facilitators were very skilled at setting the tone for a safe space. We had large group, small group and individual discussions with creative activities that allowed us to openly and safely voice our perceptions of ourselves and others. We had a chance to imagine how our lives would be different if we woke up with a new identity – one that would be challenging and vulnerable to bias and stereotyping. The program comes with an excellent resource and activity workbook that will help us sustain the momentum of the in-person program. The sensitive issues that came to light were very relevant to our daily lives and, importantly, as professors who play an important role in modeling respect for differences and valuing inclusion.

I highly recommend that you explore your university’s willingness to host the ADL’s A Campus of Difference™. You can contact the ADL at www.adl.org/education or call 212-885-7964.

Michelle Brill

Moving Away from Power Over to Shared Power

As we work to develop and sustain more inclusive and equitable environments and relationships for all, it is important to understand that we need to move away from a power over approach to a shared power approach in our work together.  In many cases, power over has resulted in groups with the most power setting the cultural norms, institutional policies and procedures, organizational and community agendas and who has access to resources and positive life outcomes.  Additionally, the power over approach can support and maintain dominant cultural values such as defensiveness, only one right way, quantity over quality and fear of complexity and a drive toward efficiencies, among others.  Additionally, another tendency that I have experienced when talking about shared power related to race with White people is the belief that the only outcome for White people who would move to a shared power model would be that White people would give up their power to People of Color and then People of Color would use that newly acquired power to oppress White people. 

The lack of examples of how a shared power approach could assist all can contribute to some of these fears or perceived negative outcomes.  So what would a shared power approach in our relationships across different social identities look like?  Below are a few examples of shared power approaches:

• Including people or communities of color in defining and prioritizing their own issues, challenges and opportunities
   
• Supporting and assisting people and/or communities of color navigate systems of power and authority (as a guide or ally) 

• Tracking and naming power when it is in play and sharing how it is working to influence processes and outcomes
   
• Creating collaborative processes to resolve conflict
   
• Taking the time to build trust, share stories and build relationships whenever possible
   
• Slowing down processes or providing time for reflection to ensure that those with less power understand and are comfortable with moving forward and those with power don’t move too quickly to action
   
• Visibly demonstrating the characteristics of shared power in the makeup of the leadership of your program or initiative 

• Using accessible language(s) and/or taking the time to develop a common language to inform your work/relationship
• Identifying an individual or group of people of color that become your “accountability” partner(s) to check-in with or help guide/inform your work
   
• Share concrete resources (i.e., financial, information, contacts/networks, etc.) that assist with access to opportunities  

• Identifying and supporting systems of reward, recognition and possible payment for people for their wisdom and community connections
   
• Creating and supporting processes that take into consideration the complexity of the lives and issues of people and communities of color and the diverse outcomes that may be needed to address these complexities

 

How many of these characteristics of shared power are currently a part of your individual or organizational approaches to working toward greater inclusion and equity?

 

What other characteristics of shared power would you add to this list?

 

What are some of the barriers and opportunities in your work to include these or other shared power characteristics?

 

In what ways would you or have you seen your work changing if you implement some of these characteristics of shared power?

 

Dionardo Pizaña

Diversity and Personnel Specialist

Michigan State University Extension

Dakota Access Pipeline Controversy

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe along with more than 300 other Indian Tribal Nations have been protesting the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline at Cannonball, ND. The Dakota Access Pipeline is $3.7 billion project involving the routing of crude oil via a pipeline from North Dakota to Patoka, IL. Standing Rock Sioux Tribe purports the pipeline creates a major cultural and environmental threat by destroying sacred burial grounds and potentially contaminating their water supply.

According to the Standing Rock Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II, “The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the law when it green-lighted construction of the oil pipeline without consulting with the tribe.” A letter signed by 19 members of Congress addressed to President Obama stated, “The pipeline poses significant threats to the environment, public health, and tribal and human rights.”

Sources: nbcnews.com; abcnews.go.com; and daplpipelinefacts.com

-Tony Franklin

Strategies for Effectively Communicating through an Interpreter

On November 23, we offered a webinar called Strategies for Effectively Communicating through an Interpreter.  There were some follow-up questions that people asked on our post-survey, and our presenter, Betty, has answered them below.

For additional information, programs can purchase the Authentic Voices Educational Setting, which I believe would be most compatible with Cooperative Extension programming.  Additional information can be found at our website: www.diversity-project.org

 

1.      How to address the community interpreter if s/he is adding in their own content. I have observed sometimes it can enhance the session when cultural info is shared, but it can also take us off track. I'm also concerned, too, by elaborating on the content, the interpreter may not be giving correct information.

 

Anything that an interpreter says should be said in both languages of the meeting/session.  If an interpreter is going to add cultural information aimed at increasing understanding, they should announce their shift from direct interpretation to sharing cultural information.  They would then repeat the information in both the source and target languages.  Finally, they would announce their shift back into the role of interpreter, and the session would continue.  If the educator wanted to expand or clarify any information as a result of the interpreter’s sharing, they would be able to do so.  The interpreter would interpret their response.

 

2.      How to handle interpretation with a mixed audience with multiple primary languages.

 

It depends on whether you are using simultaneous or consecutive interpretation. 

 

With simultaneous interpretation and interpretation equipment, the interpreters would out of the way be in the back and sides of the room.  Participants would be wearing headsets corresponding to their spoken language.  The interpreter speaks at the same time as the speaker, speaking at the same rate with only a few seconds of lag time.  The speakers flow is a sentence or two behind the speaker.  When a participant who speaks one of the target languages has a question or comment, the interpreter for that language will use consecutive interpretation to interpret what they say.

 

When the interpreters are providing consecutive interpretation, the interpreter alternates with the speaker, each person speaking a few sentences at a time.  For a large group presentation, the interpreters would stand at the front of the room along with the presenter.  The presenter would say a few sentences in the source language, and then the interpreter would repeat the information in the target language.  In this instance one source language and one target language is the preferred.  I would not recommend more than two target languages.  With a bilingual meeting, the session will take twice as long, as everything needs to be said twice.  With a trilingual meeting, the session will take three times as long, because everything is being said three times.  It is critical to plan for the extra time.

How to Faciliate Difficult Conversations

In light of the recent events at University of Missouri and Yale, and the protests these events have sparked across University campuses across the country, we thought it would be helpful to repost a webinar we presented earlier this year. The presenters in this webinar answer the question "How can I facilitate a difficult conversation on multicultural issues?"


Webinar: How to Facilitate Difficult Conversations 


Please continue the conversation in the comment section!


What strategies have you or your colleagues used in addressing multicultural issues?
What questions do you have?  Answers?

Volunteering in Under-Resourced Communities: Challenges for Urban Master Gardeners

On April 29, I had the pleasure of sharing research I completed as a graduate student via webinar for this eXtension community of practice. The webinar focused on the results of a study that investigated the challenges of the engagement process associated with volunteering in low-income urban communities of color, as perceived by Master Gardeners. This research used qualitative research methods and was completed between 2011/2012. At the time, I was also serving as a University of Minnesota “Master Gardener intern,” the title given once is granted admission to the program and the period in which educational coursework and volunteer hours are being completed. The purpose of this study was focused on the question, “What challenges or barriers exist within the Master Gardener program in reaching and volunteering in low-income, urban communities of color as perceived by Master Gardeners?”  This study took place in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) metro area.

After the webinar, I was asked to address the following question:

“How do you stress the importance of reaching parity in Extension programming to volunteers?  Many do not seem to understand this no matter how much we explain it's USDA requirements, many also don't seem to care about it as a personal value.”

As the question notes, our own personal values and beliefs play a role in ensuring program volunteers, staff, etc. reach broad audiences. Working in diverse, under-resourced communities has greatly shaped my views on health and has allowed me to better understand how social, political, and economic factors greatly influence behavior and overall health outcomes.  Previous jobs that included providing care through home visits to young Latina and African American mothers in Grand Rapids, MI and then as a refugee nutritionist on Chicago’s diverse north side neighborhoods have served as some of my most valuable education/teachings.  These personal experiences and interactions pushed me to want to learn more.  I wanted to better understand these larger factors – the social determinants of health and how best to ensure health for all people.

A few resources to consider when thinking about the need for diverse, equitable and inclusive work -

• The “Gardener’s Tale,” an allegory for racism adapted from work of Camara Phyllis Jones and theoretical framework.
• The Impact of Racism on Health and Well-Being, a webinar series by the American Public Health Association
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Principles of Community Engagement

 

Sarah Eichberger is a registered dietician who has been working in urban community settings with diverse populations since 2003.  She is currently an extension educator for Michigan State University focusing on chronic disease prevention and programming.

 

Safe Spaces for LGBTQ Youth at Camp

On April 14^th of 2015 I had the opportunity to present a webinar on Working with LGBTQ Clients, a basic sensitivity and 101 training on how to define, talk about, and work with folks who identify as LGBTQ. After the presentation there was a discussion on sleeping arrangements at summer camps and the best ways to protect those that are disenfranchised due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.  At my current place of work, I do not interact with anybody under the age of 16. Our main goal is to provide safe housing services to LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. I have never worked in an overnight summer camp setting, but, regardless – safety is of major concern for us at the Ali Forney Center and many of the same concepts apply. 

I had suggested that because children in general educational settings are often rewarded for following the rules and given consequences for breaking the rules – that this framework could be applied to a camp setting. Every time a camper was heard or seen bullying, being disrespectful, or making fun of a peer because they identify as or are perceived to be part of the LGBTQ community;  they would lose a privilege that is normally given to campers on any given day.  On the flip side, any time a young person was seen being an ally – standing up for their peers, trying to stop bullying behaviors, or being intentionally inclusive to someone who has been considered an outsider; these young people would gain an extra privilege. Similar to a “golden star” system in the classroom, young people would be recognized and rewarded for being role models at camp, while simultaneously assisting staff in maintaining a safe space for all of the campers.

Children have the power to be leaders in their peer groups. Another idea I had was to elect, or appoint, a young person in each cabin to be “Cabin Leader,” or “Safety Monitor.”  This person would be responsible for holding their peers accountable to respectful, kind, and non-violent behaviors.  The leaders of the cabins would be given a basic understanding of what signs to look out for and what the process is when they witness discrimination in their cabin.  Staff would always be included in this process, and young people should always know how to reach their assigned staff person in these cases. This would be especially important in bunks where there are transgender youth.  Transgender youth should always be given power to choose which gender they feel safest bunking with. Not all transgender girls (people whose sex was assigned male at birth but who now identify as female) might want to bunk with cisgender (people who identify with the sex assigned to them at birth) girls, and vice versa.  Staff should always honor their choice or do their best to facilitate the safest and most respectful sleeping arrangements for these young people.   Staff should also be intentional about bunking transgender youth with other young people that demonstrate their ability to accept and honor their peers’ identities. “Cabin Leaders” or “Safety Monitors” would also be rewarded for maintaining the cohesion of their cabins.

If your camp does not already, all staff should be mandated to competency trainings for working with LGBTQ youth.  This should be given as much priority as any other safety training (First Aid, Universal Precautions, CPR, etc.)  The mental health of LGBTQ young people is largely determined by their environments, in their ability to be who they are without being harmed or bullied or told they do not exist or aren’t real. If staff cannot uphold a safe space for their campers, how will they hold campers to this necessary standard?

Link to webinar: https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p1uab18szaj/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal

Nicole Giannone is currently Director of Program Evaluation, Training and Advocacy at the Ali Forney Center in New York, NY.