A Day of Dialogue on the Root Causes of Problems in Our Community

AVALON-CARVER COMMUNITY CENTER, ASK-PIDP-PREVENTION INITIATIVE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT (A SHIELDS FOR FAMILIES COLLABORATIVE) AND AVALON CARVER PREVENTION PROGRAM
PRESENTS

A DAY OF DIALOGUE ON
“Root Causes of Problems in Our Community”
June 3, 2011  10am – 12:00pm

DAY OF DIALOGUE HISTORY:  In October 1995, in the aftermath of the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson and the Million Man March, community leaders were called together by a member of the Los Angeles City Council, Eighth District Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas. Racial tension was high in Los Angeles and throughout the country. As a result a group of twenty-five community leaders determined that a Day of Dialogue on Race Relations would help bring members of the Los Angeles Community to safe forums where the challenging issue of race relations could be effectively and constructively discussed. The discussion sessions or dialogues were to be in small groups and would have facilitators trained and deployed by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Dispute Resolution Program, which used a model of dialogue developed by the Study Circles Resource Center. The October 24, 1995 Days of Dialogue on Race Relations was a spectacular success.

The concept grew to include Days of Dialogue on Affirmative Action, on Violence in Our Communities, Building Stronger Neighborhoods in our Community and now includes 911 and Terrorist Attacks. Eventually other cities and communities began to adopt the model of “Days of Dialogue”.

What we expect to accomplish through this event is not intended as a “one time deal”, which gets your attention and then fades away. On the contrary, the purpose is to help lay the groundwork for the ongoing cooperation that is needed to solve difficult problems that exist in our local communities. We encourage your participation in the Dialogue. It should prove to be a rewarding experience.

Dialogue brings people together who might not otherwise sit down to have a conversation about important community issues.

Sharron Eason
PIDP Program Navigator

Thyra Cushenberry, Program Coordinator
Avalon Carver Community Prevention