“We must recognize that we can’t solve our problem now until there is a radical redistribution of economic and political power… We must see now that the evils of racism, economic exploitation, and militarism are all tied together. You can’t really get rid of one without getting rid of the others,” said Martin Luther King Jr. in a report to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference staff in May of 1967.
On February 17th, the Office of Student Leadership and Community Engagement (OSLCE) will join with the Breaking the Cycle of Violence Initiative (BCVI) in hosting the second World Café in a three-part series at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
The approaching session, titled “Militarism, Violence, and Community,” will have participants discussing militarism’s contribution to violence in society and its impact on Boston’s community.
The World Café, celebrating 20 years of involved and organic conversations, uses seven design principles to engage community members in important conversations: setting the context; creating hospitable space; exploring questions that matter; encouraging everyone’s contributions; connecting diverse perspectives; listening together for patterns and insights; and sharing collective discoveries.
As described on their website, The World Café is “based on the understanding that conversation is the core process that drives personal, business, and organizational life. The World Café is more than a method, a process, or technique. It’s a way of thinking and being together sourced in a philosophy of conversational leadership.”
Dialogue throughout the event is geared toward militarism and its influence on communities through violence and the power it has on youth.
Organization of the event involves four individuals around a small table with beverages and snacks (provided free of charge by Sodexo). There is a prompt or question given to the group at large but discussed in the small groups. The idea of having in-depth dialogue in such a small environment is new-found and contemporary in a world of talking through computer screens.
Paper table cloths simplify note-taking with jotted notes facilitating the thought process of small-group members. The notes will be collected and shared with all participants towards the end.
“There is power in dialogue,” said Sherrod Williams, director of OSLCE. “The more people talk about their problems, the more they’re able to create understanding around it.”
Williams continued on with his views on The World Café, thus explaining part of the reason to bring the program to UMass Boston: “The style of the program is interesting because it’s very personal. People sitting at the small tables end up sharing personal stories, rather than saying ‘I believe in this.’”
“There is no script for the dialogue taking place, either,” continued Williams. “What do you know more about other than yourself? You hear about things happening, but with [The World Café], participants hear stories first-hand. That’s real.”
“To be in the moment, sharing painful stories with others in a small-group setting, helps build basic understanding around militarism and its major role in our society today,” said Williams.
Williams, along with Jacqueline Lageson, a senior lecturer in the Sociology department with expertise in criminology and policing, are spearheading the event series. Both are on the BCVI Advisory Board.
The event will be held at the Integrated Science Building from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on February 17th. It is free to attend with necessary registration. More information regarding the event can be found at www.umb.edu/oslce.