Westerners are very good at honoring diversity, but not very good at practicing it. If we are ever going to learn about someone who is different from ourselves, we are going to have to leave the comfort of our familiar world and begin a relationship, not just by talking about ourselves, but by truly wanting to make a connection. This will take honesty, curiosity and a willingness to be open to new ideas and relationships. That kind of relationship will require sharing stories, listening with a desire to learn, a willingness to respond emotionally, and wanting to establish a friendship of mutual understanding and respect. The world is not a plane flight away. It has always been close at hand. We can never become a global community until we have first learned about those who we work with, our neighbors, and those we have been taught to be afraid of. What we are talking about is breaking down the walls we have created out of fear and truly desiring to confront what stands between us.

Participants will learn:

• To notice the impact and intent of our communications
• Ways to respond compassionately and openly about diversity issues
• How to listen mindfully and with awareness
• How personal stories can affect our perceptions and attitudes
• Ways to create a sense of community through dialogue and stories
• How to work with conflict and hurt when diversity issues are involved
• Ways to mindfully observe what is being said and what is not
• Nine Healthy Ways to Communicate