Coming Together for Racial Understanding: Training Guidesrdc.msstate.edu/...democracy-training-guide-2019.docx · Web viewMary Emery, David Kay, Rachel Welborn, Gwen Whiting . Coming

Coming Together for Racial Understanding: Training Guide

Everyday democracy

AuthorsMary Emery, David Kay, Rachel Welborn, Gwen Whiting


OPENING SLIDEINSTRUCTIONSThis session explores one of the two approaches incorporated into the Coming together for Racial Understanding effort. Everyday Democracy has built a legacy of civil dialogue around difficult issues. In more recent years, their work has been focused on racial equity in particular.

PAGE 1 OF 34 EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY

TIME: OPENING SLIDE, 5 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: NONE

HANDOUTS: NONE


WHO IS EVERYDAY DEMOCRACYINSTRUCTIONSBrief overview of Everyday Democracy as an organization.

https://www.everyday-democracy.org/


TIME: 5 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: NONE

HANDOUTS: NONE

https://www.everyday-democracy.org/%20

https://www.everyday-democracy.org/%20


BELIEFS UNDERGIRDING THIS WORKINSTRUCTIONSThese two undergirding principles are key to the approach.

• When all kinds of people have access to good information and join together to address common concerns—sharing knowledge, resources, power and decision making as they work—they will develop solutions which serve the common good, and lead to healthier, more equitable communities.

• Envisioning a democracy where all voices are valued, and where participation and racial equity become a permanent part of the way we work as a country at the local, state and national levels.


TIME: 5 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: NONE

HANDOUTS: NONE


PRINCIPLES OF ENGAGEMENTINSTRUCTIONSReview these principles of engagement to help set the stage for the process.

1. Involve everyone.

2. Embrace diversity, practice equity throughout.

3. Share knowledge, resources, power & decision making.

4. Connect dialogue & deliberation

5. Connect dialogue to social, political, & policy change.


TIME: 5 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: NONE

HANDOUTS: NONE


HOW EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY WORKSINSTRUCTIONS

This slide provides a synthesis of the ways in which Everyday Democracy works with communities.


TIME: 5 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: NONE.

HANDOUTS: NONE


FIELD APPROACH CYCLEINSTRUCTIONSThe Field Approach follows this cycle: organize, talk, act, assess, learn, inform, repeat.


TIME: 10 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: NONE

HANDOUTS: NONE


A DIALOGUE APPROACH TO COMMUNITY CHANGEINSTRUCTIONS

This diagram depicts what the dialogue approach looks like on the ground. Beginning on the left, communities walk through an organizing phase that includes building a coalition, organizing training, recruiting both participants and facilitators, and training facilitators. The community is then ready for a kick-off event that launches the dialogue process. The dialogues run for several weeks, and culminates in an Action Forum which brings all participants back together. The Action Forum launches the action phase in which the community takes collective and individual action to lead to community change. During this time, institutional and policy changes may be addressed. All of this happens through the lens of racial and intergenerational equity.


TIME: 20 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: NONE

HANDOUTS: FOOTBALL FIELD DIAGRAM


THE GOALINSTRUCTIONS

Ultimately, the goal is not only to support the efforts of our community change partners in the specific issue they are addressing, it is to change the narrative of the story!


TIME: 5 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: NONE

HANDOUTS: NONE


TOOLS TO SUPPORT DIALOGUE ON RACEINSTRUCTIONS

During the next segment, participants will explore these two tools to support the dialogue process.

Process: Facilitator introduce guide:• Explain the layout of the

book, page 9• Sample ground rules, page 11• Six sessions – each session

builds upon the next session• Point out the appendices at the

end


TIME: 10 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: FACING RACISM IN A DIVERSE NATION DISCUSSION GUIDE

HANDOUTS: NONE


LIST OF ACTIVITIESINSTRUCTIONS

Provide an overview of the key activities in each section of the guide:• Each session builds on the

next. • Begin with relationship

building and understanding our ethnic backgrounds and the impact of racism in first two sessions

• Third session talks about why inequities exist in our country• Fourth session explores different

perspectives on why inequities exist

• Fifth session looks at the respective communities and what kinds of inequities exist and why

• Sixth session examines the why of inequities and prioritize actions to address those imbalances at the individual, community and policy levels


TIME: 3 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


SESSION 1, PART 5INSTRUCTIONS

Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people

Process:• Guided by a facilitator• Not necessary to answer all

questions. Some groups prefer to have a deeper conversation on one or two of the questions

Debrief:• How did it feel to take part in

the conversation?• Did you hear common themes?


TIME: 20 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


SESSION 2 CASE STUDIESINSTRUCTIONS


Process:• Read list of cases• Choose a few to discuss

Debrief:• Which cases stand out?• Why do people act that way?• Do the same things go on in our

community?


TIME: 15 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE




Process: Overview• These are words people often

use when discussing these issues

• Case studies can be used to talk about these words

Debrief:• Words are listed on flip chart• Group may bring in other

definitions for words at following sessions

• May record key ideas group has about each word


TIME: 5 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE



Setup: • Conducted in a large open

space• Participants stand on a

horizontal line shoulder to shoulder (everyone starts out at the same place in the room).

• If large group, you may have them form two horizontal lines standing very close to each other

• Facilitator skilled in group process and race work• Facilitator skilled in managing

strong emotions participants may feel and/or express

• Facilitator must be trained in introducing and debriefing exercise

Process: It is really important to allow enough time to do Parts A and B, Deeping our understanding of each other. Recognizing it is hard to know what it is like to walk in another’s shoes

Part A (pg. 18):• Facilitator will read a series of statements. These statements relate to

skin color or ethnic background. Think about how each statement apply to you. Take one step back/forward as instructed


TIME: 5 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


• At end of statements, have participants freeze in place and notice where everyone is standing. Have them turn to 2-3 people who are standing close to them and talk about how you are feeling.

Debrief: • As a whole group – What patterns did you notice• Why did people end up where they are?• What might this mean for our country; our community?

Part B (pg. 20):• Everyone forms a large circle• As Facilitator reads a series of statements, ask participants to take a

step forward into the circle if statement applies to them (mini steps should be taken to allow everyone room to participate).

Debrief:• What did you notice about where people ended up in the second part

of the activity?• How does it feel to have gone through this experience?

Note: Opportunities and Challenges (pg. 21) is an optional activity to show how opportunities and challenges are tied to racial and ethnic groups SESSION 3, PART 3INSTRUCTIONS


Process: Quick overview• Look at data in areas like

education, health and employment that shows examples of gaps among groups in our country.

Debrief:• What are the biggest gaps

among people from different racial or ethnic groups?

• How do you see these gaps affecting people in our country?


TIME: 5 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


CHARTS ILLUSTRATING GAPS AMONG GROUPSINSTRUCTIONS

Continue discussion of various charts.


TIME: 5 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE




Process: Viewpoints in the voice of a person who thinks it is a very important idea• Have each viewpoint read

(either aloud or silently).

Debrief:• Which views come closest to your own way of thinking?• Is there anything you don’t

agree with?• Ask if there is a viewpoint that

should be included?


TIME: 15 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


SESSION 4, PART 2 CONTINUEDINSTRUCTIONS

Continue to read and discuss the viewpoints.


TIME: 15 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE



Pre-work: Program organizers should provide the fact sheet on what is happening in your community.


Process: Discussion• Look over the fact sheet

about your community

Debrief:• What surprise you? Makes you

hopeful? Worries you?


TIME: 10 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


• How do your local challenges compare to the national challenges looked at in Session 3

Note: See next slide on making and using a fact sheet


Note: Fact sheet is referred to in previous slide #19. See page 41 in guide


TIME: 10 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE




Process: Evaluate how your community is doing. Do all people get a fair chance to succeed? Do all people from all racial and ethnic groups have equal access to services?



• To maximize time each participant can fill out a report card using the grading system. (This could be done as a group facilitated or individually)

• Facilitator should clarify with group the parameters of the community they are evaluating (such as a particular neighborhood or city as whole)

• Each person’s individual grades will be posted on the newsprint report card. This can be done as a group or each person can fill in their own grades on the newsprint

• Once filled in, ask everyone to choose several categories to discuss as a group

Debrief:• Facilitator reads each statement on report card and have group look at

the grades• Where is there agreement and where does group differ?• Discuss how decisions were made on what grade to give?• On second newsprint fill in what successes group sees from report card• List what challenges need to be addressed? Identify one or two




TIME: 30 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: FACING RACISM IN A DIVERSE NATION DISCUSSION GUIDE, REPORT

CARD, NEWSPRINT

HANDOUTS: NONE


Process: Thanking about the challenges identified in the report card• Read aloud the 7 approaches

Debrief: to address the challenges identified in the report card• Have any of the approaches been tried to address challenges? If so

what happened• Are there any other approaches

you can think of?• Which approaches address

racism in our institutions?• Which approaches won’t work?

Why?


Note: approaches used against the challenges identified from the Report Card


TIME: 15 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE





TIME: 15 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


Process: “Ten years from now, I hope my community will be _________________________.”• Ask participants as they imagine the future to share their words

selected from list or from own thoughts to fill in the blank• Facilitator chart words on

newsprint

Debrief:• What do you hope might be

different from the way things are today?

• What do you hope will be the same?

SESSION 6INSTRUCTIONS


Process: PAGE 25 OF 34 EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY

TIME: 10 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: FACING RACISM IN A DIVERSE NATION DISCUSSION GUIDE, NEWSPRINT,

MARKERS

HANDOUTS: NONE


• Moving to action, what are the most important issues, themes or ideas that have been discussed during the dialogue?

• Working together to come up with ideas about how to improve race relations and reduce gaps among people from different backgrounds.

• What can we do on our own, in groups and as a whole community to make our community better?

Debrief: next slide

SESSION 6 CONTINUEDINSTRUCTIONS

Read this list of sample action ideas before coming up with your own ideas.


TIME: 15 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: FACING RACISM IN A DIVERSE NATION DISCUSSION GUIDE, NEWSPRINT,

MARKERS

HANDOUTS: NONE


ACTION IDEASINSTRUCTIONS

Process:

• Brainstorm as a way for groups to come up with lots of ideas


TIME: 10 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


• A way to creatively come up with many different ideas in a short amount of time

• Facilitator, remember all ideas are OK. Participants want to see ideas captured as they shared them

• No judgment of ideas• Facilitator writes down every

idea

LISTING OUR COMMUNITY STRENGTHSINSTRUCTIONS

Help group identify assets in people, places or organizations. Chart on newsprint.


TIME: 10 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


SETTING PRIORITIES FOR ACTIONINSTRUCTIONS

Walk through the step by step process to prioritize action ideas.


TIME: 10 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


ACTION IDEAS REPORTINSTRUCTIONS

Use this document to bring forward action ideas as a group.


TIME: 5 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


This report will be used at the action forum. It may be turned into the organizing group to prepare for the action forum.

THE ACTION FORUMINSTRUCTIONS

Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people or large group presentation

Process: PAGE 31 OF 34 EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY

TIME: 10 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


Walk thru preparing for Action Forum

Debrief: Q&A Session

OUR GOALINSTRUCTIONS

Ultimately, our goal is not only to support the efforts of our


TIME: 10 MINUTES


HANDOUTS: NONE


community change partners in the specific issue they are addressing, it is to change the narrative of the story!

ORGANIZING SIMULATIONINSTRUCTIONS

Process:



One Facilitator will take the Coordinators out of the room to give each their descriptor sheets and coach each on their role in simulation.

2nd Facilitator will give instruction to the participants and have assistants to pass out a role description to each participant. Allow participants enough time to read their role description. Share that everyone is at a community gathering, so they should mingle and network in their role.

Debrief: When time is called, each Coordinator will stand at the front of the room. Facilitator will ask participants who were recruited by the coordinator will come and stand behind the coordinator.

1. Question to Facilitators: How easy was it to recruit community members? What was most challenging?

2. Question to Participants: Were you recruited? What assets did you have to offer that were or were not tapped into?

REFERENCESEveryday Democracy (2008). Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation. The Paul J.

Aicher Foundation. Retrievable from: https://www.everyday-democracy.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Facing-Racism-in-a-Diverse-Nation_Everyday-Democracy.pdf


TIME: 45 MINUTES

SUPPLIES: FACING RACISM IN A DIVERSE NATION DISCUSSION GUIDE,

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COORDINATORS, ROLE DESCRIPTIONS

https://www.everyday-democracy.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Facing-Racism-in-a-Diverse-Nation_Everyday-Democracy.pdf




Everyday Democracy (2008). A Guide for Training Public Dialogue Facilitators. The Paul J. Aicher Foundation. Retrievable from: https://www.everyday-democracy.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Guide-Training-Public-Dialogue-Facilitators_Everyday-Democracy.pdf

Everyday Democracy (2001). Organizing Community-wide Dialogue for Action and Change: A Step-by-step guide. Topsfield Foundation, Inc. Retrievable from: https://www.everyday-democracy.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Organizing-Community-Dialogue-Action-Change_Everyday-Democracy.pdf

International Association for Public Participation. https://www.iap2.org/

Kaner, Sam (2014). Classic Facilitator Challenges, excerpted from Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making, 2nd edition, Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from: https://smartgrowthamerica.org/app/legacy/documents/Classic_Facilitator_Challenges.pdf


https://smartgrowthamerica.org/app/legacy/documents/Classic_Facilitator_Challenges.pdf

https://smartgrowthamerica.org/app/legacy/documents/Classic_Facilitator_Challenges.pdf

https://www.iap2.org/

https://www.everyday-democracy.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Organizing-Community-Dialogue-Action-Change_Everyday-Democracy.pdf



https://www.everyday-democracy.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Guide-Training-Public-Dialogue-Facilitators_Everyday-Democracy.pdf

https://www.everyday-democracy.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Guide-Training-Public-Dialogue-Facilitators_Everyday-Democracy.pdf

Documents

Coming Together for Racial Understanding: Training Guidesrdc.msstate.edu/...democracy-training-guide-2019.docx · Web viewMary Emery, David Kay, Rachel Welborn, Gwen Whiting . Coming