2007 SEJ Multicultural Event

Transforming Lives by Embracing God's Diversity:
Listening , Learning, Celebrating, Empowering

• Home Page
• Listening and Dialogue Information and Articles
• LP Results and Brief Examples

Welcome to this special part of our web site which is designed to provide information about the Dec. 13-15, 2007 SEJ Multicultural Event.

This will be an event unlike others you have attended... the focus will not be on experts telling you what to do. Everyone in attendance will be the expert, including you.

At the center of this event will be:

• Your faith
• your beliefs
• your concerns
• your life experiences
• your heartfelt hopes and interests

Don't worry – you won't be singled out. Everyone at this historical gathering will participate and share in a comfortable, safe environment. We will be using a remarkable process of Listening and Dialogue that is based on two models of "empowering communication" that we have applied successfully in communities throughout the U.S. and internationally. These two models are:

1. Facilitated Dialogue – Click on this link to find out more about Facilitated Dialogue which will be our primary process for involving each of us in dialogue with other event attendees. Our dialogue sessions will focus on issues of inequality. multiculturalism, and new possibilities for our churches, districts, annual conferences, communities and nation. We will all have opportunities for exploration, expression and problem solving.

   Your first opportunity is already here. Facilitated Dialogue uses trained facilitators for each small group dialogue. One day prior to this 2007 Multicultural Event, we will be training facilitators for the dialogue sessions at the event. If you are interested in acting as a facilitator and receiving this training, contact: Rev. Carl Arrington, Email: carrington@sejumc.org; Tel: (828) 454-6739.

2. The Listening Project – You will be introduced to this more complex process of communication that fosters conflict management and community development. You will receive information how this tool might be used in your church and community.

   Click on this link to learn more about the Gulf Coast Listening Project. This particular Listening Project has completed in-depth interviews with 26 survivors of Hurricane Katrina. This will provide us with opportunities for reflection and insight on issues of diversity and inequality through the eyes of Hurricane Katrina survivors. You can also learn about the findings of the GCLP interviews at this link: Report on Completed GCLP Interviews.

   We have more resources for you, including some actual accounts of successful Listening and Dialogue projects that have addressed issues of multiculturalism. This is for you to view in preparation for this great event. Just go to the links on the left.

We Will Use A Remarkable Process

All attendees at the 2007 Multicultural Event will engage in a small group Facilitated Dialogue process. This dialogue will bring forth our individual and corporate ideas, feelings and wisdom on matters of diversity, inequality, and multiculturalism, in our churches, districts, annual conferences, communities and nation. By the end of this process, not only will we all feel informed, inspired and empowered - we will also have processed what we've learned and explored how we can apply what we've learned back home.

When you return home, you will have new listening skills that you can use with family, neighbors, church and community. You and others from your community will also have the experience and tools for organizing dialogue sessions in your church or community that can help address important or difficult issues.