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The following articles are excerpted from the Winter 2001-2002 edition of The Community Mediator, in which NAFCM asked member centers to contribute their responses to the September 11 attacks. Introduction September 11, 2001.
There is no question that this tragic day will not be forgotten in our minds and hearts. The terrorist attack on America not only ended the lives of many loved ones and heroes, but also changed the way we view our world. We are a nation that prides itself on liberty and freedom, but I am now starting to wonder if these concepts still exist. Our country is now engaged in war, but as a student of conflict resolution, I ask myself: “Is this the appropriate response?” and “Will America’s retaliation desist the violence or cause a never-ending cycle of pain and suffering?” I am not alone as I ponder questions regarding my future, safety, and the “American way of life.” Here, you can read what some community mediation centers are doing to bring their communities together to discuss these questions.
-- Tashi M. Brown University of Baltimore Graduate Student
From the Nebraska Office for Dispute Resolution: Nebraska Govenor Encourages Faciliated Dialogue to Address Terrorist Attacks (Lincoln, NE)
In an October 1, 2001 press release Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns announced that services are available to facilitate a dialogue among groups and communities about the events of September 11. “Nebraska groups and organizations may feel the need to hold a conversation about the tragic terrorist events that impacted all of our lives,” said Governor Johanns. “There are many ways of facilitating those conversations including through the Office of Dispute Resolution and the Nebraska Mediation Center Association. I encourage Nebraskans to explore such opportunities.” The Office of Dispute Resolution, a division of the Nebraska Supreme Court, and the Nebraska Mediation Center Association have made their services available throughout the state of Nebraska. The Nebraska Mediation Center Association has trained neutral facilitators available to encourage dialogue within small groups where citizens have the chance to get to know one another, consider different points of view, explore disagreements, and find common ground. In response to the press release, the Center for Conflict Resolution, a regional community mediation center in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, was requested to set up study circles in Scottsbluff and North Platte, Nebraska. Lori Burkey and Jeff Tracy facilitated the first study circle held in Scottsbluff with 12 participants. Jeff Tracey’s refections on the dialogue: “I was reminded of a statement made by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, a couple of weeks prior to Sept. 11. This man, who has had many years of experience dealing with a country divided by war, said, “to understand someone’s suffering requires one to listen deeply to that person.” It seemed this was precisely what all of us, participants and facilitators alike, were doing that evening. Trying to listen deeply to each other. All of us, in one way or another, were injured by the terrorist attacks, and all of us were expressing our suffering through the discussion. We were, in our own small way, doing what we could do at that moment: trying to understand and to be understood. Talk is cheap, but in the long run it may be the most important thing we can do for ourselves and for our country.” Four women attended the second study circle in North Platte on October 25th. Facilitator Sarah Bartlett from the Center for Conflict Resolution felt that the age gap of the women played a critical role in the study circle process. The two younger women expressed feelings of fear and doubt for their future, while the two women who were in their 80’s discussed similar experiences during World War II, in which they persevered. Each woman brought a different, but very similar perspective to the events of September 11th. For more information about dialogues in Nebraska, please contact Wendy Hind, Nebraska Office of Dispute Resolution. Phone: 402-471-3148. E-mail: whind@nsc.state.ne.us
“Being American,” by Chiray Koo, Asian Pacific Dispute Resolution Center, Los Angeles, CA
Last week the Asian Pacific American Legal Center released statistics on hate crimes that have been provoked in part by the terrorist attacks on September 11. The reports are very disturbing because not only are there attacks on people who are Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian, but people have used this as an excuse to scapegoat immigrants and “foreigners” as well. People have been refused service, told that America is only for white people or that foreigners caused all this trouble. What bothers me the most is that people have just stood by during acts of harassment. For example, in a Beverly Hills bagel store, a woman wearing a Koranic charm was assaulted by another women. The attacker’s friend held her back when she lunged at the Muslim woman, but no one said anything as the attacker continued to insult the woman. The woman called the police, and after the whole incident was over, the store owner went over to the attacker and her friends, offered to pack their lunches, and apologized for the altercation that occurred. I think many people are reluctant to intervene in messy, confrontational scenes that involve strangers who look or dress differently than themselves. However, in a time like this, I think we also have to ask ourselves what do we believe in, and what are we willing to stand for. Is America just for people that we’re comfortable with, and everyone else is on their own? Do we believe in equal treatment and equal rights for all people, citizens only, or just those who fit our idea of “American?” If we really believe in creating a just society, then it’s up to us as ordinary people to do it. Some of the people I know have told me that they’re not comfortable asking their acquaintances what they think, or that they don’t like to get involved in things that aren’t their business. However, if we believe in what America is supposed to stand for, then any expression of hate, intolerance, or ignorance is our business. If we don’t speak up and say something in the moment, chances are no one else will. Most acts of harassment don’t occur in deserted alley ways in the dead of night; they’re in the middle of the day at the store, the doctor’s office, or just on the street. Each act that goes unchallenged gives support for that person’s next act and adds to the hateful vibe in the world. Acts are of hate aren’t random. They either flourish in an environment of support and/or complicity, but they’re the road signs that tell us where we need to start building a foundation of compassion, understanding, and trust. It is our attitudes, beliefs, and most of all our ACTIONS that will determine which it will be. I encourage everyone to act where you can, to step beyond your comfort zones, and to empower those around you by speaking up – not just for the victims of attacks, but for other people who may be confused or afraid to speak out first. Even have some compassion for the people who say and do the hateful acts if you can find it in yourself. Most of the perpetrators are not bad people. They’re operating from fear and ignorance. We can handle these situations without escalating them and adding to the hate and fear factor in the air. As things heat up in President Bush’s war on terrorism, it’s up to us to make sure that we’re not waging war on good people in our communities. As some of you may remember, the Chinese character for crisis is composed of the symbols for danger and opportunity. Let’s not waste this opportunity to transform our society into a better place. A listing of hate attacks can be found on the Asian Pacific American Legal Center’s website at www.apalc.org.
Nine-Eleven: A New York Perspective, by Mark Kleiman, Executive Director, Community Mediation Services, Inc., Queens, New York
Nine-eleven unfolded for me while driving south on the expressway in Brooklyn taking a friend to the airport amid a strange shower of papers and ash. After turning east the view of the towers surrounded by a flume of smoke was both shocking and unreal. Fifteen minutes later, still bewildered from the site and radio reports we turned toward the airport only to make a u-turn to get to my offices ten minutes to the north. The staff was scattered throughout the building huddling before radios or a second floor TV emitting Spanish and showing the smoking towers. Over the next hour shock gave way to fear and pain as the towers collapsed. I called a staff meeting to allow expression of fears, sharing of pain and sorting out of next steps for everyone. Some shared their faith, others sobbed in silence while we tried to clarify what occurred and what to do. One woman, there for a job interview, spoke in disbelief of seeing what she thought then was a terrible accident occur, before rushing into the subway in lower Manhattan. Closed bridges, shut subways and uncertain traffic made a return home seem impossible for some. Clogged phone lines increased anxiety for friends and relations who might have been at risk. Finally, our community came together with a plan: to make sure we all had a place to go for the night as we shut down the building midday. The following day shifted our focus from basic and security needs to an accounting of those we love. Miraculously, only one casualty was known among immediate relatives and friends. At a new staff meeting we sought knowledge of how to support each other, reflections to bring some perspective and finally, prayer for the loss and gratitude for our own lives and those of our loved ones. After taking stock of ourselves and the situation, we began the process of determining what we could do now. A long list of blood donors materialized in an instant. Volunteers for ‘the pier’ in Manhattan were recruited, several staff with grief counseling experience volunteered to go to a local school and 20 other staff volunteered for a grief workshop the next day at another agency. The next few weeks gave us some time and space to get past immediate needs to soberly consider our role in the post nine-eleven world. Volunteer assistance in Manhattan and in Queens to help victims and their families continued as a constant though shrinking backdrop. Clients again became our first priority as we helped them sort through their urgent problems. There is no question that the impact of 9-11 made us all profoundly aware of the importance of our work as peacemakers for families and our community. It also began a process of consideration of what our actions should be to fulfill the urgent need for peacemaking where we live while connecting to our fellow peacemakers in this moment of world crisis. Much of the last three months has been a process of recovery from shock and dealing with the emotions brought about by post-traumatic stress. However, we begin in December a series of study circles at our building in concert with other non-profits. Plans for a project for youth leaders among faith-based institutions is being developed. Discussions for modeling our values within the various communities of the most diverse county in the world continue. As the Chinese characters for crisis state, danger and opportunity go hand in hand. I leave to the government to address the danger. I hope we can live up to the responsibility of these times to take advantage of the opportunity.
Midwest Talks – 100 Days of Dialogue, Dispute Resolution Services of Gryphon, Kalamazoo, MI
In response to the September 11, 2001 attack, the Dispute Resolution Services of Gryphon Place based in Kalamazoo, MI is sponsoring a three-part series of community-based dialogues. The Midwest Talks will be offered over a 100-day period in three regions throughout the Midwest (West Michigan, Chicago, and Minneapolis). The intent is to convene people drawn from diverse sectors of the general public and guide them to reflect together through facilitated dialogue. The conversation will give participants a format for encountering ideas, questions, and opinions about how to be a nation in this 21st Century world and a community of people together. Rather than focusing on the behavioral response to recent terrorist attacks (“What should we do?”), this series validates the role and function of reflection. Produced by Congruency, a consulting and facilitation company, this dialogue series introduces attendees to principles of the contemplative tradition. According to Congruency, the contemplative tradition equips people to live truly, deeply free lives – lives free from compulsion, including the compulsion to respond in a certain way even to acts of egregious violence. The contemplative tradition, grounded in the worlds’ major religions, is a source of hope and a starting point for being in community together, freely and respectfully. The sessions were first held in October 2001 and will conclude on Martin Luther King Day, January 21, 2002. Consensus regarding our nation’s response to the terrorists acts or other action plans are not the intent of Midwest Talks. Rather, the goal is to engage participants in intentional dialogue about the serious matters raised by the shared experience of a terrorist attack on America. Session One: Feeling Compelled, Being Free Session Two: Wealth and power, loss and destruction Session Three: Wondering about War For more information please contact Dale Anderson, Dispute Resolution Services, 1104 S. Westnedge, Kalamazoo, MI 49008. Phone: 616-552-3434 or 800-873-7658. Fax: 616-381-0935. E-mail: Danderson@gryphon.org
Including Diverse Voices, John Schmieding, Athens Area Mediation Service, Athens, OH
John Schmieding, the Director of Athens Area Mediation Service (AAMS) in Athens, Ohio recently attended a memorial service for those who died September 11th. The service, organized by the American Legion and VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) consisted of many veterans and their supporters. Upon hearing about the memorial ceremony, AAMS decided to contact the organizer about the possibility of having a person from the local Muslim community speak. Considering that all the other speakers who planned to attend were Protestant and Catholic clergy, local officials, and fire and police chiefs, the organizer was a bit worried about the idea, and understandably needed to work through his concerns and fears. What might the Muslim speaker have to say? How might the people react? Eventually he agreed and allowed AAMS to make the arrangements. The man that was contacted at the Islamic Center was also a bit worried, but rather shyly agreed that it was a good idea and was willing to give it a try. On the day of the service, almost everyone in the crowd was wearing or carrying an American flag. The new Muslim friend spoke in a very lovely and direct way, assuring folks that Muslims had to come to America for freedom themselves, and that his heart went out to all affected by the attacks. Many people were clearly surprised and moved by his words. Afterward at least twenty people came up and thanked him for his presence there. The next day his voice continued to be heard through extensive quotes in press reports. For more information, contact: John Schmieding, Director, Athens Area Mediation Service. Phone: 740-592-5983. E-mail: aams@frognet.net.
Unity Forums in Hamden and New Haven, CT
On October 11, in the libraries of both the Town of Hamden, Connecticut and the City of New Haven, Connecticut, the two municipalities, with a variety of partners, hosted Unity Forums to discuss the unity and divisions within the communities following the horrifying events of September 11. These Unity Forums were part of a plan developed by the Interracial Dialogue Project to react to the incidents of anti-Muslim and other bias that have occurred since Sept. 11 as well as a more general discussion of the unity and divisions within our community since the terrorist attacks. Community Mediation, Inc. with Interfaith Cooperative Ministries, formed the Interracial Dialogue Project in 1997 to “promote racial unity in greater New Haven through interracial dialogue and action programs that will eliminate racial and ethnic barriers within our community.” These dialogues have involved more than 1,000 area residents in dialogue on race and race relations and developed a variety of action plans. Charlie Pillsbury, Director of Community Mediation, Inc., stated that the purpose of the dialogues “is to brainstorm what we can do as individuals and communities in these times to seek justice on all levels, including speaking out and acting against expressions of intolerance based on race, ethnicity, or religion.” Hamden In Hamden, community members and more than 150 high school students gathered with community leaders at the Miller Memorial Library Program Room. Council Members, Mayor Carl Amento, Rep. Brendan Sharkey as well as many other leaders joined in the discussion. Many of the comments from the community members noted the leadership the Hamden High School Human Relations Club and the Hamden High Students were taking in these matters, not least because of the great turn out for the evening. Other comments included the need for more information about Islam and the overall need for us to apply our awareness and unity since September 11 across the community. Hamden’s Unity Forums continued on October 22nd in four congregations across the town. These discussions built on the discussion of October 11th and will discuss how we can individually and collectively build on the ideas for action that the group brought up. The ideas for further action included individual commitments to change attitudes and behaviors, a desire to work through participants’ churches, congregations, and other community groups, and ongoing public opportunities to come together and share in our community. The ideas, along with the names of participants who expressed interest in working on them further, to other local groups including the Mayor’s office and the newly formed Human Rights and Relations Commission for the Town of Hamden. New Haven In New Haven, approximately 100 people from across the community came out to take part in the discussion. Facilitated by Cynthia Joyce, Associate Director of Community Mediation and Clinton Robinson of the Yale Child Study Center, the groups addressed the very simple questions of “What divides us?” and “What unites us?” Among the participants were Mayor John DeStefano of New Haven and Chief Librarian Jim Welbourne as well as representatives of many of New Haven’s Neighborhood Management Teams. The Greater New Haven Islamic Community also helped sponsor the event and have been very supportive in organizing and publicizing. New Haven’s Unity Forums continued on Thursday, October 25th in four locations around New Haven. These Forums will allow the dialogue to continue on the neighborhood level, addressing the different dynamics and diverse populations represented in various neighborhoods. These sessions also addressed the next question of “what we can do” to build on the unity and understand our divisions. Among the suggestions for action were requests for training on “how to argue,” education on Islam, and ongoing work throughout the community to live up to the ideals of unity that were expressed during the Forums. As in the Hamden Unity Forums, the results of these sessions will be forwarded to the various Management Teams and other sponsors. The results of the Unity Forums have been compiled and are available from the Interracial Dialogue Project. For copies, please email Coordinator Zachary Pall at zachary.pall@community-mediation.org.
A Journey Toward Healing, by Betsy Vegso, Associate Director, Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center, San Mateo, CA
The Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center (PCRC) in San Mateo, California, responded to the 9/11 tragedy in several ways. First, staff meetings were held to discuss personal responses and constructive steps each person could take, such as modeling tolerance, avoiding stereotyping, and avoiding perpetuating rumors or extreme thinking. A short letter from the staff of PCRC was published in several local newspapers describing the ideas discussed in the staff meeting. Several people who saw the letter called the center to express their appreciation. In the weeks following the attacks when dealing with parties in conflict, there seemed to be two different kinds of responses from parties. The number of incoming phone calls dropped significantly that week, but have since climbed back to normal levels. In cases that were scheduled for mediation or in case development, parties were sometimes either more irritable or feeling more distant from their personal issues. For example, one party in a multi-party complex case asked that a meeting be rescheduled since she didn’t feel like “fighting for her cause.” Immediately after the tragedy, some staff and volunteers questioned the impact of our work. Many of us went into the conflict resolution field because of our belief in communication as a way of peacemaking. Violent acts like we saw on September 11th can have the immediate effect of shattering an individual’s resolve towards peacemaking. Individuals might think, “What good am I really doing?” However, as time passed and thoughts cleared, many of us realized (perhaps even more strongly than before) that peacemaking on the local level is more important than ever and that acts like this cry out for a renewed commitment and a renewed enthusiasm for this work. In the first weeks many of us felt we needed to “do something” immediately, but we have now recognized that it is all right to take our time to respond in a meaningful way. We have consulted our Board and Advisory Council, funders and contractors, as well as staff, about how we can help. After thoughtful consideration, we collaborated with a multi-service agency, Samaritan House, to hold a community forum. The themes of the meeting were remembrance, rebuilding, and reflection. PCRC’s conflict resolution in the schools program responded to many requests from educators. PCRC gave them activity ideas for students of different age levels created by the Anti-Defamation League. We also gathered information from the County Sheriff’s department and the County Office of Education as to how the County was responding to the crisis and what recommendations they were making regarding safety at schools. In this way, we helped ensure that information provided to educators was consistent. The number of requests from schools for training increased in October, but it is hard to tell whether that is related to the September 11th attack. PCRC has also provided communication/anger management training to security workers who were hired to help manage the crowd at a September 11th event at a local community college. We are hopeful that a message about how local community efforts toward conflict resolution contribute to national well-being will remind people of the importance of community-based services.
Internet Resources
For more information on how others are responding to the September 11th attack and resources for your own reflection and action, please visit the following websites:
• Eastern Mennonite University Conflict Transformation Program http://www.emu.edu/ctp/bse-resources.html This website was created to: provide options for reframing the discussions about what has happened; explore ideas about how to pursue responses that will lead to a sustainable, just peace rather than a continued escalation of conflict and violence; and look more deeply at ourselves and our nation and ask what we need to change. To do this, the website hosts a series of analytical papers based on the program’s areas of expertise and interest, including peacebuilding, responses to violence, trauma healing, work with victims of violence, restorative justice, worldview conflicts, and crisis management. The articles are intended to promote open and creative dialogue in society about immediate and long-term options in response to the events of September 11.
• CRInfo http://www.crinfo.org/terrorism CRInfo’s webpage is a place where people working in the conflict resolution field can find and post information related to the crisis. The page will contain both pre-existing information on terrorism, new information created in response to the situation, key news items, general background information, and anything else that might be useful. There is also a WebBoard discussion area for people who would like to discuss the crisis online. CRInfo, in partnership with the Intractable Conflict Knowledge Base Project, has identified an initial list of 38 areas in which the expertise of the conflict resolution and peace research fields can be profitably applied to the terrorism crisis. These contributions are explained in Dealing with the Terrorism Crisis: Potential Contributions from the Conflict Resolution and Peacemaking Fields by Guy and Heidi Burgess, which also includes links to CRInfo resources on each topic.
• Study Circles http://www.studycircles.org Study circles are small group, democratic, peer-led discussions that provide a simple way to involve community members in dialogue and action on important social and political issues. Study Circles has dialogue resources help you bring people together for the honest, productive, democratic conversations our country and our communities need at this time. Suggestions are provided for a variety of ways to structure the dialogue to fit your community's needs. The Study Circles Resource Center provides web resources, including a new discussion guide – Facing the Future: How Should We Respond to the Attack on Our Nation? – so you can lay the groundwork for dialogue in your organization, school, or community. The material is available in a variety of formats, depending on whether you want to spend two hours, one day, or several weeks addressing these issues.
• Mediate.com http://www.mediate.com/terrorism This website, a major source of information about mediation, has added a section on terrorism with articles and commentary by experts in the field including John Paul Lederach, Peter Adler, Robert Benjamin, Jayne Docherty, and Kenneth Cloke on topics such as negotiating with terrorists, employment discrimination after September 11, geopolitical world views, and reasons to use the war metaphor with caution.
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