A workshop in Cultural Self-Awareness and Competency, and Understanding the Dynamics of Intolerance and Racism
Building Bridges of Understanding - June 9-10, 2017 at Grace Lutheran in Wenatchee, WA
In this workshop, in a Christian context, our purposes were to:
- Gain greater personal cultural self-awareness, gaining deeper insight into our own cultural make-up and how that continues to impact our lives.
- Gain further understanding of the complexities of culture and become more effective in cross-cultural communication, community building, and service here in the Wenatchee Valley.
- Deepen our knowledge of the historical context and dynamics of intolerance and racism and how these affect our personal lives, institutions, and communities.
- Provide opportunity for organizational self-reflection, evaluation, and consider possible next steps for ongoing cultural competency.
The "Building Bridges of Understanding" workshop was comprised of two sessions: session one was on Friday, June 9th, and session two was on Saturday, June 10th. We approached these topics with a religious and sociological lens, and relied on participants broken into smaller groups to make the workshop a welcoming space and productive experience. As the workshop concluded, participants were invited to consider how they (individually and collectively) might continue in their efforts to Become Bridge Builders!
As we consider issues of race, class, welcoming refugees, and immigration, we will keep in mind that as people of faith, we do not welcome on the condition that people are Christian; we welcome them because we are Christian. (Matthew 25:35, 3 John 1:5, Ruth 2:10, Deut. 10:19)
As we consider issues of race, class, welcoming refugees, and immigration, we will keep in mind that as people of faith, we do not welcome on the condition that people are Christian; we welcome them because we are Christian. (Matthew 25:35, 3 John 1:5, Ruth 2:10, Deut. 10:19)