WHCHC [White House Conference on Hate Crimes] - National Coalition Building Institute

NCBI LEADERSHIP F ORUMS ONE-DAY PREJUDICE REDUCTION WORKSHOP The NCBI Prejudice Reduction Workshop is an experiential, participatory workshop that empowers individuals of all ages and backgrounds to take leadership in their communities and workplaces to build inclusive environments that welcome diversity. The NCBI prejudice reduction workshop can stand alone as a powerful one-day experience or be followed at a later date with a train-the-trainer seminar. The train- the-trainer seminar trains participants to work together as a team leading similar prejudice reduction programs. OBJECTIVES OF THE ONE DAY WORKSHOP: to identify and work through stereotypes and misinformation about other groups; to heal from the scars of internalized oppression; to reclaim pride in one's own background while at the same time building bridges with other groups; to hear personal stories about the various ways different groups experience discrimination and to increase a commitment to be allies for those groups; and to learn effective ways to intervene when confronted with prejudicial jokes, remarks, and slurs. NCBI PHILOSOPHY: Guilt is the glue that holds prejudice in place (the more you target or blame someone in a workshop, the harder it is to help them reduce bigoted attitudes ). NCBI demonstrates in the workshop that treating every participant with dignity, respect, and generosity brings about change faster than the use of traditional confrontational models. Evéry issue counts. NCBI models in the workshop that every individual matters. We address a wide range of diversity issues: race, gender, class, age, sexual orientation, religion, physical ability, job and life circumstance. We teach through our work that the tent of diversity must include everyone. To shift attitudes, hear stories. NCBI demonstrates in the workshop the power of hearing personal stories of discrimination. As the stories are shared, participants gain new understandings of the devastating impact of discrimination. They learn new ways to become effective allies to one another. Skill training leads to empowerment. NCBI empowers every participant to leave the workshop armed with concrete new skills for taking on prejudice. As one example, we teach the important skill of how to change someone who has made an oppressive, joke, comment, or slur. ONGOING CONTACT WITH NCBI: NCBI has found that the most effective diversity efforts involve ongoing work. We offer this one day workshop as an introduction to our approach. We are committed to working with every organization, school, community group or college campus to institutionalize their efforts following the one day workshop. We offer follow up sessions, consultation, and trained in-house resource teams that can carry on the work throughout the institution. National Coalition Building Institute 1835 K Street, N.W. - Suite 715 Washington, D.C. 20006 Telephone: (202) 785-9400 - Fax: (202) 785-3385 - email: [email protected]