2007: The year that was (Part I)

Here's a look back at some of the brightest news from the front lines of public life and citizen engagement in 2007.

Milestones

InterFaith Works - formerly the InterReligious Council of Central New York - marked the 10th anniversary of the Community Wide Dialogue to End Racism. Under the banner of a new name and a new motto ("Affirm Dignity"), the CWD celebrated a decade of dialogue and action (above, a community choir performs at the anniversary celebration), and recommitted to continuing its work. The Syracuse-based program is one of the oldest study circles programs in the nation, and one of the most successful, too, having involved more than 5,000 people in its first 10 years. "One of our responsibilities is to keep the community’s attention on the issue. I see us shining a light on the community, whether to say ‘Great job’ or ‘There’s a problem,'" says Beth Broadway, the CWD director. "Facing racism and white privilege is like having a bright light turned on in a darkened room. The light hurts our eyes at first. But eventually, we realize we can see better with the lights on. Once we’ve opened our eyes, we can open our hearts."

Welcome to the club!

New dialogue-to-action programs were launched this year in communities including Lynchburg, Virginia, and Hopkinsville, Kentucky (racial equity); Lewiston, Maine (youth issues); Milwaukee, Wisconsin (employment); and Jackson, Wyoming (immigration), among others. Would you like to take action in your community in 2008? Learn more here.

International study circles

This spring, Fulbright Scholar Mark Brophy of Victoria, Australia, joined the Study Circles Resource Center to learn how study circles work at the community level, as well as how SCRC works at the national level to support local programs. Mark shadowed the Montgomery County Public Schools' Study Circles program in Maryland to learn how their efforts were helping to improve student achievement, and how he could build such an initiative in Australia.

SCRC's Connecticut office also hosted a delegation from the Taiwan Alliance for Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare. The Taiwanese wanted to learn more about how dialogue-to-change efforts involving youth work in the United States and how the model can be used in Taiwan. The Alliance promotes youth rights in the areas of health care, education, employment, social welfare, civic engagement, and culture of leisure.

Outreach

Staff and associates of the Study Circles Resource Center had a busy and productive year helping communities work toward creative change. Program liaison Molly Holme Barrett says her favorite part of the job is working onsite with communities. "There's no substitute for being there, watching our talented staff and senior associates help people overcome their differences and begin to appreciate one another," she notes. "It's humbling too, and inspiring to be among people who devote so much time and energy to making a difference. Often, against great odds, they are changing the way their communities work. I get goose bumps thinking about it."

Several new tools and techniques were deployed to emphasize the importance of moving from talk to action. Examples include orientation webinars for communities new to the dialogue process; the pilot of a Moving to Action workshop in Diamond Lake, Illinois, where the schools have been addressing increased diversity in their midst; and the start of the DemocracySpace blog, which serves as an online scrapbook of civic engagement efforts and issues of interest to community organizers, and a place for monthly  "water coolers" that give organizers the chance to share stories and ideas. Says program director Gloria Francesca Mengual, "After years of talk on our need to move beyond dialogue and concentrate more on the action stage with communities, the internal culture is now truly 'there.'"

Look for Part II of "the year that was" on December 28, featuring more news about communities that made great strides in 2007 working on racial equity, education, the environment, immigration, poverty, economic development, and more. Until then, happy holidays!