NOW-NJ Note: The featured speaker,
Valorie Caffee, is a long-time NOW member and activist.
Hello friends of the Community Diversity Council of
Hunterdon County,
We are one of the sponsors of this annual
conference. It is always a great day to learn about diversity issues
presented by New Jersey people. Anyone can attend. Please contact
the Council if you have questions about the conference.
Bill Glazener
President, Diversity Council of Hunterdon
County
Friday,
November 3, 2006
8:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m.
Raritan
Valley Community College
North Branch, New
Jersey
2006 New
Jersey Diversity Conference
Talking About the Other Sides of
Diversity
Small-Group Discussions on the Experience of
Privilege
Conference Hosts
Raritan Valley Community College
Beyond Diversity
Resource Center
Conference
Sponsors
Community Diversity Council of Hunterdon
County
Monmouth
County Human Relations Commission
New Jersey Commission on Holocaust
Education
Somerset County Cultural Diversity
Coalition
Explanation of Conference
Theme
Most investigations of
cultural diversity focus on the experiences of marginalized groups, such as
Native Americans or persons with disabilities. This year’s conference
will use small-group discussions to investigate cultural “privilege,”
the advantages of being a member of a mainstream group. Because
mainstream group experiences are often invisible or ignored, individuals have
fewer opportunities to investigate the full breadth of the cultures and world
views around them. By bringing this rarely-discussed topic to the
foreground, the conference will give participants the opportunity to gain new
insights about diversity. Small-group discussions at the conference will
focus on the experiences of the following groups: men, Americans, white
people, Christians, able people, and heterosexuals.
Keynote
Speaker: Valorie Caffee, Director of Organizing,
New Jersey Work Environment
Council
Why Small-Group
Discussions?
Small-group discussions
are a powerful vehicle for learning about the experiences of others.
Such discussions provide a safe environment for sharing and gathering new
information.
Conference participants
will be divided into groups of approximately ten persons to engage in
discussions with the assistance of trained facilitators. Each group will use a
discussion guide to focus the conversation on participant experiences, either
as a member or nonmember of the subject matter group. Conference registrants
will have the opportunity to participate in two small-group discussions, one
in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Conference Goal
At the end of the
conference, participants will be challenged to use what they have learned
throughout the day to formulate a personal commitment for
action.
Conference
Agenda
8:00
a.m. Registration and Refreshments
8:30
a.m. Welcome from Conference Hosts
8:45
a.m. Keynote Address: Valorie Caffee, Director of
Organizing,
New Jersey Work Environment
Council
“Talking About Hidden Privilege: Why It’s
Important
and How to Do
It.”
9:15 a.m. Morning Break and Movement to
Small Groups
9:30 a.m. Morning Small-Group
Discussions on the Experiences of
(1) Christians, (2)
Men, (3) Americans, (4) White People,
(5) Heterosexuals, and (6) Able People
These unique discussions of cultural privilege will
enable participants to
•better relate to one another
across cultural differences
•deepen their understanding about often
overlooked cultural experiences
•develop a broader view of
diversity
•enhance their perspectives about people who are different from
themselves
11:30 a.m. Lunch
12:15
p.m. Afternoon Small-Group Discussions (topics
repeat)
2:15 p.m. Afternoon Break
2:30
p.m. Summary Session
Conference participants will come together in
a facilitated
plenary session for a discussion of
insights and declarations
of personal
commitments for change.
3:00 p.m. Conference
Ends
$50 conference registration includes
continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon
snacks.
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