LET’S TALK ABOUT IT “Finding Common Threads Through Conversation”  is an event happening 1-5 pm, Saturday,  June 17 at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History and Co-Sponsored by the Conflict Resolution Center of Santa Cruz County and the MAH. And, it asks: What if you left your bubble and met someone new? 

Joining Christine Barrington on Talk of the Bay is Tenzin Chogki of the CRC to talk all about it!

The United States is becoming more and more polarized, socially and politically. These divisions show up in our own community as well, with sharp divides on both sides of issues such as politics, housing, gun laws, attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community, etc. As in many other places, people tend to stay in their bubbles, only interacting with like-minded people. 

The overarching idea of this event is that it is difficult to see someone as “other” when you have had an opportunity to connect with them as a human being, therefore through simple conversations, deep divisions can begin to be healed.

This free and interactive event will include:

– 1:1 Conversations with people with different identities

– “Communitree” and other Interactive Art

– Curious Scroll with Andrew Purchin

– Un/Seen Identities Project

“Let’s talk About It” is modeled after similar initiatives in which participants (the public) can request to have a conversation for 30 minutes with someone who identifies in a particular way. Dialogue partners cover a wide range of identities and experiences. They could be people who deal with alcoholism, housing insecurity, and mental illness. They could be immigrants, refugees, transgender or non-binary, or formerly incarcerated. People of misunderstood and marginalized religious identities are also included, as well as police officers, activists, and people experiencing homelessness.

Join the CRC at the MAH and see what unfolds when you talk about it!

Listent to this previous interview to hear about the impact of last year’s event with some of the  past participants: https://ksqd.org/building-empathy-with-the-conflict-resolution-center/

 

    Participants from LTAI 2022