Advocacy for a Conversation on Community-Law Enforcement Relations
The Support Group for Ethnic and Racial Diversity (SERD), a student arm of the Antioch Multicultural Center for Research and Practice of the Clinical Psychology Department, Antioch University New England (AUNE), proposes an advocacy activity to engage our Department as well as all AUNE academic programs and administrative offices in a public conversation on community and law enforcement relations.
Purpose
From a community-wide AUNE discussion, our goal is to develop an orientation on how communities and the police, both who need each other, can relate positively, be mindful of our biases, and practice racial fairness and justice. The overall process is aimed at finding understanding, empathy, and a common ground. Trusting and supportive intergroup relations in the human ecology can lead to individual and community resilience-building.
Three Phases in the Public Conversation
There are three phases in the public conversation, starting with where we hope the conversation will go to what will come out of it and what might be a way of moving forward even a portion of the issues. Thus the action steps are as follows. Phase 1 is a public conversation within the AUNE campus. In Phase 2, the conversation is opened to the Mayor’s office, the City Council, and the police of the City of Keene and its surrounding areas. Phase 3 consists of a joint AUNE-City Police in-person, live conversation that is open to the Keene community and its neighboring towns.
The Activity
This is a SERD-Multicultural Center sponsored activity.
Our current topic is “How do I/we/others view the law enforcement and how does the law enforcement view me/us/them?”
We have an electronic bulletin board with colorful post cards. Individuals can type their answers to the above questions anonymously on the post cards. Individuals can also write on hard copy post cards and place them in a box located in the AUNE library. Some of these post cards will be printed and pinned on a campus bulletin board.
The shared thoughts can be long or short, big or small, controversial or status quo. The purpose for the written post cards is to provide an opportunity for the whole school to share their answers on the given topic, but anonymously, so there's no fear of reproach.
Individuals from the Clinical Psychology Department as well as different AUNE programs can see and discuss live the posted thoughts when and with whomever they feel comfortable. To clarify, the discussion will not be held in the bulletin board; that is, there will be no exchange of responses or dialog in the bulletin board, but rather these dialogs will occur outside because the bulletin board is only for post cards with answers to the given questions. In this way, a live one-on-one conversation is started, but it's not necessarily in a public forum. The conversation goes across classrooms, disciplines, and programs. It gives AUNE community members who might have something to say about a posted answer the chance to speak their mind.
Procedures for a Productive Conversation
Thoughts are expressed respectfully.
Expression of anger and other emotions is acceptable.
Expression of hatred is not acceptable. Hatred is a communication that carries no meaning other than the expression of hatred for a group of persons defined in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and the like.
Statements that overgeneralize about and demonize someone or some group are avoided.
Negative or positive encounters are to be reported, but without the promotion of negative or positive stereotypes.
Moderators will receive all post cards, approve them, and then upload them anonymously. Hard copy post cards will be typed by moderators and uploaded on to the bulletin board. In consultation with a AUNE supervisory board, moderators will not post clearly inappropriate statements (e.g., identifying or insulting a person/persons). Moderators will also not post statements that do not answer the questions on the given topic.
Threats to the safety and security of the school and the AUNE community or its individual members will be reported to the administrative leadership for needed action.
Submitted by:
Gargi Roysircar-Sodowsky, Professor of Clinical Psychology
Director, Antioch Multicultural Center for Research and Practice
Antioch University New England
[email protected]
The Support Group for Ethnic and Racial Diversity (SERD), a student arm of the Antioch Multicultural Center for Research and Practice of the Clinical Psychology Department, Antioch University New England (AUNE), proposes an advocacy activity to engage our Department as well as all AUNE academic programs and administrative offices in a public conversation on community and law enforcement relations.
Purpose
From a community-wide AUNE discussion, our goal is to develop an orientation on how communities and the police, both who need each other, can relate positively, be mindful of our biases, and practice racial fairness and justice. The overall process is aimed at finding understanding, empathy, and a common ground. Trusting and supportive intergroup relations in the human ecology can lead to individual and community resilience-building.
Three Phases in the Public Conversation
There are three phases in the public conversation, starting with where we hope the conversation will go to what will come out of it and what might be a way of moving forward even a portion of the issues. Thus the action steps are as follows. Phase 1 is a public conversation within the AUNE campus. In Phase 2, the conversation is opened to the Mayor’s office, the City Council, and the police of the City of Keene and its surrounding areas. Phase 3 consists of a joint AUNE-City Police in-person, live conversation that is open to the Keene community and its neighboring towns.
The Activity
This is a SERD-Multicultural Center sponsored activity.
Our current topic is “How do I/we/others view the law enforcement and how does the law enforcement view me/us/them?”
We have an electronic bulletin board with colorful post cards. Individuals can type their answers to the above questions anonymously on the post cards. Individuals can also write on hard copy post cards and place them in a box located in the AUNE library. Some of these post cards will be printed and pinned on a campus bulletin board.
The shared thoughts can be long or short, big or small, controversial or status quo. The purpose for the written post cards is to provide an opportunity for the whole school to share their answers on the given topic, but anonymously, so there's no fear of reproach.
Individuals from the Clinical Psychology Department as well as different AUNE programs can see and discuss live the posted thoughts when and with whomever they feel comfortable. To clarify, the discussion will not be held in the bulletin board; that is, there will be no exchange of responses or dialog in the bulletin board, but rather these dialogs will occur outside because the bulletin board is only for post cards with answers to the given questions. In this way, a live one-on-one conversation is started, but it's not necessarily in a public forum. The conversation goes across classrooms, disciplines, and programs. It gives AUNE community members who might have something to say about a posted answer the chance to speak their mind.
Procedures for a Productive Conversation
Thoughts are expressed respectfully.
Expression of anger and other emotions is acceptable.
Expression of hatred is not acceptable. Hatred is a communication that carries no meaning other than the expression of hatred for a group of persons defined in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and the like.
Statements that overgeneralize about and demonize someone or some group are avoided.
Negative or positive encounters are to be reported, but without the promotion of negative or positive stereotypes.
Moderators will receive all post cards, approve them, and then upload them anonymously. Hard copy post cards will be typed by moderators and uploaded on to the bulletin board. In consultation with a AUNE supervisory board, moderators will not post clearly inappropriate statements (e.g., identifying or insulting a person/persons). Moderators will also not post statements that do not answer the questions on the given topic.
Threats to the safety and security of the school and the AUNE community or its individual members will be reported to the administrative leadership for needed action.
Submitted by:
Gargi Roysircar-Sodowsky, Professor of Clinical Psychology
Director, Antioch Multicultural Center for Research and Practice
Antioch University New England
[email protected]
Relevant Article References
This website was created by Naydine Johney, 1st yr. PsyD (Clinical Psychology) in the 2015 spring semester.