Events & Opportunities
November 17, 2019
Cancelled: Conversation Project: Hunger in Our Communities
Hunger and its related problems are steadily increasing in the state of Oregon. At the same time, many Oregonians experience pride from living in an area with such abundant and sustainable food production. How can these truths about our state—both the hunger and the abundance—coexist? To understand the root causes of why hunger exists in our communities, we must also look at how we view hunger. Do we see hunger as an individual problem or a systemic one? How does hunger affect our individual identities as well as our sense of community? Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead participants in a conversation to explore the connections between the constructed story of hunger and the current and possible solutions to end hunger. This event will take place in the Flora room.
3:00 p.m., Estacada Public Library, Estacada
November 19, 2019
Canceled: Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader
Popular understandings of leadership tell us that leaders look a certain way: they are in charge. They possess outward strength. They are extroverted and act pragmatically rather than emotionally. Perhaps most important, leaders are people in positions of authority and power. Join facilitator Pepe Moscoso for a conversation that explores an alternative view of leadership and asks, When are we leaders in our communities? How can our unique senses of self contribute to our roles as leaders? What do we have to offer that is needed? Participants will have the chance to ask these questions of themselves and to explore with their friends and neighbors what makes a great leader in their communities.
7:00 p.m., Columbia Ecovillage, Portland
November 19, 2019
Think & Drink on Today's Media Challenges
Local journalists will talk about the need for media literacy in these days of political divisiveness, social media, and national debates about truth. This panel discussion features Cathy Noah, former editor of the Medford Mail Tribune, and Geoffrey Riley, producer for Jefferson Exchange, among others. This event is cosponsored by Oregon Humanities.
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., The Urban Cork, Medford
November 21, 2019
Conversation Project: Can We Get Along?
In 1992, in the midst of riots sparked by the acquittal of police officers who brutally beat him, Rodney King asked, “Can we get along?” This iconic American question still resonates today. What is it that drives this question, and why can it be so difficult to answer? What holds us back from connecting with each other? How do our personal experiences contribute to—and have the potential to break down—these barriers? Join facilitator Chisao Hata as she holds space to examine our individual and collective questions on race, perspectives, and cultural values around what brings us together and what separates us. This conversation may include some hands-on activities. This conversation will take place in the Grange Hall. Admission is $5.
6:30 p.m., Columbia Grange 267, Corbett
November 25, 2019
Conversation Project: What Does It Mean to Be American?
The United States is a culturally diverse nation with residents who can trace their heritage to countries across the globe, and our diversity is projected to continue to increase over the next several decades. Given the differences of race, ethnicity, place, religion, wealth, language, education, and ideology that exist in the US, what are the things that unite us a nation? How do we understand what it means to be American and what we hold valuable? Join this conversation led by facilitator Ellen Knutson to share your ideas about what it means to be American and hear others’ ideas, to identify differences and points of connection that may lead us toward the ideal stated in our nation’s motto: E pluribus unum, out of many, one.
3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Garlington Health Center, Portland
December 2, 2019
Conversation Project: Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities. This event will take place at the Multnomah Arts Center in room 30.
7:00 p.m., Southwest Neighborhoods Inc, Portland
December 4, 2019
Conversation Project: Sentenced for a Season, Punished for Life
Many of us have grown up being told—and believing—that after a person serves their sentence for a crime, their slate is wiped clean. Every possibility exists for them to find a decent job, a decent apartment, a decent car. From there, they can go on to build a decent life. But the truth does not often bear out this scenario. A felony conviction can restrict travel options, licensing options for employment, housing, and financial aid, just to name a few. What does it mean to our society that 8 percent of our overall US population—and 33 percent of African American men—who have felony convictions run into these barriers after they serve time in prison? Join facilitator Pamela Slaughter in a conversation about how this reality affects our communities and what alternatives might look like.
1 p.m., Lake Oswego Adult Community Center, Lake Oswego
December 7, 2019
Conversation Project: Faith and Politics in Oregon and Beyond
While faith and politics have long been taboo subjects in polite conversation, it’s no secret that people’s political affiliations and support are often influenced by their faiths. At the same time, faith-based movements, such as the Religious Right of the 1980s, have exhibited great power in political arenas. How do our faith systems influence our political beliefs—and vice versa—today, both in Oregon and nationally? Join writer, educator, and former minister Russ Pierson in a conversation about how our religious ideas and political identities mix and what it means for our common life together. This event will take place in the Event Room.
3 p.m., North Bend Public Library, North Bend
December 9, 2019
Conversation Project: Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities. This conversation will take place in the Sellwood Library Meeting Room.
6:00 p.m., Multnomah County Library - Sellwood-Moreland Branch, Portland
December 10, 2019
Conversation Project: Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities.
1:00 p.m., Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Oregon, Eugene