Category Archives: Intentional Communities

This school year, women made up very nearly half of the roughly 28,000 students accepted to medical schools in the U.S., and about 46 percent of medical school graduates in 2016.

In Yakima, 48 percent of Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences current medical students are women. The past two graduating classes seesawed from 38 percent women in 2015 to 60 percent women in 2016.

Its a long way from the early 1980s, when barely a quarter of all medical school graduates were women. Meanwhile, nursing is roughly 90 percent women, and women physician assistants outnumber men nearly 2 to 1.

But health care leadership remains overwhelmingly male: A 2016 report by consulting firm Strategy& found that only 1.6 percent of CEOs in the health care industry were women. In Yakima, women hold a third or fewer of top executive positions at most major health organizations; only Yakima Neighborhood Health Services has a female CEO.

As poor patient outcomes, soaring costs and legislative uncertainty continue to plague U.S. health care, leaders say innovation is key to righting the system and innovation means new ideas from new people.

If we look around the table and we dont have all the voices represented, then Im not sure were going to figure out the best solutions, said Diane Patterson, chief clinical officer at Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital and longtime nurse.

That means more women, as well as more leaders from different cultures, socio-economic backgrounds and temperaments, she said.

One of four women in Memorials 12-person C-suite or top-level adminstrative team, Patterson has thought extensively about how to bring up more women to fill leadership roles.

How do we make sure that were supporting women in leadership, and what does that look like? she asks. And how do we create the dialogue to talk about that in a safe way, thats not threatening?

Gains in medical school parity still have not resulted in equal pay or parity in specialties, said American Medical Womens Association president Dr. Suzanne Harrison, who also is a professor and Family Medicine Education director at Florida State University College of Medicine.

Only a third of active state-licensed doctors are women, national data show, and the gender pay gap is huge: A recent JAMA article found that female orthopedic surgeons and cardiologists earn $41,000 and $34,000 less, respectively, than their male counterparts.

Cardiology, urology and orthopedic surgery see especially low rates of female practitioners. Health care data analyst firm Amino reported last year that women only outnumber men in pediatrics and gynecology.

Academic positions are still male-dominated, with women making up only about 16 percent of medical school deans and 22 percent of tenured professors, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. And federal research grants go more often to male doctors than women.

Everything is just that much more difficult for women to achieve, Harrison said.

Even fewer leadership positions are held by women of color.

As an industry we struggle because we dont have (leadership) populations that reflect our community, said up-and-coming leader Bertha Lopez, senior director for community health and planning at Memorial. I think from a person of color, its hard for you to picture yourself in those roles because you dont have a lot of people that look like you, so youre paving the way.

While leadership methods differ from person to person and cant be ascribed solely to one gender or another, Women bring a different style of leadership to the table, Harrison said.

Where men tend more toward authoritative, top-down leadership, broadly speaking, (Women) bring that collaborative nature to the table and in their project planning, their care of patients, she said. We tend to listen to what peoples struggles are and hear them before we make a decision, rather than just deciding.

But it can take a critical mass of about 30 percent women at the table in order for women to feel comfortable displaying a different kind of leadership, and getting women into those roles can be a catch-22, says Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic chief human resource officer Lisa Picatti.

Many studies have shown that women dont tend to seek higher-level positions until they see women in higher-level positions in their organization, she said.

Lopez said shed like to see more outreach into the community so current female leaders can be visible examples to young women, particularly in communities of color.

We have groups of people that really cant picture themselves in higher skilled jobs or going to college, because their parents may have never been talking about it at home, or they couldnt help dream that, she said. She grew up a child of immigrant farmworkers, moving to Zillah at 15, and attributes much of her success to a high school counselor, Ms. Maldonado, who helped her apply to college.

I do think there needs to be intentional or purposeful mentorship programs that are developed in communities, as well as more diverse representation on hospital boards and in executive positions, she said.

But in the workforce, women often disqualify themselves from seeking weightier roles if they feel they dont match the job description 100 percent, Picatti said.

My advice to an organization would be to really look at the key competencies that theyre seeking for those key C-suite roles, and be very careful about gender bias when theyre listing their key traits, and instead, add some of the key traits that women are good at, such as empathy, collaboration and emotional intelligence, Picatti said.

Those arent just touchy-feely buzzwords, she says: Employee productivity and output is greatest when employees are happy, and a major determinant of morale is a good relationship with supervisors. If supervisors dont have the emotional intelligence to cultivate good relationships, the overall business will suffer.

And as health care increasingly emphasizes wraparound services and patient-centered medical homes, with different specialists meeting daily to discuss patient care plans, the ability to collaborate across departments becomes even more crucial.

Historically, women are the caregivers of society, says Terra Palomeraz, interim chief nursing officer at Toppenish Community Hospital.

Thats what we do, she said. People definitely perform better in whatever role you give them in a business when they feel cared for, and so I think again not to put anyone in a box but I think in general, women have an amazing capacity to provide care to one another, to the people they consider their responsibility.

That doesnt mean men cannot also be empathetic, collaborative leaders; many female leaders in Yakima cited male role models who encouraged them all throughout their careers.

And those women never waited to see themselves reflected in leadership roles before charging ahead, either.

Dr. Vicki Black was the second person hired at Community Health of Central Washingtons residency program in 1993, where she served as its first residency director and later chief medical officer of the clinic before retiring in 2012.

When she graduated from Loyola Universitys medical school in 1974, she was one of 15 women out of a class of 125.

Though she may have faced gender discrimination during her career such as not getting her first-choice residency match after interviewing at 81/2 months pregnant she never paid any attention, she says.

I sort of have my path of where I want to go and I keep pushing for it, she said. Im somebody who likes leadership positions. In organizations and clubs I belonged to, I tended to end up being the president, including of the Washington State Rural Health Association.

While Black doesnt believe leadership traits are solely male or female, she thinks women still undervalue themselves in the marketplace and need better training in aspects such as pay negotiation to be more assertive.

Though women who are parents today may face greater demands on their time than mothers in the past, she hopes they dont shy away from taking on responsibilities in committees and other career-building opportunities. Black had her children during medical school and residency.

I worry a little that now because there are so many women in medicine, but they somehow feel like they cant have it all or they cant have a family and a full-time career too I dont know what to tell them, because I think they can, she said.

Supporting women in health care, not just in leadership, includes greater flexibility for women to achieve better work-life balance, leaders say.

Palomarez does a self-care check with a fellow woman who supervises, giving themselves permission to go home at a reasonable hour in the evening, because whether youre at home or at work, theres always going to be more work to be done, she said.

She earned her nursing degree while working two jobs with two children at home. The balance has remained challenging as shes moved up the ladder: As women, were in these roles where we do hold leadership positions and we can do phenomenal work; but we dont want to let go of those opportunities at home to be the caregiver.

Anita Monoian was a single parent preparing to move her family to Seattle when the CEO role at Neighborhood Health was thrust upon her in 1979, after shed spent a few weeks writing a grant for the clinic. Neighborhood Health was founded by a woman in 1975.

In those days, women were nurses and office managers but rarely decision-makers, she said. There were only a few female doctors in the Valley.

Sometimes it was exciting to be the sole woman in the room for meetings, but other times, she said, You realized that the real conversations were going on when you werent present, because women just dont understand these important things.

Major discussion topics at the time included immunization of schoolchildren and womens access to birth control. Moving into the 1980s, Monoian said, community health centers took a lead role in treating HIV/AIDS patients, who were often rebuffed by other physicians.

The decisions involved in building up community health care were daunting.

I had not given this any thought 38 years ago, she said, but, how different it is when you have diversity at the table; how much more productive it is.

And I dont just mean male-female: If you can bring true diversity to the table, youre going to be more productive, she said. But thats not always easy to do.

Read this article:

Yakima Valley women contribute to boom in health care industry - Yakima Herald-Republic

Coffee has a complicated global path from farm to cup. Oaklands Red Bay Coffee aims to demystify that path and make coffee a vehicle for connection, social justice, and economicempowerment.

With a background as an artist and activist, Bay Area native Keba Konte co-founded Guerilla Caf in North Berkeley in 2005,sourcing coffee from Blue Bottle and produce from local farms, while building a young and diverse workforce. In 2012, he expanded that concept to San Francisco, starting Chasing Lions Caf on the CCSFcampus.

Next, Keba decided to apply his experience as a barista, maker, and entrepreneur to building a roastery in Oakland, with a focus on social justice and creating good jobs for Oakland residents. He took classes, watched YouTube videos, and built a coffee lab in his garage, where he honed his skills roasting small batches of beans to perfection. With the help of a crowdfunding campaign, he launched Red Bay Coffee in 2014. The company is now 17 employees strong, with a roastery-warehouse in Fruitvale, a shipping container caf in Uptown Oakland, and growing retail distribution.

Most recently, Red Bay added Jack London Square Farmers Market to their roster of locations. We talked with Keba about Red Bays vision for making expertly roasted coffee equitable, sustainable, and delicious forall.

What led you to found Red BayCoffee?

I launched Red Bay with a mission to bring beautiful coffee to the people. What I mean by that is that I really wanted to open up the specialty coffee industry to folks who have barriers to entry. I wanted to bring more diversity and inclusion to the industry like I did with Guerilla Caf and Chasing Lions. Red Bay Coffee is a culmination of that work. Even as an artist, I was a community organizer and activist, so social justice has always been something that was important to me and to my family. I also wanted to make coffee a lot more accessible to the public and create welcoming spaces for people who dont know anything about specialtycoffee.

People dont always think about where coffee comes from, and how it gets from the farm to the cup. In terms of social justice, how are you thinking about that global distributionchain?

Coffee is a global commodity, and there are a lot of people involved. A single cup of coffee has gone through so many hands and processes, so when you get a decent cup, its a phenomenonso many things really had to go right. I would also say that coffee is an industry that has been notorious for exploitation. A lot of people have been exploited around the world for commodities such as coffee and sugar for centuriesslavery, quite frankly. Now that coffee has reached this gourmet level of fetish, and people are paying a really high price for it, I think about the people who are really breaking their backs growing their coffee. Thats something I really careabout.

The specialty coffee industry has developed some innovative practices to bring more value or equity to the farmers. For example, we practice direct tradeat Red Bay, which puts more money in the farmers pockets. But when you look at where coffee is grown, in Africa, Central America, South America, and Southeast Asia, the people who are growing coffee and the descendants of those farmers are poorly represented in the rest of the specialty coffee industry. After it leaves the farm from export to import to grocers to coffee shops to the equipment makers to vendors, its a huge multibillion-dollar industry. The movement to create more inclusion and diversity bridges thegap.

How does inclusion fit into Red Bays business model and employeepractices?

The question I had to ask myself is, What are we doing as an industry to bring more equity to the baristas and other workers on this side of the industry, no matter what color they are? For example, through companywide profit-sharing incentives, our employees share 10% of the profits we make, which is about equity here in the Bay Area, where gentrification is really rampant. As an entrepreneur, one role I can play is helping people stay, and the way I can do it is by trying to provide livable wagejobs.

Also, there are folks who have been locked out of a lot of industries and are deserving of a second chance. Weve intentionally hired many formerly incarcerated employees, who have served as baristas and coffee roasters, from management level to production workers. We also work with foster youth and aged-out foster youth, who are now part of the Red Bayfamily.

Specialty coffee can be intimidating. How does your work at Red Bay help to make it more approachable andinclusive?

We are very intentional in training our frontline staff to keep it light and fun, and not take ourselves too seriously. We also do free public cuppings and tours at our warehouse. We have a lot people who are first-time coffee drinkers. Weve converted people who were not interested in coffee because of the culture around it. And even people who drink regular coffee, who dont know that there is a difference between coffees, they start tasting the single-origin Sumatra as opposed to a blend, trying them side by side and noticing how dramatic the flavors and profiles canbe.

What are your go-to Red Bay coffees that you recommend topeople?

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. It has the most variety of coffee than any other origin on the planet. We have a medium-roast Ethiopian coffee we call Kings Prize that might be my go-to. Also, East Fourteenth, which is a darker roast. Those are a couple winners that will always make peoplehappy.

Can you tell us about the artwork associated with eachcoffee?

The artwork is street art from the countries where the coffee is from, such as Rwanda, Colombia, Tanzania. Thats a lot of fun to see. It broadens peoples perspectives about that origin country and provides context. I think its important to take people off the farm and into thecommunities.

Whats next for RedBay?

Were opening a caf inside of our headquarters in Fruitvale this summer. Were also building a beautiful aquaponic garden across the street, where people can take their drinks and sit next to the train tracks. I have an aquaponic garden in my yard, and I really enjoy introducing it to people. When they see it for the first time and they get the concept, its such a mind blow. In this time of water scarcity, its an important lesson in the cyclical nature of theuniverse.

People talk about the current specialty coffee movement as a third wave. Whats your vision for the fourthwave?

I think that the fourth wave of coffee is not just about what we do, but its about how we do it, who we do it with, and the impact on the community and the environment. Whats happening at the roastery and caf level is kind of tapped out in terms of innovation. Id say the next movement in coffee on a technical level is going to happen on the farm, where there are some really interesting things happening that are going to have the greatest impact on a cup of coffee. But in the overall industry, I think fourth wave is about us coming together and using this multibillion-dollar platform to raise our communities up and sharemore.

EVENT: DARK ROAST May 13, 12pm-4pm Celebrate Community with a coffee-rubbed Whole Lamb BBQ & Day Party with Oaklands Red Bay Coffee, Peoples Kitchen Collective, Reems California & Proof, Oaklands Bottle Shop. Red Bay Coffee HQ, 3098 E. 10th Street, Oakland. FREE ADMISSION

Find Red Bay Coffee selling freshly brewed cups and coffee beans at Jack London Square Farmers Market onSundays.

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Red Bay in Oakland Creates Community through Beautiful Coffee - KQED

Recently two news items disturbed me. One is about the alleged threats a Dalit writer received in Rajastan two years after she wrote a book on Maharana Pratap the brave Hindu chieftain who fought against Mughal aggression. The title of her book, in Hindi, translates to Maharana Pratap was not a Kshatriya or Rajput but a Bhil Rajputra. The mischievous binary of Bhil versus Kshatriya is either because of ignorance or perhaps it was intentional.

The colonial ghost of Herbert Risley still haunts our academic realms and affects our perceptions. During the colonial era, Risley wanted to use pseudo-scientific morphological indicators like the cephalic nasal index to categorise Indian communities into pigeonholes. The communities were broadly classified into two the non-Aryan tribal population and the Aryan caste population. As Risley explicitly stated, the aim of this project of classification was to detach considerable masses of non-Aryans from the general body of Hindus.

Yes, there were forest-dwelling communities and there were agrarian and urban communities. However, the boundaries were undefined and porous. Organic linkages existed not just in terms of trade and economic activities but also genes and culture. Genetic studies have repeatedly showed linkages between so-called caste and tribal societies. They come from the same stalk. They are not two different categories but one continuum. For example, this 2007 study points out the autochthonous differentiation of the genetic structure of the caste and tribal populations in South Asia. Again, this 2009 paper published in the Journal of Human Genetics, speaks about a tribal link to Indian Brahmins.

So, even if Maharana Pratap was a Bhil, he could still be a Kshatriya. So what is the problem? Why should they object to the Bhil origin of Maharana Pratap?

Organisations like the Karni Sena, which allegedly threatened and abused the writer over the phone, try to exploit misunderstood community pride through vote-bank politics to further their interests. Usually such organisations, which ultimately divide the Hindu society, are also one of the traditional tools of those forces which want the society to remain divided as vote banks fighting against each other. Like Risleys anthropology, this divide-and-rule policy is also a colonial legacy. The British used such caste-based antagonism to weaken the freedom movement. In independent India, the pseudo-secular forces have inherited this British legacy. They use such organisations to keep Hindus a political minority.

The building of the Kshatriya as a political vote-bank identity is an evil gift of Nehruvian secular politics. In North India, Congress devised the KHAM formula Kshatriya/Harijan/Adivasi/Muslim. This identity politics has been endorsed by the left and secular intellectuals. For this formula to function, the term Kshatriya should be construed as referring to some castes and Adivasi as a separate category referring to some other communities and each as having separate political, cultural identities and interests. This is exactly what the British colonialists and missionaries wanted and this is exactly what Mahatma Gandhi opposed.

Today, the Congress and the secular left have embraced the colonial game. So those who consider themselves Rajputs should now see this problem in perspective. The honour of Maharana Pratap never suffered because of his alignment with Bhils in fact, it is because of his alignment with the Bhils against the alien oppressor. His honour did become suspect when he seemed to yield to the alien invader. So a Bhil origin for Maharana Pratap as such is actually welcome. It is the secularists who should be alarmed at the impact of such a narrative gaining currency among the Hindu society.

Equally disturbing is the Internet Hindus reaction to pop star Katy Perrys publishing of the image of Kali with the caption "current mood" on Instagram. The Internet Hindu community reacted angrily with comments numbering almost 12,000. While this writer himself has criticised the Western Christian insensitivity to Pagan spiritual traditions in general, and Hindu spirituality in particular, in this case I think we have reacted rather harshly and hastily. It is not uncommon even in our social and domestic environments for our womenfolk to express their mood as reflecting that of Kali. It is a common expression in many Indian languages. So when I see a Western woman using the image of Kali to represent her current mood, that may actually be a good thing qualities of Kali do reflect in certain moods of the feminine. This shows the extent to which the West is slowly becoming Paganised again, and it is happening through Hinduism. It is more an opportunity for Hindus to help the West rediscover its lost Pagan spiritual roots rather than consider this an insult to the Goddess.

Hindus do sometimes exhibit a short fuse. It is natural as we are a society under siege, as late Sitaram Goel explains often. And I write this as a fellow Hindu and not as a secular holier than thou preacher. As a society under siege both from within and without, we need to be intelligent. That is how we can convert every challenge into an opportunity to strengthen and spread Dharma.

See original here:

Check The Outrage, Please: Don't Get Into Fights Over Imagined Insults - Swarajya

"We must find a way to make policing more fair, equitable and safe for all Nashville residents."

District Attorney Glenn Funk during a press conference about the Jocques Clemmons shooting on ThursdaySteven Hale

Reaction to the news that Metro Officer Josh Lippert will not face criminal charges for shooting and killing Jocques Clemmons came first from the same podium Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk used to announce it.

In a remarkable move, Funk gave a microphone at his press conference to two people who did not hide their disappointment in his decision and frustration with law enforcement in Nashville.

"It's extremely disappointing to have no charges filed against Officer Lippert in this case," said Pastor Jon Faison of Watson Grove Missionary Baptist Church. "This will continue to impact the community's lack of trust in MNPD and the belief that officers are not held to the same level of accountability as citizens, particularly citizens of color. However, I do respect the findings as they were delivered and I do applaud our mayor for the courage to be proactive. I applaud District Attorney Funk and his team for their work in this case. I also concur with their four critiques of the MNPD reporting policy, as I believe these flawed reporting policies give credence to the perception of flawed policing practices executed by MNPD.

"Ladies and gentleman the incident at hand is not of one incident. The issue is one of culture. Peter Drucker once stated that culture eats strategy for breakfast. The culture of MNPD must change."

After Faison spoke, Rasheedat Fetuga of Gideon's Army the group behind last year's "Driving While Black" report was invited to speak. She said she stood in solidarity with the Clemmons family and cited Lippert's disciplinary record with the MNPD, which includes two suspensions for use of force.

"Because of that, it is definitely imperative that we look at firing Officer Lippert and getting him off of the streets," she said. "I also know that there are people who haven't come forward who are afraid because of the way that they have been treated by him and because the system is so big and the people are so small."

Fraternal Order of Police president James Smallwood also spoke. Not surprisingly, he praised Funk's decision.

"The tedious study of evidence that determined the facts led us to the truth that is before us today. Officer Joshua Lippert reasonably feared for his life and acted within the confines of his training, departmental policy and the law," Smallwood said. "We are confident that no stone was left unturned and that the investigation was conducted by all parties in a fair and unbiased manner. The community can rest easy in the fact that Nashville's officers are and will continually be held to the highest of standards. And Nashville's police officers can rest easy knowing that they if they follow their training, they follow their policy and they follow the law that their actions will be found justified."

More reaction and official statements below:

Mayor Megan Barry

To all of the many men and women who have diligently investigated the shooting on February 10th that claimed the life of Jocques Clemmons, I want to thank you for your hard work and your resolve to seek the truth about what happened on that fateful day.

And as Mayor, I know that decisions about justice must be made impartially and based on the facts and on the laws.

I know General Funk has thoroughly reviewed this case through a lens to ensure that if any criminal wrong-doing took place, it would be appropriately punished. General Funk has gone further than any prosecutor before him in ensuring that a shooting death caused by an officer be independently investigated as a way to promote the trust and confidence of the entire community.

Throughout this process, myself, Chief Anderson, and General Funk have been very intentional in not drawing conclusions until the case could be thoroughly investigated and the facts established.

Now that the District Attorney has closed the criminal case, there will be an administrative review of Officer Lipperts actions to determine if the situation was handled appropriately and whether any disciplinary action is warranted, or if there needs to be any changes to policies, training, or procedure as a result of this incident.This has been a challenging time for our city.

Over the last few weeks and months following the shooting, Ive met with members of the community from the family of Jocques Clemmons, to the NAACP, to clergy, to business people and African-American youth. One message has been consistent - a desire for positive actions not just in the area of policing but in equity and inclusion, opportunity and empowerment, in knowing that leaders in our government care - and want to do the right thing.

There are some in our community who are fearful or distrustful of the police, and we still have work to do as a government to promote greater support and trust and transparency which we are seeking to address through accountability initiatives such as body-worn cameras and through community policing initiatives such as foot patrols to promote more familiarity between police officers and citizens.

General Funk has also outlined some suggested initiatives that may or may not be directly related to this case but he feels should be further reviewed going forward - Some of which we have already begun addressing.Weve established an MOU with the TBI, MNDP, and DA so that in the future, police shootings that result in a death will be investigated solely by the TBI.

We have taken action to promote more diversity and inclusive hiring practices within the MNPD so we have a force that better reflects the composition of our city.The mayors office, along with the Police Department, has been working closely with Judge Sheila Calloway on Restorative Diversion programs for our youth.But we can always do more and we can always do better as a government, as a community, as a people - to be a more equitable and to be more inclusive and to make sure that every citizen IS safe, every citizen feels safe, and every citizen has trust in our Police Department and government to serve them and to protect them equally.

Many people, including me, acknowledge that there are systemic issues in our criminal justice system that need to be addressed. Often - interaction with our police is a persons entry point into the criminal justice system, and that is where we should begin to look at reform.

I, however, see a bigger picture. The majority of crime is rooted in poverty, and while we have to begin to reform the criminal justice system, we also have to make bigger and better strides to reduce and eliminate poverty in our most vulnerable communities. Improving policing is part of the solution and is important, but providing access to quality, affordable housing, providing access to better jobs and financial empowerment, providing access to high quality education - can greatly reduce everyones chances of having a law enforcement encounter with a police officer.

And since I came into office 19 months ago, were focused on just that the bigger picture.

General Funks decision not to bring criminal charges against Officer Lippert does not close or end those conversations. We must endeavor to ensure that all voices and opinions are heard regarding the laws and policies that govern us all. There are no easy or quick answers, and the conversations can sometimes be difficult and painful, but I have confidence in our Nashville community that we can move forward in a way that makes us a stronger city for all.

ACLU-TN

"No matter the result of these investigations, Mr. Clemmons' death was a tragedy. Regardless of whether or not the facts should have resulted in criminal charges, at the end of the day Mr. Clemmons should still be alive. Far too many Black people have died at the hands of law enforcement across this country.

The district attorney's decision not to bring charges against the officer who shot and killed Jocques Clemmons leaves behind a cloud of profound and unsettling questions for the city of Nashville. If Officer Lippert did not violate the law, then is anyone responsible for Jocques Clemmons' death? How can we stop the escalation of conflict that brings discretionary stops which happen more frequently to Black people in virtually every patrol zone in the city to tragic endings? How will the city and the police department ensure that a tragedy like this does not happen in the future?

We must find a way to make policing more fair, equitable and safe for all Nashville residents.

We repeat our call to city leaders for basic reforms, including the swift deployment of police body cameras, with policies in place to protect privacy and to ensure public access to footage related to the use of excessive force. We urge the police chief to pursue comprehensive review by an independent body of the department's tactics, training and investigatory protocol, particularly as they relate to racial profiling, implicit bias and de-escalation. We also call once again on the city to establish an independent community oversight board, with robust power to investigate and hold law enforcement accountable.

Additionally, we applaud and support Attorney General Funk's recommendations for reforms, which we believe will help move our city toward justice, fairness and equal treatment for all Nashvillians.We urge the mayor and police chief to support these reforms to stem the erosion of community-police relations and to promote basic accountability and transparency."

NAACP chapter president, Ludye Wallace:

"Its a sad day. Its a bay day today. It was a bad day Feb. 10," he said. "It didnt have to happen, and this city calling itself the 'it' city there are things that this city can be doing and shall do and I think this coalition is here to hold everybody accountable. We cant continue to let these kinds of things happen."

Read more from the original source:

Officials, Community React to DA's Decision Not to Charge Cop in Clemmons Shooting - Nashville Scene

Spring is the busiest time of year for Derrin Slack. In April, he managed 21 service projects.

The executive director of ProAct, an Indianapolis nonprofit, works with kids ages 10 to 18 to connect them with community projects so the youth gain skills and confidence while the community benefits from their work.

Seven years ago, when Slack was 22, he founded the organization, and hes been steadily building it since. It now employs a director of social engagement and several site leaders and interns.

Youth workers like Slack are deeply committed to a mission, but focusing strongly on the needs of others can often leave youth workers themselves unsustained.

As a youth worker, we get so caught up in other peoples problems that we forget our own [needs], he said.

Last year, however, Slack took time to attend four three-day retreats that support youth workers professional development and help them renew and recharge.

The retreats are led by The Journey, an Indiana nonprofit that supports the renewal and professionalization of youth workers, which also created Thank a Youth Worker Day in 2009. The day is celebrated internationally on May 11 this year.

Through the gatherings, Slack shared his experiences with a broad range of people in the field, including attorneys who advocate for youth.

It was time to be around like-minded individuals who understand how youth work is, he said. It was time to step back to remind myself why I do what I do.

Youth workers can sometimes feel alone, Slack said. Other people doing different work may not understand.

The biggest takeaway [from the retreats], Slack said, is that Its OK to take the time out for myself.

When Slack needs to wind down, he writes in a journal, reads for pleasure or catches up with friends.

But he said he has also changed the culture of his organization.

ProAct encourages its staff to attend conferences and to take time for self-renewal to focus on a personal goal, spend time with family or simply rest, he said.

The organization now includes a strengths-finder assessment when staff come on board and a process for certification through the Child and Youth Care Certification Institute.

ProAct engages youth in community service projects that allow them to develop skills and confidence. Kids 10 to 18 organize projects, plan events, handle logistics, meet new people and learn about neighborhoods beyond their own.

The idea for ProAct was born when Slack was a college student. Along with 19 other football players at Wabash College, he took part in a mission trip to Botswana.

It ignited a fire in me, he said.

He said he realized then that every person has something of value that can help others.

But he didnt see any organizations that were connecting disadvantaged youth to others in order to build the kids character and self-esteem through community service.

He developed ProAct as an out-of-school-time program giving youth the opportunity to build and support the community.

In ProActs after-school and Saturday programs, kids learn how to plan events, handle logistics and gather information. They learn about communities outside of their own and gain understanding of the issues in different neighborhoods.

Young people are not the recipient of community service, but creators and performers of it, according to ProAct.

They become more informed, reflective and intentional, according to the organization.

They build confidence and self-esteem, Slack said.

And the youth workers who support them should also find support through ProAct to develop professionally and personally, Slack believes.

Read more here:

Thank a Youth Worker Day: Self-renewal Important for Those Who Champion Kids, Nonprofit Founder Says - Youth Today

Notes from the Field includes reports from young people volunteering in ministries of Catholic sisters. A partnership withCatholic Volunteer Network, the project began in the summer of 2015. This is our fifth round of bloggers: Katie Delaney is a Good Shepherd Volunteer withthe Fundacin Madre Josefa (Mother Joseph Foundation)inSantiago, Chile, and Lauren Magee is a Good Shepherd Volunteerat Hands of Hope, an income-generating project that provides dignified employment for villagers living with HIV/AIDS in Nong Khai, Thailand.

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Good Shepherd Volunteers live under the four tenets of social justice, spirituality, simplicity and community. Many aspects of the program challenge and encourage growth within the tenets, but it is the responsibility of individuals to pursue opportunities provided and reflect upon these values in their daily lives.

A variety of social justice issues are intertwined in all of our service sites. Simplicity is promoted in our modest stipend; and weekly reflections, quotes and prayers foster spiritual awareness. Traditionally, the tenet of community is defined by living alongside fellow Good Shepherd Volunteers, sharing in your experience and committing yourselves to one another.

This held true my first year with the Good Shepherd Volunteers, but since beginning my second year in Thailand, my community has been outside the norm.

I try to live without too many expectations because life is unpredictable, but I've learned that sometimes expectations are subconscious, and you don't realize you have them until they are unfulfilled.

I accepted my position atHands of Hopewith the knowledge that I would be joining a married couple, John and Susan Freund, who had been serving in Nong Khai for a year. The arrangement was for them to overlap with me and another Good Shepherd Volunteer for six months, and the two of us would complete our year as a pair.

However, we were unable to secure a fourth volunteer, and suddenly my future community in the program became uncertain. I had already met the Freunds at my first orientation, and the unique dynamics this new community would require did not intimidate me. I was confident we could thrive as a trio, and we did!

Lotte says farewell to the Garden Community and receives a gift from a special patient. (Lauren Magee)

But as I looked ahead to their departure, I felt insecure. Since I moved to Thailand in August, I only knew how to live there with them by my side.

I was open to the idea of continuing alone, but eight months seemed extensive. As my conversations with staff continued, fate intervened and brought a Danish volunteer named Lotte into consideration. She had a job commitment starting in the spring, so her time at the care center was limited to three months. Her background in nursing was an asset, and her presence undoubtedly helped ease the transition of John and Susan's departure. She arrived Feb. 1, only a day after John and Susan left.

A week has passed since Lotte left the community. I have never lived alone and, as a womanobsessed with intentional communities, I never planned to. Community has given me confidence and understanding in who I am in relation to others. But now is the time to learn who I am with just myself.

When the opportunity arose, I couldn't seem to turn down the challenge. I have just finished my first week alone, and I'm not naive enough to think these next five months will be as smooth, but I'm hopeful.

I'm sure I'll miss many things: speaking English at home, sharing the responsibilities of cooking and cleaning, gathering every night around the dinner table, sharing with a fellow volunteer the struggle of understanding Thai cultural norms, and simply learning about someone else's day and sharing my own. I continuously miss John, Susan and Lotte, not only because of what they did, but because of who they are.

But sometimes we need deficits to open ourselves up for growth.

A traditional offering at a Buddhist temple in Vientiane, Laos. Many bring food or flowers to the spirits at the temple in return for their blessing. (Lauren Magee)

The truth is, it's impossible for me to truly be alone. I live among a large group of patients, families and staff who are always caring for me. They've witnessed countless volunteers adjust to different living situations, but it makes them uneasy to think I won't have a partner with a similar cultural background to confide in as I finish my service here.

I understand that culture has a huge influence on behavior and self-identity, but more and more, I find similarities between my personality and that of the patients, Hands of Hope producers and Thai staff. These similarities overshadow many of our differences.

Humor is my favorite tool in building connections, and physical comedy appears to be universal. I can laugh alongside the patients when someone goofs around during daily exercises or when someone tries a facial mask for the first time, appearing with black goo all over their face.

We can all dance together in harmony, enjoying both Thai and Western songs while combining traditional Thai hand movements with the style of American hip-hop. I exchange recipes with those who enjoy cooking and bring my food experiments over for everyone to try.

Two members of the Garden Community collect fish before the pond dries up. Lifestyles may differ, but the goals are always the same. (Lauren Magee)

The community also maintains a responsibility for the well-being of one another and a protection from hardship that can be prevented. We may not share the same religion, but we pray together every day with gratitude for the gifts we have and the health and happiness of one another.

More than anything else, there is a common thread of love wrapped around everyone who enters that is impossible to cut loose.

Additionally, I see pieces of myself in all of the patients and producers, and I see my friends and family reflected in their faces. I often compare their personalities and unique traits to others in my life, and it makes me feel closer to them, as though my loved ones are here with me. I see the same sassiness and passion for life in our teenagers as I did in the teens I worked with in New York City, and the Hands of Hope producers nurture me just as my mother would do. I see my own stubbornness and immaturity in a few of the patients, as well as my creativity and compassion for others. My own fears are reflected back at me, but my strength is, as well.

Expecting four, moving to three, starting anew as two, then living alone has been a whirlwind of transitions, but at this point in my experience, I don't need another foreigner by my side to relate to. Versions of myself and of those I hold dear surround me. I find peace in this familiarity.

[Lauren Magee is a Good Shepherd Volunteer at Hands of Hope, an income-generating project that provides dignified employment for villagers living with HIV/AIDS in Nong Khai, Thailand.]

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Life is unpredictable, and so is community - Global Sisters Report (blog)

May 8, 2017

By: Kimberly Luste Maran, North American Division News

For the past 11 years Joan Payne, a nurse practitioner and member of the Westvale Seventh-day Adventist Church in Syracuse, New York, United States, has coordinated Nurses Sabbath, typically held on the first Saturday of May. The timing for the event, which celebrates nurses in the congregation and the local community, is intentional. National Nurses Week in the United States is held May 6 through May 12.

Almost 400 people attended this years special event on April 29, which many heard about through friends and family. Each year weve expanded, says Payne. This year two guest speakers delivered messages on Sabbath, followed by a fellowship dinner and a panel-type session in the afternoon for pastors, nurses, and others interested in the topic.

Faith Community Nursing

Angeline David, Health Ministries director for the North American Division church region, and Betsy Johnson, president of the Adventist Association of Faith Community Nursing and the faith community nurse employed by the Emmanuel Brinklow Seventh-day Adventist Church in Maryland, United States, spoke to attendees during the churchs morning services. Both highlighted the importance of health ministry outreach at the local church and shared information on faith community nursinga movement that seeks to integrate faith and nursing practices to create healthier communities.

Johnson believes that Adventists need a rejuvenation on how health ministries can partner with the spiritual ministry of our churches. She says, This is our mandate and I believe weve lost sight of that over the years. An event like this is very refreshing. And empowering.

David is excited to celebrate the nurses within the Adventist church and faith community. Nurses Sabbath is not only to honor the work that our nurses do within the church as members, but its also an outreach to the nurses in the community who attend this event, she says. This gives us another opportunity to bridge with them, to show that the Seventh-day Adventist Church cares for them, and values their profession.

For Payne, who has been a faith community nurse at Westvale for one year, Nurses Sabbath serves multiple purposes. Nurses work hard, says Payne. They have to be jacks-of-all-trades these days and grounded in many areas. This program honors them for their commitment. And its a great witnessing opportunitywe get people to our church who otherwise wouldnt come, but will come because it is a special Sabbath for nurses.

Consecrated for Service

Westvales pastor Seong Cho agrees. As Adventists, we have many professionals in the medical field, he says. The next step is to consecrate them for the work they are doing. What a great way to minister to peoplenot just physically, but spiritually.

Its a dynamic partnership that will be able to help meet the needs of the church and well as the community.

Cho sees incredible potential for ministry through faith community nursing in his own churchthrough their soon-to-be-revamped community service center, which works with the local food bank one day a month to help feed 27 families. It would be wonderful to have a faith community nurse there on that day to administer blood pressure checks and ask the people how they are doing health-wise, he says. It will be a time when well be connecting with the community face to face.

Cho explains that the Adventist Church cannot be exclusive. We are placedinthe community to make connectionwiththe community, to love them, says Cho. We are part of the life of the community; that means in every aspect in the community. Part of meeting those needs is to provide health advice and directions.

Cho believes Adventists can no longer be the back-seat driver when it comes to health messages in the world today. Other groups are taking the message and driving it home, says Cho. What are Adventists doing? We need to get back into the drivers seat and carry the health message to the world.

David is aware of the limitations the Church faces. One of them is that the Church is not on the ground in every community. Thats where our local churches come in, she says. They are the ones who can really impact the community. David explains how much they value that partnership with local churches, conferences, and broader church regions. Theyre the ones who can take resources and take the information and make it real, make it personal, and make it relevant to their community, she says.

And taking it to the community is the key, says Johnson. Faith community nursing is the ability to take the spirituality of our church and inoculate that into the community while taking the resources from the community and bringing that into our faith community as a church, she says. Its a dynamic partnership that will be able to help meet the needs of the church as well as the community.

Pieter Damsteegt contributed to this article.

See the rest here:

Adventist Review Online | Nurses Honored on Special Sabbath - Adventist Review

Bram Berkowitz bberkowitz@wickedlocal.com @BramBerkoWL

After more than four months of intense debate, Arlington is a sanctuary community.

Town Meeting members on Monday, May 8 overwhelmingly voted in favor of the non-binding Trust Act resolution, endorsing the Arlington Police Departments current community policing practices.

The measure passed, 173-19, after one person for and one person against the resolution were allowed 10 minutes each to speak.

With this vote, the town is making a statement that municipal officials will not detain undocumented immigrants for violating federal immigration law unless there is a legitimate law enforcement reason for detention besides a persons immigration status.

This resolution supports existing practices of the Arlington Police Department and represents a strong statement of federalism, said Selectmen Chairman Joseph Curro, speaking on behalf of those in favor of the resolution. Like it or not, we are taking part in a much broader national debate.

Trust Act resolution

The initial warrant article language for Article 59 included the term sanctuary town.

But in a fact sheet passed out to Town Meeting members on May 8, the Human Rights Commission, which co-sponsored the article with the Board of Selectmen, titled the article Trust Act resolution.

In our recommended language, the word 'sanctuary' does not appear at all, said Curro. This is intentional.

First, said Curro, there is no consistent legal definition for a sanctuary town.

Second, the town wants to distinguish this resolution from the sanctuary movement in the 1980s when communities provided material support for Central American refugees, he said.

Still, the fact sheet does describe the policies laid out in the Trust Act resolution as the same as those of sanctuary communities.

The debate

The passage of article 59, although receivinglarge support from Town Meeting members, ends a hotly contested argument over whattaking on sanctuary status would mean for the town.

Just a few days after selectman first discussed the idea at one of their meetings earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to crack down on communities that do not comply with federal immigration authorities by pulling federal funding.

This was of great concern by many because Arlington receives millions in federal funding every year, and has an extremely tight budget.

The threats seemed to subside after a federal judge in San Francisco recently blocked the Trump administrations order to withhold funding from communities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities.

Opposition

But that didnt alleviate the fears of some in town opposed to the resolution.

Joseph Monju of Precinct 17, speaking on behalf of those against the resolution, presented three reasons for why Town Meeting members should vote down the resolution: Public safety, fiscal responsibility and public health.

Monju argued that passing this resolution would welcome more undocumented immigrants that are likely to commit more crimes like human and drug trafficking, which would take a toll on police.

Weve all pledged to vote in the best interest of the town and not in the best interest of those who seek refuge in Arlington, he said, adding that this question should really be voted on in a ballot referendum. You have freely taken an oath that does not afford you the luxury to vote in manner that feels good. Please do not violate your oath of office.

Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan previously told the public that over the past five years, only one of the 1,000 criminal arrests made by the department involved an immigration detention request, which federal officials chose not to act on.

In addition, when someone is arrested for a crime, they will still be entered into a computer system that checks for and notifies federal authorities about their immigration status, according to the fact sheet from the Human Rights Commission.

Monju also argued that more undocumented immigrants in town could lead to the spread of infectious diseases from other countries, as well as a number of burdens on the taxpayer including more school children into Arlingtons already bursting school system.

Arlington police already act as if Arlington is a sanctuary community so why the need to emphasize as such, he said.

But Curro, on the contrary, thought codifying the departments current actions, was crucial totheir continuing success.

If words and symbols contained no meaning, we would not stand and face the flag to begin each session [of Town Meeting] and sing the words of our national anthem, he said.

Originally posted here:

Arlington Town Meeting passes sanctuary community measure - Wicked Local Arlington

The Rev. Mark Hirst, of Living Water Church, offers a view of the community through his eyes.

DALTON Since 1999, the Rev. Mark Hirst, has served as pastor of Living Water Church in the village, and has seen its membership grow to around 700 parishioners and the church open a campus in Massillon.

Born and raised in Dalton, the 45-year-old went to Dalton High School before graduating from Central Christian High School in Kidron. He furthered his education out of town and became pastor of a church in Michigan for several years before returning to Dalton as pastor of Living Waters.

Hirst's community activism didn't stop with his ministry. He was elected to the Dalton Board of Education, a seat he held for four years before stepping down.

Hirst answers questions about what makes the Dalton community special.

Q: The Village of Dalton has earned a reputation as a great place to live and raise a family. Why is that?

A: People genuinely care for one another, you tend to know who your neighbors are and what's happening in their life. The schools are a major focus in that we have a great place to assist in raising our kids and so having strong values at the center of the school is really big and I would say ultimately the school is the center of the community. It is the one thing that everybody ties into. There are these really great small-town values. People wave to one another, know each other. You feel like you are part of something.

A great story that illustrates this: The first day my daughter was waiting to go to kindergarten, waiting for the bus at the end of the driveway. I had two different neighbors stop, roll down their window and say, "I hope you have a good first day of school." I think that typifies the kind of community that we all want to live in and that people participate in that. Dalton by no means is perfect but there is that sense of small town community that we pull together and pitch in if there is a probem. People here are very supportive of that.

We had a young man in a really bad accident last year and was in the hospital for about six months and just to see the community support him in that and when he came home people were lining the roads, just affirming him and welcoming him home.

Those are some of the pieces of living in a community like Dalton that is, just, it's good.

Q: Is this community feeling a function of the fact that Dalton is a smaller community or are there other factors that go into that atmosphere.

A: There are certain values that people carry that this is important to them, that sense of community pride. It also comes out of common shared values and the Christian faith. There are lots of people who don't go to church but there are a lot of people who do and who take it seriously enough to allow that to impact their actions and values. So it's a value statement. As you move in and you come here ... generally people who move here from larger places are looking for that. It has been really neat over the last 17 years for me to watch many new families move into the area and to embrace the value system and to really love being a part of a smaller community and a smaller school. So I think it is an intentional choice to say this is what we want to be a part of.

People who do a little research on Dalton will find that the schools are strong. If they look online and do different things and ask questions, they find that people have good things to say about the community. Some may know about it before hand but others start to look into the idea of moving a little more out of the city and looking to the country. I also think that with Dalton being on the edge of Stark County, it's a place you can move to and be a little more rural and still get to Canton and Akron more easily, so location may play a part in that, too.

Q: What responsibilities does the church have to the community?

A: We have the the responsibility of supporting the community and the things that are important to the community, being a part of creating a strong school system. I was on the board of education for four years and I think Living Water has the responsbility to influence people that they would walk with strong values, even if they're not a believer, that we would help perpetuate those values of community, of loving one another. So when bad things happen, we have the responsibility to care for people whether they're in the church or not. We have the responsibility to not just be a part of Dalton but to push out beyond that into other communities. We want to take the value system that we have and help spread that. What you believe needs to translate into how you act and treat people around you, whether you know them or not and whether they are a part of the church or not. There's a culture you can create by extending love, grace, fun, enthusiasm. I want all of the people who are a part of Living Water to coach and be a part of community groups as much as they possibly can.

Q: Is local government another positive in the list of things that make Dalton a place where folks may want to live and raise a family?

A: Whether it's village council or township trustees or the school board, I think people deeply care so they do their best to lead well or to make change they think will imact. When they do that, you have to remember that there are a bunch of people who are very interested and care what's going on. At times you'll find some stress and division over what's going on. Things will get heated at times but by the same token we all live in the same community and we want it to be as good as it can so what I see are people who passionately care about things and are willing to voice their thoughts and opinions about that. Ultimately what we all understand is that we live here together and we want to make it the best that we can. I appreciate the people who are involved in local politics and local leadership, who do it simply because they care about this community. There's not much money involved and you take a little more punishment and difficulty but you do that because you want to make the place a better community.

Q: What have you learned about the business community in Dalton and how it may compare with larger communities and towns?

A: The businesses I know there's a sense that business is a part of the whole community, that business furthers the community, the idea that we're all in this together. You don't see much corporate attitudes. You see the attitude of giving back. There are a lot of businesses who've given in a large way and don't even make it known. I see businesses that care about their employees and understand that they are a part of seeing that we have a healthy community. The business leaders who I have interacted with are all generous and are willing to give. Even the small businesses are willing to give to door prizes for fundraisers or school events. People are willing to give and see their success tied to the community as well. So they're not looking to make a dollar at the expense of people in the community or the community itself. They want to further what we've got. Dalton is not the place you'd think of moving your business to, so when people do that where they are a part of this, they understand how much it is tied to the community so it's part of a whole rather than just themselves making a dollar. So in that sense we have good business leaders here.

Q: Does the community embrace outsiders or people moving into the community? Is Dalton a closed community in any sense?

A: To be 100 percent honest about this, I think it is 50-50. Half the community is very excitied to see that. I love to see new people move in. I love to see new ideas come in, just new perspectives. The other half is more they're very conservative with that and don't embrace people as well. They like the familiarity. We are in this place where I wouldn't describe us as the most open community. We're certainly not closed but I think there's a 50-50 mix where half of the community is glad when something new comes into town, when a family moves in. Others here would rather stay the same and I think that's the tension in small towns. But overall if you want to move in and get involved, there's opportunity for you and I know most of the organizations, schools and churches welcome that and want people who will become involved. So there's opportunity there. Many people are excited for that. And then you've got small town and some folks more of, 'Well what does this mean for me?' and 'I really don't like to see change.'

That's the interesting thing about small towns: there's great traditional values but sometimes that can get you stuck in an old-school mentality.

Original post:

Spotlight on Dalton: Small town values, schools tie community together - Massillon Independent

Led2Serve, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, announces an innovative new partnership with Century 21 North Shore Group, New Englands leading real estate brokerage firm. This new alliance blends traditional real estate services with intentional community outreach resulting in a substantial impact not only locally, but spanning across the USA and Costa Rica. This effort will engage, create and supply agents with amazing opportunities to support local projects and make a life-changing impact in communities whose basic educational and housing needs are not met.

For decades, Century 21 NS Group has prided itself on giving buyers and sellers the highest level of service in the home buying and selling experience. Now, they have taken on a cutting edge role by providing customized service projects within those local communities. Were excited to give back to our local markets through purposeful service projects that will positively impact those in need. For us its not just about business, its also about making a real difference, shared Jim DAmico, President of Century 21 North Shore Group.

Century 21 North Shore Group has committed to donating a percentage of every real estate transaction to Led2Serve to support their current and future service projects. Led2Serve will lead their program facilitating the development, coordination, and implementation of local and global projects with a focus on the environment, education and housing.

When a company is committed to devoting a percentage of its profits toward the benefit of others, the impact on housing, education and the environment is astounding. Significant, good things happen when you take two great ideas and put them to work for one outstanding cause, stated Vanessa Puleo, Founder/Executive Director of Led2Serve. Partnering with such a forward-thinking organization will enable us to send more teams, make more community impact, and continue the development of longterm service projects.

Starting later this year, Century 21 North Shore agents, friends and family members will have the opportunity to travel on Service Journeys with Led2Serve to various parts of the United States and Costa Rica. They will utilize Led2Serves established business model which combines serving others with fun and adventure.

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Century 21 North Shore Group and Led2Serve Join Forces - Broadway World