Concrete, Steel and Paint

“The human condition may be best understood as a continuous effort to negotiate contested meanings,”states Jack Mezirow, Emeritus Professor of Adult and Continuing Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. The Beverly Unitarian Church (BUC) was recently awarded a small grant from the Chalice Lighters fund of the Midwest District of the Unitarian Universalist Association to organize four community conversations to do just that.

Our underlying purpose throughout this series is to model a different approach to public discourse. These forums will be geared to sharing our stories and ideas rather than staking out positions, to dialogue instead of lecturing or debating, and to creating space for reflection and shared understanding.

Collectively, we hope to construct a better understanding of some of the most important issues facing us today: crime and justice, growing jobs and saving the environment, how to improve our education system, and changing demographics and its impact on civil/human rights.

All forums are free to the public and accessible to people with disabilities. You can register online at http://anyvite.com/zwf0pxte5v. Space is limited, so register early.

February Forum

Concrete, Steel and Paint
Sunday, February 26, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

The first forum will explore our understanding of crime, justice and reconciliation and begins with a showing of the award-winning film, Concrete, Steel, and Paint (55 min). After the film the audience will be invited to share their thoughts and reactions to the film in leader-led circle discussions. Circle discussions will be facilitated by trained circlekeepers: Linda Cooper, member of the Beverly Unitarian Church; Bob Koehler, syndicated peace journalist with the Huffington Post; and Sheila Murphy, retired judge and adjunct professor at John Marshall Law School.

Not only are members of the general public encouraged to take part in these circle discussions, but all stakeholders surrounding these issues have been invited, including key players and decision makers in Chicago’s criminal justice system, local and city elected officials, researchers in criminal justice, as well as those who have been harmed by crime, and those who have done harm.