The Orlando Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Commission proudly presents: The Dream Community Dialogue Series, facilitated by the Valencia Peace and Justice Institute. These workshops focus on our shared humanity with an exploration of race, privilege, religion, gender, sexual orientation, bias, systems of privilege and oppression and practical application.
Through these dialogues, a sense of honesty, reflection, critical thinking and openness in the community is fostered. These workshops create a safe space for dialogue within local communities. The Dream Series consist of six highly interactive, multi-media workshops over a selected period, creating sustained dialogue and culture, while building trust and relationships within the community. The workshops are custom tailored to address the concerns of the organization and our Metro Orlando community. The workshops build on each other, to create an integrated series with an end game in mind- a renewed mindset about the value of relationships, community and trust within the local community.
In this workshop, facilitators share the stories of their unique paths of identity development and the powerful changes it brought to their lives. These stories invite participants to consider how a deep exploration of identity, be it through the lens of race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or socioeconomic class might transform one’s life.
From hearing the story, and reflecting on one’s self, the workshop offers The Principles for How We Treat Each Other, practices of respect and community building that facilitate honest dialogue among us. The Principles encourage participants to listen deeply, suspend judgment, and turn to wonder, among other personal practices for self-awareness and interpersonal communication. The Principles create a setting for deep listening and honest sharing, as participants are encouraged to “speak your truth.” When used over time, the Principles lay the foundation for a culture that supports reflective practice and skillful conflict engagement. They provide communication tools that strengthen relationships among residents.