Undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Connecticut are invited to attend an introductory meeting today to learn more about a cultural engagement/process group we are calling Talk/About and initiating this semester. We plan to meet three (3) more times on Wednesdays at 4-5:30p: March 9, 23, and April 6.
Talk/About takes after some of the features of the “Walkabout” – the historically Australian male Aboriginal/Indigenous rite of passage – with features of journeying together through conversation, not necessarily to arrive at a predetermined destination, but to pay close attention to the process we are creating and walking through together. Our overall aim is three-fold:
First, get beyond the rhetoric. So often we get caught up in finding the “right” thing to say or how to avoid sounding racist/sexist/etc., but we don’t know how. We aim to create a space for difficult dialogues to increase understanding from various perspectives with an intersectional approach.
Secondly, we question the assumptions. What are our personal assumptions and how did we get there? What are other people’s perspectives and assumptions? How do we challenge them respectfully and come to a deeper understanding and not fall back simply on “well that’s just the way it is.”
Lastly, we listen for silences. Silence allows us to notice what is going on internally as we listen and engage. Are we silent because we have the privilege of being silent? Are our voices being taken away? Or are we practicing self-reflection and truly joining in the conversation?
We hope you will consider joining our effort. Our initial invitation is for students only with the expectation that they would participate in all of the sessions.
This initiative is made possible by support from the Center for Mental and Health Services, Asian and Asian American Studies Institute, and Women’s Center.
For more information, contact: Amanda Waters, Ph.D. at Amanda.Waters@uconn.edu or (860) 486-4705