Category: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Art

Art Speaks – Dream House Uganda

Dream House Uganda

Dream House Uganda

Dream House Uganda, founded in 2012, is a non-profit organization working directly with marginalized people such as girls and women, the elderly, street children and the disabled regardless of age, religion, ethnicity, gender and tribe streamlining programs that empowers, engages and supports them to transformative lives.

Dream

Dream House is in eastern Uganda in Mbale. Mbale has an estimated population of over 80,00 people. Over 40,000 of these people live in the Namatala slums, and over 60% of these residents are young people between the age of 4 and 30 years. Most people have settled here because of the civic unrests, drought, and natural disasters like floods and landslides, in search for a better life.

However, due to the dire poverty situation of the people living in Namatala slums, many young people are also facing challenges like; limited access to education, food and clean water, teenage pregnancies, and unemployment among others issues leading to increased drug abuse and crime rates in the communities.

As the future of their nation rests in the hands of the young people, the founders of Dream House Uganda believe that creative arts are a vital component of nourishing, educating and raising awareness of how the Sustainable Development Goals can help them create the life they desire.

Art Speaks

John Paul is the creative facilitator, assistant director and founding member of Dream House Uganda. Recently he facilitated a wonderful art event called Art Speaks, a platform where children, young people, developing and professional artists come together to share knowledge, and life stories.

Art Speaks asked participants to come up with solutions that address socio-issues, and to take ownership of their implementation. Participants came up with innovative ways to lend their voices to ensure that the entire community is knowledgeable about the significance of the 17 SDG’s such as gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and climate action among others.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

The word art incorporates diverse art forms such as painting, music, dance, sculpture drawing, poetry, photography, and fashion. These help young people to express their emotions and imagination.

John Paul Ojirot

Collaborating

Creative Balance Institute was able to collaborate with Dream House Uganda for their first annual Art Speaks event in December 2022. We collected over $500 USD. which is approximately 1,820,590 Ugandan Shillings. The funds were used to purchase all of the art supplies for the Art Speaks event. Thank you to everyone who donated! You made this event possible.

The event was a great success! There were many in attendance and wonderful performances and teachings shared with all. There was music, dancing, making art and painting murals!

Dancing and Music

Teaching about Community

The art projects were not just drawings, but also educating and engaging. The community created words like sharing, togetherness, and peace. It also involved a session where participants could explain what these words are and how beneficial they could be if they were practiced their daily lives. The participants were divided into groups and went on to draw these words around the community. They aimed to project beauty and messages of sharing, togetherness, and peace around the community

Community Murals

Future Plans

John shared that they want to start an art hub where young artists share resources, serve the community, earn skills, make and sell their art work and also use the space to connect local and international artists.

They are also hoping to have a boot camp 4 weeks before the next annual art speaks event day. Its aimed at training developing artists in the development of their artist approach, entrepreneurial and professional skills.

Categories
SEL Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Creating Brave Space

Brave Space
Makwa Grizzly Bear. Public collection Canadian Native Centre of Toronto

Brave

… from the root work for bold, courageous, untamed, savage. It’s interesting we use the term BRAVO when we are cheering someone on.

To the Anishinaabe, bravery is one of the seven teachings of our grandfathers.

Zoongidi’ewin – Courage or Aakwa’ode’ewin – Bravery is represented as the bear. The Bear carries courage. We seek the strength and courage to face our greatest enemy-oneself. The bear will give us the understanding to seek resolutions through spiritual intervention: hence, spiritual healing to deal with anger, pain and ourselves.

To be brave means you seek to apply your spiritual truths to your life, in order to assist you in growth and transformation.

To face life with courage is to know bravery. Find your inner strength to face the difficulties of life and the courage to be yourself. Defend what you believe in and what is right for your community, family, and self. Face your fears to allow yourself to live your life.

Brave Space

Social Emotional Learning

Bravery plays a big part in social emotional learning. The five competencies of SEL are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Considering that courage and bravery play a big role in our own self-awareness. Cultivating a brave space makes complete sense to supporting our social emotional learning skills.

Brave space is also recognizing the wholeness of our experiences. That we have wounds and traumas that do not always feel good, comfortable or safe.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

A brave space is a space where participants feel comfortable learning, sharing, and growing. It is inclusive to all races, sexes, genders, abilities, immigration status, and lived experiences. This is something we should strive for in all our experiences where we interact with one another. Leading towards a more inclusive way to insure all voices are heard and everyone is seen.

Living a life where we are unafraid to be who we are and share our stories with one another, is the only way to true peace and harmony.

Consider using the term brave space over safe space, and comment to let me know what you think about the difference.

Categories
Education Diversity, Equity & Inclusion SEL

Maryland Cultural Proficiency Conference 2022

cultural

What is Cultural Proficiency?

Cultural proficiency is the result of finding out what makes us feel valued. It is responsiveness. The ability to find out what someone needs… to feel valued, seen, and heard.

The ultimate goal of each of us is to feel valued and be appreciated for who we are. Being seen by others is a huge reason why we do things, and is a result of the things we do.

When we come into a situation with breath first, we are more open to being genuine and authentic. This is a culture of care, one that supports accountability and humility. Working to align our inner voice to our goals in order to support the work. The vision must be at the center of what we do each day.

What is the GOAL of our existence?

What is it that we do what we do for… what do we want to build, create, share, express, learn, experience?

I believe when we begin questioning ourselves in such ways, it leads to deep self reflection and self awareness. It leads to building community and creating innovative experiences for the good of all. When we being to spend time aligning ourselves with our vision, then we are able to connect to one another on a deeper level.

MCPC

I was invited to the Maryland Cultural Proficiency Conference in October, at Morgan State University. It was my first time at the conference and visiting Morgan State. The conference theme was A Reckoning: Equity, Consciousness, & Healing.

The presentations that I attended and speakers I saw were fantastic. There was a diversity that reiterated what the conference is about equity, diversity, and inclusion, and social emotional learning.

Climate of Mutual Respect

When Dr. Amer F. Ahmed spoke he shared his journey and the experiences that lead him to arrive on our stage. He shared that we must create climates of mutual respect that consists of self-awareness, empathy, tolerance for ambiguity, flexibility in thoughts and behaviors, patience, curiosity, and active listening.

This reminded me of the Seven Teachings of our Anishinaabe grandfathers; Love, Trust, Humility, Honesty, Bravery, Courage, & Wisdom.

Culturally Responsive Curriculum

This presentation was on ways we can incorporate more culturally relevant articles, materials, and learning into our curriculum. Attending this presentation opened my eyes up to new ways to incorporate different cultures into my art classroom. Simple things like teaching my students something about my culture, such as how to say hello in Anishinaabe. We need to normalize multiple perspectives!

Positive Schools Center

The presentation by the Positive Schools Center was perfect. We participated in practices we are being asked to use with our students. We sat in a circle and started with a welcoming ritual. Then we shared something we needed. This presentation was so inspiring and helpful in getting a handle on how I can implement more meaningful interactions with my students.

Revolutionary-Ed

Lead with vision, integrity and passion says Dr. Gregory C. Hutchens Jr. He shared with us highlights from his book, Getting into Good Trouble at School. Six things we can do to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion in the classroom:

  1. Know your history
  2. Commit to racial equity
  3. Eliminate de-facto segrigation
  4. Differentiation, discipline vs. policy.
  5. Engaging in strategic thinking and planning
  6. Display courageous bold leadership.

Adult SEL

During the conference, we were treated to mindful moments, chair massage, reflexology, great food, and time to socialize. This is vital during any professional development as it assists with practicing what we are preaching. How do we want and deserve to be treated, and how do our students?

I have gained so much from this conference. I am excited to bring the knowledge back to my classroom and to my professional learning communities!