Community Dialogue and Public Forum: Urban Revitalization Through the Lenses of Peace and Justice

Click here to download the World Cafe Outcomes Report

**July 29, 2015 * 9am - 5pm
Frederick Douglass Community Center
Toledo, Ohio**

On July 29 the Peace Education Initiative hosted a full-day public forum and dialogue on the topic of urban revitalization through the lenses of justice and peace and the Frederick Douglass Community Center in Toledo. Organized in partnership with a broad coalition of 30+ local community organizations, more than 300 local educators and activists participated in the event toward identifying strategies for revitalizing Toledo with peace & justice. In addition to community voices, the event featured practitioners and scholars from around the world who participated in the International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE) that was hosted at The University of Toledo during the week of July 26-August 2.

Toledo Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson and Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak gave welcoming remarks. The day kicked off with a facilitated world café dialogue that provided everyone an opportunity to contribute perspectives and possibilities for pursuing urban revitalization in Toledo through peace education and economic, ecological and social justice. An afternoon panel featured Toledo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Romules Durant; Guisselle Mendoza, Executive Director, Adelante – The Latino & Community Resource Center; Alicia Smith, The Junction Community Organization; Rosa Jimenez Ahumada (Colombia), Director of the Observatory for Forced Displacement of the University of Cartagena and Academic Director of the Master of Social Conflict and Peacebuilding; and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi (Afghanistan), Founder, President and Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). The afternoon concluded with a choice of 15 different experiential workshops conducted by community partners and international guests.

Outcomes:

A report based on the world café dialogue was prepared that will be used as a framework for establishing an agenda for pursuing urban revitalization in Toledo through the lenses of peace & justice. The Peace Education Initiative will convene a meeting of community partners in the fall to explore next steps and the possibilities for future public programs.
Local news coverage from the Toledo Blade
Coverage by UT News
Local TV coverage

Urban Revitalization Poster (small)

Make your voice heard and be a part of the solution!

By participating you will help shape the conversation and promote positive strategies and actions on how we approach urban revitalization in Toledo and the surrounding region. We will explore the following:

Social Justice: How can we build and revitalize our communities while assuring the dignity of every citizen?

Economic Justice: How can we assure economic opportunities exist for all? How do we build local, sustainable economies?

Ecological Justice: How can "greening" our communities make all our lives better? Why is it important to act locally and think globally?

Peace Education: How can we work together in making our communities less violent? How do we empower our neighbors to take action?

Forum Hopes & Goals

learn from and contribute to the discussion on urban revitalization and the achievement of social and ecological justice in Toledo, Detroit and the surrounding region
Empower citizens as change agents, helping them to nurture safe, healthy and sustainable local communities
contribute directly to efforts of urban revitalization through formal and non-formal educational strategies
develop consensus and identify frameworks for theoretical understanding of issues
identify best educational practices through which urban revitalization and justice can be pursued
share and disseminate findings for application by others
develop local, regional, national and international partnerships with like-minded organizations

Program Overview

The day will feature an introductory World Café dialogue, panels, concurrent workshops, and networking and community building opportunities led by representatives from the Toledo and surrounding communities as well as by participants of the IIPE who will have unique international perspectives and experiences to share. Check back soon for a list of confirmed speakers, guests, and workshops!

9:00-9:30am	Welcome & Greetings Tony Jenkins, Director of the Peace Education Initiative at The University of Toledo Paula Hicks-Hudson, Mayor of The City of Toledo Tina Skeldon Wozniak, President of the Lucas County Commissioners
9:30-12:00pm	World Café Conversation Urban Revitalization Through Social & Ecological Justice Facilitator, Mark Chupp, Case Western Reserve University & The National Peace Academy
12:00 - 1:00pm	Lunch Portions of lunch generously sponsored by Balance Pan-Asian Grille, Jimmy John's, and others TBA Special performance (TBA)
1:00-2:30pm	Special Panel: PURSUING URBAN REVITALIZATION WITH JUSTICE & PEACE Dale Snauwaert, Greetings & Welcome Lynne Hamer, Moderator Peter Ujvagi Dr. Romules Durant Superintendent, Toledo Public Schools Guisselle Mendoza Executive Director, Adelante – The Latino & Community Resource Center Alicia Smith The Junction Community Organization COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Rosa Jimenez Ahumada (Colombia) Director of the Observatory for Forced Displacement of the University of Cartagena and Academic Director of the Master of Social Conflict and Peacebuilding URBAN RESETTLEMENT WITH VICTIMS OF DISPLACEMENT AND DISASTER IN COLOMBIA Dr. Sakena Yacoobi (Afghanistan) Founder, President and Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) USING TRADITIONAL CULTURE TO MOVE COMMUNITIES TOWARD PEACE: LESSONS FROM AFGHANISTAN
2:45-4:15 pm	Concurrent Workshops Choose from between 12-15 experiential workshops / discussions conducted by community partners and international guests.
4:30-5:00pm	Wrap-up: Where do we go from here? Tony Jenkins, UT Peace Education Initiative Reggie Williams, Frederick Douglass Community Association Board President Mr. Earl, Promise Toledo Special Performance (TBA)