All are welcome to join the discussion at the monthly meeting of the Mad River Valley Anti-Racism Initiative (MRVARI), held this Sunday evening 10/27, from 6:00-8:30 pm at the Village Meeting House, on the ground floor of the Waitsfield church.
MRVARI brings neighbors together, to the ways in which racial injustice permeates our world (including our neighborhoods, and our own minds) in an ongoing, systemic way. Instead of pointing fingers at the supposed "bad people out there," we maintain a focus on the ways in which we (all of us!) tend to get caught in an unhelpful web of assumptions, including paternalism, defensiveness, perfectionism, and silence.
Sometimes these topics seem "loaded" – we are afraid of saying something that will either cause us to feel ashamed or will hurt another. At MRVARI, our ongoing conviction is that the only way to grow and evolve in a way that leads to transformation is through open, honest conversation. The world is broken in ways that are obvious to most of us. Learning how to address fault lines (both internal and external) with clarity and balance can be a balm for the soul.
In our meetings, we trade resources, impressions, experiences, and hopes. We remind one another that the struggle is ongoing, and that we must find and develop our voices if we are to become part of a human-centered solution. We know you're busy. And probably tired. We are too. Still, we bet you can spare an hour and a half once a month to consider our responsibility and shared opportunity to educate ourselves, and to act. It feels good, really! We hope to see you on Sunday.
Respectfully,
Wrenn Compere, facilitator
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