Presents
A Community Conversation on Immigration
On August 19, 2010 over 150 Arizonans of all ages, races, backgrounds, and beliefs:- Sat down and really talked about their experiences with the immigration issues that face Arizona
- Respected diverse points of view and listened with an open mind
- Explored what each of us can do to bring balance, civility, and creative solutions to conversations about immigration
Over 150 people attended the Community Conversation on Immigration at Rio Salado Conference Center in Tempe on August 19, 2010. Three rounds of topics on immigration were discussed by the participants throughout the evening. For each round, participants were seated at tables of up to five and the discussions lasted between 20 and 30 minutes. After each round participants moved to new tables with new conversational partners. Each round had different introductions and questions that take us from the past, to the present, and to the future.
The first round of conversations focused on personal experiences and thoughts about the current state of immigration in Arizona. In the second conversation, participants discussed the impact of immigration issues on the community and the third addressed how participants will address immigration issues and opportunities in a civil and respectful way.
Following the third round of conversations, table spokespersons each reported on one key headline topic discussed by their group. Persons passionate about continuing the conversation and convening future gatherings posted discussion topics with their contact information. Persons interested in participating in conversations, but not serving as conveners also posted their contact information.
Next Step: Host Your Own Conversation
If you wish to participate in a future conversation on the following topics, contact these people for information on future gatherings:
| Topic for further conversation | Conveners for next conversation | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| WHY ARE PEOPLE IMMIGRATING? |
Andy McKinnery
Barry Leshowitz |
andy052646@yahoo.com
barry.leshowitz@gmail.com |
| UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE THINK DIFFERENTLY | Camella Bazemore | nicolebazemore@live.com |
| FACTS |
Cathy Weiss
Melissa Myers Todd Landfried |
cweiss@delewebbcenter.org
mmyers@camelbackrp.com tlandfried@mac.com |
| KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING | Jessica Hirshorn | jessicahirshorn@hotmail.com |
| CREATE COMMUNITY DIALOGUE |
John Genette
Jon Rosenthal |
john@blackmtncomm.com
jon@azrollover.com |
| EDUCATE STUDENTS TO PROMOTE CIVIL DIALOGUE IN CLASSES |
Kathleen Bartolomei
Laura Stengrim |
katebart@gmail.com
lastengrim@gmail.com |
| HUMANIZE NOT DEMONIZE | Marian Barchilon | marianbarchilon@q.com |
| CONVERSATION ON IMMIGRATION | Neil West | nrwest@comcost.net |
| REPEAL SB 1070 |
Professor Penny L. Willrich
Rich Doerro-Peacock |
602-682-6833 rdoerrerpeacock@cox.net |
| STREAMLINE THE IMMIGRATION PROCESS | Sandy Oglesliy | Sandy@sandytells.com |
| REGISTER LATINO VOTERS | Zenaido Quintana | zenaido@aol.com |
Thank You to Our Sponsors
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of ArizonaArizona Association for Conflict Resolution
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education
Arizona Humanities Council
American Jewish Committee, Arizona Chapter
Arizona Libertarian Party
Arizona School Boards Association
Arizona Town Hall
Coffee Party
International Association of Public Participation
Lodestar Dispute Resolution Program, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
at Arizona State University
Maricopa Community Colleges
O'Connor House Project
Thank You to Our Facilitators
Collaborative SparkFor further information, contact Rex Gulbranson at 602-257-0335 x23 or rgulbranson@azhumanities.org.
Our Mission: Project Civil Discourse
To advance society and improve the quality of life in Arizona, we must be prepared to discuss potentially divisive issues, such as growth, education, healthcare, religion, race, immigration and transportation. Our democracy is dependent upon a responsible citizenry that can, and will, wrestle with these tough issues, without partisanship, while maintaining respect for the need to hear, understand and take into account different viewpoints.
Project Civil Discourse is a special initiative of the Arizona Humanities Council working in collaboration with organizations from around the state to provide opportunities for the public to participate in trainings, forums, and special events that share, model and provide insight on collaborative problem-solving skills. The program goal is to widely share proven skills that can enhance and improve debate and discussion about the important issues that affect our future.
