Staff and faculty members are invited to participate in two upcoming workshops focusing on Islamophobia and antisemitism.
Presented by the Division of Institutional Diversity and Equity and the William Jewett Tucker Center, the workshops are designed to cultivate a deeper understanding and increased support of Jewish and Muslim identities within the Dartmouth community. The sessions will offer a welcoming space for participants to explore these diverse lived experiences.
Senior Vice President and Senior Diversity Officer Shontay Delalue says the workshops will continue to create an inclusive culture on campus.
"We recognize the desire within our community to expand knowledge, and we're delighted to provide these invaluable learning opportunities," says Delalue. "Our goal is to foster a community that embraces and supports all its members."
The first workshop, Understanding Islam and Addressing Islamophobia, will be led by Amer F. Ahmed, an organizational strategist and co-founder of Equip Inclusive. The session aims to provide essential context to bridge divides and encourage respectful dialogue across differences. Goals of the workshop include learning the basic concepts of Islam, exploring common misconceptions and complexities around its practice, becoming familiar with the definition and components of Islamophobia and how it operates today, and learning strategies to address Islamophobia.
The two-hour workshop will be held at 2 p.m. on March 26, in Cook Auditorium. (The venue for the workshops has been changed to Cook because of strong interest from faculty and staff.)
The second workshop, facilitated by Naomi Greenspan from the Academic Engagement Network, consists of two parts. While faculty and staff are encouraged to attend both, attendees can register for just one.
Part one, Introductory Workshop on Jewish Identity and Antisemitism, seeks to deepen participants' knowledge and awareness of antisemitism and their roles in promoting dialogue and inclusivity on campus. This session will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on March 28 in Cook Auditorium.
Part two, Creating a Jewish-Inclusive Campus Environment: Reactive and Proactive Strategies to Address Antisemitism, empowers participants to develop response strategies for real-life scenarios and consider ways to better support the Jewish community. The afternoon session is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. on March 28, also in Cook Auditorium.
The workshops are part of Dartmouth Dialogues, which was launched by President Sian Leah Beilock to expand programming across the institution that facilitates conversations and skills to bridge political and personal divides.
"These workshops represent an essential step in our journey toward deeper understanding, empathy, and respect," says the Rev. Nancy Vogele '85, chaplain and director of the Tucker Center.
The events will be held in person only. Advance registration is requested.
The Tucker Center is also planning to offer two workshops for students on April 16 to address religious discrimination, especially Islamophobia and antisemitism, facilitated by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.