Re: do you really value diversity? | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Tom Smyth (tom![]() |
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Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2016 12:37:46 -0800 (PST) |
But isn't this just kind of relativism when taken to its extreme? Can't some ideas be just *wrong, *and on the wrong side of history? Did abolitionists have an obligation to sit with, listen to, and really understand the ideas of slaveholders? I'm kind of glad they didn't. I guess it depends on the "idea" being talked about. On Wed, Nov 16, 2016 at 9:59 AM, Chris Poch <chris [at] chrispoch.com> wrote: > > I think Eris hits on an important point that I have wanted to write > something about given the events of the past week, but she has said it > better than I could. > > Many of the problems cohousing addresses are problems common to all people, > so the concept should translate across the political spectrum. If we can't > tell the cohousing story in a way that is appealing to most types of > people, we have failed to make our audience as broad as it could be and > miss out on making cohousing into something bigger than it currently is. > There are many aspects of cohousing that explained correctly should be > equally exciting to the most liberal and the most conservative members of > our society. Maybe different things about cohousing excite different > people, but that's already true - people choose cohousing for different > reasons. Maybe we won't all live in the same community, but even if one > particular community leans right or left, there should be room for other > communities leaning in the other direction. > > Remember that any time someone tries to divide people with a wedge issue or > a black and white label, they're doing it for their benefit, not yours. The > reality is that we have more in common than we frequently realize and most > issues aren't black or white. The more we know people who are different > from us, whether it's politically, racially, or economically, the more we > can appreciate the unique challenges and perspective that they have. The > whole decision making process behind cohousing is about giving everyone in > the community a voice. Yes, it might be harder to come to consensus about > some things the more diverse our community is, but many of the big labels > don't even accurately describe the things that are most contentious on the > hyper local level of cohousing - things like pet policies or paint colors. > > The most rewarding communities I've ever been part of had real diversity - > and they challenged me to think bigger, question my ideas, and understand > where the other side is coming from, even if you continue to disagree. Many > people's views are also more nuanced than we realize. We have too many echo > chambers already - what good does shouting into one accomplish? I'd rather > be stretched and challenged by a diversity of ideas! > > I challenge us all to value diversity more in all of its different forms! > > On Wed, Nov 16, 2016 at 9:04 AM Eris Weaver <eris [at] erisweaver.info> wrote: > > > > > In my seventeen years of cohousing - as a resident, facilitator, > > trainer, > > and consultant - one of the paradoxes I see over and over in CohoLand is > > the > > tension between desiring diversity yet wanting to live with like-minded > > folks. We kinda can't have it both ways...if you claim to value > > diversity, you need to include political and ideological diversity as > > well. (While cohousers do seem to skew > > left politically, I am quite sure there are not only some Republicans > > but > > possibly Trump supporters among us.) > > > > I am very aware of how frequently someone will say something along the > > lines of "I think we all agree that..." and all I can think of is that > > if there IS > > someone in the room who does NOT share that belief, the message they > > receive > > is "you don't belong here" and someone less assertive than I might just > > keep > > their mouth shut and NOT share their diverse point of view. I try to > > eliminate that sort of phrase from my speech, ESPECIALLY when I am up in > > the > > front of the room with the resulting extra power & influence that gives > > me. > > > > I guess I'm asking for all of us to just be aware that not everyone in > > cohousing thinks the same... > > > > ******************************** > > Eris Weaver > > Founding member, FrogSong Cohousing in Cotati, CA > > Graphic Facilitator & Group Process Consultant > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: > > http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/ > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: > http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/ > > > -- Tom Smyth Worker-Owner, Sassafras Tech Collective Specializing in innovative, usable tech for social change sassafras.coop *·* @sassafrastech
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do you really value diversity? Eris Weaver, November 15 2016
- Re: do you really value diversity? Tom Smyth, November 16 2016
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Re: do you really value diversity? Chris Poch, November 16 2016
- Re: do you really value diversity? Tom Smyth, November 16 2016
- Re: do you really value diversity? Richart Keller, November 17 2016
- Re: do you really value diversity? Tom Smyth, November 18 2016
- Re: do you really value diversity? Tiffany Lee Brown, November 18 2016
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