 The host and ADR Roundtable lead opened the dialog, “A few months ago when we started to plan today’s discussion, we didn’t know that we would be doing so not only on June 19, 2021, but on Juneteenth – and the first time for this day to be recognized as a national holiday. For those who do not know, Juneteenth commemorates that day, June 19, 1865 that the last slaves were freed in Texas.” The ADR Roundtable invited Anthony D. Bobo, Jr. (The Joseph Factor Group-Senior Associate) and his co-author of “Commissioned To Love”, Pastor John P. Perkins (Common Ground Church- Lead Pastor) as panelist for a discussion focused on mediation – specifically, mediation through the lens of social justice. Anthony and John leaned on their collective years of experience in community organizing, public service, community development, and relationships to address the questions. There was a participant from the west coast, she shared, “I'm in Orange County, California. A small group of us are trying to find a way to strengthen ethnic minorities. However, Orange County is very conservative. So, I'm looking for ideas.” Anthony answered with some basic sound mediation advice, “At its core, bringing people together to work on issues of social justice is mediation/collaboration 101… moving people from position to interest. When we seek the interest of the community, we can move forward and make a collective change.” The host asked, “What qualities will the next generation of leaders need in order to carry forward a spirit of conflict resolution to resolve social justice issues?” John reflected on the response given by Anthony and added, “Yes, we have to listen to those in the community. We call it listening and addressing the “heart-felt need”.” The discussion acknowledged the challenges of addressing issues of social justice while encouraging practitioners to keep pressing forward to make a difference. On reflection of the event, Anthony shared, “We have to keep looking for and making these small wins. The collaboratives that are addressing several social ills and not looking for the silver bullet. We have to stop thinking we can do it alone.” The Joseph Factor Group continues its commitment to transforming nation through the power of collaboration and the strength of community. To get more information on the ADR Roundtable and to see their list of future events, email [email protected]. Comments are closed.
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