Thank you for your support as we develop the next generation of leaders who engage differences as strengths. We can't do this without you. Enjoy the updates below, and look for exciting staff updates in our next newsletter. We hope your summer is off to a great start!

SD Founder Hal Saunders Delivers Commencement Address at Susquehanna University

Harold Saunders, founder and president of the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue (IISD), gave the commencement address at Susquehanna University on May 15th.  In a speech entitled "We need to talk," Saunders spoke about the lack of meaningful, transformative dialogue in America today. He noted that many people have lost the capacity to talk respectfully or relate constructively to one another.  Saunders emphasized the importance of dialogue in bridging across lines of difference.

           

*Picture credit to Dickinson College

“We have to persevere in dialogue to overcome the resistance to showing empathy for others who are different. Dialogue must be sustained,” Saunders said.

At the end of the speech, Saunders challenged the audience of 469 students to engage in relationship-building dialogues that will help to overcome the deep divisions in our society: “We need to recapture a culture of dialogue. That’s the challenge before you. Go to it!”

See here for the full text of the commencement address.  Picture credit to Dickinson College.

Amy Lazarus Selected as a 2011 American Express NGen Fellow

Amy Lazarus, Executive Director of the SDCN, has been chosen as a 2011 American Express NGen Fellow.  NGen Fellows have demonstrated exemplary leadership and a passionate commitment to advancing the common good. The American Express NGen Fellows program gives emerging nonprofit leaders an exceptional opportunity to strengthen their capacity for future impact.

"I'm honored to be part of this cohort and look forward to learning from these talented colleagues," Amy said.

Over the course of nine months, each of the twelve fellows, who were selected from hundreds of nominations, will collaborate with other talented leaders, interact with established mentors, and contribute to Independent Sector's work on nonprofit impact and leadership.

SDCN Students Reflect on SD's Impact on Academic Performance

• "Sustained Dialogue has helped me learn to ask difficult questions, to assess my own views, and to better articulate my ideas."

• "Going to SD allowed me to think actively about how I can make a difference in the world. It allowed me to focus on my academics and made me realize what problems I'm really passionate about."

• "SD has made me think so much more about the importance of not arguing and understanding. One of my classes is all about morality and international relations, so the whole concept of dialoguing applies directly."

• "I am in the education school and SD has really helped me realize how, as a teacher, I can approach my future students' diverse backgrounds, passions, needs, and abilities."

Congratulations to Mariah Helgeson, SDCN program and communications associate, for being selected to participate in Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) Leadership Institutes!  The Institutes will be held in Washington D.C. July 25th - July 28th.  During the Institutes, Mariah will learn about the core skills of interfaith leadership and will be acquire the training to run Better Together, IFYC’s interfaith action campaign. Click here to learn more about the IFYC Leadership Institutes.

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Keep up with SDCN on Facebook and Twitter! 

Here's a sample feed of the SDCN Twitter page. If you already follow us, don't forget to recommend our pages to friends and fellow alumni!

@SDCN team visited the @HolocaustMuseum's Nazi Propaganda exhibit today and collaborated with the museum. The exhibit: http://ow.ly/51YwU

@SDCN presenting & co-hosting at 4th Intl Conference on #ConflictRes Edu at Cuyahoga Community College June 8-13! http://ow.ly/50N19

Great article in @campusprogress 10 of America’s Most Daring Young Black Activists http://ow.ly/49sOL 
 

Newsletter Highlights:

Register for the SDCN Facilitator Training Workshop in June! Space is filling up quickly!

Interested in becoming part of our team of paid SDCN trainers or furthering the mission of SDCN in other contexts? SDCN is providing alumni and interested professionals the opportunity to become trained facilitators for our Fall Workshops and for our various facilitating/ program engagements. On June 24-26th, 2011 (Fri-Sun) at SDCN offices in Washington, D.C., you will learn the concepts behind Sustained Dialogue, some of our key curriculum for relating across lines of identity, and ways to further the work in your own context. Those interested in refreshing their knowledge, further developing relevant professional skills, and becoming more engaged with the updated work of SDCN are highly encouraged to attend. As we are developing a Certification in Sustained Dialogue, this workshop is part of a pilot. Some attendees will be eligible to facilitate workshops with SDCN in the upcoming year. There is a sliding scale for the workshop fee. Space is limited! Register today here! Last day to register is June 13th.

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Hosts Leadership Summit

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum will host What You Do Matters:  A Leadership Summit on Propaganda, Hate Speech, and Civic Engagement, exploring critical issues such as:

• The Museum's special exhibition:  State of Deception:  The Power of Nazi Propaganda
• What makes us vulnerable today
• The challenges and power of the First Amendment
• Media literacy in today's age of information overload
• Overcoming indifference and empowering citizen response
• Working together for change

The summit is designed for college students in the DC area this summer. The application deadline is June 12th.  For more information, check out this website.

Looking for love this summer?

SDCN will be visiting and conducting workshops in these cities the coming months:

• 6/8-6/12 – Cleveland, OH: Tri-C 4th International Conference Conflict Resolution Education (presenting Friday morning)
• 6/24-6/27 - Washington, DC: Alumni Training
• 8/5-8/7 - Washington, DC: Student Leadership Retreat

In Alabama? Interested in education? Participate in "Making Community Decisions About Alabama's Dropout Situation" hosted by the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. 

Using Online Tools to Engage – and be Engaged by – the Public, Matt Leighninger’s report for the IBM Center for the Business of Government, describes a range of scenarios and tactics, and gives real-world examples of online engagement. It highlights over 40 different technologies in use today to support various kinds of public participation.  Available free of charge here.