This convening is a mix of pitch competition and discussion workshop. The goal of the convening is to have people open up and share their thoughts and experiences regarding bullying. While this convening is not a direct solution to the problem, it will serve as the first step in understanding its graveness and how it impacts lives of individuals.
The 5 core values of this convening are:
- We are respectful: We believe that everyone is worthy of respect and are respectful towards others and self.
- We are open: We understand that everyone has different experiences regarding the same topic. We always listen and are ready to embrace opinions different from our own.
- We are inclusive: We believe that diversity leads to a solution that is creative and just, a solution that does not exclude or disadvantage a certain group.
- We believe that people can change people: We are optimistic that people have the power to change other people’s thoughts and beliefs, however slow and difficult the process may be.
- We are community-driven: We believe in power of community in prevention and support. We aim to build such communities that will last beyond this event.
This convening includes diverse group of people: victims of bullying, their parents and family, people who have been part of bullying, people who have been bystanders, teachers, workers at help centers, therapists, police, lawmakers, and anyone invested in the topic. People can sign up to give a 1-5 minute pitch, where they can share personal experience, offer constructive criticism on how to improve current system, publicize available resources, etc.
As pitches take place, people can form breakout sessions at tables at the back and start discussion about a certain topic. For example, it might be a further Q&A with the speaker that just spoke, or inspired by the pitch, someone might start brainstorming new school policy to detect bullying early and respond to it. Each table will display their topic on the monitor and a list of ongoing breakout session topics will be available on screens along the wall in the main pitch session, so that interested people can come join.
There are rules for breakout sessions (ex. you must let a person finish speaking, no insults or derogatory comments), as well as moderators that ensure breakout sessions are held in a respectful manner. Moderators’ job is not to direct conversation, but make sure the rules for respect are kept and supply the group with materials needed for creative, collaborative process (ex. big paper to draw sketches on, iPads to create a shared document on).
A: Of the values listed, I found the ‘people can change people’ as the most visceral. Optimism in this regard is important, in my opinion, will certainly be a fuel for change.
B: I would suggest adding something along the lines of “We are all important” as a value. This steers away from “We are inclusive” or “We are respectful” more in the sense to celebrate each individual for their unique traits and personality qualities. If someone is a victim of bullying or comes to recognize past acts of bullying, this thought can be easily discarded and lead to undeserved loss of self-esteem.
C: I see the proposed convening occurring in middle school and high school settings since these form the socials contexts in which most people first encounter bullying or suffer the most because of it. I see myself as being a enthusiastic conversation moderator in a breakout session. I feel that I have the energies to make people feel heard and foster group cohesion that would make this a edifying experience.