APANO’s Many Rivers Project

Asian and Pacific Islander communities are the 2nd fastest growing population in Oregon, and APANO is working hard and thoughtfully to build a strong coalition. We have intense diversity within “Asian” and “Pacific Islander” cultures, with different languages, religions, customs and immigration experiences. Yet we have much in common, our family story of immigration to America, our relationships with our family “back home”, and the discrimination we overcome through education and social change in the US.

Through a small grant from the MRG Foundation, APANO is convening 12 “Listening Circles” to better understand the experiences and issues facing key Asian and Pacific Islander groups in Oregon. We come from many rivers, and together through APANO we seek to build unity in our diversity. APANO’s Many Rivers Project is hosting an orientation-training for persons interested in organizing and facilitating a “Listening Circle” in Fall 2009.

APANO Many Rivers Organizer and Facilitator Training
(next training Aug
As a way to increase APANO’s accountability to the communities within our communities, we are holding twelve Listening Circles.   They are intended to:

• Bring people together to listen to one another, get to know each other, share stories and build trust
• Identify the people most affected, most marginalized, most vulnerable among our communities and surface their experiences
• Develop/ articulate shared values and shared understanding of our diverse experiences Affirm, recognize our community strengths
• Empower and educate one another, particularly about the community we are building through apano Gain relationships among and across communities, to build solidarity
• Use their input and feedback to inform apano actions and policy recommendations

Training Purpose: An orientation to APANO’s Listening Circle process, and training on organizing and facilitation. The training will introduce key resources, discuss best practices for bringing together Asian/Pacific Islander communities, and offer experiential learning in facilitation.

Organizer Training
Saturday, August 8 9:00-12:00 PM
New Location City of Portland Office of Human Relations 5315 N Vancouver, Portland

Facilitator Training Saturday, August 8 1:00-4:00 PM
New Location City of Portland Office of Human Relations 5315 N Vancouver, Portland

Application: Please complete an online application to participate in this project or call APANO’s Field Organizer Chom Soucsou@apano.org or 503-896-7560.

Filed under: Trainings