Twin Cities Social Cohesion Initiative

A SEAT AT THE TABLE/HUMANIZING THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS:ONE OF THE SEMINAL QUESTIONS FOR SCI IS: DO THOSE IMPACTED OR SERVED HAVE A SEAT AT THEDECISION-MAKING TABLE IN A DEFINITIVE WAY? ESPECIALLY THE MARGINALIZED AND DISADVANTAGED? THESE QUESTIONS LED SCI TO EXPLORE PROGRAM ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT THOSE IMPACTED OR SERVED HAVE A SEAT AT THE DECISION-MAKING TABLE IN A DEFINITIVE WAY; ESPECIALLY THE MARGINALIZED AND DISADVANTAGED.A SEAT AT THE TABLE FOCUSED ON ORGANIZATIONS, INSTITUTIONS, AND COMMUNITIES' INTERNALFUNCTIONING, INTENDING TO CREATE MORE SIGNIFICANT SHARED DECISION-MAKING CONDITIONS.HUMANIZING THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS TARGETED THE UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTED OFFICIALS AND POLICY-MAKERS OF THEIR CONSTITUENCIES' LIVED EXPERIENCE, LEADING TO MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND RESPONSIVE DECISION-MAKING. BOTH APPROACHES USE A METHODOLOGY DEVELOPED BY SCI TO INVESTIGATE CURRENT DECISION-MAKING AND ITS IMPACT, AND IN DOING SO, COLLABORATIVELY ENVISION AND MODEL MORE EFFECTIVE PROCESSES. SCI WAS IN ACTIVE CONVERSATION WITH SEVERAL POTENTIAL PARTNERS FOR PILOT PROJECTS UNTIL THE OUTREACH WAS INTERRUPTED BY THE PANDEMIC IN MARCH 2020. IN 2021, AS THE PANDEMIC WAS WINDING DOWN, SCI WAS INVITED BY THE MAYOR OF RICHFIELD, MN TO MEET WITH DOZENS OF ACTIVE GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY LEADERS WORKING ON HOUSING, CHILDCARE, EDUCATION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND DISABILITY ISSUES IN HOPES OF BUILDING MORE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS.BASED ON THE POSITIVE RESPONSES WE RECEIVED SCI'S BOARD MADE A DECISION TO EXPLOREPARTNERSHIPS THAT WOULD LEAD TO INVESTMENTS IN COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT ALIGN WITH SCI'S MISSION.YOUTH CAMPAIGN FOR THE CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA:THE PERVASIVE USE, AND GROWING TOXICITY, OF SOCIAL MEDIA, IS WIDESPREAD IN US CULTURE. THE IMPACT OF THIS RUN-AWAY PHENOMENON IS PERHAPS EXPERIENCED MOST ACUTELY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. THE CHALLENGE LIES IN THE PRECEPT OF FREE SPEECH, LIMITING THE SCOPE OF FORMAL OR LEGAL REGULATION OF CONTENT ON WEBSITES, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, AND OTHER PLATFORMS. FOR THE MOST PART, THIS MEANS THAT THE CONTENT'S CHARACTER WILL HAVE TO BE REGULATED BY FREELY CHOSEN SOCIAL NORMS.SCI SOUGHT TO LAUNCH A 'YOUTH CAMPAIGN FOR THE CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO EMPOWER YOUNG PEOPLE TO REFLECT ON THEIR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS ROLE IN THE BROADER SOCIETY. THEY WERE USING THIS CONVERSATION AS A VEHICLE FOR CROSS-CULTURAL EXCHANGES AND COLLABORATION AMONG THE DIVERSITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA. THIS CAMPAIGN PROPOSES AND PROMOTES SUCH NORMS.SCI HIRED A RECENT AUGSBURG UNIVERSITY GRADUATE WHO CONDUCTED OUTREACH TO HIGH SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITY, AND YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS TO GAUGE INTEREST, WITH SOME SUCCESS. THE IDEA OF THE CAMPAIGN REMAINS A VIABLE SOCIAL COHESION EXAMPLE OF A RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING AND SOCIAL NORMING ACTIVITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.THE SCI WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COLLECTIVE ENTITIES - GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS, INSTITUTIONS, ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES - TO COLLABORATE ACROSS DIVERSITY AND DIVIDES FOR THE SAKE OF THE COMMON GOOD. IN EACH CASE, THIS MEANS DRAWING ON THE GOODWILL, ASSETS, AND PERSON-POWER OF THESE COLLECTIVE ENTITIES TO LISTEN TO THE NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS EXPRESSED IN THE BROADER COMMUNITY, IDENTIFY AREAS OF COMMON CONCERN WHERE COLLABORATIVE ENGAGEMENT IS POSSIBLE, AND INTENTIONALLY CULTIVATE THE RELATIONAL DIMENSION OF THE SOCIETY.IN THE SEAT AT THE TABLE/HUMANIZING INITIATIVES, THE SCI IS WORKING TO GIVE VOICE AND EQUITY TO THOSE OFTEN NOT CONSIDERED IN, OR LEFT OUT OF, THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. THIS MEANS, OUT IN THE BROADER SOCIETY, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM CONSTITUENCIES ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE AND THE LIKELY IMPACT OF THEIR BEHALF. WITHIN COMMUNITIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INSTITUTIONS, THIS MEANS INVITING THOSE TO BE SERVED OR IMPACTED TO BE RESPECTED AS THE 'EXPERTS IN THEIR OWN LIVES AND HAVE AN ACTIVE AND DEFINITIVE ROLE IN DECISION-MAKING TO BE MORE SELF-DETERMINANT IN THE CARE, SERVICES, AND OPPORTUNITIES ACCORDED THEM.