C06 Session: Professional Development for CB

A Culturally-Based Approach to Professional Development for Capacity Builders

Thursday, August 3, 2:15pm - 5:30pm

Track:  Cultural Competency

Presenters

Description

This workshop is designed to engage participants in reflection and dialogue about their role as community builders or social change makers who assist individuals, communities and organizations in their growth and transformation processes.  The session will include storytelling, case studies and dialogue that focuses on strategic questions such as:  What is a culturally-based approach?  Why are culturally-based approaches important?  What is my role as a consultant, as a community builder?  Throughout the session, the goal is to draw upon the indigenous wisdom of the participants to address questions that go beyond race and look more deeply at concepts of power, hierarchy, leadership, values and other key factors that require attention in capacity building.

About the Presenters

Diana Lee, National Community Development Institute

A native of Oklahoma, Diana Lee has worked for equal access to health, education, social and legal services for youth and adults living with sickle cell and other special health care needs for over fifteen years. One of California's first state-certified sickle cell counselors, Diana served as the co-founder and past Executive Director of the Sickle Cell Community Health Network of Northern California. Prior to joining NCDI, she was an active advocate on behalf of children and adults with a broad range of disabilities and special health care needs, serving as a consultant-trainer for the California Department of Education, assisting parent groups, schools and professionals around California to build effective partnerships through trainings, one-on-one consultation, technical assistance and publications. An alumnus of the LeaderSpring (formerly Eureka Communities) Fellowship for nonprofit directors, Diana holds a B.S. in Health Science with an emphasis in Community Health Education from San Francisco State University. Since joining NCDI in 2003, Diana has served on many projects, including coordinating the training programs for consultants and organizational leaders serving in communities of color both in California and North Carolina.

Dahnesh Medora, National Community Development Institute

For the past fifteen years Dahnesh Medora has worked to support the organizational capacity of nonprofits located both in the United States and in other parts of the world. In the role of staff, consultant and board member, Dahnesh has focused on fundraising, strategic planning and human resources. Before joining NCDI, Dahnesh directed external relations at the Tides Center by providing assistance to new and emerging nonprofits. Dahnesh received his M.A. at Michigan State University where he focused on nonprofit management and has served on a number of boards including Youth Action for Global Justice, Community Toolbox for Children's Environmental Health and the Foundation Center of San Francisco.

Charles Price, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Charles Price teaches in the Department of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He has been engaged in social justice-oriented activism and research since 1990. Charles' research, writing and activity revolve around Black identity, oral and life history, welfare reform and access to college, and organizing and advocacy. Geographically, Charles's attention is focused especially on Jamaica and the American South. Among other things, Charles was a co-founder of the Action Network for Social Justice, Tampa, FL; served several years as a Co-Chair of the Black Students Alliance at City University of New York Graduate School; was Vice President of the Rastafari Centralization Organization, Kingston, Jamaica (1999); and was a board member of the Socialist Scholars Conference.