The September 11th terrorist attacks on our country was without a doubt a shocking and life-changing occurrence for most Americans. People everywhere mourned the loss of lives and rallied together to lend support to mend the destruction. In the midst of it all, citizens reflected on how fortunate they are to be a part of a nation that was built on the concepts of freedom, liberty and justice for all. But, even in these troubled times, some have not yet reached the mark for having a true understanding of the value of differences. Nor have they grasped the meaning of managing diversity.
Most of our young people today can't even remember when school integration was prohibited, certain ethnic groups were not allowed in certain neighborhoods, and interracial marriages were just taboo. Clearly, America has made significant progress since those days, but are we a tolerant nation? Unfortunately, incidents of racism and prejudice are still evident even in the 21st century.
Recent publications have addressed tolerance as an approach to helping rid the country of some of its embedded stereotypes and prejudices. Tolerance is defined as recognition of and respect for the opinions, practices, or behavior of others (Webster 1984). Becoming more tolerant is a process that requires nurturing and a conscious effort to be inclusive, empathetic, and responsive. So how do we get to tolerance? We can get there through educational outreach programs like Extension's Valuing Differences and Managing Diversity project.
Across the nation, and within the state of Alabama, the Cooperative Extension System has a tremendous role to play in helping individuals, families and communities understand and adjust to individual differences. Extension, by its very definition, is an organization operating under the commitment to provide educational programs, materials and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, culture, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. This commitment addresses directly the responsibilities of Extension to provide outreach services to diverse audiences, and indirectly addresses the organization's obligation to design its programs around the priority needs of Alabama citizens.
Through the Valuing Differences and Managing Diversity project, educators help prepare citizens to respond appropriately to issues of diversity by initiating multi-cultural programs, establishing collaborations and coalitions, and promoting resources and materials that support enhanced awareness and appreciation of differences. The program has been quite successful in training groups that range from 4-H youth to front-line executives on ways to become continually more aware and respectful of differences. For more information on the System's Valuing Differences and Managing Diversity program and the availability of training and resources, please call or write Community Resource Development Specialist Dr. Dony Gapasin at P.O. Box 967, Normal, Alabama 35762 or (256) 858-4965.