Borough Economy

Humanist Center, Queens Community House and NEDAP

Economic development should be community development. How can we support the development of small businesses, manufacturing, credit unions and other economic initiatives that will enhance the quality of life of Queens' diverse population?

Women against Discrimination and Violence

Humanist Center, Movement for Peace in Colombia and Ecuadorian Immigration Center

Women represent 51% of the world's population but are under-represented at the social, political, and religious level, facing discrimination and violence. What work is being done to rectify this injustice and give women a clear role in decision-making?

Immigration Legislation

NICE, Queens Community House, Latin American Integration Center and Humanist Center

Queens is the most diverse borough in the country, with close to half of its population born outside the US. Join a discussion on the new immigration legislation before Congress and other legislation initiatives that will affect all residents of the borough directly.

Immigrant Voting Rights

NICE and Humanist Center

How can we speak of democracy when in some parts of Queens more than 35% of the residents have no political representation? Find out how giving the right to vote to legal immigrants at the local level can empower our communities and create a more democratic society.

Inter-cultural violence: Tackling prejudice

Center of Cultures

Queens is the most diverse place on the planet with people from 112 nations speaking 137 languages.Ê But in spite of its diversity, invisible walls of prejudice prevent us from engaging in a true dialogue and common action. The aim of this workshop is to help break down the walls by recognizing our own biases and developing a deeper appreciation of one's own culture as well as the cultures of others.

A Department of Peace?

The Peace Alliance

The aim of this workshop is to give people a better understanding of The Peace Alliance's goal of creating a cabinet-level Department of Peace. Join us as we give an overview of why a Department of Peace is more and more of a need in our government. Following that, we will have a question and answer period and will end with a workshop that allows you to experience one way of nonviolent conflict resolution.

Sticks and Stones / Issues Affecting LGBTQ Latino Youth

Generation Q / Queens Community House / Youth in Action Program at Hispanic AIDS Forum

By focusing on bullying and homophobic name-calling and exploring participants' own (mis)information about gay people in a non-judgmental and honest atmosphere, facilitators help participants connect their personal experiences with bullying to reach a new understanding of the effects of homophobia. This session uses group work, factual information, visual guides, and discussion to tackle the wide range of issues which emerge as the session progresses.

Is "Healthcare for All" a Pipe Dream?

Healthcare-NOW

Healthcare-NOW is a growing nationwide movement for a quality healthcare system guaranteed to all residents by single-payer financing — a non-profit improved and enhanced system that covers everybody. Find out about how such a system would work, and what we need to do to make it a reality.

Affordable Housing

Queens for Affordable Housing

The need for affordable housing in Queens has become a critical issue, with overcrowding, increased rent charges, and building construction that focuses on luxury housing far out of reach of the working families of the borough. Come learn about a campaign by community groups, social service organizations, and religious congregations to pressure our government to protect the right to affordable housing and to find creative solutions to Queens' growing housing problems.

How to stay ALERT through Multi-issue Organizing

Queens Pride House

Activism, Leadership, and Education for a Radical Takeover (ALERT) is a new workshop series initiated by Queens Pride House that explores how each of our oppressions intersect in personal and systemic ways. Through simulations and games this workshop will discuss in tangible terms what the heck multi-issue organizing is and why "uniting to fight" is more effective than waging hundreds of single-issue campaigns simultaneously.

Domestic Violence in LGBTQ and Hetero Relationships

Urban Justice Domestic Violence Project

Researchers have discovered similar and substantial rates of intimate partner violence among both heterosexual and same sex couples, however violence in same sex relationships has been understudied. The oversight can be attributed to discrimination resulting from homophobia, ignorance, xenophobia, and heterosexism. Thus it is imperative that an organized effort be made to raise consciousness about violence in same sex relationships and the harm that results from it. Through this lens, DVP will help workshop participants define and understand the different aspects of violence in all types of relationships. Interactive discussion will raise participants' awareness of warning signs and give tools and materials individual can use if found in a violent situation.

Building a Culture of Non-Violence in Schools

Queens Antiwar Committee and the Humanist Center

As youth we need to talk and find solutions about the violence we face at school, such as military recruitment, bullying, school security, and academic pressures. Come share your experiences, so that we can find ways to build a non violent culture for youth.

Healing the Damage Caused by Racism
Sanando de las heridas del racismo

United to End Racism and Proyecto Claridad - New York City Social Justice Fellows, Research Center for Leadership In Action, NYU Wagner School

Racism hurts all people. It is destructive to individuals and to communities and has been used as a tool to divide people's social change movements and to create an inequitable system of tiered privilege based on skin color. One central aspect of the perpetuation of racism has been the use of violence to install conditioning on those targeted, as well as those conditioned to perpetrate racism. Participants in this workshop will be introduced to proven methods of healing from the effects of racism by working in listening pairs, small groups, and panels. These skills may be applied for both personal benefit and community organizing.

El racismo nos afecta a todos. Además de ser un sistema social de privilegios basado en el color de la piel o la etnicidad el racismo es utilizado para dividir a los movimientos progresistas. El racismo destruye al individuo. Para que el racismo pueda funcionar es necesario usar la violencia para convencer a las personas que son el blanco del racismo a no resistirlo y a la misma vez a programar a los que practican y benefician del sistema a que sean pasivos. Los participantes del taller aprenderán métodos para sanar de los efectos del racismo por medio de turnos en pareja, grupos pequeños y paneles. Estos adiestramientos han sido comprobados como beneficiosos para el propio bien y para ayudar en la organización comunitaria.

Transgender Sensitivity Workshop

Hispanic AIDS Forum

This workshop is designed to educate participants on issues related to individuals of Transgender experience. Participants will be asked to question Hetero-normative paradigms which make it difficult for Transgender individuals to access jobs, services, housing & other entitlements that the rest of us take for granted.

Organizing Domestic Workers

Andolan

Domestic workers face deeply entrenched forms of structural violence and our workshop will explore the different forms of violence and the way in which the state and the economy perpetuate and prioritize forms of psychological, physical and economic violence and what workers can do to combat systemic abuse.

Peace and Reconciliation

The Community of Silo's Message

The aim of the reconciliation workshop is to foster an inner direction away from contradiction and toward an increasing sense of happiness, meaning and overall well-being. By working with our own internal guide/guiding image, we will attempt to orient ourselves away from resentment and toward internal peace and reconciliation.