Somers Diversity Project
SDP Description
SDP intends to focus on honoring the inherent dignity, value and human rights of every race, ethnicity, and religion, around the world. The program begins with powerful, moving personal testimony of facing prejudice. It sets the framework with a review of civil rights gains and the work that still needs to be done, using the 1990 Hate Crime Statistics Act (HCSA) as a lens into incidents that fragment and isolate our communities, tearing apart the interwoven fabric of American society.
KASIF’s thoughtful exercises allow youth to view “others” from a perspective of similarity, rather than differences. For each perceived difference, students brainstorm similarities and bridges between cultures. The interactions of individuals and groups are seen through the lens of mutual benefits and enrichment, rather than a “zero sum” equation.
