It is a real pleasure to share the fantastic feedback below received from the first Community Empowerment event on anti-racism hosted by Vivian Okeze – Tirado last month in Horsham, West Sussex. Going into this first ticketed event, I must admit I was a bit nervous about how it would turn out. But to my delight, tickets were purchased, and I welcomed a good-sized and deeply engaged audience. The stories shared during the event truly resonated, creating meaningful conversations and reflection. Here is a snippet of feedback received unedited: Ques 1 – Was the Community Empowerment Event (Anti-racism conference Nov 2024) useful and engaging? “The event was well-paced and very interesting. It was good to hear others’ stories in the afternoon, as well as engaging with real-life scenarios through Vivian’s teaching and through the comments made too. We also appreciated the break for lunch and time to get to know some of the other participants.” Ques 2 – What part of the training did you find most useful and why? “As a white foster carer, I found the story of the 8-year-old twins very relevant to me. We have often been in this situation, and it’s not easy for the family concerned until we build trust with them. I would like to have explored the possibilities surrounding the story more and ask the global majority of people attending the conference how we can encourage more people to foster from ethnically diverse backgrounds.” Ques 3 – What difference did the training make to your knowledge and skills? “I was saddened by the stories of people encountering racism in our own community, and it made me much more aware of my own reactions, words and attitudes. What can I do better to help people feel included and not ostracised?” Ques 4 – How would you rate this event on a scale of 1- 5 (1 being poor and 5 being excellent)? 5 Ques 5 – What could have been different or better about the training received? Is there anything you would have changed? “I would love to have seen more white people at the event- foster carers, social workers and other community leaders. It was very predominantly a black event, but we need as white people to engage in this conversation, listen and learn if wrong attitudes are ever going to shift. “ – Conference attendee. Thank you so much, dear participant and for this wonderful feedback.
I remain very grateful to everyone who attended and contributed to making this experience impactful. Here’s to more opportunities for dialogue, growth, and community building! See you next year! – Vivian Okeze – Tirado
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#equalitydiversityinclusion #conference
#workshop #education #inclusion #socialjustice
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