Hate crimes symposium

November 20, 2010

MIND is working on a symposium on hate crimes in the United States, looking at the full spectrum of communities and people targeted, including LGBT people, immigrants, people of color and women. This initiative is co-sponsored by the New York Chapter of MFSA, the Conference Board of Church and Society and the New York Annual Conference's Task Force on Immigration.

The symposium has several overarching goals: bringing the issue and the victims to light, educating our church communities and making conversation about the problem possible; bringing the church together, lifting up all who are affected and binding us together in common humanity; and articulating a Christian response, a Christian imperative to respond.

The event is being held at Grace UMC at 125 W. 104th St. in Manhattan and will run from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, November 20. It will include a panel of speakers -- Terry Todd, Rosario Quinones and Fred Brewington -- and a performance of the play "What Killed Marcelo Lucero? along with a discussion afterwards with Teatro Experimental actor-vists. There will be worship and small group discussions and safe spaces for participation and healing. Active participation of conference youth groups is also planned.

We are actively seeking additional sponsoring organizations and more people for our planning team.

For more information or to get involve in the planning, contact Kristen Dunn or Dorothee Benz .

The planning group also wrote and introduced a resolution for the 2010 annual conference meeting, which was passed by that body on June 11, 2010.