Brookhaven takes bold steps to enhance inclusiveness, diversity
Guests at the Welcoming Week Civic Dinner included, left to right, Mary Beth Bucklen, Renan Lopez De Azura, Anis Sherali, Kendra Fuentes-Llaurador, Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla, Joe Gebbia, Terri Moss, Jeff Thompson and Corinna Joyner.
Brookhaven, GA, Sept. 26, 2019 -- As the annual celebration of “Welcoming Week” in Brookhaven (and across the world) drew to a close last week, one thing was abundantly clear: In a 21st Century world, the strongest communities will be the ones where all people can take part in local economic, civic and social life. These communities will successfully show it is possible to go beyond fear and even tolerance to achieve a bright future for all.
In addressing these and other related issues of connectivity and inclusiveness, Brookhaven is taking measures to step up to the plate and help residents feel more invited and engaged in co-creating a better future. These measures are an extension of the City’s goal to be a “Sustainable City,” according to Brookhaven Councilman and Mayor Pro Tempore Joe Gebbia. “A Sustainable Brookhaven prioritizes civic engagement, ethical standards, social equity, inclusiveness, and proactive community leadership development,” he noted.
At a final event marking the Welcoming Week observance, Gebbia hosted a table at a Civic Dinner attended by over 100 metro Atlanta leaders representing nine area cities and fivecounties. The purpose of the dinner was to discuss programs and policies that foster a sense of “belonging” across the region.
As of 2016, one million foreign-born persons lived in Georgia which has the ninth largest immigrant population in the nation. While people from around the world have long called Atlanta and surrounding suburban cities home, the region is a relatively new destination for immigrants and refugees. As with all change, communities need programs and policies that facilitate incorporation of new neighbors into the civic, social and economic fabric. This philosophy spurred the creation in 2014 of Welcoming America who later partnered with the One Region Initiative to help share ideas and concerns and listen to local residents to better understand the barriers they face and explore opportunities that may exist for immigrant newcomers.
The Civic Dinner concept is an outgrowth of this relationship and was created to provide a platform that brings people together to have conversations that matter and help transform dinner tables into forums for positive social change. Over 1,350 Civic Dinners have been held across the world so far. From Atlanta to Minneapolis to Vancouver to Wellington, New Zealand, people have gathered for meaningful conversations around big issues, helping bring diverse voices and perspectives to the table and building communities through shared values and visions.
At the Sept. 18 Civic Dinner, Brookhaven’s special guests included: Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla with Or Ve Shalom Temple; Jeff Thompson, Acacia Realty; Corinna Joyner, Marist High School senior; Anis Sherali, Brookhaven Muslim Center; Kendra Fuentes-Llaurador, Brookhaven YMCA; and Terri Moss, Buckhead Fight Club. Representing the City of Brookhaven in addition to Gebbia were Mary Beth Bucklen, City Park Bond Liason and Major Renan Lopez de Azua, Brookhaven Police Department.
“Everyone left very energized and with high praise for the entire Welcoming America experience,” said Gebbia. “The dinner sought honest conversation and reflection among community leaders on how to implement policies and programs that will make our area a more welcoming place to live.”
The dinner’s format, built around the theme “Belonging,” was wrapped around three major questions that each diner was asked to express their personal perspective on: 1) Describe a time when you felt like you didn’t belong or witnessed someone else struggling to find a sense of belonging in a community; 2) Based on what you’ve seen or experienced in your community , what do you believe is the cause of “othering” (treating another person as different or as an outsider); and 3) What ideas do you have to foster a stronger sense of belonging within your community.
The response from 100 diverse individuals expressing their personal views was, as expected, staggering. “This was the beginning of a wonderful dialogue of diverse individuals within the Brookhaven community and surrounding areas,” said Gebbia.
“By the end of the evening, we had some astonishing stories, ideas and insight from different perspectives,” he recalled. “The Rabbi and the Islamic Center leader were making plans to meet outside of this dinner to further embrace their relationship and work together to further understanding between their congregations. The Marist student was so impressed that she wants to embrace and duplicate the Civic Dinner concept and have similar conversations with her fellow students. An invitation was also extended to City Council members to take a tour of the Brookhaven Islamic Center.
“Creating a better community was what this meeting was all about,” noted Rabbi Kassorla. “We all think Brookhaven is a special place and we are always striving to make it even better. Meeting with the representative from the Muslim Center was a connection that can be capitalized on and taken to the next level by going to each other’s places of worship, talking in depth and sharing ideas with the hope of breaking down barriers.
“We soon come to see the other person from a different viewpoint and begin eliminating preconceived notions. We may both live in Brookhaven, but have very different world views. This takes a certain element of risk, but meeting on the other person’s turf and talking about our differences can go a long way in actually breaking down cultural obstacles.”
Anis Sherali from the Muslim Center echoed the Rabbi’s sentiment. “We appreciate the City of Brookhaven for including the Brookhaven Islamic Center at the Civic Dinner,” he noted.
“There are many Muslims who attend the Mosque for prayers five times each day. The location of the Mosque is also very convenient for Muslims from other cities close to Brookhaven. Many of the Muslims who attend the daily prayers and who live in and around Brookhaven are immigrants from several countries around the world. Some of them look different and dress different which leads to profiling and possible discrimination.
“We are excited about the ‘You are Welcome Here’ initiative because certain politicians and media enablers have made Islam and Muslims a target. Muslim Americans are law abiding and model citizens and are nothing like the stereotypes depicted on TV. We hope that people will reach out and get to know a Muslim and learn about Islam.”
“This showed that by simply breaking bread together, barrier walls can be broken down,” Gebbia added. “I encourage all residents to reference Brookhaven’s Sustainable City vision as the City continues to move forward improving the quality of life for all residents.”
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