Multicultural Monthly

  Stop, Children—What’s That Sound? A Call to Consciousness In 1966, Buffalo Springfield released For What It’s Worth , a song that quickly became an anthem of protest and reflection. But as “Missed Significance – For What It’s Worth” points out, its meaning has often been diluted—reduced to a nostalgic soundtrack rather than a call to action. The lyric: "Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down." was never just poetic—it was prophetic. It urged listeners to pause, observe, and respond to the unrest around them. That message is just as urgent today. Recent Signals of Unrest The 2023 police shooting in Akron reignited debates about accountability and justice. The 2024 “Cop City” protests in Atlanta exposed tensions between public safety and community autonomy. The 2025 student walkouts over curriculum bans revealed deep fractures in our educational and cultural landscape. These events are not isolated—they’re echoes of a deeper disquiet. The...

In 2025, I find myself reflecting on how deeply the politics of healthcare in the United States are intertwined with the fight for reproductive justice. Ever since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, I've watched states adopt wildly divergent policies, creating a patchwork of access that hits marginalized communities the hardest. As someone who believes in the power of community and bodily autonomy, I see reproductive justice as more than just the legal right to abortion. It's about the right to have children, not have children, and to raise those children in safe, sustainable environments. This framework, developed by women of color, resonates deeply with me—especially in today's political climate. The post-Roe landscape has only intensified existing disparities. In states with restrictive laws, low-income individuals, people of color, and LGBTQ+ communities face overwhelming barriers to care. I've heard stories of people struggling to access abortion s...

Cooperative Process: A Cornerstone of Multicultural Transformation Introduction: This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the cooperative process and its role in multicultural transformation. It supports individuals, teams, and organizations in fostering inclusive, equitable, and collaborative environments. Core Assumptions The cooperative process is built on values that contrast sharply with competitive systems: Cooperative Assumptions Competitive Assumptions Abundance: There is enough for everyone Scarcity: Resources are limited Equality: Everyone is worthy and valued Inequality: Some are better than others Shared Power: Information and influence are distributed Power Hoarding: Privilege controls access Responsibility: Each person is accountable for their needs Disempowerment: Control is maintained by limiting others Cooperative Behaviors Full utilization of strokes : Giving, receiving, asking for, rejecting, and self-stroking (affirmation). Sharing resentments : Expressing f...

   

 I was assisted by Greg in doing a 1.5 hour presentation on Cooperative Process at the 2023 Lodge Keepers Society meeting.  We made stretches in our presentation and challenged ourselves to start the  process of a formal presentation. We made a judgment call on which posters would be necessary and quickly realized we needed the 5 levels as well. Here are the Posters we used, hopefully in order:

This is the third MC training we have held for Montreal. Our accomplishments include presenting a more complete module on Cooperative Process as well as "certifying" a local team to present the posters and the concepts to local groups.  We are grateful to a local "sponsor" for funding and hope that in the future we can engage local organizations to continue to support the logistics of presenting and training leaders in this community.