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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2016)
Wednesday, January 20, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 31 Next steps for ‘Speak Your Peace’ By Sue Stafford Correspondent Last Thursday the com- munity had the opportu- nity, through a series of meetings convened by Citizens4Community (C4C), to examine what civility is, how to encourage it, and then to identify current prob- lems within the community that might benefit from those involved practicing the nine tenets of the Speak Your Peace (SYP) project. Speak Your Peace: The Civility Project is a program that provides tools to help citizens communicate more respectfully and effectively. Following Thursday’s meet- ings, on Friday morning anyone interested in being involved in promoting civility in Sisters was encouraged to attend a gathering to consider “where we go from here.” A group of about 30 people met to share ideas, concerns, and possible action steps to encourage a more civil public discourse in Sisters. Larry Nelson, president of the Sisters Garden Club, shared his planned first step in practicing the nine tenets of the program (see accompany- ing graphic). “I will spend each day and then do a report card at the end of the day. My personal goal is to work on self-eval- uation before taking it (SYP) forward.” Kent Neff, C4C steering committee member, echoed Nelson’s thoughts. “A way to proceed is to orient our own self, practice civility, and spread it that way,” he said. National spokesperson for SYP Rob Karwath used the image of a pond full of lily pads, with their edges touch- ing. If one moves or shifts, the others are gently moved. So it is in a community; one person’s actions reach out and touch others, who then reach out and touch others, and so on. However one person behaves spreads out across the pond. Steering committee mem- ber Clark Brody suggested everyone consider the lan- guage they use when telling people about SYP. Invite them to reflect on the nine tools and give them time to consider the concept. Jerry Norquist of Cycle Oregon would like to see letters to the editor in The Nugget be focused on issues and not personal attacks on individuals or groups. There were several ref- erences on both Thursday and Friday to the concept of “building the field of dreams and they will come.” Karwath outlined several initial steps for the group to consider, based on his expe- rience with other communi- ties. He recommended print- ing more of the SYP cards to share with friends and neigh- bors. He encouraged schedul- ing more public discussions to keep the momentum going as well as providing a way to introduce the civility project to people unable to attend last week’s gatherings. He reiter- ated the idea of individuals committing to practice the principles every day. Jeff Campbell, Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) board chair, said he would be happy to be the first organization to adopt SYP but Specializing in Central Oregon Rural Properties K Kathy H Hansbrough Broker, CDPE, GRI, SRE B C 541-408-2998 Cell: Offi ce: 541-728-0033 O kjhansbrough@remax.net www.kathyhansbrough.com RE/MAX Key Properties 431 NW Franklin Ave. Bend, OR 97701 Licensed Broker in the State of Oregon realizes he needs to share it first with all the board mem- bers. Campbell encouraged the C4C steering committee “to continue to champion SYP and be available for mentor- ing and discussion.” Robyn Holdman, who first incubated the dream of SYP in Sisters, told the group she doesn’t want to create another bureaucracy. She envisions C4C remaining nimble, main- taining good communica- tion with the community, and reflecting the nine tools of civility. C4C can act as a resource for groups as they begin to consider adopting a code for civility. They can also arrange to bring in more speakers to present on topics of interest to the community. It has been a joy to be here in Sisters… I feel the best I’ve felt when leaving a community. you are in your own good hands. — rob Karwath Sisters Folk Festival board chair Jack McGowan spoke passionately regarding how people here care about one another, the town, and all of Sisters Country. “We’re here because we want action; but at the same time understand that the pro- cess will take awhile,” he graphic courtesy Duluth superior area community founDation the nine tenets of the Speak your Peace program can help promote public civility and community engagement in Sisters. added. Karwath left Sisters with a very positive impression of the physical town and the res- idents of Sisters Country. “It has been a joy to be here in Sisters… I feel the best I’ve felt when leaving a community. You are in your own good hands,” he told the Friday group. He was impressed with the extraordinary involve- ment of the residents, who he observed speaking with pas- sion and listening intently. A Partnership Beyond Your Expectations Stop by and visit with Tiana Van Landuyt & Shelley Marsh. 220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 | 541-548-9180
