Dealing with hate and intolerance theme for community workshops

LACONIA — "From Tolerance to Inclusion: Many Experiences, One Community" is the overall theme on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 4 and 5 for a community-wide event to respond to the intolerance and uncivil dialogue that has become endemic in American culture.

"How to make democracy work in a time of increasing distrust and incivility has become a basic issue. The conundrum can be seen in our intolerance of others' opinions and yet, with the seeming tolerance of wide spread drug use it is difficult to organize to keep our neighborhoods safe. Engaging in dialogue on how tolerance and intolerance are expressed and how to sustain a culture of inclusion are fundamental to who we are as a community,'' says Carol Pierce, chair of the Laconia Human Relations Committee.

The event is sponsored by the Laconia School District, Lakes Region Community College, Laconia Human Relations Committee, Laconia Police Department, Lakes Region United Way, NH Catholic Charities and Laconia Middle School PTO.

Celia Brooks and Michele Marsh Garcia of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) are keynote speakers for the two-day series of events in the Laconia Schools and the Lakes Region Community College. The SPLC is a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society.

Superintendent of Schools Bob Champlin's on-going theme for the schools is Respect, Responsibility, and Relationships, the basis for educational values. The theme for October 4 and 5 in the schools is Promoting Respectful Schools. Supt. Champlin says, "bullying is the precursor to hate and intolerance."

On Tuesday, Oct. 4 Brooks and Garcia will lead staff training for the Laconia Schools at 4 p.m. This is followed by a free family and community dinner at the Laconia Middle School from 6 to 8 pm. Wednesday, October 5 Brooks and Garcia will be leading school events for students in the Laconia Middle School and Laconia High School.

Wednesday evening Brooks and Garcia will give a presentation at the Lakes Region Community College, "The State of Hate and Intolerance in America: A Call to Community Building, A Community Forum on Civil Discourse in 2011, " from 6 to 8:30 pm, including a free dinner sponsored by the LRCC Student Senate.

Support for this Conference comes from: The Southern Poverty Law Center, Laconia School District, Lakes Region Community College Student Senate, and The Margate on Winnipesaukee.