1. The circle of united diversity By Margarita Garfias

2. When the circle of unity breaks Rejection separates The circle gets broken We tend to pre- judge Those we do not know Those who are distant When we form negative Prejudgments We separate We reject what We view negatively

3. Rejection Rejection is a movement Rejection shows up in many forms The most devastating form is war Segregation and genocide are tragic forms of rejection What forms of rejection have you experienced or witnessed? West Side Story, Romeo and Juliet

4. There is hope we can move from rejection From rejection to Tolerance, from tolerance to Acceptance, from acceptance to Embracement, from embracement to Celebration of diversity CELEBRATION Embracement Acceptance Tolerance Rejection

5. TOLERANCE If we are tolerating something, we must be near it… A definitive move in the right direction

6. Characteristics of tolerance There is ‘tug and pull’ We are not convinced it is good, We tolerate, we ‘put up with’ Parallel activity of the different groups The tug and pull ‘tug of war’ characterizes TOLERANCE Tolerance is a good ground for acceptance because…

7. ACCEPTANCE Acceptance is the ground in which we start getting closer, we live near each other, and start really knowing each other

8. Characteristics of acceptance You accept what you have ‘looked over’ you judge and evaluate before accepting ‘They are not bad’ we may even do things together is the attitude The tug of war ended Frictions are mostly avoided You are still parallel but not all the time, and much closer than in tolerance

9. Embracement Embracement is the ground in which we close the circle ~we hold hands~

10. Characteristics of embracement We do things together like if we were the same, Our differences are ‘sometimes forgotten’, we know our similarities We have relationships, close relationships! We are capable of living together with ‘the other groups’ Is this the end of the story?

11. The celebration of diversity I invite you into a higher ground, where you will seek and want diversity, because you know it is very good.

12. I challenge you to dream of a day in which we celebrate the many flavors, sounds, colors, sights and feelings that diversity brings. I invite you to imagine a future in which we experience with joy the richness and the variety of gifts that diversity brings. That higher ground is where we know “how good and how pleasant it Is to live together in unity.”

13. There is hope when we find a way. Look inside of yourself, outside of yourself. Look at your family and friends Examine your attitudes and find where you are in the movement toward the celebration and the joy. Then, I hope you move toward that higher ground. How does the song go? ….and let it begin with me….