The Lens is the City’s newsletter to expand conversations on equity, inclusion, belonging, and access.
What makes cities more inclusive, competitive, and resilient?
André Darmanin, MPA, Certified Cultural Intelligence Practitioner and an urban planning expert specializing in equity and inclusion strategies, helps cities manage diversity and harness it as a source of innovation and resilience. Darmanin writes in his article, Building Inclusive Cities: Navigating Migration, Climate Change, and Cultural Diversity, that as the urban landscape continues to change it is important for countries and cities to keep up with the opportunity for growth. His suggestions are below.
Culturally Informed Urban Planning: Design spaces accommodating diverse cultural practices and fostering interaction.
Climate Resilience with Cultural Sensitivity: Partner with environmental specialists to develop climate adaptation strategies to consider the unique needs of different cultural groups.
Multilingual and Culturally Competent Services: Ensure city services are accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to all residents.
Economic Inclusion Initiatives: Support immigrant entrepreneurship and recognize diverse skills and experiences.
Education and Awareness Programs: Combat stereotypes and promote inclusion through targeted campaigns and school programs.
Data-Driven Approach: Partner with data specialists who use disaggregated data to understand and address the needs of diverse communities.
In its article, A Facilitator’s Guide to Meeting Equity, Lucid, a company that helps teams collaborate effectively, get and stay aligned, and make complexity clearer, shares tips and strategies to set yourself up for a successful meeting. By prioritizing equity in team meetings, you facilitate a meeting that inspires creativity and drives results. Before the meeting it is important to understand equity versus equality, recognize barriers to meeting equity, and understand the benefits of prioritizing meeting equity. See Lucid’s suggestions below.
Three Tips to Prepare for an Equitable Meeting:
1. Set clear objectives and agendas
By defining the purpose and goals, you allow there to be a clear outline of what is to be discussed and accomplished during the meeting. It also helps to share the agenda with participants ahead of time to allow team members to prepare ideas and feel more comfortable contributing to the discussion.
2. Establish team agreements
Establishing agreements allows for clear expectations to be set at the start of the meeting. This tip also allows for participants to feel comfortable sharing ideas and opinions by creating a safe and supportive environment.
3. Provide equal access to technology
All participants should have the ability to access the technology needed for the meeting in order to have equal opportunity to participate in the conversation. In settings with hybrid or remote workers it is important that participants have access to documents and notes throughout and after the meeting.
Now that you’re set up for success you can implement strategies that allow you to successfully facilitate the meeting.
Four Facilitation Strategies for an Inclusive Meeting:
1. Create a safe and respectful environment
As the facilitator, it is your responsibility to set the tone of the meeting. Consider all participants and their familiarity with each other and the meeting’s content. In the instance of a hybrid meeting, it is important to have an equal focus on both physically present and virtually present participants.
2. Balance participation
To maintain equity in your meeting, take note of the power dynamics present amongst participants. Invite introverted participants to speak and validate their participation. Allowing space for everyone to engage leads to better collaboration and a more productive meeting overall.
3. Use inclusive tools and techniques
With hybrid and remote work becoming increasingly more popular, it is important to understand and leverage the digital tools available to you and your team. For example, utilize break out rooms to encourage team engagement. It is also useful to adopt inclusive decision-making skills in order to further open up space in the discussion for varying participation styles.
4. Embrace productive conflict
It can be useful to embrace disagreement when there is intention to resolve the issue. Teams that work together regularly may benefit from collectively creating a conflict protocol that allows for individuals to share their perspective on the conflict. This collaborative tool allows all team members to learn from the conflict and be involved in the resolution.
Once the meeting is over the work is not done. Allow participants to provide feedback and identify areas for improvement. As the facilitator, be sure to provide documentation and access to all the material used in the meeting. With these tips and strategies regularly implemented into your meetings you will foster a more equitable work environment resulting in success for your team and company overall.
The City of Iowa City’s Neighborhood and Development Services, Office of Equity & Human Rights, and Public Library have teamed with Iowa Legal Aid Iowa City Regional Office to present a Tenants' Rights Workshop.
This in-person event aims to educate renters on their rights, responsibilities, and how to navigate common issues in the renting process. Whether you're a first-time renter or looking to brush up on your knowledge, this workshop is for you. Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity to empower yourself as a tenant! During the workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about various topics including lease agreements, rent payment issues, maintenance responsibilities, eviction procedures, and rights under Iowa City’s fair housing ordinance.
"We believe that informed tenants are empowered tenants," said Kristin Watson, Human Rights Investigator with the City. "This workshop is designed to provide practical knowledge and resources to renters, enabling them to advocate for their rights effectively."
About the presenters
The workshop will be facilitated by Stan Laverman, Senior Housing Inspector for the City; Kristin Watson, Human Rights Investigator for the City; and Jim Kringlen, Managing Attorney for Iowa City Regional Office of Iowa Legal Aid.
How to register
The workshop will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A. Interested individuals are encouraged to register early, as spaces are limited. Light refreshments will be served.
The City of Iowa City is committed to fostering a knowledgeable and empowered community of renters through initiatives like the Tenants' Rights Workshop.
Fostering Welcoming Environments Through Inclusive Dialogue: Workshop Facilitation Followed by Fire Side Chat with Sunayana Dumala
As the United States remains the primary destination for immigrants, empower your community to navigate and better understand the intersectionality of immigration issues and broader themes of belonging and inclusion with this workshop.
Join the September Lens Series for a profound journey with Sunayana Dumala, the heart and soul behind Forever Welcome, as she unveils her stirring narrative of resilience, empathy, and the essence of community. Facing adversity head-on through her personal battles with loss, grief, and navigating immigration, she highlights the critical need for unity and compassion. Seize the opportunity to be touched and inspired by her life-changing insights.
About the program
Forever Welcome Foundation has developed a dialogue workshop to provide a platform for cross-cultural understanding.
The workshop encourages open and constructive conversations. Participants gain insights into different perspectives, break down stereotypes, foster connections, increase empathy and emotional connections, and enhance awareness of immigration-related challenges. Participants will gain a better understanding of common misconceptions about immigration and an enhanced understanding of the concept of belonging.
About the presenter
Sunayana Dumala (she/her) is the founder and CEO of Forever Welcome Foundation. She is a Certified Diversity Professional, an advocate for immigrant reform, and a passionate voice against hate crimes. She founded the "Forever Welcome" foundation, bringing a unique immigrant perspective to her advocacy work. Previously, she was a Data Integration Engineer for Intouch Group (currently Eversana Intouch) in Overland Park, KS. Born in India, she moved to the United States to pursue her dreams in 2007.
Tragically, her life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, was fatally shot in a hate crime in Kansas in 2017. Since then, Sunayana has become an outspoken advocate for victims of hate crimes, leveraging her personal experience to shed light on the challenges faced by immigrants and minority communities. Through her foundation, she works tirelessly to foster inclusivity and understanding among diverse communities.
She was recently featured in a PBS documentary in Kansas City and and is also featured in a new campaign with Stop AAPI Hate.
Sunayana now lives in Orlando and enjoys cooking, traveling, and immersing herself in music.
How to register
The event will take place at the Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (program starts at 6 p.m.) on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Preregistration is required. You can register at this link. A meal will be served. The workshop is limited to the first 50 registrations due to space constraints.
Inclusive Social Connections at the Iowa City Senior Center
Queer Elders is a social group for LGBTQ elders to come together, share stories, and find community. The group meets each month at the Iowa City Senior Center. In addition to organizing social activities for members, the group supports the LBGTQ Iowa Archives and Library through collecting oral histories and gathering materials for the archive. For members who have the interest, there are also opportunities for sharing experiences with the wider community. For more information email QEIC.ICSC@gmail.com.
Upcoming Community Programming & Events
Transit App training
Transit App training with live French translation is a free in-person training that will be held at the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building, 855 South Dubuque St. in the 2nd floor training room 214 from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Transit App is a tool used on a smartphone or tablet that allows user to easily navigate the local bus systems in Johnson County. No RSVP required, please bring a smartphone or tablet to the training for practice. For more information contact Kelly Schneider, Mobility Coordinator, Johnson County Social Services by phone at 319-356-6090 or by email at kschneider@johnsoncountyiowa.gov.
One Community, One Book
The Fall 2024 One Community, One Book selection is Wastelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial by Corban Addison. The event will take place from 3-4:15 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, at the Boyd Law Building, 130 Byington Road. This event is free and open to the public and sponsored by the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights, Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative, and the Iowa City Book Festival. The One Community, One Book program is an annual community-wide reading project. Learn more at uichr.uiowa.edu.
Accepting nominations for Human Rights Awards
The Iowa City Human Rights Commission is accepting nominations for its Annual Human Rights Awards Ceremony.
The awards honor individuals, businesses, and organizations who positively influence the growth of human rights. More information about the awards and their namesakes are available online.
Questions or accommodations
For questions or if you will need disability-related accommodations to participate in any of our programs, contact the office at 319-356-5022 or humanrights@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
