A video montage of the in person and virtual events. The accompanying song, SOUL Care was written by over 20 participants during the 2020 virtual gathering. The music was written by Xolani and Katharine Tsela, sung by Ananda Ewing-Boyd and Katharine Tsela, and produced by Jon Rezin.
Purpose
Our purpose in organizing this symposium is to create a space for exploration of possibilities for using the arts for social action. We define social action as being an action that leads to any of the following: healing, education, community building, and/or community action. The spirit of this undertaking is one of exploration, collaboration, encouragement, urgency in action with the underlying principle being love.
Topics
ADALIA
Ink and Flow
Creative writing and movement are combined in this workshop as tools for channeling your unique voice towards the contributions you are or want to make towards the betterment of society.
KIMIMILA
What Does It Really Mean to “Decolonize”?
KilákÈŸota is the Lakota word for decolonize or to become human again. Decolonizing is a buzz word often heard, however there is not a systemic method to “decolonize” or "Become Human Again.
In this workshop we will address the question of what does it really mean to “decolonize”?
NANCY
Photography: A Meditative Force for Promoting Human Nobility
Participants will explore the role of photography as a meditative force to witness, remember, and promote human nobility. The genre of portraiture will be given some attention in our examination of how we see each other in the world, and how we want to be seen.
ERIC
Praise, Protest, and Purpose
In this interactive workshop, participants will engage in the process of music as a socio-spiritual model leading to community, connection, unity and healing.
The Convergence Symposium is in honor of Moya Moye
Moya was murdered in New Orleans in February 2018. A Baha'i, a leader in the Black Lives Matters movement, an artist and a mentor to many children and youth, his death broke the hearts of countless people. This gathering in his memory is meant to lift the hearts of those who knew him, lead to action in our communities, provide a space for collaboration and create a unified community of world changers.
Presenters
Kimimila Locke
Kimimila (she, her, hers) is Lakota from the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota and Ahtna Dené from Tazlina, Alaska. She has her MA in Teaching and has been in education since 2001 as both a middle and high school English teacher, and a Lakota language teacher. Currently, Kimimila is involved in several projects including co-creating and continuing to expand and develop the Mní Wichóni NakíciziÅ‹ WoúÅ‹spe, the Defenders of the Water School, that was started during the NoDAPL Prayer Camps. Since Sovereignty is one of the goals of the Wounspe, Kimimila has started at the Indigenous Farm Hub as a Farmer in Residence to learn food sovereignty.
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In addition, Kimimila has several projects and activities that keep her busy with her home community such as issues surrounding environmental racism, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, birth work, lactation consultation, and middle school sexual health education.
Nancy Wong
Nancy Wong is an international freelance photographer based in Chicago, Illinois. Her goal is to facilitate human connection and foster upliftment by visually documenting the qualities of beauty, dignity, and nobility in the world. Nancy served five years as staff photographer for the Bahá’í World Centre in Israel. She has had photo assignments in Asia, the Middle East, the continent of Africa, and throughout the United States. Nancy is committed to contribute to an ever-expanding visual narrative of the full experiences of the lives of people of color in the United States.
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Nancy was one of the founding members of Asian Women United of Minnesota (AWUM), a non-profit dedicated to ending domestic violence by promoting safe & healthy relationships within the Asian-Pacific Islander community. In addition to her photo business and creative practice, Nancy has been serving as AWUM’s Communications Manager since 2010. To her, the work to end violence against women and the work to make images go hand-in-hand, each area of service and activity benefiting the other.
Eric Dozier
Eric is a sought-after subject matter expert and artist in the world of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He has delivered numerous workshops for institutions of higher education and companies like Accenture and eBay. He is a regular presenter and provocateur for impact investment firms such as Illumen Capital and the Impact Experience working to bring greater equity to finance. Dozier has worked extensively with independent schools, presenting for the National Association of Independent Schools on several occasions. He has developed arts and culture curriculum for the National Museum of African-American Music and was recently invited to keynote the annual conference for the Central Eastern European Schools Association in Vilnius Lithuania.
Dozier co-founded the Children’s Theater Company of NYC and co-created the internationally-recognized Character Education Framework currently adopted in multiple chapters across the United States. Finally, within a year, Eric will have an award-winning musical, The Ballad of Henry box Brown, debuting on Broadway.
Adalia Ellis
With over two decades of educational experience, Adalia is a seasoned educator, having passionately engaged in and crafted educational programs at both grassroots and formal classroom levels. Currently, she teaches public speaking in university.
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Beyond the realm of public speaking, Adalia's heart is drawn to the transformative power of dance, which she views as a conduit for rejuvenation, storytelling, healing, and community building.With 15 years of experience as a dance instructor, both overseas and in the United States, she has witnessed the profound wellness that dance can impart.
Adalia is an alumna of Coastal Carolina University, holding a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Theater, as well as a Masters Degree in Teaching.
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Outside of her professional pursuits, Adalia is a wife and mother who enjoys camping, reading, indulging in cinema, exploring the world through travel, and engaging in meaningful conversations. Her multifaceted life experiences and unwavering commitment to justice and unity define her as a compassionate leader and educator.
Register
Registration is now open for the 5th Convergence Symposium. In person space is limited to 50 participants. If you are not feeling well, please attend online. The limit for those who participate via Zoom is 50.
Registration fees are tax deductible.
STEP 1:
Registration fees are sliding scale and we don't require any paperwork showing income. Consider your financial circumstances and pay what you can. All monies received will go towards honorariums, travel and lodging expenses for the facilitators, as well as materials and costs related to hosting the event. The organizer of the the event receives no compensation.
STEP 2:
Registration information is needed for each person in attendance whether onsite or online. You will be taken to a form to provide this information.
Logistics
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Where: Aroha Afro Latin Dance Studio, Gould Business Incubator, Studio 128, Florence SC 29505
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Getting Here: Florence has an airport that American Airlines serves.
For those traveling by car, Florence is conveniently located on I-95 and I-20. -
Lodging: There are many hotels here because of the interstates and there are also AirBnB properties.
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Getting Around: Although Lyft and Uber are here they are not reliable. Carpooling will be the best way to get around once you are here.
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Meals: Meals are on your own. We will allow for ample time in the schedule to get to restaurants or order food to eat onsite.
Sponsor
This web page was sponsored by ShaCa Gurus.
