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Carbondale Conversations for Community Action launched

nsack@dailyegyptian.com

Almost a year after the formation of the Carbondale Human Relations Commission, community relations got an extra push as Conversations for Community Action was launched.

Conversations for Community Action, which is a program designed to create small dialogue groups to discuss issues affecting the city, commenced Saturday afternoon at the Carbondale Community High School.

A cross section of community leaders, including Glenn Poshard, Mayor Brad Cole, Carbondale Chamber of Commerce President Debbie Tindall and Southern Illinois Healthcare President Tom Firestone, offered statements of support for the program.

Monica Tichenor, promotions coordinator of WSIU-TV, told the crowd of about 50 people she was invested and proud of the community but wanted to see it improve.

"We were born with two ears and one mouth because we are supposed to listen twice as much as we should talk," Tichenor said.

The purpose of the conversations is to bring people of different ages and backgrounds together to identify problems within the community and suggest corrective actions to the city at the end of the four-week session.

The focus of the first study circle session, which began yesterday and runs until April 24, will be "Building Stronger Neighborhoods: How Can We Build a Stronger Feeling of Community?"

"We are always talking about reaching out to the community," said Yuki Kobiyama, Carbondale resident and study circles participant. "Hopefully, we can bring in different voices. This could be the initiative to start communication."

Lana Bardo, coordinator of Carbondale Conversations, said the discussions would lead to action.

"There will be a new ownership of ideas," Bardo said. "We will see things as not someone else's problem ˜ it is our problem."

Sandy Robinson, director of Springfield's community relations, said since the city adopted study circles six years ago in response to racial issues, Springfield has experienced a change in spirit.

"The groups will contain people who range from the greatest skeptic to the greatest optimist," Robinson said. "We're going to find out we are not as different as we thought we were."

As he concluded his presentation, he made the audience repeat his words of advice: "The only limitation on the impact of the conversations is my expectations."

The Human Relations Commission was established in April 2003 as an advisory board to make recommendations to the City Council for the improvement of community relationships. The HRC consists of 11 commissioners appointed by former Mayor Neil Dillard.

HRC commissioners adopted Carbondale Conversations last October to improve the effectiveness and outreach of the commission.

The Carbondale City Council unanimously approved the implementation of the study circles program last November.