Community for Understanding and Healing



Download execSummary.pdf



Mission


In the quest to transform the Kirkwood Area into a prejudice-free community of highly respectful individuals, CFUH will initiate ongoing dialogue and social interaction to create an environment of understanding and healing.

Executive Summary - Results of February thru May 2008 Dialogue


This summary has been prepared primarily to report back to our participants on the fruits of our coming together, and the progress we are making toward understanding and healing. The issues which are reported in the summary are the perceptions of individuals who shared them with others in dialogue. In some cases, there may have been wide agreement about a particular issue or perception. In others, it may have been strongly felt by participants in one group and not even discussed in another group. In other cases, it may have been debated and contested within the same group.

The perceptions have been reported without attempting to rank them according to importance or verify their factual accuracy.

It is not part of our Mission to try and resolve issues between citizens and City government. We have shared the results of our dialogue with the Mayor, and we will continue to do so in the future. Some of the issues raised in our conversations have been addressed in the recommendations of the City of Kirkwood's ad hoc Communications Committee. Their report, issued in 2007, is available here.

It is part of our Mission to "... initiate ongoing dialogue and social interaction to create an environment of understanding and healing." We will continue to bring the citizens of our community together to share their views and concerns, to foster understanding, and to work together in community to heal our differences.

Download execSummary.pdf


Participation in Small Group Dialogues

Date Total
Participants
African-
American
Caucasian,
Other
Evaluations
Completed
23-Feb-08 163 18% 82%  
8-Mar-08 243 21% 79%  
12-Apr-08 247 24% 76% 195
3-May-08 158 20% 80% 105
  Evaluation forms were distributed only at the April and May meetings.

Evaluations of Dialogue Sessions

  12-Apr-08 3-May-08
Dialogue helpful in understanding:    
Did not increase understanding 6% 3%
Increased understanding somewhat 49% 38%
Increased understanding very much 46% 58%
No answer   1%
  100% 100%
Dialogue helpful in healing:    
Did not help 18% 13%
Somewhat helpful 51% 52%
Very helpful in healing 30% 30%
No answer 1% 4%
  100% 100%
Need for a group like CFUH:    
No longer a need   2%
Some need for CFUH 9% 4%
Strong need for CFUH 91% 94%
  100% 100%