NATIONAL CONFERENCE on RACE, GENDER, POWER & CLASS

September 15 - 18, 2011 Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center

Atlanta, GA

Ghanaian symbol of unity in diversity.

Today’s social and political realities are a call to action for people committed to progressive change. But where is the space to practice developing new leadership skills and build active partnerships in our diverse world? Be Present, Inc. creates this space. Find out how the Be Present Empowerment Model® can help you to create open dialogue, broadened understanding, and forge effective relationships within your family, organizations and communities.

This Conference is the culmination of an 18-month training where 21 people with a diverse range of class experiences, races, ethnicities, ages, and abilities came together to ask and answer:

Who am I in the world?

How am I personally affected by my daily experiences of race, gender, power, and class?

And how can we work effectively for social justice and systemic change?

The participants, having incorporated the Model into our own lives, will share our learning and best practices while expanding the dialogue to our family, friends, colleagues and others interested in addressing these questions. Come be part of creating sustainable and transformative social change.

At the Conference you will:

• Define your own personal experiences and discover how they have shaped who you are and how you relate to others.

• Examine, in theory and in practice, daily interactions that center on race, gender, power, and class dynamics.

• Learn how to model in your home, school, community, and workplace what you want to create in the world.

• Acquire new perspectives and strategies for working through complex challenges in diverse environments.

• Have the tools to bring more of your whole self into your environment and identify more fully with your work.

click here for: REGISTRATION FORM

We start from race, gender, power and class because these issues can drive our personal, organizational, social and political lives, and shape how we make decisions. This reality critically impacts all of us, on all levels, everyday. Yet, there are few forums for honestly and authentically exploring these issues in a diverse and supportive setting. The Conference offers an opportunity to merge theoretical analysis of the issues with our feelings and daily experiences without placing blame or fault on others. Come learn how to bridge the gaps between what we know and how we act on this knowledge.

“Be Present makes it real easy to understand how to do

things that are really deep, where we're dealing with

energies and emotions and things that are really alive

even if we don't always realize.

This work is completely in alignment with just the inner work that I always try to do

but don't always have kind of a practical way to get to it...”

-Justin, Institute participant

BE PRESENT EMPOWERMENT MODEL® The Be Present Empowerment Model® is a leadership development model for personal and organizational effectiveness that replaces silence with information, assumptions with a diversity of insights, and powerlessness with a sense of personal responsibility. It is a tool to identify and practice addressing the impact of issues such as race, gender and sexual orientation, on personal and collective well-being and sustainability. We develop skills to consciously listen to and interact with others in the present moment, build trust, deal positively with challenging issues and move through them to create lasting partnerships.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE on RACE, GENDER, POWER & CLASS

Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center Atlanta, GA

September 15 - 18, 2011

click here for: REGISTRATION FORM

Ghanaian symbol of unity in diversity.

Come and celebrate a movement that has fostered positive social change through the active building of community, one person at a time.

We need to act on our personal responsibility not to participate in distress if we are to heal the places of serious breakdown of care and connection in ourselves and in our society. The challenge is to make conscious choices, in each present moment, that break individual and collective silences in order to create new avenues of trust and understanding.

CONTACT US

4151 Memorial Drive, Ste. 103A , Decatur GA 30032 (404) 296-4000 • info@bepresent.org

www.bepresent.org

A conference and retreat center nestled in the heart of metro Atlanta, GA. Surrounded by towering trees alongside the Chattahoochee River, The Lodge at Simpsonwood is designed to harmonize with nature. Situated on 227 acres of woodlands, all facilities on our attractive campus are within easy walking distance of one other.

What do I like about Be Present? Truth sets us free. -Annie, Institute participant

I don't know a single person, who doesn't have ANYthing about them that wouldn't want to do differently or change. …whatever those pieces are there's a reason why you haven't done it and what Be Pre-sent gives is this model that you can use to take the steps to actually make that change.

-Arianna, Institute participant

Do you think the common thread of mankind is visible or invisible? … if i told you there was a place you could go to see it, would you come?

-Tameka, Institute participant

BE PRESENT, INC. (BPI) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to building sustainable leadership for social justice. We believe that our collective success is as effective as the individuals themselves and that in order for effective change to occur, each person must first know their true self by understanding their past experiences and personal barriers. From self-knowledge, people can make conscious choices, develop a practice of positive change, and work through challenges to build stronger partnerships and healthier communities. BPI’s movement building approach has affected systemic change at the individual, organizational and societal levels for over 25 years.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RACE, GENDER, POWER & CLASS SEPTEMBER 15-18, 2011

SIMPSONWOOD CONFERENCE AND RETREAT CENTER, ATLANTA, GA

REGISTRATION FORM (please complete a separate form for each participant)

NAME_____________________________________________________ ORGANIZATION_________________________________________ STREET ADDRESS____________________________________________ CITY____________________STATE________ ZIP___________ DAY PHONE (________)__________________________________ EVENING PHONE (________)__________________________________ CELL PHONE (________)________________________________ E-MAIL_____________________________________________________

PLEASE CHECK FEE TYPE & INDICATE FEE AMOUNT:

□ $________ Adult - Individual: $550 to $1,600 (*or above) □ $________ Adult - Organization: $950 to $1,550 per person

□ $ 200 Youth (4-11 years old) □ $________ I would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to BPI.

PAYMENT: □ I have enclosed ck# _______totaling $___________ □ I will make my payment online (please call office for instructions)

□ I would like information about available scholarships.

□ Please charge to my credit card for the following amount $_______________:

(Circle One)

Card #_______________________________ Exp:___________ Security Code: _________

Name as it appears on Card: ___________________________ Signature:__________________________

Billing Address (if different from above): Street______________________________ City________________ State_____ Zip________

OTHER:

DIETARY NEEDS: □ Vegetarian □ Vegan □ Other (Please Specify)___________________________________________________

□ I HAVE OTHER SPECIAL NEEDS (PLEASE SPECIFY):____________________________________________________________________

□ I WOULD LIKE MY ROOMMATE(S) TO BE (PERSON MUST ALSO BE PRE-REGISTERED):__________________________________________

□ I WILL NEED TRANSPORTATION TO THE SITE. □ I WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR _____ PEOPLE TO THE SITE .

MAKE YOUR CHECK PAYABLE AND MAIL WITH THIS FORM TO: BE PRESENT, INC. ∞ 4151 MEMORIAL DRIVE, SUITE 103A ∞ DECATUR, GA 30032-1511

OR FAX COMPLETED FORM TO: (404) 296-4500

REGISTRATION INFORMATION REGISTRATION FEE includes training weekend, lodging, & meals. All fees are non-refundable and payment is due in full. You will receive more detailed information about the site and other logistics upon registration.

SLIDING FEE SCALE GUIDELINES We have a commitment to having participants that represent a broad spectrum of our society. It is important that money does not create a barrier to anyone attending the weekend. The actual per person cost is $1,250, but we do not require participants to pay any set fees based on income or resources. However, we ask that participants pay at the highest rate they possibly can. The guidelines set forth above are not mandatory for determining your fee, they are only offered as a way to put some consciousness around paying what you can.

Adult - Individual* (annual income) Adult - Organization (annual operating budget) Youth** (age 4 - 11) $550 to $700 Under $55,000 $950 Under $99,000 $200 $750 to $950 $56,000 to $69,999 $1,100 $100,000-$499,999 $1,000 to $1,200 $70,000 to $89,999 $1,300 $500,000-$1,999,999 **Youth must be accompanied $1,300 to $1,500 $90,000 to $149,999 $1,400 $2 million to $4,999,999 by a registered adult. $1,600 to * $150,000 & above $1,550 $5 million or more $950 each for 3 or more registrants

*The fees represent approximately 1% of the annual income scale. Please consider 1% of your annual income when determining your fee.