Ubuntu - Racial Justice and Reconciliation Training
A Culture of Change
People are wanting unity in their country, and unity in their neighborhoods. They are seeking harmony in their relationships. They want to learn more about neighbors and co-workers who may be racially or culturally different. When we learn to live in unity, in a way that is affirming of each other, recognizing the humanity in each other, this is “Ubuntu“.
Even when people are willing to put in the hard work to find solutions and overcome challenges, dealing with the results of decades of racial disparities, misunderstandings or division, can be a very daunting undertaking.
Global Horizons is committed to racial justice and reconciliation, and we offer our Ubuntu Training workshops locally in Minnesota to provide knowledge, insights, and a place to create new realizations.
Reconciliation happens when we intentionally come together to seek new insights, learn from one another, share perspectives and seek such understanding, thus we are restoring relationships.
Ubuntu Training will prepare you for:
- Developing Cultural Intelligence
- Developing Multi-ethnic Ministries and organizations
- Building Multi-ethnic Leadership Cohorts
- Organizational Planning
Who is the training designed for?
Churches, schools and other community groups.
For Churches
“The problem of reconciliation in our country and in our churches is much too big to be wrestled to the ground by plans that begin in the minds of men. This is a God-sized problem. It is one that only the Church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can heal. It requires the quality of love that only our Savior can provide and it requires some uncomfortable confessions”. (J. Perkins, author of “One Blood”; exploring racial reconciliation as Christians)
We look to the church as a moral leader, to show us the path for living in harmony. We can accomplish this goal by learning to be servants to one another and as Jesus commanded us, to love one another. This also means, working to break down the strongholds that create hardship and despair. Even church leaders need continual growth in multi-cultural perspectives and resources to be able to lead their congregations in a way that affirms the humanity of all.
Ubuntu training provides assessment and in-depth strategic training for leadership groups, churches, and staff to equip them in key areas of multicultural ministry with a specific emphasis on leading racial reconciliation and cultural inclusion in the church.
We also provide coaching for pastors who want to pursue cross-cultural learning with their staff, set goals, and increase program impacts. We connect them with other multicultural-minded practitioners who see this work as not just a diversity issue, but one of discipleship and church growth.
Through tools and resources offered, the church can be equipped to participate in breaking down walls of hostility and poor communication. In addition to strategic training, we also offer assessments to help leaders and organizations develop self-awareness for church planting, evangelism, and ministry outreach.
Looking for a guest speaker for your church service?
We can connect you with someone who will engage with your congregation on topics of racial justice and reconciliation.
For Schools and Community Groups
Our training helps to affirm, encourage, mobilize and equip organizational and community leaders for community work, building cohesion and collaborations to address the need for systemic change.
Organizations are coached and trained in strategies to face these challenges with as they take vital steps to promote racial justice and reconciliation. Participants learn how to engage in seeking knowledge and mutual understanding as they share life with people across the ethnic and cultural lines that so easily divide us. Some of this work includes having the ability to engage in difficult and complex conversation caused by distrust and years of pain or exclusion.
“As Head of School, it was a pleasure to see how teachers and departments have embraced change through growth in cultural intelligence, which is happening on a variety of levels, and really demonstrates a high degree of ownership on the part of staff. I’m convinced we could not have realized these gains without your advocacy and content expertise.” -Brian J. Sullivan, Maranatha Christian Academy
Current Ubuntu Training and Assessments being offered:
Cultural Intelligence
Unconscious Bias
Racial Reconciliation Training
Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)
Coaching and Consulting
Intergroup Dialogue facilitation and training
Webinars
Reading Resources
MEET THE TRAINERS
Dr. Leon Rodrigues
Vice President for Inclusion and Belonging, Dean of Students at Luther Seminary. He is the former President and CEO for Global Horizons and the former Chief Diversity Officer for Bethel University and the MN State College System. He has first-hand experience in racial reconciliation and intercultural development in the US and in South Africa.
Dr. Ruben Rivera
Chief Diversity Officer and a professor at Bethel University. Ruben has given training in churches, schools, and conferences across the U.S. and currently works on diversity and racial reconciliation with a number of organizations. He is a prominent speaker and has been featured on Minnesota Public Radio.
Dr. Robin Bell
Professor of Christian Ministry and Youth Ministry at the University of Northwestern St. Paul (UNWSP). He is a former Vice President for the Twin Cities Urban Reconciliation Network (TURN). Dr. Bell has led several multicultural ministries and churches and is also part of the social justice minor program at UNWSP. He teaches several courses on Christianity and Culture and Biblical Justice.
To schedule a training or ask a question, contact us!
Email leon@globalhz.org or call 612-294-0419
