This summer has been awash with opportunities for multicultural work in the Midwest. In Kenosha, Wisconsin, on July 13, there was an "Isms and Issues" one-day workshop on racism, lead by Rick Broniec and Henry Thurman, with interns Teresita Fawcett and Josefa Jensen. This was an introductory opportunity to discuss racism, hear some definitions of terms that help to define the ways that racism operates in our society in the United States, and to hear how racism affects those in the target
group, non-whites.

For me, it was both educational and a very moving experience. I was awed by the leaders and their willingness to address these very personal issues, and I was heartened by the attendance of so many men and women in our communities, and from around the world. This " Isms and Issues" workshop benefited because it was held just prior to the annual International Multicultural Council (MCC) meeting in Kenosha. WI.

The MCC is an initiative of the ManKind Project which has been in existence for over five years, and has been co-chaired by both a man and a woman since its inception. Current co-chairs are Miguel and Barb Rath from Indiana. Anyone can join the MCC as a member, by attending its meetings, and participating in its list serve.

The MCC has an executive committee, the Delegate Council, made up of representatives from the Presenters Council, the Center Representative Council, the Women's Caucus, as well as at-large members and seats reserved for participants from outside the U.S.

One Midwest woman representative on the Delegate Council is Louise Lovdahl, from Kenosha, who was a major organizer of the Issues and Isms workshop and the conference this year in Kenosha. Louise has been a heartfelt advocate of multicultural work for many years, and she was honored at the Multicultural Council meeting for her long and wise service to the MCC.

The MCC meeting included many representatives of MKP centers across the US and from many other countries, as well as many women who have been working on multicultural issues in their own WW communities. Harriet Hirsch represented the East Coast Sage Circle Woman Within region, which has been organizing, doing workshops and circles, and holding a monthly conference call for the past few years. Harriet has been working with many other women organizing Woman Within community members, to focus their work in each of our WW communities, as it affects our work on the weekend, and afterwards.

For me, the MCC meetings are a wonderful opportunity to meet and talk with so many wonderful men and women who are delving into multicultural work together. I was able to participate in meetings that were instructional, especially regarding how MCC work is being done in other areas. About 50 of us participated in a facilitated circle like one that has been held in the DC area for years focusing on
all the isms, including racism and sexism. The power of this circle showed what can be done, in simple and important work when honesty and safety are the watchwords.

The MCC has a web site http://mcc.mkp.org/ (user i.d. is "everyone"and the password is "iswaiting") for anyone who is interested in participating and learning more about what is happening and future events and workshops. I invite you to check it out, or talk to anyone listed there for more information.

In Chicago, the multicultural work continued in the Bridges and Boundaries workshop on racism held July 20-22 at the MKP Chicago Men's Kuempel Center, sponsored by the multicultural committee of MKP-Chicago now co-chaired by Stephen Flowers and Leslie Recht. William Barker, past chair of this committee, was major organizer of this workshop. It was attended by men and women who had the opportunity to work on both racism issues of the"non-target" white participants and internalized oppression issues of the target groups (non-whites).

The Bridges and Boundaries workshop was disturbing to me in its raw portrayals of the violence done to non-whites in the US. I took this as an intentional wake-up call to the white participants. The staff of the workshop was generous in their willingness to tell the truth about how the impact of the institutional, cultural and personal aspects of racism affect them, in large and small ways every day. They held up a
mirror to me, that allowed me to see a little of myself that is so hidden by my acceptance of the milieu of racism in the US. I was able to see many of my past actions in a different way, to see a little bit of the intended and unintended impacts that project the racism that I learned. This was an experiential workshop, so the opportunities to"get" the lessons were so much greater than merely a didactic presentation. This was just a beginning for me.

As part of the MCC in Chicago, we are looking at how our awakening about all of the isms can be reflected in our lives and in our Woman Within and MKP communities. The Chicago MCC is planning future events, and plans to work closely with the Wisconsin MKP and Woman Within communities. I invite women who are interested in becoming part of the MCC in Chicago or who have comments or suggestions for us or for future presentations to contact me at LRecht@defrees.com. The Chicago MCC is now planning to do a series of workshops on sexism, for both men and women, and I would like to hear your thoughts about this or any multicultural issues.

Leslie,

Leslie Recht (WWTW August, 1992, Delavan, WI) Chicago MKP Multicultural Co-Chair Chicago MKP Liaison LRecht@defrees.com (312) 405-5215

Leslie Recht