Nevada Humanities, in partnership with KUNR Public Radio and Noticiero Móvil in Reno, is hosting a virtual conversation called Learning How to Listen, featuring panelists who specialize in communications, moderating and the nuances of compromise. Moderated by Eloisa Gordon-Mora, University Diversity and Inclusion Officer, at the University of Nevada, Reno, the event will feature Margaret Crowley (attorney and owner of Crowley Mediation where she is a mediator/conflict resolution trainer), David Gamble, Jr. (a deputy [Public Defender] with the Washoe County Public Defender’s Office), Natalie Van Hoozer (Spanish/English reporter and community engagement coordinator for KUNR Public Radio and coordinator of One Small Step), and Katharine Schweitzer, PhD (senior business intelligence analyst at Renown Health and a political philosopher with a specialty in constitutional compromise). Panelists will discuss the critical skills we all need to become better listeners, effective communicators, and good citizens in our communities.
This Nevada Humanities event will help participants develop skills to really hear what people have to say and to listen with an open mind. Learning How to Listen will be held on Zoom on October 13, 2021, at 12 pm PDT. This event requires advance registration.
This online event complements the One Small Step program organized by KUNR and Noticiero Móvil in Reno. As part of One Small Step, KUNR is seeking residents within its listening area to sign up to participate in virtual and in-person conversations. Conversations will be hosted throughout 2021 by trained facilitators. KUNR and Noticiero Móvil, a bilingual multimedia startup in the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, will facilitate conversations between Nevadans with opposing perspectives. Participants volunteer their time for a 50-minute conversation of active listening with one other participant. Some of the conversations are held in Spanish, and no research or preparation is required to participate in One Small Step. With participant permission, conversations will be archived as part of American history at the Library of Congress.
Nevada Humanities, KUNR, and Noticiero Móvil encourage residents of northern Nevada to take part in this program:
“At Nevada Humanities, we know that personal stories are key to building relationships and broadening perspectives,” says Christina Barr, executive director, Nevada Humanities. “It feels elementary, but learning how to listen to each others’ stories effectively can be transformational for families, communities, and for our society. This partnership brings together key people in our community who can offer insight into how to listen with compassion and with genuine curiosity in ways that will benefit us all.”
Support for this program comes in part from the “A More Perfect Union” initiative administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities. This initiative supports projects that explore, reflect on, and tell the stories of our quest for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society throughout our history.