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From YouTube: Cultural Conversations - What Connect Us - March 6, 2023
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A
A
Hello,
hello,
welcome
everyone!
Welcome
to
cultural
conversations.
My
name
is
Carol
Ross
and
I'd
like
to
welcome.
Welcome
you
to
the
annual
evening
cultural
conversations.
What
connects
us
cultural
conversations
is
a
program
of
Storytelling,
where,
if
you
lean
in
you
too
can
connect,
share
and
inspire.
A
A
Now
I'd
like
to
turn
the
welcoming
over
to
Mark
heilman
neighborhood
Outreach
manager,.
B
It
pauses
for
you
not
for
me,
so
welcome
it's
so
good
to
have
you
all
here.
We
have
just
been
so
glad
different
ways
along
the
way
to
be
able
to
welcome
folks
back
to
City
Hall
to
be
able
to
be
together,
and
this
evening
we
have
two
of
our
council
members.
Three
of
our
council
members
with
us,
so
Deputy,
Mayor,
Jared
new
in
house,
is
with
us
this
evening.
C
C
So
it's
been
three
years
three
long
years,
where
we've
done
a
lot
of
virtual
we've
had
some
things
at
Crossroads,
but
this
is
a
really
special
place
to
be
able
to
hear
from
these
amazing
speakers,
share
their
story
and
then
be
out
in
the
in
the
main
area
in
The
Concourse
to
be
able
to
talk
to
each
other
at
the
tables
but
I
think
tonight.
What's
even
more
special
is
Carol.
C
So
can
you
step
up
here
please
and
stand
next
to
me
when,
when
she
was
please
when
she
was
giving
the
land
acknowledgment
and
she
was
saying
something
about
the
caretaker
I
immediately
thought
of
Carol?
Do
we
not
think
that
she
is
the
caretaker
of
us
and
I
do
want
to
let
you
know
that
this
is
going
to
be
her
last
cultural
conversations
with
us,
because
she
is
going
to
be
leaving
us
to
be
closer
to
home
and
we're
going
to
miss
her
very
much.
C
So
that's
why
I
really
thought
it
was
important
as
part
of
my
introductory
remarks,
to
have
her
up
here,
because
I,
don't
think
I
will
think
of
cultural
conversations
in
the
future
without
Carol
I
think
she
will
always
be
with
us
when
we
think
about
how
we
connect
our
cultures
together
and
the
voices
and
really
kind
of
the
the
caretaker
of
us.
So
thank
you
so
much
for
being
here.
We
we
have
some
wonderful
speakers
that
I
think
I
believe
Carol
will
introduce
so
I.
C
A
A
Do
remember
that
night
very
vividly,
but
we
kept
cultural
conversations
going
through
the
virtual
platform
of
Zoom,
but
what's
really
important
is
being
in
the
room
that
was
the
missing
element
so
important
to
the
Community
Connection
that
we
all
felt
and
maybe
you've
witnessed
tonight,
seeing
us
here.
Our
theme
tonight
is
what
connects
us
I'd
like
you
to
notice
this
beautiful
graphic,
okay
made
of
the
various
cloth
tapestries
you
might
find
from
different
parts
of
the
world.
It
is
not
complete.
You
may
notice,
there's
still
a
needle
in
thread
there
it.
A
You
know,
there's
still
more
work
to
be
done.
We
are
waiting
and
invite
you
to
add
your
story.
Full
of
the
richness,
wonder
and
journey
that
brought
you
here
tonight.
My
dear
friend
Barb,
who
I
partnered
with
in
this
program,
said
that
cultural
conversations
is
like
traveling
without
leaving
home
and
I.
Think
you'll
experience
some
of
that
tonight.
A
A
Sujata
came
to
the
U.S
in
2015,
from
India,
with
the
career
in
corporate
Communications,
telling
the
stories
of
Tata
the
largest
company
in
India.
Coincidentally,
when
she
first
arrived
on
the
east
side,
she
was
invited
by
a
friend
to
attend
cultural
conversations.
She
was
so
moved
by
what
she
experienced.
She
said
you
must
help.
Let
us
help
you
tell
the
story
of
a
cultural
conversations
and
that
she
did
what
a
wonderful
collaboration
it
has
been.
We
created
the
2015-2016
year
of
Storytelling
in
a
best
practices
manual
so
that
other
people
could
repeat
cultural
conversations.
A
D
So
let's
talk
about
this
evening.
D
So
let
the
storytelling
begin
I'd
like
to
welcome
our
first
Storyteller
Marilyn
Marilyn
is
passionate
about
advocating
for
the
rights
of
the
indigenous
communities
and
supporting
their
work
to
protect
the
land
and
Waters
in
a
storytelling.
She
shares
the
many
travels
that
brought
her
to
where
she
is
today.
Please
welcome
Marilyn.
E
E
E
And
it
made
me
a
lifelong
environmentalist
as
a
teenager.
Developments
in
the
Bay
Area
anti-war
protests
at
UC
Berkeley,
the
rise
of
the
Black
Panther
Party
and
black
power
movement
in
Oakland
and
the
occupation
of
Alcatraz
Island
in
the
middle
of
San
Francisco
Bay
by
American
Indian
movement
activists
left
a
profound
and
Lasting
imprint
on
me.
E
So
we
crossed
the
San
Rafael
Bridge
to
a
big
Warehouse
in
Tiburon,
and
cages
were
stacked
high
with
egrets
herons
and
goals
covered
in
black
oil,
and
our
task
was
to
try
and
feed
them.
So
we
take
them
out,
grab
them
by
the
head,
open
their
beaks
and
stuff
a
small
fish
into
their
throat
and
push
it
down
their
gullet.
E
E
For
several
years
and
after
the
birth
of
our
daughter,
I
switched
careers
and
taught
high
school
for
10
years
and
every
day
for
three
years,
I
would
take
the
ferry
to
Bainbridge
Island
to
teach
there
while
living
in
Bellevue
and
during
my
morning,
commute
I
was
lucky
enough
to
look
out
for
orcas
and
goals
and
watch.
The
ever-changing
sky.
E
When
I
quit,
teaching
in
2004
I
took
up
rowing,
which,
much
to
my
surprise,
became
my
passion.
I've
rode
for
nearly
20
years
and
while
I've
always
enjoyed
competing,
and
here
I
am
bow
seat
in
an
aid
on
opening
day
in
Seattle,
we
had
just
gone
through
montlake
cuts
and
sitting
here
in
Portage
Bay
waiting
for
the
other
races.
Anyway,
it
was
it's
throwing
out
on
Lake
Sammamish
three
mornings
a
week
that
I
love
the
most.
E
E
In
2015,
I
participated
in
a
Unitarian
small
group
program
involving
a
week-long
dialogue
with
alumni,
a
Coast
Salish
tribe
of
a
little
over
five
thousand
people
situated
just
west
of
Bellingham.
We
met
with
tribal
leaders,
families
and
visited
the
reservations,
various
facilities
to
understand
their
life
ways
and
history
better.
E
So
since
then,
I've
become
much
more
aware
of
the
presence
of
indigenous
communities
generally
and
motivated
to
learn
more
about
their
histories,
and
volunteering
on
several
canoe.
Journeys
has
helped
me
understand
their
tribal
realities
in
a
way.
I
hadn't
before
this
Shore
stomach
grounds,
is
the
Lummi
landing
spot
on
the
reservation,
where
tribal
canoes
land
and
take
off
from
the
canoe
Journeys
are
intense,
they've
been
an
annual
event
since
1989,
and
they
promote
cultural,
Revival
and
healing
canoes.
E
Come
from
as
far
away
as
Alaska
British,
Columbia,
Oregon
and
Washington,
it
can
take
up
to
a
month
to
arrive
as
they
make
their
way
along
rivers
and
coasts
to
the
host
site
and
similar
in
some
ways
to
rowing
the
pullers.
That's
the
term
the
tribes
use
to
refer
to
the
people
who
are
paddling
the
canoes
the
pullers
have
to
commit
to
the
group
and
to
meet
the
physical
and
mental
challenges
required
when
the
canoes
arrive
on
the
shores
of
the
host
tribe.
E
E
I'm
deeply
moved
by
the
indigenous
community's
commitment
to
cultural
renewal
and
environmental
awareness
to
overcoming
historical
trauma
by
Reviving,
Traditional,
Values
language
and
ceremonies
in
this
photo
I'm
standing
in
the
water
holding
on
to
the
canoes
to
prevent
the
wind
and
current
from
pushing
them
offshore.
I
felt
very
privileged.
That
I
was
able
to
Bear
witness
to
how
Lummi,
elders
and
youth
welcomed
the
canoes
granting
permission
to
come
ashore
I'm
deeply
grateful
to
the
tribes
for
their
work
in
fighting
for
protection
of
sacred
lands,
Waters
forests,
animals
and
human
communities.
E
On
behalf
of
all
of
us,
the
Lummi
in
particular,
have
been
a
strong
voice
calling
for
the
protection
of
Mother
Earth
in
2021,
the
Lummi
launched
what
they
called
the
Red
Road
to
DC
totem
pole
Journey.
The
theme
was
our
shared
responsibility
to
protect
the
salmon,
the
Salish
sea,
the
Snake
River
orcas
and
our
future,
and
in
this
picture,
Freddie
Lane
one
of
the
key
organizers
of
both
canoe
and
totem
pole
Journeys
is
at
Pike
Place
Market
he's
calling
on
the
crowd,
who
are
assembled
to
shoulder
that
responsibility.
E
They
inspire
me
whenever
I
feel
despair
about
climate
change,
species
Extinction
ecological
collapse,
the
Red
Road
to
DC
totem
pole
Journey
stopped
at
East
Shore,
just
before
heading
east,
where,
after
thousands
of
miles
they
delivered
the
totem
pole
to
Deb
Holland.
Current
Secretary
of
the
Interior
in
Washington,
DC
and
I
was
very
grateful
to
have
seen
some
members
of
Bellevue
city,
council
and
staff,
as
well
as
48th
legislative
district,
Representatives
present
to
come
and
listen
and
learn.
E
So
we
sent
our
blessings
with
Alami
to
help
sustain
them
on
their
way.
The
fortitude,
generosity
and
wisdom
of
the
Lami
suggest
an
alternative
future
one
in
which
human
beings
reconcile
with
nature
and
with
each
other.
Their
commitment
helps
sustain
my
own
hope
for
something
other
than
the
Doomsday
scenarios,
so
many
of
us
dread
living
in
Bellevue
over
the
past
34
years,
I've
become
deeply
rooted
to
this
area
and
community
and
feel
very
protective
towards
them.
E
Both
sometimes
I
try
to
imagine
how
indigenous
peoples
must
feel
knowing
that
their
people
have
lived
here,
not
just
for
a
few
decades,
but
since
time
immemorial,
as
they
put
phrase,
it
and
I
think
it's
important
for
all
of
us
to
acknowledge
their
histories,
tribal
rights
and
special
relationship
to
the
land
and
Waters,
because
we
also
live
here
now.
All
of
us.
We
too
bear
responsibility
for
protecting
the
waterways,
the
Salish
sea,
Forest,
wildlife
and
healthy
human
communities.
E
The
design
was
conceived
by
Melanie
Schambach,
a
Guatemalan
artist
and
she
invited
hundreds
of
people
across
the
country
to
create
and
paint
images
of
on
the
mural
that
depicted
what
is
most
important
to
them.
I
was
touched
when
Melanie
invited
me
to
share
an
image
illustrating
my
Reflections
about
what
connects
me
to
the
world.
E
So
I
made
a
small
sketch
of
a
woman
rowing
with
herons
flying
overhead
and
Rhodes
wrote
some
words
which
are
she
integrated
into
the
work.
Subsequently,
the
completed
mural,
which
is
16
by
16
feet,
is
currently
displayed
at
East
Shore,
Unitarian
Church
and
my
sketch
can
be
seen
at
the
upper
right
hand
corner
of
the
mural.
E
The
hundreds
of
elements
together
create
a
single
hole
which,
to
me
represents
a
vision
of
what
is
possible
of
how,
together
in
community,
we
can
create
Beauty
and
connect
with
and
restore
the
natural
world
around
us
and
standing
before
it.
I'm
reminded
of
that.
Every
time
I
enter
the
sanctuary,
so
I
invite
you
all
to
come,
see
the
mural
at
ishore
before
it
leaves
and
in
closing
I
leave
you
with
the
text.
I
wrote
that
accompanies
my
image
on
the
mural.
E
Sometimes
we
need
to
go
backwards
to
move
forward
and
going
back
to
understand
our
past
our
families
past.
Our
history
can
be
really
hard
until
you
see
that
doing
so,
actually
propels
you
forward
and
enables
you
to
be
Freer
and
stronger
and
to
see
the
beauty
all
around
you,
life
and
Beauty
everywhere.
Thank
you
for
listening.
D
Hin
came
to
Bellevue
with
a
daughter
in
2015
after
the
Civil
War
forced
her
to
flee,
Syria,
her
home
country.
She
embraced
her
new
life
and
thrived
with
the
support
of
family
and
the
connections
that
she
made
in
Bellevue
hind
will
be
sharing
a
story
with
the
help
of
Cynthia
Cynthia.
Flash
Hemphill
is
the
author
of
a
hug
from
afar,
a
story
about
her
mother's
journey
across
three
continents
before
starting
life
in
the
U.S
Cynthia
shared
her
own
story
at
a
cultural
conversations
in
2016.
D
G
F
F
As
sujata
said,
my
family
fled
Nazi
occupied
Europe
in
the
1930s
Landing
in
the
90,
the
United
States
in
1946.
and
Hind,
and
her
family
fled
the
civil
war
in
Syria
in
2015..
That's
the
70-year
difference,
and
yet
the
struggles
are
the
same
there's
so
many
parallels,
I'm
Jewish,
Hindus
Muslim,
and
yet
we
very
likely
share
the
same
DNA
she's
from
Syria,
and
my
grandfather
was
from
Turkey
between
the
14th
and
the
early
20th
centuries.
Our
homelands
were
part
of
the
Ottoman
Empire.
F
There
were
no
borders
separating
us
like
there
are
today.
It
was
a
borderless
area
that
we
both
came
from
with
the
recent
devastating
earthquakes
in
that
part
of
the
world.
We
have
come
to
realize
our
shared
history
I'm,
going
to
chat
with
him
tonight
about
our
similarities,
something
that
we
have
discovered
as
a
result
of
meeting
through
cultural
conversations
back
in
2016,
when
my
mother's
sister
and
I
presented
my
family's
story
at
cultural
conversations.
F
G
Was
accidentally
when
I
recognized,
there
is
event
there
and
I
was
looking
for
something
new,
because
I
was
new
in
this
country,
and
I
was
trying
to
to
learn,
English
and
understand
English
it.
It
attracts
me
to
to
know
something
new.
That's
why
I
found
myself
in
front
of
the
story
that
it's
touched,
my
heart,
that's
why
I
came
to
you
and
then
I
told
oh,
my
God
I
have
the
same
with
different
circumstances
and
I
I
liked
to
to
share
my
story.
F
Exactly
you
came
in
and
you
found
your
own
Story
by
listening
to
our
story.
When
my
family
came
to
this
country,
they
didn't
know
the
language
they
had
to
find
jobs,
they
had
to
enroll
their
younger
members
in
schools
and
integrate
into
the
community.
What
were
some
of
the
challenges
that
you
and
your
family
faced
when
you
came
to
Bellevue,
and
how
did
you
manage
once
you
got
here?
Yeah.
G
We
have
the
same
situation:
I
have
a
girl
with
my
daughter
was
14
years
old
and
she
came
and
she
needs
to
learn
English,
and
me
too,
that's
why
this
is
the
first
barrier
we
face
when
we
come
here
fast,
so
I
decided
to
go
to
the
college.
The
presence
of
some
of
our
family,
like
my
brother,
helped
me
to
enroll
in
Bellevue
College
to
to
be
learned
and
that
that
has
have
that
have
some
similar
similarity
with
your
story
and
then
after
I
went
to
Bellevue.
G
F
F
Once
in
the
United
States,
my
family
was
very
concerned
about
integrating
into
the
new
Homeland,
so
the
older
members
found
work
and
the
younger
ones
went
to
school
and
you
did
the
same
thing
and
you
mentioned
that
you
earned.
You
went
to
Bellevue
College
and
you
were
a
dentist
in
Syria
and
you
had
to
remake
yourself
when
you
got
here,
because
it
was
impossible
to
practice
Dentistry
without
going
through
the
program
again.
So
you
earned
your
B
your
e,
your
AAA
from
Bellevue
College,
and
you
also
completed
the
city's
Bellevue
Essentials
leadership
program.
G
I
should
say:
I
am
grateful
to
believe
you
College,
because
not
I'm
not
getting
the
education
academic
aggregation
only,
but
I
got
the
opportunity
to
to
communicate
people
and
to
connect
to
the
people.
It's
the
first
step
that
I
got
to
to
be
able
to
commun
to
go
to
go
to
the
Bellevue
city
and
and
enrolled
in
essential
City
I
like
we
believe
you,
because
it
has
a
lot
of
the
diversity
Bellevue
College
it
has.
This.
G
Has
this
diversity
their
diversity
and
not
only
got
education?
I
got
I,
I
I
have
met
many
many
people
from
other
backgrounds
and
I
have
to
understand
their
culture
and
I
have
to
understand
their
background
and
other
respect
them.
This.
G
This
situation
made
me
who
I
am
now.
F
G
A
kind
of
of
helping
people
to
be
connected
to
the
to
that
Community.
When
people
come
here
and
then
they
don't
know
English
and
needs
help
and
support
I
have
to
give
them
this
support
because
I
love
this
job
and
I
love
to
let
them
happy
when
people
be
happy
I'm.
Also
happy!
That's
what
attract
me
to
go
to
essential,
because
when
I
heard
we
need
believe
you
to
be
the
best
place
in
the
world.
That's
my
ultimately
goal.
F
G
D
D
It's
through
such
conversations
that
we
really
realize
how
connected
we
are
I'd
like
to
welcome
our
third
storyteller
Rachel
Rachel
was
born
and
raised
in
the
Democratic
Republic
of
Congo.
She
has
been
a
strong
advocate
for
women,
promoting
gender
equality
and
woman
empowerment
through
programs
with
UNICEF
usaid
women
for
women,
International
and
other
International
organizations.
D
H
I
am
so
happy
that
you
could
come
here
to
listen
to
our
stories,
so
special
thanks
to
the
organizer
sujata,
Carol
and
Mark
for
giving
us
the
opportunity
to
tell
our
stories.
Mine
is
centered
around
what
I
do
so.
Why
do
I
choose
to
embark
on
that
Journey
and
what
have
been
some
of
the
achievements
so
far.
H
But
if
you
look
at
the
human
development
index,
for
instance,
we
are
among
the
bottom
countries,
which
means
the
population
is
poor,
and
of
that
we
are
even
speaking
about
feminized
poverty,
because
women's
situation
is
even
worse,
but
I
I
am
waterheim
today
because
of
the
support
that
my
father
gave
me
and
I'm
sure
it's
watching
over
me
now
from
where
he
is.
May
he
continue
to
rest
in
peace.
H
So
you
know
in
such
a
context
where
women
are
discriminized,
they
are
discriminated,
they
are
excluded,
they
cannot
participate
in
decision-making
bodies
like,
for
instance,
we
have
10
percent
of
representation
of
women
in
the
parliament,
for
instance,
so
that
speaks
high
of
how
women
situation
and
how
to
change,
because
there's
nobody
to
speak
on
their
behalf
in
a
house
which
has
a
500
representative,
and
you
have
50
women.
It's
clear
that
if
there
is
a
vote
on
women
in
true
age,
they
can't
I
mean
they
can't
pass
the
test
and
so
against
such
context.
H
H
H
But
at
that
time
my
father
stood
up.
Saying:
hey
I
need
to
hear
from
my
daughter
before
making
any
decision,
because
I
don't
want
to
later
in
life
to
say:
okay
I
had
opportunity
to
further
my
education,
but
that
say
no
or
maybe
she
would
say:
okay
I
found
a
husband,
but
that
forced
me
into
studying
and
now
my
life
is
a
mess.
So
he
gave
me
that
opportunity
to
make
I
mean
to
participate
in
that
decision.
That
was
affecting
my
life
and
that
was
powerful.
H
So
for
my
dad,
because
he
was
the
only
son
of
both
his
parents,
he
said
my
first
born
daughter
is
like
the
little
sister
that
I
never
had
so
yeah
I
want
her
to
participate
in
any
decision
that
may
affect
her
life
and
because
of
my
that,
support
I
could
I
could
continue
to
study.
But
since
I
could
not
enroll
at
that
time
at
University,
what
I
did
is
getting
a
job.
H
I
worked
for
three
years,
but
for
the
whole
three
years,
I
only
saved
money
for
one
year
of
study,
but
for
me,
I
was
saying:
okay,
I
need
to
do
that,
because
later
in
life,
I'll
show
my
children
that
at
least
I
tried
it
I
could
make
it
if
I
had
support
the
financial
support
that
I
needed
and
believe
me
in
that
year.
I
worked
so
hard
that
I
got
like
almost
A's.
H
In
all
my
my
my
courses
and
at
the
end
of
that
first
year
of
study,
something
came
up:
a
funding
to
support
intelligent
girls
who
are
also
connected
to
church
because
it
came
through
the
bishop
of
the
Catholic
church
and
I
got
the
funding
because
being
I
was
studying.
Development
studies
at
the
Catholic
University
of
Kinshasa
and
I
was
bringing
Theory
into
practice.
Supporting
my
Parish
I
was
involved
in
the
Peace
Commission,
the
peace
and
Justice
Commission
and
the
development
Commission
of
my
Parish.
H
So
that's
how
I
got
the
funding
to
study
for
the
remaining
part
of
my
like
study.
Journey
until
I
got
my
master's
degree,
so
that
gave
me
the
license
to
start
working
and
talking
about
that
work.
You
know,
DRC
is
a
paternalist
society.
When
you
speak
about
women's
empowerment,
men
hear
it
like.
You
are
saying:
disempowering
men,
so
the
major
content
will
be
the
men
fighting
you
standing
on
your
way
and
I
grew
up,
witnessing
women
losing
their
marriage
being
abandoned
by
husband,
because
they
were
accused
of
being
incapable
of
giving
birth
to
male
children.
H
H
As
you
know,
in
Africa
the
cost
of
healthcare
is
high
and
with
the
population
being
poor,
because
it
is
said,
if
you
look
at
the
literature
available,
they
will
tell
you
that
in
the
DRC
the
majority
of
population
live
below
a
dollar
per
day,
so
helping
them
cleaning
the
environment,
avoiding
those
like
sicknesses.
That
would
have
come
due
to
poor
management
of
you
know:
water
and
sanitation
and
hygiene.
That
was
helpful.
That's
where
I
started
and
following
that
the
Second
Step
was
like
supporting
girls
education
in
a
project
in
rural
area
in
the
Kasai.
H
H
So
when
the
husband
is
not
there
and
has
traveled,
the
woman
needs
a
permission
from
a
male
like
member
of
the
husband's
family.
That's
how
bad
it
is
so.
Girls
could
not
attend
school
because
they
are,
they
have
to
get
married
because
they
don't
read
that
is
being
paid
on
them
will
be
used
for
their
brothers
to
go
get
married.
H
So
from
that
Journey
empowering
women
and
girls,
there
are
some
if
I
can
start
telling
about
the
result,
I
think
I
achieved
more.
But
for
the
sake
of
time,
I
may
highlight
like
two
of
what
I'm
so
proud
of
the
first
one
is
influencing
gender
sensitive
strategies
and
policies
at
government
level.
You
know,
and
even
legislation,
because
I
was
working
for
usaid
as
a
gender
specialist.
As
you
know,
if
you
get
a
U.S
ambassador,
you
know
in
Africa
holding
you
by
hands
and
taking
you
somewhere
to
speak
up.
H
Everyone
listens
because
it's
like
Uncle
Biden
talking
so
I
was
able.
You
know
to
push
on
gender,
sensitive
legislation
and
policies
and
strategies
at
government
level.
That
is
like
the
the
Legacy
but
at
the
same
time
also
promoting
gender
equality.
Gender
integration
in
within
the
organization
I
was
working
for
and
most
of
the
the
laws
that
those
they
are
called
the
laws
on
fighting
sexual
violence.
They
have
my
end
on
on
them
and
also
the
amendment
of
Family
Code.
H
You
know
the
DRC
Family
Code
had
like
80
paragraphs
that
were
discriminatory
to
women
and
children,
meaning
a
woman
could
not
have
a
bank
account.
She
needed
marital
authorization,
a
woman
could
not
travel
without
marital
approval
and,
of
course
she
could
not
walk
without
her
husband
having
to
sign
on
you
know
for
her
to
be
able
to
walk.
H
I
was
working
on
supporting
the
community
reintegration,
social
reintegration
of
those
children
that
were
enrolled
by
force
into
those
ham
group
and
rebel
groups
and
rebel
movements,
and
it
was
so
empowering
you
know
as
a
journey
negotiating
with
war
load
like
they
called
them.
You
know
you
are
coming
there.
Yes,
little
hashel
with
just
my
driver
and
my
colleagues
and
you
see
all
those
men
and
the
first
thing
you
notice
is
even
the
the
arm.
So
you
know
talking
to
them
and
then
saying
yes:
I
am
a
mother,
and
my
heart
is
broken.
H
H
So
there
were
the
rejected
discriminated
excluded
because
they
brought
children
out
of
same
but
I
was
so
happy
to
have
convinced
the
girls
that
they
could
start
afresh.
They
could
choose
the
vocational
track.
You
know
in
holding
a
vocational
track,
get
the
skills
to
make
a
living
out
of
that,
and
one
particular
example
I'm
proud
of,
is
a
young
girl
saying.
Well,
it
is
not
my
fault
if
I
was
kidnapped.
It
is
not
my
fault.
H
H
So,
for
me
it
was
so
empowering
those
adolescent,
girls
telling
them.
You
can
start
from
zero
to
come
a
hero.
You
know
make
change
for
the
better,
so
the
rational
behind
everything
that
I
do
like
I
said.
In
the
beginning,
it's
about
social
justice.
You
know
being
able
to
fight
for
justice.
You
know
to
end
violence
to
promote
gender
equality.
You
know,
promote
social
justice
has
been
an
empowering
journey
and
at
the
core
of
it,
I
was
conducting
gender
analysis.
H
You
know
we
in
a
given
Community
or
within
the
framework
of
a
project
that
provided
me
with
evidence-based.
You
know
recommendation
you
can't
tell
me
that
is
not
true,
because
this
is
what
I
saw
there
and
then
I
consulted
with
the
population.
So
we
could
identify
those
gaps
that
could
be
like
integrate,
inform
policy
or
inform
project
and
program,
and
so
on.
So
I
would
maybe
close
by
sharing
one
example
of
a
female
leader.
Empowering
me,
another
woman,
you
know
providing
me
space
in
such
a
high
level
decision
as
the
United
Nations
security
Council.
H
H
She
was
sharing
on
the
protection
of
civilians
during
harm
conflict,
I
was
so
honored
and,
at
the
same
time
I
felt
so
powerful.
You
know
demanding
for
accountability
to
all
the
member
states.
All
these
big
men
out
there
were
listening
to
me
and
then
you
know
just
giving
a
speech
having
to
stop
from
time
to
time.
H
So,
as
you
can
agree
with
me,
those
resolutions
that
are
made
by
member
states,
they
are
just
pieces
of
documents
if
they
are
not
implemented,
but
I
felt
so
powerful,
demanding
them
to
put
on
like
the
real
resources.
Don't
tell
us
stories,
don't
try
documents
where
everybody
will
not
read
and
in
fact
they
are
written
in
English
and
in
my
country
we
speak
French,
so
it
was.
It
gave
me
the
opportunity
to
tell
them
to
put
the
actual
resources
that
were
needed.
H
H
Women
are
uniquely
and
disproportionately
affected
by
the
cycles
of
poverty
and
displacement
in
the
DRC
as
all
the
marginalized
populations
and
vulnerable
ones,
such
as
children,
the
indigenous
people,
the
people
living
with
disability
and
elderly
to
ensure
a
better
humanitarian
access
and
to
better
protect
all
civilians.
H
If
the
goal
of
humanitarian,
Aid
and
access
is
to
reduce
arm
to
all
civilians
affected
by
conflict
and
War,
then
gender,
transformative
approaches
and
local
women's
organization
must
be
part
of
protection
and
humanitarian
strategy.
Gender
transformative
means
that
the
decision-making
and
planning
processes
at
all
levels
would
appropriately
value
and
recognize
the
resourcefulness
and
capabilities
of
women
in
Civil
Society,
as
leaders,
so
to
ensure
their
protection.
H
H
D
I
I
I
Congratulations
on
your
anniversary
and
as
she
came
to
the
city,
she
brought
with
her
a
spirit
of
curiosity
and
of
welcome
and
really
a
desire
to
go
deeper,
to
look
more
holistically
at
how
our
community
is
connected
and
to
discover
the
wealth
of
knowledge
and
experience
that
is
within
our
community
and
how
it
will
make
our
whole
city
better
when
we
learn
how
to
learn
from
one
another,
and
so
tonight
we
do
want
to
recognize
Carol
and
thank
her
for
her
her
service
and
showing
us
a
path
forward
to
how
to
be
a
global
community
that
finds
a
way
to
mutual
respect,
as
well
as
being
richer
because
of
the
strength
we
find
in
each
other.
D
A
Thank
you
to
deputy
mayor
newenhouse
council
member
Stokes
council
members
on
in
the
city's
leadership
team
led
by
city
manager,
Brad
Miyaki,
who
wasn't
able
to
be
here
tonight
and,
of
course,
I
want
to
thank
Community
Development,
which
is
the
home
of
this
program,
and
I
want
to
recognize
the
the
three
wise
M's
and
that's
Michael,
cotterman
Mike,
McCormick
huntelman
and
Mark
heilman
in
our
neighborhood
Outreach
team,
Julie
and
Teresa.
Where
are
you
thank
you.
A
And
the
countless
city
of
Bellevue
employees
that
have
always
provided
encouragement,
support
and
creativity.
Thank
you.
Graphics
I
know
you're,
not
here
right
now,
but
you
are
always
with
us
with
these
wonderful
amazing
Graphics
that
we
get
to
create
every
year
salvata
and
Christine,
and
special
special
thanks
to
tonight's
storytellers
Marilyn,
Cynthia,
Hinn
and
Rochelle.
A
Along
with
my
then
husband,
we
had
relocated
for
a
job
opportunity,
not
knowing
anyone
in
this
community.
It
was
a
lonely
time.
I
found
many
City
Hall
through
a
volunteering
webpage
and
Yin
Carlson
and
Barb
taninga
became
my
first
managers
here.
I
go
I
volunteered
there
for
three
years
before
actually
joining
the
city.
A
A
In
that
moment,
fear
of
other
cultures
was
both
revealed
and
reconciled
that
connection
between
those
two
women
became
like
mother
and
daughter
and
is
still
strong.
I
have
an
opportunity
to
meet
women
and
men
from
all
over
the
world.
In
this
role,
I
am
so
honored
to
listen
to
stories
from
the
community
and
bring
them
forward.
A
A
A
If
you
have
ever
told
your
story,
brought
ideas
forward
or
have
been
part
of
table
conversations,
I
would
really
like
for
you
to
stand
if
you've
ever
shared
a
story
in
culture.
Conversations
brought
the
ideas
forward,
participated
in
table
conversations
provided
encouragement
all
along
the
way.
Thank
you.
It
has
been
my
greatest
life
journey
to
be
part
of
this
community.
A
H
B
She
has
enough
to
pack
we're
not
going
to
give
her
anything
that
requires
bubble,
wrap,
but
Carol
I
have
for
you
a
small
picture
book
here
that
has
a
number
of
pictures
of
individuals
connecting
through
the
years
that
you
brought
together
so
I
have
that
for
you,
Carol
has
been
a
good
friend,
we've
known
each
other
about
five
years
now
and
when
Carol
so
just
to
let
you
know
I'm
kind
of
Carol's
boss,
but
not
really.
B
We
manage
together
and
so
many
times
when
Carol
would
talk
to
me
about
a
program.
She
would
throw
out
a
title
and
it's
like
well,
that's
interesting,
we'll
see
what
happens
with
that.
That
will
be
a
fun
thing
to
do
so.
B
Gardens
I
had
never
heard
the
word
Ikebana
before
until
Carol
mentioned
that
to
me,
and
then
I
got
to
take
a
class
in
it
and
learn
a
little
bit
more
about
arranging
flowers,
but
as
we
talk
through
that
program
and
just
kind
of
the
logistics
and
tables
and
chairs
and
name
tags,
and
all
that
sort
of
thing
Carol
said
so,
Mark
tell
me
what
was
your
original
story?
What's
your
first
story
about
flowers
and
I'm
like
I,
don't
think
I
have
one
and
Carol
would
say.
B
Well,
of
course
you
do
so
so
many
times
our
supervision
and
thank
you
taxpayers
for
paying,
for
this
is
Carol
drawing
stories
out
of
me
and
valuing
what
she
has
done
for
our
region.
So
so
we've
shared
stories
about
a
number
of
things
that
have
kind
of
fine-tuned,
just
us
coming
from
very
different
backgrounds.
B
So
if
Carol
and
I
can
connect
and
can
draw
out
stories
from
each
other
and
that
that
next
question,
because
we
really
care
about
the
answer
and
even
more
so
care
about
the
person,
that
is
what
Carol
has
brought
and
has
elevated
in
the
city
of
Bellevue
and
throughout
our
region,
she's
very
active
throughout
the
entire
region,
so
Carol
on
behalf
of
including
people.
Many
many
that
emailed
me
over
the
last
week
and
said
I
can't
be
there
please
pass
on
my
thanks
and
gratitude
to
Carol.
B
Carol
is
going
to
be
with
a
city
through
about
April
5th,
or
something
like
that.
So
you
can
still
still
email
her
as
she
mentioned.
She
is
going
back
to
her
family
home
in
in
Cambridge
and
we're
going
to
stay
in
touch
and
she
is
going
to
do
the
next
chapter
of
her
life
with
things
that
she
has
learned
here
and
things
that
she
has
taught
us
as
well.
So
Carol
on
behalf
of
many
hundreds
of
people
and
for
me,
I've,
said
a
number
of
times.
I
love,
you
I'll,
miss
you.
B
So,
as
we
have
for
the
last
number
of
years
on
evening
of
cultural
conversations
Forum,
we
now
go
out
into
the
Concourse
we
have
tables
set
up
for
about
60
people
there's
also
opportunity
just
around
the
corner.
If
you'd
like
to
be
in
a
little
bit
smaller
room
but
there's
snacks
at
each
of
the
tables
and
water,
there
will
be
a
facilitator
that
will
help.
You
have
a
conversation
together
if
you're
somebody
that
that
makes
a
little
bit
nervous.
B
That's
why
we're
here
is
to
to
extend
ourselves
and
to
learn
from
you
just
a
little
bit.
You
don't
need
to
be
the
star
of
the
show.
You
just
need
to
share
yourself
and
listen
a
little
bit
this
evening,
so
so
we'll
dismiss
and
go
out.
We
will
have
time
until
about
nine
o'clock
about
45
minutes.
We
do
have
some
snacks
on
the
table
that
are
gluten,
free
and
other
things
free,
and
it
has
the
list
on
there
so
that
you
can
be
aware
of
that
and
then
one
other
thing.
B
We
have
a
VW
something
vehicle,
Ary
I-5320,
that
has
their
lights
on.
So
if
you
want
to
check
on
that,
so
so
we
will
go
out
in
The.
Concourse
have
conversations
together.
Thank
you.
Through
the
years
you
have
contributed
and
made
it
plural
conversations
together
about
our
cultures
that
we
share.
Thank
you
and
good
evening
and
have
a
great
time
visiting.