Fresno looks for ways to 'Stop the Hate'

By Meghan Volange

Stop the Hate Week began Saturday and lasted from 8:30a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

A diversified group of 24 people attended the first event with a will to learn more and understand other customs.

Women’s Resource Center Coordinator Francine Oputa and criminology student Heather Oliver hosted the informal meeting. Both are part of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI), an organization that promotes “respect, appreciation, and an equal treatment of all people.”

The session began with a general presentation of all the people attending the meeting. There was a diversity of cultures present, including Asian, Egyptian, Mexican and Indian.

Participants took part in small-group activities, discussing issues such as religion, backgrounds and social groups, and then sharing each other’s views. The activity seemed very informative for all the participants, showing how people think and what influences them. Role-playing and other activities also occupied the day, letting any barriers fall down and creating a relaxing atmosphere.

The group interacted well. “This gave me a chance to recognize my own prejudices,” Fresno State student Rasha Mohamed said. “I experienced some rough times and internalized my feelings. This gave me the freedom of bringing them out and sharing them with others. We’re all diverse but we don’t really talk about our differences. Today a lot of us learned how to deal with unpleasant situations and how to build strength.”

Roxanne Schroeder-Arce, a professor of theatre arts, said she felt this was a great experience that helped her understand other cultures better.

Oputa and Oliver said they take pride in being able to communicate to others in a way they can accept the differences that lie in today’s society without judging a person based on unfounded assumptions.

In 1999, four members of the Fresno State faculty and staff, as well as two students, were sent to Washington and trained in a program that allowed them to bring people from mixed backgrounds closer, in order to communicate their differences and learn about each other’s traditions.