By Daily Press staff
Multicultural understanding is the goal of the Friendship Circle, a dialogue series sponsored by Together, a non-profit organization based on the Westside.
The circle will begin Saturday, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m., and will be held for five consecutive Saturday afternoons at the Culver-Palms Family YMCA, 4500 S. Sepulveda Blvd. in Culver City.
Much of the dialogue will consist of people sharing their personal stories as they relate to identity, stereotypes, prejudice, racism, discrimination and solutions, said Together’s founder Rebecca Rona.
“Sharing our stories is powerful,” Rona said. “Tolerance isn’t enough. We need to build respect and appreciation.”
Registration for the Friendship Circle will continue throughout the month. Together was founded in 1999 with the mission to counter prejudice and racism by encouraging understanding of others and genuine friendship among the diverse people of Los Angeles. The organization since its inception has been making a difference in the lives of more than 400 individuals, according to Together officials. The program has been offered on the Westside for nearly five years.
To register, or for more information, call (310) 285-3616.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 7, 2004. Read the original PDF.