Intergroup Dialogue, Education and Action (IDEA) Center

What an amazing journey to embark upon…: what an incredible gift to create this space
what a wonderful opportunity for us as learners and teachers to engage,
to discover new possibilities for healing social divides

What an amazing journey to embark upon…: we are weaving new ties, weaving new visions of being and living
visions that breakdown the boundaries of who is a teacher and who is a student
visions that open up the possibilities of truly engaging with and across differences
visions that allow us to experiment with new ways of being powerful and just
What an amazing journey to embark upon…: to claim and reclaim our own voices
to listen deeply to each other's truths
to engage in ways that we can expand our truths
to be able to see what we cannot see alone
to be able to feel that which we cannot feel alone
to be able to do that which we cannot do alone
to be able to heal that which we cannot heal alone
What an amazing journey to embark upon…: to see new and old faces in completely different ways
to contemplate the complexities of life with old and new thoughts
to hear familiar and new stories with more depth and understanding
to connect heartfully with others, with their emotions,their intellect,their spirit
to be more fully with our selves, our minds,our hearts and our souls
What an amazing journey to embark upon…: this journey may seem to demand a lot, yet the rewards are great
there is no need to be other than who you are,
there is no need to have the right answer or a fully formed perspective
but just the willingness to share your voice, to jointly think aloud, to bring our ears together, to join our voices together so that we may find the melodies hidden within
What an amazing journey to embark upon…: this can be deeply transformational
transforming each of us
transforming the spaces between us
transforming the world around us
As with any new uncharted journey, we build the path as we walk together As with any new journey, there are smooth patches and there are rough ones So this is our challenge-: to make a commitment to hang in there with each other
to gain the truths that each of us have
to create here what we deeply believe is possible among us
to evoke the courage and strength in each other to make the world more just

We create spaces here that sow seeds to be carried with us
We create here spaces to hear and feel stories of courage, compassion and healing
These spaces, within us and with each other, are spaces of hope and possibility

Welcome to an amazing journey…

~Ratnesh Nagda
October 2000, Seattle, Washington