MELROSIANS WHO ARE part of the MelroseKind Community Conversations.
MELROSE — MelroseKind is excited to announce a new initiative to our community, MelroseKind Community Conversations (MKCC). MKCC gathers Melrosians together for an evening of food, fun and conversations about things that matter. The first session of the MKCC pilot was held on March 21 at The Kitchen in Melrose. The next, also held at The Kitchen will take place on April 30.
This initiative is open to all individuals who live, work, school or are otherwise connected to Melrose. If you are interested in attending an MKCC event, sign up at tinyurl.com/MelroseKindCommunityConvos.
MKCC grew from an ARPA-funded training session offered to Melrose residents in June 2023. Over a two day period, twenty Melrosians were taught the Reflective Structured Dialogue (RSD) conversation model by Essential Partners, a leader in the field of constructive dialogue solutions.
The pilot program, five events held approximately once each month, introduces RSD, a model designed to help facilitate conversations of the most contentious nature. By demonstrating the model during the pilot, our hope is to eventually make room to dive into bigger topics that impact Melrose. Ultimately, the goal is to create connections across differences.
Each evening connects a unique group of community members in a small group setting. At least one hundred Melrosians will have the opportunity to learn RSD over the course of the pilot. The RSD format has been shown to reduce polarization while increasing empathy and trust between participants. This unique format aims to build a foundation of mutual understanding upon which future solutions can be developed.
Each event in the pilot program begins with food preparation and “breaking bread” together. Studies have shown that preparing a meal and eating together develops strong bonds.The second half of the evening includes a facilitated conversation where participants get to know each other through RSD. The topic of the conversation is intentionally selected to foster a deeper understanding of each other.
If you don’t feel well represented in our community or if you experience your worldview as different from those around you, we would love to hear how we can make this event more inviting for you to participate. Please reach out to info@MelroseKind.com to let us know. Reflective Structured Dialogue and MelroseKind Community Conversations are purposefully designed to create space for ALL. The pilot program provides the opportunity to learn a different way of seeing things through the stories told by participants who choose to share. There will be no debate, no judgment, no “gotchas.” There will be food, fun and a unique opportunity to spend an evening together.
