ATLANTA, Oct. 9, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Be Present, Inc., a national non-profit movement, whose work is a pioneer in the field of social innovation and leadership, announced today it has designated Saturday, October 20 as "National Be Present Day". The day is part of a year-long series of celebrations as Be Present enters its 25th year of bringing together people of all races, sexual orientations, and socio-economic and religious backgrounds, who are committed to creating open dialogues, fostering diverse leaders, and building and sustaining authentic relationships to progress social justice. The National Be Present Day will be marked across the country with celebrations taking place in Atlanta, New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Seattle and Oakland, CA. All events are open to the public.
National Be Present Day coincides with His Holiness the Dalai Lama's three-day visit to Emory University. During the visit he will participate in a conference on science and spirituality, co-hosted by the Mind & Life Institute, and an interfaith summit on religion as a source of conflict as well as a resource for peace-building.
"We believe that the foundation for social justice is self-knowledge and inner transformation. True alliances begin with each individual knowing oneself outside the distress of oppression and listening to others in a conscious and present state. Be Present is building a movement for peace and justice grounded in these principles. The National Be Present Day celebrates this spirit of action," said Lillie P. Allen, the founder and Executive Director of Be Present and creator of the Be Present Empowerment Model. "The Dalai Lama's teachings of compassion, loving kindness and deepening our connection to others are inspiring and aligned with our goals. We are excited about his visit to Atlanta, as we continue moving forward, realizing a vision and providing a model for a just world," she concluded.
The Model was first introduced by Ms. Allen's in 1983, at a groundbreaking workshop entitled "Black & Female: What is the Reality?" held at the First National Conference on Black Women's Health Issues at Spellman College in Atlanta. Initially developed to build the individual empowerment and collective leadership skills of African-American women and girls, the Be Present Empowerment Model now sustains thousands of people from all walks of life through trainings, institutes and a peer support network in nearly every state across America. Serving as a guide for dialogue and understanding, participants who learn the Model are able to move through barriers, change lives, envision new possibilities for the future and build and deepen relationships to realize those possibilities As a result, they gain lifelong skills that enable them to become catalysts for positive change and sustain genuine relationships grounded in trust, mutual responsibility and collective action to progress justice.
"Be Present has played a vital role in successful efforts to achieve Reproductive Justice for mothers and pregnant women across the country" said Lynn Paltrow, the Executive Director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women. "The impact they have had on my life, my organization, and the women we work with, is hugely profound and very real."
The key, however, in bringing about real change is more complex than simply developing a policy, a model, a mission or training employees.
As Si Kahn, Director of Grassroots Leadership explains, "Social change trainers seem to draw inspiration and resources from two main streams. One stream emphasizes issues of structure and power, but sometimes misses key interpersonal dynamics that humanize organizations and movements. The second stream focuses on processes and "the personal," but sometimes neglects the organizational and structural forces that institutionalize and perpetuate prejudice, oppression and inequalities. What is so special about Be Present's model is that it does both at the same time."
Be Present's work also has inspired thousands of individuals across the world to change their lives and be models for change. As a result, the vast Be Present network and the majority of the organization's operations, is supported and run by volunteers - all of whom have been personally empowered through the model - and moved from being individual participants into dedicated advocates, fundraisers and supporters on behalf of the organization.
"Mutually beneficial relationships between non-profit organizations and their funders are so rare," said Barbara Meyer, founder and president of Bert and Mary Meyer Foundation. "But in the case of Be Present and my family foundation, it is really true. My foundation funds Be Present's work, I give personally to Be Present, and I have served as co-chair of Be Present's capacity building fundraising campaign for the past five years. It is a chance to give back to an organization that has helped me to have the relationships I want to have with my family, my foundation staff, and my colleagues in non-profit organizations and the philanthropic world; and that's no small matter."
For more information about Be Present, specific events and to learn how to get involved, please contact: Arianna Robinson at arianna@bepresent.org or 404-296-4000.