Spreading Values through Social Action/Elevator Speeches

Submitted by Bill Crosier on January 15, 2006 - 2:48pm. ::

Spreading Values through Social Action
Presentation by Bill Crosier to Unitarian Fellowship Church
January 15, 2006

[Note: See downloads below for handout on Elevator Speeches]

Thank you for allowing me to share this morning with you, to talk about some ideas of how we can spread our social values.

This isn't about proselytizing people to convert them to a particular political party or religious faith. It's about how and why to talk about our core beliefs, in a way to influence social change.

How many of you have been in a situation where people around you were making hateful or insensitive comments about some current issue, but you didn't know what to say without starting a big argument?

Today, let's talk about how we can use those situations to spread our values, and perhaps to open up some minds in the process. It's about spreading our values through action. A direct, and non-violent way we can do this is by making some minor adjustments in how we talk with those with whom we disagree, something we may have an opportunity to do frequently.

I'm going to talk briefly about Martin Luther King, Jr., not just because tomorrow we are honoring him, but also because he is such a fine example of how talking about values in the right way can be so powerful.

After that, we'll go over some suggestions from experts on communication, on how to talk about values, and then we can have a brief mini-workshop so you can try what I suggest, and get your feedback.

About Martin Luther King, Jr.

So, first, I want to say a few things about one of the great leaders of the 20th century. Tomorrow, we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. He wasn


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