Joining Foces, Forcing Change

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Jesse Wiley, coordinator of the 2006 Annual Conference.

Joining forces. Forcing Change. was the theme of the 2006 Minnesota Coalition for the Homeles and Minnesota
Youth Services Association Conference.

More than 300 participants attended the conference held in Alexandria, Minnesota. The theme resonated throughout the workshops, plenary sessions, and during the “down time” when providers and advocates from across the state networked informally.

Spoken Word University and the Quest for Voice Poets were the keynote speakers on the first night of the conference. A group of young inner city spoken word artists, they opened their souls in a way that those of us who are older and presumably wiser have forgotten how to do. They spoke and sang of living and dying, of love and love lost, and of overcoming. These young prophets spoke with power and (com)passion. A perfect example of joining forces to force change.

I have long believed that there is a core set of beliefs and actions that help us to rise above our animal nature and become:

• Belief in a higher cause than our own desires;
• Compassion for others;
• The ability and willingness to endure hardship in the quest to become more human;
• The ability to look within ourselves and find something true and then to communicate it to each other;
• A journey to a place that we consider sacred.

The young poets, without actually saying it in those exact words, reminded us of what it is to be a human being. They were the voice of the conference, and I believe, they are voice of the future.

I wrote at length about Spoken Word University for several reasons. One, I believe that certain truths can only be communicated effectively through art. Two, having been an inner city kid, and also having experienced homelessness at various times in life, I felt a connection with them. Finally, they communicated the theme of the conference such that it went straight to our hearts.

This year’s conference lived up to its theme. There were numerous examples of working together to make change:

• Mark Ganley, an undercover narcotics officer, now detective, spoke about the methamphetamine epidemic in his workshop. He spoke with a humor and humanity about meth and meth users in a way that you would not expect from someone who has seen what he has seen.
• Julie Delliquanti, the exhibit coordinator for the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, displayed some photographs from the Portraits of Home exhibit. She spoke of using art as a means to powerfully, effectively and beautifully communicate our connections with each other.
• The Reverend Jim Gertmanian used his plenary address to remind us to not only love our neighbor as ourselves but to understand that those whom we consider “the less fortunate” are also us.
• Gloria Dupree of the Wilder Foundation Roof Project in her way reminded us that every child should be protected from harm and be loved as if he or she were our own.

Indeed, joining forces to force change. There is no force that is more powerful than a human heart that is willing to give all of itself to do the right thing.