Unity

Bridges

 

 

Founded by Shelly Tochluk and Julia Chavez, Unity Bridges began operating as a grassroots organization formerly known as Sisters of the Earth in January 2000.  In 2002, the organization received its 501(c) 3 non-profit status under the name Unity Bridges. Our organization has sponsored multicultural women conferences, coordinated and facilitated community focus and dialogue groups - attracting over 200 participants from diverse backgrounds.  We continue to create organizational alliances within and across communities. We specifically do outreach to activists within organizing agencies to provide a “space” for coalition building, leadership development, and community empowerment.

 

A major inspiration for the formation of Unity Bridges is the work done by The Mosaic Multicultural Foundation (a.k.a. Mosaic). Mosaic, is a grassroots organization that among its many activities sponsors a mentoring retreat for men, which has been held annually for over 17 years. The first major program activity, a multi-cultural women’s retreat, was sponsored in September 2001 under the organization name Sisters of the Earth. The planning process, which began in 2000 and took over one and one-half years, resulted in a three-day retreat entitled “Women Transforming Communities: Creating Cultural Change”. Eighty–eight women attended this conference. A follow-up one-day retreat to the conference was held in February 2002 with approximately 60 women in attendance.

 

Following the conference in September 2001 we held monthly cross-cultural, multi-racial dialogue meetings as requested by conference participants. This lasted until Spring 2002 – we came together to discuss personal histories, current issues facing women, and other topics of interest to the women who arrived. Dialogues were open to all women, not just those who participated in the conference. Numbers of attendees ranged from 4 to 12 persons per month.

    

During the Spring and Summer of 2002, the organization facilitated a cross-cultural women’s dialogue group, titled “Women Facing Women: Sisters in Dialogue”, and a diversity workshop. The dialogue group occurred over a three-month time period and included twelve women of African-American, European-American, Japanese-American, and bi-racial descent. Themes emerging from the dialogues included the effects of 1) negative self-images, 2) discrimination and prejudice related to race and class, 3) white guilt, 4) internal and external senses of power, 5) historical context, and 6) the interplay of cultural borrowing and stealing.

   

In October 2002, the organization hosted a weekend retreat featuring Judith Duerk, author of “Circle of Stones”. Open to the public on Friday evening, the event attracted approximately fifty women. Thirty registered participants attended the Saturday and Sunday sessions.

 

In September of 2005, the organization hosted its second retreat.  Once again, an inclusive planning process began over one year prior to the event.  Through the conference, a community was created in  which women were able to share their unique experiences and move towards possible solutions; this

Community remains connected today.

    

An outcome from the second retreat is the “Red Tent Meeting”. The meetings are a continuation of a component that was instituted during the second retreat. Inspired by the novel, The Red Tent, the Red Tent served as a haven for women at the retreat who needed the space and time to heal in their own ways (meditation, reading, emotional release, etc.).  The community meetings, which are conducted every six weeks or so, are facilitated by Rina Shapira, a key member of Unity Bridges. The purpose of the meetings is to extend the concept of healing into the community and provide an ongoing space for the deepening of cross-cultural relationship building.  These meetings are held in Native American council style. Participants from the retreat, as well as newcomers, are invited. So far, ten meetings have been held with an average of 10 people attending.

 

Our History

Founders

Shelly Tochluk

Julia Chavez

 

Board of Directors

Shelly Tochluk

Julia Chavez

Trini Rodriguez

India Anderson

Sarah Ghiorse

Diane Burbie

Advisory Members

Elizabeth Bean

Silvia Beltran

Marizsa Bravo

Shoshana Brower

Laurie Burton

Cheryl Carreon

Glenna Citron

Sarah Church

Sarah Cruse

Cynthia Cuza

Gina DeBaca

Marie Deary

Nez Echegaray-Dier

Maggie Gadoy

Sarah Glasband

Sandi Miller Good

Tiffany Goodwin

Chelsea Gregory

Anya Hobley

Queen Hollins

Indigo

Gloria Killian

Caroline Maxwell

Laura McIntyre

Toni Mosley

Leslie Neale

Monica Ortiz

Amanda Perez

Ann Pigman

Stephanie Franz Rivera

Clare Robbins

Andrea Rodriguez

RuthAnn Syrell-Rock

Sierra

Sherrie Ross

Rina Shapira

Dawn Smith

Hillary Stephenson

Suzanne Rock Stierle

Ourania Tserotas

Camila Thompson

Voice

Teffanie White

Xochitl Anahuac Tonan Coop

Pat Zamora