Event Date: Jun 7, 2024
Location: Oakland, CA
CERI’s ReGround training event with Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity and Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth began with an introduction to the CERI Wellness in Action program, featuring a welcome and Land Acknowledgement followed by a grounding and centering practice. Khmer youth performed a blessing dance to honor and bless the land, nature, and participants. Our trainees and grantees shared poems on the prompt “How does your community strengthen and sustain your life/wellness?” and invited participants to share their responses. This set the tone for the event, which emphasized cultural preservation, community building, and holistic health as core objectives. Participants then joined breakout trainings, including the East African Traditional Coffee Ceremony, Mosaic Collage Training, and Magic Touch Tapping Practice. Each training provided a sampling of the core set of topics from the training and education plan, such as Mental Health, Needs, and Service Experiences in Different Cultural Communities, and Best Practices to Promote Language Access.
The East African Traditional Coffee Ceremony highlighted the significance of culturally responsive service approaches, bringing community members together to share their lives and emotions through a rich cultural ritual. This training not only fostered a sense of community but also provided insights into the mental health needs and service experiences within different cultural communities. The Mosaic Collage Training aimed to foster creativity and social interaction, promoting mental health and mental health resources through a shared creative process. Both trainings created spaces for participants to engage with each other, share their cultural practices, and strengthen community bonds, reflecting the program’s commitment to culturally responsive service approaches and promoting language access.
Training played a crucial role in the event’s success, particularly in empowering participants through self-advocacy regarding cultural and language needs. The Magic Touch Tapping Practice, also known as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), offered a holistic approach to emotional and physical well-being, aligning with the objective of providing mental health resources. The diverse and multicultural participants, including community leaders, advocates, trainers, organizers, and healers, engaged fully with the trainings. The positive feedback highlighted the event’s impact, with participants expressing feelings of belonging, cultural resonance, and empowerment. Facilitated by graduates of the Community Wellness Advocate program, the event not only achieved its immediate objectives but also emphasized the importance of training in sustaining community wellness and leadership development.