For decades, Richmond, Virginia has been defined by its past: Capital of the Confederacy, hub of the African slave trade, linchpin of massive resistance to school integration. But a new story is emerging of communities collaborating, history being healed and bridges of trust being built through honest conversation. Karen Elliott Greisdorf reports on The Trust Factor, an Initiatives of Change National Forum held at the University of Richmond, June 4-7, 2009.

Leading practitioners of conflict resolution, dialogue and community building will come to Richmond, VA to explore the trust deficit that divides the U.S. at the local and national levels and globally as well. The forum is sponsored by Initiatives of Change at the University of Richmond, June 4-7 and will draw participants from many walks of life to share best practices of building bridges and living with integrity.

Dialogue participants (Photo: )

Eighteen people gathered in a circle on Saturday, May 16 at the Hope in the Cities office to either participate in or observe a dialogue between Evangelical Christians and Muslims.

Matthew Freeman, Hope in the Cities Richmond community faciltator (Photo: Cricket White) Matthew Freeman, Community Facilitator for Hope in the Cities, facilitated a discussion at Leadership Metro Richmond’s spring luncheon program on May 15 using audience response keypads.

Liverpool Group at Reconciliation Statue (Photo: Kevin Carroll)

A group of High School aged students hailing from various schools in Liverpool, U.K., came to Richmond for a week in February in their attempt to create a documentary film about slavery and its impact today.

Gerald and Judith receiving honorary fellowship (Photo: Jim Sharp)

Liverpool Hope University has awarded an honorary fellowship to Gerald and Judith Henderson for their combined contributions to peace and reconciliation through their lifelong work internationally with Initiatives of Change and for their local work with Hope in the Cities and Asylum Link Merseyside.

On November 17, the United States Institute of Peace hosted a screening of "Apology," a short film that captured the historic apology of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to Australia's indigenous peoples. His remarks on February 13th, 2008 were addressed specifically to members of the "Stolen Generations" for the wrongs committed against them by the Australian government.

Hundreds of community leaders from the Richmond region gathered for Hope in the Cities’ 12th annual Metropolitan Richmond Day breakfast and forum on November 20. The keynote speaker was the former mayor of Charlotte, Richard A. Vinroot who forged creative regional partnerships during his tenure, 1991-1995.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch asked Hope in the Cities to run a series of seven round table discussions on issues relating to the Presidential election. The discussion explored how faith guided decision-making in terms of the election by gathering a diverse group of people who are deeply rooted in their faith.

At the request of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Hope in the Cities facilitated a dialogue on immigration policy issues on October 2. Immigration has been a heated subject since local legislators in Manassas, Virginia were coerced into passing policy that enabled police to ask suspected immigrants for their identification and papers before they were even charged, thereby targeting immigrants and minorities without “due cause.”