A two-part Upstander Training (also known as Active Bystander training) was held on two Saturday mornings during the winter of 2021 (February 6th and March 20th) for members of the Hopkinton Freedom Team, Hopkinton employees and members of Hopkinton boards and committees.
The training was sponsored by the Hopkinton Youth & Family Services with support from members of the Hopkinton Youth Commission and provided by True Story Theater (www.truestorytheater.com) trainers and facilitators.
What is Active Bystander training?
“Passive bystanders witness harm-doing and do nothing. Many reasons: fear, assuming
someone else will act, not knowing what to do, being too polite, not wanting to take time...Active bystanders witness harm-doing and take constructive action. Positive action can take many forms, both during and after the event, depending on the situation, the persons involved, and the temperament and abilities of the bystander. Interventions are needed in a wide range of situations from outright attacks...to everyday bigotry, overt and subtle...to micro-aggressions and obliviousness. The goal of all interventions is to create greater safety, respect and inclusion for all people in our communities. In this interactive workshop, you will practice a set of basic strategies for intervening against bigotry and evaluate their effectiveness in different situations.
True Story Theater will help you explore why being an active bystander or Upstander matters,
the challenges, and provide scenarios for trying out interventions"
Why Did the Hopkinton Freedom Team offer this training to town employees and leaders to start with?
Both the Town Charter and the Pledge, which was adopted in December, state that Hopkinton is committed to providing an inclusive, safe, and accepting community to all. This Active Bystander training is vital to helping everyone meet this commitment. Among the HFT’s mission is LIT: Love, Inclusion and Trust and building unity in the community.
Here is the language from the Town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts Home Rule Charter Accepted By Annual Town Election on May 15, 2017:
PREAMBLE: We, the people of the Town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, in order to affirm the customary and traditional liberties of the people with respect to the conduct of our local government, and to take the fullest advantage inherent in the home rule amendment of the constitution of the Commonwealth, do hereby adopt the following Home Rule Charter for this Town. The Town of Hopkinton welcomes residents of all races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, gender identifications, and sexual orientations; the Town of Hopkinton, further, is committed to providing a climate of safety and acceptance to all residents. The Town of Hopkinton will actively address and resist acts of discrimination, bullying, or intimidation.
Pledge, Principles and Actions on Systemic Racism adopted by our community on December 8, 2020
Why Is It Important for Everyone to Take Active Bystander Training?
As Hopkinton's diversity and the division in our community have increased, we are all aware that greater listening and empathy are needed for our leadership, for our communities and for our world. True Story Theater’s Active Bystander training is a unique program that helps build awareness and trust and deepens connections across differences. They will foster understanding of the experiences of people marginalized in the community, increase compassion through sharing and dramatizing personal stories, and give people practical tools on how to be effective allies and work towards a more inclusive town culture. Participants will gain insight into how racial and other marginalized identities are perceived in Hopkinton, how these perceptions impact our sense of belonging and experiences, and what we can do concretely to create a more inclusive and welcoming community. Every spring (until 2020), Hopkinton has welcomed the world for Marathon Day. On the other 364 days of the year, it is important to help our community get past tolerance to deepening our understanding of one another and being inclusive, respectful and compassionate to everyone.
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