Enthusiastic Kilo Zamora, executive director of National Conference of Community and Justice of Utah (NCCJ), introduced this nonprofit organization housed currently at Westminster College. Founded in 1927, and known originally as The National Conference for Christians and Jews, NCCJ's mission is dedicated to fighting bias, bigotry and racism. This organization promotes understanding and respect among all races, religions and cultures through 1] advocacy, 2] conflict resolution, and 3] education.

The mission encompasses all people, and the organization finds all forms of oppression, prejudice and discrimination to be wrong so that no form of discrimination is acceptable. Therefore, the mission includes any type of racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, xenophobia, and discrimination based on physical and mental disabilities.

• Some of Zamora's points to consider are the following.
• Our view of history is traditionally taught from the group in power, e.g. Americans know who our forefathers are when this term is used. When studying history, Zamora said we reach different conclusions at different times in our lives, and history should not always be able to inform us of reality.
• In NCCJ's mission of fighting bigotry, Zamora stated passionately that no one is born a bigot, that prejudices and stereotypes are learned, and that hate is carefully taught. Because one can only change oneself, it is our responsibility to change destructive prejudices and stereotypes, a goal that is personal, spiritual, and political.

People are not neutral, expressed Zamora. Learning new ways of thinking and understanding different perspectives, races, religions, and cultures can be difficult, and may mean that one steps back, cleans his or her slate, and listens carefully. Empathy is another way. Using the World Trade tragedy to illustrate how to be more empathetic, one could ask e.g. why would someone wish to attack us? What happened in their history to warrant such action? What lead the attackers to reach this critical point?

To respect differences, one also needs to move from mere tolerance to acceptance. "I don't want to be just tolerated!" said Zamora. "You can't bring out the best in me if I am just tolerated."

Acceptance also means inviting different peoples into one's home or inviting their children to play with ours.

Eliminating bigotry and changing biases requires conscious effort and conscious decision-making. For example, what are we willing to say when the "other" is not in the room?

Conscious museums is one societal effort to change biases and to educate, like the Museum of Tolerance in LA and the Holocaust Museum. (Built in 1993, the Museum of Tolerance is a high tech, hands-on experiential museum that focuses on two central themes through unique interactive exhibits: the dynamics of racism and prejudice in America and the history of the Holocaust, which is the ultimate example of man's inhumanity to man. The genesis of the Museum, the first of its kind in the world, came from the leadership of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the internationally recognized Jewish human rights organization named in honor of Simon Wiesenthal)

• "Conflict resolution" is one of the three methods that NCCJ has identified to help eliminate bigotry. Zamora pointed out that Boyer Jarvis effectively used silence or passivity as a tool to resolve conflicts. Other examples from history of people who used different methods of conflict resolution effectively are Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Tiananmen Square's Tank Man, and Desmond Tutu.
• "Education" is another method identified by NCCJ. Cultivating the ability to listen with an open mind to opposing views is part of the education process, as well as actively bringing up issues that separate people--not to be contentious but to create more open dialogue.
• "Advocacy," the third NCCJ method, "is tough because once things become political, people get heated," said Zamora. According to him, politics is an extension of our spirituality, citing Neil Walsh and Bob Marley as examples.

Embodying education, conflict resolution and advocacy are two powerful statements that Zamora quoted, the first by Martin Luther King.

"But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.' Was not Amos an extremist for justice: 'Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.' Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: 'I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.' Was not Martin Luther an extremist: 'Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God.' And John Bunyan: 'I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.' And Abraham Lincoln: 'This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.' And Thomas Jefferson: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...' So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists will we be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?"

The second is a quote from LDS President Gordon Hinckley:

"Now I am told that racial slurs and denigrating remarks are sometimes heard among us. I remind you that no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ."

Zamora concluded by saying that NCCJ is about not knowing all the answers, having the ability to be criticized, being at the table together and building a better place together. Social justice is not only in our head and hearts, but in the way we live.

Author's Notes:

NCCJ, a part of the Salt Lake City community since 1966, has been active in a variety of community projects. The principal goal of these projects is making life for all people, and especially youth, more equitable, friendly, and free.

Key Facts about NCCJ:

• NCCJ today has more than 55 regional offices in 32 states and the District of Columbia and has over 400 full and part-time staff members.
• The National Conference of Christians and Jews, changed its name in the 1990's to better reflect its mission to build whole and inclusive communities. The historic name confused many, who believed that NCCJ was an interfaith organization. Therefore the new name is not a change in vision, but rather an affirmation of our abiding commitment to embrace the diversity of our nation.
• NCCJ is the only national human relations organization that focuses on a broad range of "isms," the multiple manifestations of discrimination and oppression that are based on one's religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, bias crimes to racial profiling - the challenges ahead are real. To confront and overcome them, NCCJ maintains an abiding commitment to work with decision-makers and leaders to support their work to build an inclusive society.

--Sarah Smith