Mighty Crow at ResilienceCon
By Dr. Rebecca McCloskey
Dr. McCloskey and Dr. Beaujolais
As Mighty Crow’s Co-Directors of Research and Evaluation, Dr Brieanne Beaujolais and I recently attended ResilienceCon— “an international conference that offers opportunities to interact with colleagues who are interested in strengths-based approaches to understanding, preventing, and responding to violence and other adversities.” ResilienceCon is held annually in Nashville, TN and this year marked its 10th anniversary.
We aimed to connect with colleagues (in social work, psychology, gender studies, public health, criminology, sociology, and others) and showcase some of Mighty Crow’s recent work. Brieanne presented findings from a statewide survey on the impact of COVID-19 on helping professionals. I presented findings from evaluation work completed with first responders working to help people experiencing an overdose to find treatment and support.
In the current political environment where research and human rights are under attack, we, alongside many of our peers, shared in anger, concern, fear, and frustration about the state of our country’s political division, leadership, and the risks to federal funding that have led to cuts, pauses, and uncertainty, affecting our work and our clients’ and partners’ programs.
Grounds of Scarritt Bennett Center
However, instead of leaving feeling drained and demoralized we somewhat surprisingly left feeling supported and hopeful. All the credit for this goes to the culture of ResilienceCon and its leadership (with Dr. Sherry Hamby at the helm) who is so present and intentional about making the conference a strengths-based, safe place to be and learn. Additionally, we were energized by the physical space as the host site, the Scarritt Bennett Center is a picturesque 100-year-old social justice nonprofit conference, retreat, and education center.
Each ResilienceCon session was facilitated by a host who tied themes together across different presentations and concluded with a conversation on strengths, resiliency, and reasons to be hopeful for the future. We left with handouts on how to face tyranny and resist injustice while also protecting one’s own well-being.
Here are some helpful reminders that we took away from ResilienceCon that might apply to anyone feeling discouraged about the current state of affairs:
We are not alone. Even though it might feel that way sometimes, we are not alone in our fears and concerns. Find people who see you, hear you, and validate your feelings and even when you’re tired and worn, be sure that you stay connected to them. There are so many of us out there that are dedicated to social justice work (and for social workers it’s an ethical mandate!) and no matter how hard things are, we will not stop working for diversity, equity, and inclusion (even if we may temporarily have to call it something different). There is solace and comfort in connection, and it reminds us that we are all resilient.
Change is inevitable. At the conclusion of a conference session highlighting community resilience programming, a social worker with Latin roots shared a proverb: “No hay mal que dure cien años, ni cuerpo que lo resista." She explained that this roughly translates to "There is no evil that lasts a hundred years, nor a body that can endure it," suggesting that these difficult times are not static and will pass, emphasizing resilience in the face of challenges and the power of the people to change things for the better. Resistance is an inherent aspect of history arising in response to oppression and injustice. There is and will always be a resistance, and therefore change will come.
Lead with kindness and model vulnerability. ResilienceCon maintains a culture of kindness, compassion, and humility. In addition to established academic scholars, it was attended by many students and practitioners working in the field, many of whom have little experience with presenting to groups. Conference hosts regularly acknowledged the courage it takes to present. They encouraged the audience to show support for presenters, experienced and not. When a student realized one of their presentation slides were missing, they momentarily jumbled their words, apologized, and acknowledged being thrown off. A couple of audience participants gently encouraged the presenter, stating, “you’ve got this. You know it. Take your time.” Upon finishing, the group provided extra applause and praise. In another example, a seasoned presenter started her presentation by light-heartedly admitting to having not followed the assigned format due to a misunderstanding. She then relaxed and subsequently created a sense of safety for those who came after her. Presenters felt supported in an environment of collaboration, instead of competition. It is a reminder to emulate the world you want to see.
We can all be resilient. The Life Paths Research Center (which houses ResilienceCon) is an institute that promotes resilience and social justice through the focus on strengths. Part of its research has been the development of the Resilience Portfolio Model which identifies protective factors and strengths that allows individuals, groups, and communities to be resilient and recover well-being after trauma. Everyone can create their own resilience portfolio so they can access their individual assets and available resources to overcome trauma. Resilience is a process and a practice to overcome stress and trauma by leaning into our strengths. We just need reminders of our ability to be resilient and a little practice to nurture it.
