From Rotarian Jon Smale's post to our club's facebook page:
Tami Pyfer stopped by on Wed Morning. Tami is the Chief External Affairs Officer for UNITE, a national organization dedicated to easing divisions across political and cultural lines. Pyfer co-created the Dignity Index as a practical tool to help people recognize and shift away from the language of contempt. The Dignity Index is an eight-point scale designed to measure the level of dignity or contempt in public discourse. It focuses on the words being used, rather than the person speaking, to help individuals understand how their language impacts others and contributes to social division.
The index is divided into two halves:
1–4 Contempt "They are the problem." At its lowest level (1), it reflects a desire to eliminate the "other.
"5–8 Dignity "We are in this together." At its highest level (, it reflects a commitment to treat everyone with inherent worth, even during deep disagreement.
Contempt vs. Dignity: The project posits that our divisions aren't caused by disagreements, but by the contempt we feel for those we disagree with.
Measurability: By scoring phrases and soundbites, the index provides a vocabulary for people to name and identify divisive speech.
Skill Building: It is used as a training tool for students, politicians, and community leaders to help them move from "attacking" to "engaging."
Thank you to Tami and her team.
For more information and to learn more, follow this link. www.dignity.us
Pictured below are Alysa, team member with Tami, President Jennifer Giovinazzo, Tami & Rotarian Peter Olsen-Skog.
Rotarian Jon is heading up our club's Fundraising Committee. Please let him know if you have any fundraising ideas and/or would like to join his committee!
We meet at 7:30 Wednesday mornings at Saint Anne’s Episcopal Church located at 2035 Charlton Road, Sunfish Lake, MN 55118. Join us for a continental breakfast with good coffee followed by an engaging program. On even number months, we meet at 7:30a at the Copperfield restaurant in Mendota Heights. (e.g. first Wed in Aug)
