CMI Men’s Retreat 2011

by Relando Thompkins-Jones · March 16, 2012

In September of 2011, I had an opportunity to be a presenter at the 1st Annual Men’s Retreat sponsored by the Center for Multicultural Initiatives at Oakland University.

During the retreat, I co-facilitated a workshop called “The Tipping Point” in which I was able to engage young men of color about those “crossroads” we might encounter in life in which we are forced to make tough choices.

Through this workshop I was also able to facilitate discussions on personal responsibility, conflict management & resolution, good decision-making and avoidance of self-defeating behaviors.

While this clip doesn’t capture the workshops, it does capture part of the relationship building activities we did on the first day of the retreat which fostered unity and collaboration.

In this video, some of the young men who participated share their experiences with navigating through the obstacles on the course, while relying on one another to succeed as a team.

As a graduate of Oakland University for my undergraduate degree, and a former scholar and beneficiary of the tremendous amount of support and encouragement I received from the Center for Multicultural Initiatives, I was truly honored to be able to reciprocate their kindness through sharing my experiences with current students and encouraging them to persevere.

It is my hope that they continue to build relationships with one another from this experience and use each other as a source of support in challenging times, and successful moments as well.

Grace & Peace,

From Aspiring Humanitarian, Relando Thompkins, MSW

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