ICA E-News – April and May 2020

Black Lives Matter and We Will Not Remain Silent

“If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical
rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our
class and our nation."

–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1967

We at the Institute of Cultural Affairs and Ecumenical Institute are infuriated and deeply distressed by the murder of Black people by law enforcement and the continued racial violence being directed at the Black community over and over again on a daily basis.

We stand in solidarity with protesters, activists, and organizers expressing outrage
at the long history of systemic racism that continues to perpetuate injustice.

Colleagues Worldwide Gather for Virtual Global Research Assembly

For years, the focus of the ICA Social Research Center (SRC) has been to translate our massive collection of written and recorded material to a comprehensive and accessible website. Throughout that journey of digitizing documents and building websites, the dedicated team of volunteers also began exploring tools for working together virtually. By last fall, the team was reconsidering the in-person meetings that had brought colleagues to Chicago twice each year for the past decade.

Memorial for the Completed Life of Marge Philbrook

“Since our stuff is unusual, imagining it being categorized by anyone without a history with the Institute is impossible,” Marge Philbrook once remarked on her work on the ICA Global Archives project. In the early 1990s, Marge and Phil Philbrook began volunteering their days off to work on the vast collection of archival material stored in the basement of ICA GreenRise. They moved into the building in 1995.

Facilitating the Shift to a Participatory Virtual World

The Technology of Participation (ToP) methods were distilled from decades of experience facilitating meaningful, transformative experiences in community. The methods have been applied throughout the world, in cities, towns, and villages. They have been used at every scale from the United Nations and Fortune 500 companies down to staff meetings and family gatherings. But for most of its history, ToP has thrived in-person, face-to-face.

Centering Participation in the Campaign for Clean Energy

We’re excited to announce that ICA will be working with the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition on the Listen. Lead. Share. (LLS) campaign! Last year, we joined a cohort of organizations working to educate the public about clean energy and hear feedback from residents about recommendations for the upcoming energy bill for Illinois.

Upcoming Events

Fifth City Revisited Virtual Platform

Fifth City Revisited tells the story of a radical Black-centered community movement from the 1960s-1990s on the Westside of Chicago. Part memoir, part history lesson, and part urban planning critique, Fifth City Revisited explores how we create healthy communities while also considering the scale at which we must do this work in order to grow and sustain it.

This Summer and Fall 2020, the Fifth City Revisited project will launch a virtual platform that includes a digital exhibit, a neighborhood response salon, and a collection of stories from folks committed to a healthy, well resourced, and revitalized Westside. The live performance will be staged again in Spring 2021.

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