Efforts to build bridges across divides such as race, immigration status, and nationality can be challenging because these endeavors are often mentally, emotionally, and logistically complex. Throughout this project, participants spoke candidly about the challenges – both the anticipated and the unexpected – that they have encountered during dialogue or programmatic efforts. This section of Intergroup Resources is devoted to shedding light on some of these challenges and highlighting potential means of addressing them. This list is certainly not exhaustive; however, we hope that the insights and solutions shared here help those planning future efforts navigate these waters with greater ease and confidence.
Each subsection is illustrated by a few brief examples and quotes from project interviews that demonstrate how this challenge played out in various situations. We also offer supplemental materials designed to help groups surmount these challenges and list some organizations that offer training related to these issues. The potential resolutions represented here are not “best practices” as much as they are, in the words of one project participant, “practices that worked” in a particular place and time. We fully expect that these will be experimented with, tailored to local needs, and improved upon.