The American Conference on Diversity Harassment Prevention Forum Sparks Lively Anti-Bias Dialog

Oct. 25, 2012 - PRLog -- New Brunswick, NJ  – The American Conference on Diversity’s free harassment prevention forum drew a significant crowd of human-resource representatives, healthcare providers, and academic, government, and nonprofit leaders from more than 20 organizations throughout New Jersey all eager to hear Esther Nevarez, Special Assistant to the Director & Community Relations Coordinator at the NJ Division of Civil Rights.

Held on October 18 at the HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Tinton Falls and sponsored by our Jersey Shore chapter, this event explored what organizations need to do to ensure they are in compliance with the law. It is one of many community forums the American Conference on Diversity hosts to promote diversity and inclusion and anti-bias learning.

The forum kicked off with a breakfast buffet, followed by a nearly two-hour presentation and Q&A. Nevarez’ “Harassment Prevention in the Employment & Academic Environment” covered the breadth of noncompliant scenarios, from religious and sexual harassment to harassment because of one’s appearance, and was peppered with real-life and sometimes graphic cases.

“Through our years of experience working with companies, communities, and schools, we know situations don’t get to the ‘boiling’ point without there being some sort of back story,” says Elizabeth Williams-Riley, President & CEO of the American Conference on Diversity. “That’s why our programs are designed to be proactive, getting to the root causes of biases and prejudices before a situation develops, and not to simply be reactive to situations in which our intersections of culture collide.”

Topics covered during the forum included:

*Defining a “reasonable person” standard

*Monitoring the dynamics of diversity versus measuring it

*Determining intent versus impact

“The American Conference on Diversity is committed to working with clients to best understand the impact of early messages and how bias conditioning leads to negative interactions among people. Our services are customized and practical for various work settings. Our priority is to be proactive through education, community forums, and experiential learning,” said Williams-Riley in her presentation response.

Co-sponsors of the event included: Monmouth County Human Relations Commission, Monmouth Ocean Development Council, NJ College, and University Professional Association of Human Resources.

About the American Conference on Diversity

The programs, services, and initiatives of the American Conference on Diversity are among the most important work focused on creating a more inclusive society. It is the unfinished business of living in a highly diverse nation: educating and empowering our next generation of leaders; enhancing our workplaces; and helping to create inclusive communities. The American Conference on Diversity builds on a historic mission and creates programs and activities relevant and vital to 21st Century life. It is a journey we can all take together. The American Conference on Diversity operates eight chapters to help us to educate and empower leaders and bring our messages of inclusion and respect to communities throughout New Jersey: Atlantic County Chapter, Bayonne Chapter, Central Jersey Chapter, Essex County Chapter, Greater Bergen Chapter, Hudson County Chapter, Jersey Shore Chapter, and Mercer County Chapter. Visit www.AmericanConferenceonDiversity.org to learn more.

Contact:

Gail Zoppo
Media Relations Consultant
109 Church Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
gail@AmericanConferenceonDiversity.org
732-745-9330 x35