CBC Conversation Cafe - 'Police and vulnerable communities'

A Journalist with the CBC is doing a radio segment for CBC Manitoba called 'The Conversation Cafe'. The aim of the Cafe is to bring a small group of Winnipeggers together for an informal dinner and a facilitated conversation about issues and matters important to them.


The conversation is pre-recorded and segments are aired on CBC's information radio with Terry MacLeod. The aim is to bring people together who may not have had the opportunity to engage with one another. Its a comfortable space and place to share thoughts, experiences, discover more about each others perspectives and build bridges of understanding.

The next Cafe will put two groups of participants to speak about 'Police and vulnerable communities'. There will be four participants from law enforcement and four participants representing vulnerable communities (representatives of residents associations, neighbourhoods with high rates of gang related activity or crime, 'at-risk' youth group representatives etc). This would provide a unique forum for representatives from key sections of civil society to come together and discuss key issues affecting all. It would also provide a wonderful opportunity for you to learn and discover different perspectives about how to address issues that arose from the conversation.

The philosophy behind the cafe is that it focuses on respectful dialogue and not hostile debate. This is not about 'grilling or blaming each other' but rather about having conversation at the personal level with people who are passionate about bettering our society.

Questions that will be discussed at the cafe could include:

How do we strengthen trust between police and vulnerable communities/'at-risk' individuals?
What are the success stories?
What are the challenges and barriers to this? How do we work together to overcome them?
What are the next steps to increasing partnership and understanding between these groups? How do we work together to make Winnipeg a safer place for all?

The Conversation Cafe will take place on Tuesday October 23rd, at 120 Maryland from 6pm- 8:30pm. The cafe will be audio recorded, but not aired live. The CBC is looking for people from your community and neighbourhood to participate in this important conversation. If you are interested, or know of anyone who would be enthusiastic to engage, please contact Nadia at nadia_kidwai@yahoo.co.uk. There is a screening process prior to the cafe, thereafter participants will be selected.