FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 19. 2001 CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119 Jesse Villalobos, (515) 274-5571 PANEL TO EXPLORE DIVERSITY IN TIMES OF CRISIS The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) and Drake University will sponsor a town meeting, panel discussion at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in Parents Hall in Olmsted Center, 29th Street and University Avenue. The event is titled “Respecting Our Diversity in Times of Crisis: Can We Meet the Challenge?” The goal of the discussion is to hear diverse perspectives from our community and discuss how these events have reshaped us. “Today, the work of building cross-cultural understanding is more important than ever. We urge all Des Moines area residents to recommit themselves to promote understanding and respect for every person within our community – regardless of one’s faith identity, skin color, national origin or beliefs,” said Rudy Simms, executive director of NCCJ. The panel will take questions from audience members. The discussion will be facilitated by NCCJ. Panelists include, Greg Naylor, chair of the Lieutenant Governor’s Committee on Diversity; Rudy Simms, executive director, NCCJ; Mark Finkelstein, director, Jewish Community Relations Commission; Ako Abdul Samad, founder & CEO, Creative Visions; and Jagtar Singh, Sikh Temple of Des Moines. The National Conference for Community and Justice works to transform communities through institutional change by empowering leaders, so that all people will have access to our nation’s opportunities. NCCJ promotes understanding and respect among all races, faith groups and cultures through advocacy, conflict resolution and education. For more information, call NCCJ at (515) 274-5571.