August, 2006 Dear Faculty and Staff, This year's Professional ...

August, 2006
Dear Faculty and Staff,
This year’s Professional Development Day was planned around campus response to the
All-University Conversation we had regarding the Difficult Dialogues Initiative funded
for a two-year period by the Ford Foundation. Feedback from our first conversation alone
taught us that there is much gratitude here at SMSU for the possibilities that this funding
brings and that there is a desire on our campus for: 1) awareness and acceptance of
differences; 2) programming that is relevant to our particular campus and to our
classrooms; and 3) reflection that leads to action. In response, we have chosen one of the
best consultants in the business to come in and work with us.
Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid is currently the Lead Consultant with One Ummah Consulting, a
team of trainers and consultants who have come together from a broad range of fields to
assist organizations in building their multicultural competence, offering innovative
solutions, comprehensive strategies, and a wide range of services relevant to
organizations’ unique needs to help them move from awareness to action in creating
more inclusive and productive work and learning environments. After serving almost 10
years as Training Coordinator of the University of Minnesota’s Diversity Institute,
Nehrwr went on to form One Ummah Consulting and is now a highly sought after
motivational speaker, trainer and consultant. He specifically identifies himself as a
“consultant of much needed dialogue” and his work has garnered national coverage with
a front-page feature story in USA Today. The number of workshops and presentations
he’s facilitated is well into the hundreds and his clients range from Fortune 500
companies to non-profit organizations to academic institutions, including Macalester
College, Carleton College, the University of Michigan, the University of Nebraska,
various high schools throughout the state of Minnesota, and the National Youth
Leadership Seminar based in New York.
Curious about what the name One Ummah means It derives from the Arabic root word
“U-M” which means “mother” and “community.” The concept behind One Ummah is
that we are all part of one community. While we may come from a range of backgrounds,
cultures and bring many stories to the dialogue, we are still part of a larger
community…a very diverse community. At the root of community is communication,
and it is here that One Ummah Consulting focuses on providing tools and building skills.
You might want to visit the One Ummah Consulting website at
http://www.oneummahconsulting.com. If you do visit the website you’ll notice an
interesting water drop logo that represents the concept that from one drop, the ripples can
travel very far. Our actions can have a lasting and far-reaching effect. It is also a reminder
that a small, but consistent action can, like the water drop, produce very dramatic change.
Telephone (507) 537-7678 • FAX (507) 537-7154
1501 State Street, Marshall MN 56258-1598 • www.SouthwestMSU.edu
A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. Southwest Minnesota State University is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Just as a drop of water can change the shape of a stone, so too can our efforts bring
dramatic change to our organizations and communities.
I hope your experience of this year’s Professional Development Day will be both
refreshing and productive in the best of ways. Once again, we welcome your comments
and suggestions for making the Difficult Dialogues Initiative on our campus beneficial to
all. Feel free to send anonymous feedback to the team via the website
http://www.southwestmsu.edu/DifficultDialogues. The more heads working on this thing,
the better it will be for everyone.
Sincerely,
Judy Wilson
Project Director
SMSU’s Difficult Dialogues Initiative