STANDISH — What would you do if you saw an act of hate taking place?
This question will be addressed at “No Doubt: How to be an Active Bystander” on September 7, from 2–5 p.m. at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine in Standish. This educational training and panel is hosted by New England Arab American Organization and is free and open to the public.
As we approach the 20th anniversary of 9/11, many organizations serving racial, ethnic, and religious minorities fear backlash. Arab and Asian communities especially fear that anti-immigrant, pro-White America rhetoric may spark acts of hate. NEAAO believes it is beneficial for people in the community to learn some basic strategies that undermine hate crime and build confidence in our ability to safely intervene. “Witnessing acts of hate, bullying or even micro-aggressions, can leave us feeling helpless and confused. It is important to know that we don’t have to get physically involved to be good victim allies,” says Ms. Sahloul. “This is a great opportunity for all of us to learn how we can become the counterpoint to hate in situations. “
While we do not yet have final statistics for the number of hate crimes in the USA for 2020, we do know that hate crimes were up as much as 30% in places like California in 2020. The FBI, which collects this data, reported 7,314 hate crimes in 2019—a number that has fluctuated over the past two decades since 9/11—with a steady uptick since 2018. While Muslims, Jews and Blacks continue to be targets of hate acts, hate crimes against Asians and Pacific Islanders increased 150% in 2020.
“No Doubt: How to be an Active Bystander” includes a two-hour training with Action, Prevention, Change, a leading Maine organization devoted to educating people of all ages about bystander intervention, often called Upstander, or Active Bystander, training to emphasize the role of the witness. According to Clara Porter, Director of Prevention, Action, Change, intervention does not involve “confrontation.” There are safe ways to intervene that go beyond calling 911. After videos of an elderly Asian woman being beaten outside a New York City apartment building—with door staff watching—went viral in the spring, Porter’s organization, as well as national organizations like Hollaback, report an increase in the number of training requests.
In addition to the Active Bystander training, NEAAO will host a panel discussion that addresses the issue of hate crime. Panel members include Jonathan Sahrbeck, District Attorney for Cumberland County; Leanne Robbin from the Maine State Attorney General’s office, Christopher Fuller, a social justice advocate who is Vice President of Mission Integration at Saint Joseph’s College, and Zoe Sahloul, founder and director of NEAAO.
This event is free and open to the public. NEAAO asks participants to register via Eventbrite at No Doubt: How to Be an Active Bystander.
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