[nfbwatlk] Fw: [Nabs-presidents] Grant Opportunities for Youth andDivisions

[Mike Freeman]

It depends upon the interpretation of "cross-cultural". I'm afraid some 
may misunderstand or misinterpret what I'm going to say next here, 
alleging that I am either a total pessimist or prejudiced. Neither is 
the case.

First, from a sociological perspective, I imagine that it's quite 
amusing to watch the dance of grantors and grantees, the former 
perpetually trying to narrow the scope of their outlays to cover *just* 
the sort of projects they deem important and the latter trying to 
stretch, parlay and fit square pegs in round holes, every which way 
trying to get their pet projects to at least sound like the sort of 
thing the grantors are looking for. Since the grantors hold the purse 
strings, they usually have the uper hand. (big grin)

Second, although I'd love to be proven wrong in the following assertion, 
I suspect that, culturally-speaking, this affiliate would not have a lot 
of appeal, say, for young Hispanics or African-American or 
native-American blind youth for, try as we may and being as admiring of 
their cultures (if they have any) as we might endeavor to be, we just 
don't quite fit and thus may not have much of an appeal. When these 
sorts of things come up, I am reminded of the situation that the First 
Unitarian-Universalist church in downtown Portland faced in the 1960's, 
1970's and 1980's and, for all I know, still faces today. Many of its 
paritioners worried that the good congregation wasn't sufficiently 
welcome to black membership (there was *One* black member of whom I was 
aware). Yet nothing could have been further from the truth. It was one 
of the most welcoming, tolerant, open-minded church groups I've ever 
been in, ready and eager to learn and to let the members do their thing 
without prejudice or invalid assumptions. Yet if one of the humorous 
epithets UU people were heir to bak then was "God's Frozen People", 
First Church was emblematic of the monicker in spades! Very much 
old-time New England Congregationalist without the Trinity. So it had 
zilch appeal to native-Americans, African-Americans and Hispanics; the 
Church of the Nazarine next door was far more appealing. Yet First UU 
Church ran and, I think, still runs Outside Inn, one of the best drug 
rehabilitation projects in Portland.

I suspect that we of NFB of Washington are, like it or not, in much the 
same boat. But if someone wishes to take this one on (AKA Grant Guru or 
Placer of Square Pegs in Round Holes -- should this be an elective 
office?), I am more than willing to support his/her efforts.

Mike Freeman, President
NFB of Washington

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jedi" <loneblindjedi at samobile.net>
To: <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 05, 2009 10:18 PM
Subject: [nfbwatlk] Fw: [Nabs-presidents] Grant Opportunities for Youth 
andDivisions


This is from the NABS list. Is this an opportunity we can use to fund
our youth development projects in WA State?

Respectfully,
Jedi

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