I am currently sitting at a cafe in beautiful Bloomingon, Indiana — home of Indiana University. The second session of the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI) is underway and in just a few hours they will see the RESPONSE ABILITY video and have a conversation for bystander behavior in the college fraternity and sorority setting. UIFI brings together fraternity and sorority leaders — current college students — from around the country for four days to train and develop them into the leaders they are committed to being.  This summer, over 900 college students and facilitators will engage in this conversation.  They will then take it back for their respective chapter, council, and school to make a huge difference in college and fraternity/sorority life.

I went by the Alpha Omicron Pi house this morning (where they are staying for the four days of the institute) and spoke to Brian Tenclinger and Will Foran — the two key facilitators. They say that bystander behavior has already been brought up as a key conversation by the students. That they are clear that intervening is a key access to the future of the Greek system on college campuses and college men and women having the amazing experience they came to college to get. Not to be hazed. Not to experience discrimination. Not to drink themselves to oblivion or even death. Not to experience body shame. Not to be disempowered!

So, I will update this post with how the session goes this evening — just wanted to let you all know that it’s so inspiring to experience college students engaged in this conversation — I CAN’T WAIT!

UPDATE: Well, with the exception of a couple of technical difficulties, the presentation and conversation with the 90+ students and facilitators went very well. They really get this conversation and they are really engaged in it. They saw — and still see — the real opportunity to intervene in situations in their lives. A few of them came up to me afterwards with one simple message: “THANK YOU!” One girl specifically said, “Thank you for putting into words what we have not had words for until now.” Very moving, huh?

It’s very powerful to put words to what currently is not being spoken. By distinguishing the barriers to intervening, you are freed up to act — the barriers no longer have a grip on you. You can — in the moment — distinguish the barrier that is pulling for you not to act and create — in that moment — acting on your values. This is our opportunity each and every moment that we see something happening that our own values tell us is not “right.”

A special thanks to Will Foran of the NIC and Brian Tenclinger of Triangle Fraternity for not only allowing me to “sit in” the conversation but for having RESPONSE ABILITY be a core program of all 10 UIFI sessions this summer — exposing over 900 students and facilitators to this new opening for action in their lives!

[View with PicLens]

On Sunday, April 19th, Mike accepted the Laurel Wreath Award at the Laurel Wreath Luncheon, part of NIC’s Centennial Annual Meeting. BECK & CO. received the Laurel Wreath Award for RESPONSE ABILITY and the positive impact this program has made on the interfraternal community.

This past weekend, I traveled to Washington, DC to accept the Laurel Wreath Award – the highest program award given by the North-American Interfraternity Conference. This was to recognize RESPONSE ABILITY for the impact it has had on the interfraternal community. While I was there, I took my Flip camera and gathered some testimonials on the program — got first-hand what they thought. Here they are…

Increasingly, it is being recognized that the solution to health and social justice problems requires that we engage bystanders – individuals who observe a problem and want to do something but don’t. Despite the importance of this issue and the fact that most people want to “do the right thing” there are almost no books which explain bystander behavior, why it occurs, and what can be done about it. This book meets this need, reviewing research and theory on bystander behavior, explaining why people don’t act even when not acting goes against their conscience and values, and offering practical solutions and skills for intervening in a safe, effective and respectful way. If you were ever worried about someone’s behavior and wanted to do something but didn’t, this book is for you.

Written by Dr. Alan Berkowitz – expert consultant for the RESPONSE ABILITY project

Forward by Mike Dilbeck – creator and producer for the project

Click here to purchase book from publisher.

Very exciting news:  just received word that the RESPONSE ABILITY project has just been awarded the Telly Award.  The Telly Awards recognize the best in local, regional and national television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and presentations for the web.

This is another huge acknowledgement for this piece of work and the effectiveness of this message to the audience.

This is a 6-minute highlight video of Mike presenting the 1-hour keynote speech on RESPONSE ABILITY — empowering others to stand up when they see something not right happening.

For more information on booking Mike for your next meeting, conference or convention, contact CAMPUSPEAK or email Amy Butler at butler@campuspeak.com.