Seeking a counterpoint to the invidious rhetoric and pervasive violence that have come to dominate the nation’s politics and popular culture, the Division of Student Affairs at UCSB is launching “Resilient Love in a Time of Hate.”

The effort is a yearlong outreach initiative to foster dialogue and a sense of belonging on campus and in the wider community.

The initiative’s inaugural programming will include two events.

First will be a spoken performance by poet Sunni Patterson at 8 p.m. Oct. 4 in the St. George Family Youth Center, 889 Camino del Sur in Isla Vista.

Following that will be a panel discussion with UCSB Professor George Lipsitz and others at 5 p.m. Oct. 5 in Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall in the UCSB Music Building.

Joining Mr. Lipsitz, professor of sociology and black studies at UCSB, will be David Kim, chair of religious studies at Connecticut College, and Patterson, a poet, singer and activist whose provocative performances combine ancient and modern traditions.

Both events are free and open to the public. Related activities will include story circles, songwriting workshops, improvisational theater productions, and conceptual art projects.

“The driving question is: How we can respond ethnically and honorably to the violence that rules our world, and to the cruelty and contempt that have characterized an alarming proportion of interactions and communications on campus over the past year,” said Margaret Klawunn, vice chancellor for student affairs at UCSB.

“Our goal is to engage in deliberative talk and shared creative activities to forge a love-driven response to the hate, hurt, and fear that surrounds us. In short, we want to bring out the best in human beings,” she said.

For more information or assistance in accommodating people of varying abilities, contact the UCSB MultiCultural Center, 893-8411.

Zaveeni Khan-Marcus writes for the UCSB Division of Student Affairs.