Roberto Chene holds a BA in Philosophy, an MA in Pastoral Theology, and has done postgraduate work in Social Welfare Policy at Brandeis University. He is the director of the Center for Intercultural Leadership Training and Conflict Resolution in Albuquerque, N.M. He is deeply rooted in the Chicano-Latino community and has taught “Cross-Cultural Education “and “Latinos and Public Policy” at the University of New Mexico. He consults with many organizations in Multicultural Organizational Development and is currently working with two major religious organizations as they initiate programs to eliminate institutionalized racism. He has conducted trainings, presentations, and lectures throughout the US and has worked in Mexico and South Africa. Roberto is motivated by his deep commitment to transform relationships of dominance into relationships based on equality. He is currently working on a book of reflections and lessons gleaned from his more than thirty years of practice in the building of multicultural community. 

Roberto has many years of practice in the fields of Mental Health and Education.  He has deep roots and extensive experience in social justice work within the Chicano-Latino community.  He has organized and been part of various multicultural coalitions.  Roberto’s work includes the exploration of the leadership and relationship building capacities that are integral to creating authentic intercultural community.  From his point of view, the challenge we face today is to construct a paradigm of interdifference relationships where the differences are not reconciled through dominance as is dictated by the current diversity model but the differences are reconciled through negotiation and facilitated participation.

Roberto is currently consulting and training with several organizations, including the multi-campus system of Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs, Colorado and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Chicago, Illinois.  He is assisting these institutions in their commitment to become more culturally competent and inclusive.  He asks participants to consider how we, as learners, can creatively reconceptualize new models for framing interdifference relationships.  The development of intercultural negotiation, mediation and facilitation skills accompanied by the active elimination of prejudice are required in order to build an engaged learning and work community.  This then will enhance and reconstruct how we relate across our differences and develop more effective collaboration for systemic change.

Roberto is a former co-chair of the National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution.  When time allows he teaches Latinos and Public Policy and Education Across Cultures at the University of New Mexico.  Mr. Chené is affiliated with the Hispanic Research Center at the University of New Mexico and he is a consultant to the Hispanic Research Center at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.  He consults with the program on Minority Graduate Education at ASU.  From 1990 through 1993, Mr. Chené was the director of the Adult Component of the Kellogg Foundation-funded Intercultural Community Leadership Project at Santa Fe Community College from 1990 through 1993.