Salons at Stowe is a monthly community conversation series that invites participants to engage in open, facilitated dialogue on today’s most pressing social questions.

The opening installment of Salons at Stowe is inspired by the themes of Amanda Mendoza’s exhibition, What Does It Mean to Be Human, currently on view at the Stowe Visitor Center. For our second gathering, we turn to two foundational questions:

“Who is deserving of human rights? ”
“What are human rights?”

Together, these questions invite participants to explore belonging, dignity, and the deep impact of who is—and is not—recognized fully within our communities and systems. This conversation invites curiosity, vulnerability, and shared reflection as we consider how humanity is affirmed, diminished, and reclaimed.

About the Facilitators

This month’s discussion is guided by two leaders whose creative and facilitation practices make them uniquely suited to explore these questions.

Derek Hall, Facilitator

Gamze Ozker, Researcher

Gamze Ozker

Gamze Ozker holds an M.A. in Human Rights from the University of Connecticut. Guided by a commitment to honoring human dignity and fostering dialogue across differences, she brings a human rights lens to the exhibition’s exploration of belonging and solidarity.

Derek Hall

Derek Hall (he/him/his) is an anti-racist intergroup dialogue facilitator, public speaker, and activist committed to challenging systemic racism and reshaping the cultures that sustain it. With over a decade of experience partnering with schools, nonprofits, and national organizations, Hall is known for his dynamic approach to dialogue, blending storytelling, accountability, and community-building. As a Racial Equity Consultant & Coach, he believes that “changed people, change systems,” guiding participants toward deeper understanding and more just ways of being together.