The keynote speaker, John Robbins, author of Healthy at 100 and The New Good Life, will share his thoughts on healthy life choices, simplifying our lives and valuing what really matters.  He addresses  life's many challenges, and how we can relate and grow through them in a presentation with a profound spiritual tone and much food for the soul.

The event features a wide variety of exhibits and workshops, including caregiving alternatives, natural remedies, sustainable medical choices and end of life planning, yoga, tai chi, art activities ad much more. Local elder-activists, speakers and entertainers will be on hand. Healthy, inexpensive lunches, snacks and beverageswill be available for purchase.

The Elders Conference is a free event (donations gratefully accepted) but make sure to RSVP early!

Over the past four years, the drug violence in Mexico has claimed the lives of close to 40,000 people. In his talks from Monterey to San Francisco, Pietro described a complex and harrowing reality very different from the law-versus-drug cartel power struggle presented to us by the media. To begin with, groups vying for domination can include a mix of criminals, as well as members of the business elite, police and military, creating widespread confusion and distrust in communities. Also, the crime crippling society is not at all limited to drug trafficking; Pietro referred to 22 types of crime nationwide, including extortion of residents and businesses for "security."Disappearances, lack of due process and impunity terrorize communities.

Terror, Pietro explains, is different from fear. In a situation like this, any normal person would be afraid. But even with fear a person may take action. If we are terrorized by dominating powers, we can become paralyzed. The level of terrorism in Mexico has reached such a degree that people now say they are afraid to walk on the street in front of their homes.

The nonviolence movement seeks to empower people over the terror, to take back the streets rebuilding the sense of community that has been unraveling. Pietro spoke of a 2-day public fast that took place in Juarez January 29 (the first anniversary of the massacre of 18 teenagers in Juarez) and January 30 (anniversary of a 1971 student massacre in Juarez). The time and place were selected for their rich symbolism, creating a space for residents to overcome their terror and bring their untold stories into the public sqaure. In Pietro's words, "... it was never suggested that this action was going to stop the barbarity. Rather it was intended to contribute to creating better conditions for listening, for coming together and for community action; to increasing the ties of national and international solidarity; to developing the next stages of our broad-based and peaceful struggle; and to shouting out in a very public way 'Enough!'

 "We are in the midst of a tragic war not of our making - the Mexican government declared war against organized crime, and we know that violence generates violence. The saying of Gandhi is more than ever applicable here: 'An eye for an eye just makes the whole world blind.'"

Audiences attending Pietro's six presentations, including IF's Latin America Dinner on May 14, were inspired by the grace, dignity and courage that came forth in his stories from the nonviolence struggle in Mexico. As tens of thousands of people converged on Mexico City May 8 from all regions of the country, there was an opportunity for families of the disappeared and murdered to publicly acknowledge their lost loved ones. People lined up for a chance to speak a few minutes in public, so many that the line had to be cut off after the 74th speaker. Deeply touching were the stories of the last time a family member saw a loved one taken away by someone in uniform, the frantic search, the lack of response, the impunity and the inability to express their grief before, because of the general attitude that someone who was taken away must have done something wrong.

Pietro encouraged audience members to come to Mexico for the next action on June 10. On that day, civil society groups from communities across Mexico will meet in Jalisco to ratify a pact spelling out specific actions required of the government, with deadlines, before the noviolence movement embarks on a course of civil disobedience. Here again, we see the grace and common sense characteristic of this movement. The pact is not so much a defiant recrimination, but rather an agreement proposed by an empowered citizenry, saying that the people are happy and willing to do their part, so long as the government does right by its citizens. What an amazing example of democracy in action!  

Several Bay Area groups worked with IF to organize a full week of presentations: the Resource Cente for Nonviolence, the Watsonville Brown Berets, Fellowship of Reconcilation and the Metta Center. Pietro also appeared on KBSW radio in Salinas, KIQI radio in San Francisco, and recorded an interview with IF member David Sweet for community cable TV in Santa Cruz. Watsonville film makers Veremos Productions recorded the Watsonville Brown berets presentation, which will be part of a documentary film on the nonviolence movement in Mexico. We are grateful to everyone who participated in this week of engaged discussions around this extraordinary moment in history.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Forward this article to someone you know who is interested in the crisis in Mexico, or in nonviolent citizen action

Donate to the Pietro's work through IF

Contact the Fellowship of Reconciliation if you want to join a group traveling to Mexico for the June 10 pact signing

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There is a great power in the art of storytelling. Through the ages, storytellers have been venerated teachers and community builders, providing society a sense of identity, a source of wisdom for decision-making and values for growth. In many countries traveling story tellers dispel myths and fears or help to reconnect divided communities. Street theater and puppet shows teach villagers about health, hygiene and human and civic rights.

For 25 years, Integrities has shown the social-change potential of storytelling: it reaches people at a deep level of consciousness, helping to transcend political and social alignments, prejudices and misinformation.  Through stories, Integrities makes us aware of interconnectedness of life, awakening compassion and a sense of shared responsibility for making change. 

Some of our local schools find it difficult to provide even the mandated levels of arts programming. Low test scores lead to reduced funding, on and on in a downward spiral. Yet a well-rounded educational program that includes the arts is what's needed to break this frustrating cycle. Children who receive literary arts training - storytelling, dramatic interpretation - gain improved literacy and critical thinking skills. Storytelling engages children in learning because it involves intentional, focused listening, reading and writing, all basic elements of successful language arts instruction. By learning to be effective story tellers, children develop longer attention spans and active listening skills required to remember and repeat story sequences.Starting this summer, IF is collaborating with some great partners to launch a pilot program to bring storytelling and public speaking training to our local youth.

One part of the pilot will offer elementary schoolchildren storytelling training through the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County's Arts Learning Program. An exceptional professional performing artist from the community will teach storytelling in a 7-week workshop for about 150 fifth-grade students. A student performance is planned at the end of the 7 weeks.

Oral interpretation of stories, more than just reading aloud, has been shown to increase comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, cultural awareness and writing and critical thinking skills in students, improving not just language arts, but also social studies and science learning. Interpreting classical, contemporary and folk tales engages children in their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences. Finally, writing and performing their personal and family stories (and listening to the stories of fellow students) brings a profound sense of self-worth, acknowledgement and appreciation of others; for a multicultural student body, storytelling can be a powerful tool for validating the cultures of immigrant children.

These children will also experience a unique opportunity for learning and applying social skills. As students observe each others' performances, they receive instruction in constructive criticism. Each student can pick up on others' ideas; they ask and respond to questions on choices of interpretation and delivery. In a cooperative atmosphere, children learn to support each other through difficult beginnings, and to acknowledge progress and success. 

Another part of the pilot will be a 5-week summer storytelling/oral interpretation program for middle school students. Youth Now, a community-based organization that provides free tutoring and enrichment to middle and high schoolers, is offering this program as one of its free summer enrichment courses. Youth Now is uniquely suited to the goals of this program. Launched in 2010, it's a grassroots initiative by local residents committed to improving the education and social lives of Watsonville's youth.  In less than 2 years of operation, Youth Now has demonstrated an impressive capacity for outreach and gaining the confidence of parents and educators. They anticipate 60 to 100 local middle school students will enroll in summer enrichment classes. But most encouraging is the environment at the Youth Now center, where the kids are helping to create a culture that says it's cool to learn and do well in their studies. We'd like to build on this positive direction, starting with the introductory summer class, and later building an intramural competitive speech and debate league (aka the academic sport of "forensics") for middle to high school students in Watsonville.

To download the whole story, click here for our:  Youth Story-Telling Initiative Flyer PDF. 

Also check out the PBS documentary Accidental Hero: Room 408

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