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UPCOMING EVENTS
Restorative Rochester Film Series "Crossroads: A Journey of Forgiveness"
Saturday, Nov 13, 10:00AM-12:30 PM Metro Center. 155 St. Paul St. Rochester, hosted by NYMHCA
Sunday, Nov 21, 2-4PM
Rochester Central Library, 114 South Ave. Bausch and Lomb Bldg. Kate Gleason Aud.
All showings are free.
"Forgiveness,
Reconciliation and Peacemaking in Abrahamic Religions"
Monday, November 8, 7-8:30PM Keynote Dr. Susan Thistlewaite, lecture and respondents, Dr. Harry Murray , moderator. Nazareth College, Shultz Center. Free.
Being the Change Workshop November 17, 5:30-8:00 PM, Introduction to meditation and nonviolent communication. Free Pizza! Interfaith Chapel, UR River Campus
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Volume 1, Issue 9 November 8, 2010
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Dear friends, Yesterday I had the privilege of hearing Arun Gandhi, the founder of our Institute, speak to a group of students. One idea he shared particularly caught my attention. It is the idea of shifting from material success to moral success. What might a society focused on moral success look like? Join me for a moment to imagine how differently resources of every kind would be used. What would that world look like on your commute home tonight? What would you talk about tonight at dinner with friends and family? What if video games and other forms of entertainment for young and old alike celebrated the achievements of human rights heroes working to alleviate suffering of every kind? What if our celebrities were those heroes, people who made you feel proud to be in the same species? What if employees and shareholders in every organization knew that true wealth was in how much good its profits could do in the world? This culture may be closer than you think. All of us can help to make it happen by aligning how we spend our time and money with our values. We can take up a lived practice of nonviolence through daily meditation practice, study of nonviolence, and by supporting local projects that help create systems in health, education, government and justice where means and ends are explicitly linked. The potential to create it exists every day. In peace and hope, Kit Miller Director M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence We dedicate this issue to Linda White (see story below) whose extraordinary love and courage inspired us all last month. |
| Introducing new Gandhi staffperson, Shannon Richmond, Friends Service Volunteer | |
Hi! My name is Shannon Richmond, and I'm one of the new faces at the Gandhi Institute this fall. I'll be working on the Restorative Rochester Project this year. My interest in and passion for work in the field of nonviolent conflict resolution blossomed while I was studying sociology, criminal justice, and violence studies at Alfred University in Alfred, New York. During this time, I volunteered with the Alternatives to Violence Project at Groveland Prison, where I began to realize the failure of our retributive justice system to address the hurt of both victims and offenders. A couple years later, my study abroad experience in South Africa allowed me to witness the beautiful alternative of Restorative Justice. I was, and still am, amazed by the power that a safe-space and truth-telling process can wield to rejoin a broken community. This process that honors our common humanity appeals to the deepest part of me and my desire to join those already working to create a more peaceful world. Thank you for welcoming me into your community; I am honored to join the many voices shouting out the virtues and merits of restorative practices.
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| Gandhi Institute Service Fellows 2010-2011 | | |
In fifty words or less, why do you care about nonviolence?
What could be more worth my time than seeking out the richest, most fascinating and harmonious possibilities of human existence? Asking questions about nonviolence helps me maintain an air of humanness. Margaret Ball 
Some consider nonviolence to be a sign of weakness; I take the opposite stance. Nonviolence shows strength, self-control, and the ability to think before acting. In a time when much of the world chooses to use violence to resolve conflicts, an alternative must be presented. Fatima Bawany
Nonviolence for me is a natural manifestation of human nature by truth and love. It is a description of these natural laws of human interactions and thus it is part of the truth of my being. I also have learned much about myself and other human beings through my explorations of nonviolence and find the opposite to be true.
Joseph Gardella 
Nonviolence is the peaceful perseverance of the passionate. It is the uncompromising, undaunted daily struggle for universal unity. Nonviolence implies a holistic approach to countering hatred and prejudice. Most importantly, individuals practicing nonviolence have the courage and fortitude necessary to stand up for what is right, not what is facile. Faye Gura |
| Meeting with a Killer, Linda White presentation by Shannon Richmond | |
 I don't usually spend my Sunday afternoons sitting next to strangers at the library watching documentaries on families of murder victims' choice to meet their killer. However, this Sunday was different. This Sunday was October 24th, one of the first movie showings in Restorative Rochester's film series. There were three free showings, open to the public, and attracting around 200 people across the three days. The movie, Meeting with a Killer, detailed Linda White's journey preparing to meet the man who raped and then murdered her daughter. Sitting down to watch this film, I didn't know what I was in for. Forty-five minutes later as I shyly dabbed my tears, I realized I was in the majority as I reached for my tissues! What was so compelling was that despite the brutality of the crime and our society's tendency to demonize the perpetrator, here was Linda White, responding with empathy and compassion to the offender, recognizing his own victimization through the violence he had experienced as a child. Linda's actions in the film are a testament to the power of restorative practices. Afterwards, during our post-film discussion, Linda described her commitment to continue advocating for restorative justice. Without this process, she would have been left bitter and hurting. Instead,through this process her needs for clarity, and understanding about her daughter's death were met. That day Linda White reminded us all of the healing that restorative practices can give, even in the wake of devastating violence. |
| Upcoming! A Season for Nonviolence January 3 - April 4, 2011 | |  The M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence is inviting organizations, schools, businesses, groups and individuals to join the growing list of supporters of A Season for Nonviolence. It is a time to reflect upon the nonviolent practices of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. and to pay homage to these two great men by actively demonstrating the effectiveness of nonviolence within our own communities. The Season, launched at the United Nations in 1998, marks the sixty-four (64) calendar days between the memorial anniversaries of the assassination of Mohandas K. Gandhi on January 30 and that of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4. It is celebrated in 18 countries and in over 200 communities in North America. By focusing education and community action on attaining peace in the spirit of Gandhi and King, A Season for Nonviolence promotes the teaching that every person can move the world forward in the direction of peace through daily nonviolent choices and actions. It is, therefore, the purpose of A Season for Nonviolence to educate and inspire individuals and organizations alike to actively seek out nonviolent means by which to empower themselves and others to co-exist in peace and prosper together in community. Support can be demonstrated by organizing a project or an event for the Season such as a community service project, a concert or art exhibit, an educational program or film series, a creative workshop or even a peace vigil. Perhaps you would be inspired to write a news article, provide a statement of support. No matter how you choose to participate, the M.K. Gandhi Institute simply asks that you share the purpose and vision of the Season with others. Please help promote nonviolence in the greater Rochester community by becoming a sponsor of A Season for Nonviolence. Inquiries about sponsorship can be made by calling 273- 3933. Join us for A Season of Nonviolence and become part of a solution to a problem that affects our families, our employees, our students and community.
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Swadeshi Now
