I send you greetings of peace in this season of peace - may it be known and experienced by all. As this year draws to a close, I am reflecting on the steps that Carry the Vision has taken to build a culture of peace and nonviolence and the possibilities that are before us yet to be realized. What can one person or one organization do that will turn the tide of violence?
Getting in touch with what we care most deeply about, and sharing that with others, is one of the most profound and simple strategies of nonviolence available to us all. When we do this, we find that the human heart's capacity for love, for compassion and caring action is infinite. And when we share that deep caring with another human being, a little more light, a little more hope, comes into our world.
Years ago I heard a Catholic sister who works tirelessly for peace offer these words of advice: Never give in to despair by thinking that what you do, or can do, is not enough. The need for real change is urgent and great in our nation and our world today. And yet, when we bring our energy together, we discover that we have the resources to rise up and meet that need.
In the days and months ahead, we at CTV will continue to work with you to do all that we can to realize a culture of nonviolence.
Ellen Grace O'Brian
President
Carry the Vision
_______________________________________________
This month we are introducing the
Nonviolence Education Toolbox:
What People Are Doing to Cultivate a
Culture of Nonviolence.
Everyday people in our community and all over the world are bringing forth innovative and inspiring ways to teach nonviolence.
Here is one story.
Local Elementary School Children Learn
How to Resolve Conflict in a Peaceful Way
At Anne Darling Elementary School in San Jose, the children are learning about a special labyrinth, which is a tool to resolve conflict. Tina Margason, a retired teacher, certified labyrinth facilitator and meditation teacher is teaching the children that walking this labyrinth is a peaceful way to resolve a perceived injustice. Labyrinth walking is among the simplest forms of focused walking meditation and is often used for stress reduction.
Tina teaches classes using literature that tells a story about conflict. Using the character's perspective and voice, she illustrates how to use the labyrinth to solve the problem from the story. They also role play some school conflicts that the children have experienced so that they can use the labyrinth and embody the process of resolving them. Tina states that the children loved that they could do this independently from the teachers.
Tina started out using a labyrinth that she drew on a tarp, but found that the children need to have the labyrinth available outside during recess and lunch so that the children can use it when needed. The program has been so successful that a permanent labyrinth is in the process of being painted on the playground. The on-site counselor has told Tina that the labyrinth has made a big difference in the numbers of children referred to her and that the campus feels calmer.
For more information about the labyrinth for nonviolence in schools project contact
Carry the Vision. [email protected]