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M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence
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Rochester, New York 14608
Phone: 585-463-3266
FAX: 585-276-0203
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The Season for Nonviolence marks the 64 calendar days between the anniversaries of the assassinations of Mohandas K. Gandhi on January 30 and that of Dr. King on April 4. The Rochester campaign is one of the largest in the world!  | |
Season for Nonviolence billboard courtesy of the Rochester Ad Council*
*this is a real photo
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A Season for Nonviolence is sponsored by the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. University of Rochester partners include the Interfaith Chapel, Frederick Douglas Leadership House, the Student Association of Vegan and Vegetarian Youth (SAVVY), and the Rochester Center for Community Leadership (RCCL). Community sponsors include the Ad Council of Rochester, Jay Advertising, Crazy Dog T-shirts, Grant Taylor Photography, Icon Creative, Inc., Restorative Rochester, Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, Teen Empowerment, Monroe Community College Damon City Campus, Rochester Institute of Technology, Spiritus Christi, Rochester Friends Meeting, Center for Dispute Settlement, Partners in Restorative Initiatives, Education for Peace, First Unitarian Church of Rochester, Feminists Choosing Life of NY, Greater Rochester Community of Churches, Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, Rochester Public Library "Safe to be Smart" Program, Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library, Black Student Caucus of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Education for Peace, Mental Health Association, Rochester Area Mennonite Fellowship, Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, private individuals, and more being added every day.
"The choice today is no longer between violence and nonviolence. It is either nonviolence or nonexistence."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
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YOUTH ACTIVIST MOVEMENT
KICK-OFF on February 16, 2013
Thank you Youth for Christ for donating
your awesome facility!
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RIT Bhangra dancers perform at the opening ceremony
 Youth Activists discuss how violence impacts their communities |
During February 18-20 the Rochester Youth Activists received 16 hrs in Kingian Nonviolence training from the
Positive Peace Warriors Network.
Thank you
Rochester Friends Meeting
for donating the use of your beautiful space!
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POSITIVE PEACE WARRIOR NETWORK IN ROCHESTER FOR 2-DAY KINGIAN NONVIOLENCE TRAINING
 Kazu Haga 
Jonathan "Globe" Lewis
Below is an excerpt from our interview with Positive Peace Warrior Network founder Jonathan Lewis (Globe) and Level II Kingian Nonviolence trainer Kazu Haga.
What does it mean to be a Positive Peace Warrior?
KAZU: A lot of times when we begin working with young people they think peace is weak and passive. It's really important when we look at peace warriors from the past like Dr. Martin Luther King and Mohandas Gandhi that we communicate that they were strong, assertive and confident. We call ourselves the Positive Peace Warrior Network because we want to let young people know how to stand for peace. Especially when you live in communities that are so violent, peace is a powerful thing and it is something to be proud of. If you look up the dictionary definition of the word 'warrior' it describes someone who is experiencing and dealing with conflict. Conflict is something that's unavoidable, something that we all go through in our lives every single day. Being a warrior is about training ourselves so that we can respond to conflict in a way that brings us closer to our goals and brings us closer to the vision of our beloved community that we're seeking.
Is Dr. King's dream relevant to youth living in America today?
Globe:
Well if you go back and listen to any of his speeches and read any of his writings and change the dates to today we are dealing with the same exact issues. A lot of folks come up to us and ask what we think Dr. King would be fighting for now and my reply is the same stuff he was fighting for then because we are struggling with those same issues. Dr. King's dream unfortunately gets called his dream when it was really an articulation of the concerns of a lot of people from around the world. But yes we need to have dreams like Dr. King did and have the courage to follow those dreams. I think we need to have those dreams with the same tenacity, and the same vigor, and the same determination that warriors do, that solders do, and that the military does. So yes we do need to have a dream that reflects the vision of Dr. King. We talk about Dr. King but we know that Dr. King stood on the shoulders of women, children and men whose names we do not know and they are the true warriors because they didn't get any props; they didn't get any accolades; they have been forgotten.
What type of challenges are youth going through today?
Globe: A lot of folks my age and older than me are not walking the walk. We'll talk about it, we'll hold youth to a higher standard but we're not walking the walk like King did, or like Bernard Lafayette, or like Diane Nash did. So they are being asked to rise to a certain level but we're not really reflecting that request in many ways. One of the most beautiful pieces in the civil rights movement was that the youth were looked upon to lead. Now they are looked upon as criminals just because of the way they dress, talk and act. They inherited what we gave to them and we're criticizing them for not being able to create a beloved community overnight! The expectations we have for these youth without providing the necessary resources to them is truly unfair. We are asking them to soar like an eagle but they need the wind, we need to provide them the avenue to get to those heights and we are not doing so.
Kazu: There is a story that I like to share about a young girl in Chicago. We were talking about the violence there and one of the teachers at the school said even in the city of Chicago there are communities where young kids aren't getting shot up every day. This young woman stood up and stated, "That's not true, this is how it is everywhere; this is how it is in all communities and how it has always been." I understood at that moment that for this young woman the violence that she witnesses every day is all she has ever known. She could not even comprehend what it is like to live in a peaceful community. Many youth don't realize that there is such a thing as a peaceful community. A lot of my work has to do with just inspiring a sense of hope and having these kids be able to see something different, an alternative. To see the possibilities of what they can do with their lives and what they can do in their communities, because if you don't have a vision of what you're trying to work towards then it is really easy to get caught up in the violence and then end up with a sense of hopelessness. Youth violence is a huge problem in our community today and often times we look at it as if it is their problem, like "why are these young people so violent?" as opposed to looking at the environments that we as adults have created for them to grow up. We must try to see what we can do to address those causes.
See more of what Kazu & Globe taught during their two-day workshop in this video:
 | | Positive Peace Warrior Network Kingian Nonviolence Training for Youth in Rochester |
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A Peaceful Reminder
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Rochester Episcopal Bishop Prince Singh speaks about the Season for Nonviolence during Lent.
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YOUNG MEN AT PEACE
By Caitlin Mack '12 (T5)
Univ. Communications
Last year, Oladoyin Oladeru '13 mentored middle school students about the benefits of nonviolence during in-school suspension hours and decided he wanted to create an after school program of a similar nature. With help from the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence and fellow University of Rochester undergraduates, Oladeru established the Young Men at Peace program last fall. The program allows 6th, 7th, and 8th grade male students at Dr. Charles Lunsford School #19 the unique opportunity to explore a wide range of important issues related to nonviolence. To read the full article click here
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U of R Senior and "Young Men a Peace" founder Ola Oladeru shares a laugh with a student from School 19.
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| A MUST SEE VIDEO! |
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The World Peace Diet
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Letter from the Director
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 Dear friends, How is your Season for Nonviolence going? We are mid-way as I type these words in the first days of March. Celebrations include: -Rochester Episcopal Diocese's participation in the Season for their Lenten practice; -Involvement at Groveland Prison by staff and inmates; -Ad Council and Jay Advertising support once again for a $250,000 award winning media campaign; -Weekly youth activist programming for a committed cadre of youth and volunteer facilitators. Above is the list of the organizations involved with the Season. You can't have a community campaign without community! Please thank them for their participation in any way you can. This past Saturday, Patricia Mason from the Center for Dispute Settlement gifted the youth and volunteers with an anger management workshop. One of my takeaways was a reminder about the cost of allowing anger into our hearts. In her words: "anger will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you meant to stay, and cost you more than you can pay". Next Monday we are delighted to host two people whose efforts to overcome anger are truly remarkable: Nader Hasan, cousin of the accused Fort Hood shooter, and Kerry Cahill, daughter of Michael Cahill who was one of the people shot at Fort Hood. Join us if you are able (see below) and keep reading for more good news. This comes with love, Kit Miller Director, MK Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence 929 South Plymouth Avenue Rochester, New York 14608 ph 585-463-3267 www.gandhiinstitute.org |
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SNAP Training
Saturday, March 9th
10:00am-12:00 noon at the Gandhi House
929 S. Plymouth Ave
Nearly 3 million New Yorkers are eligible for SNAP benefits; and yet 900,000 of them are not enrolled in the program.
On Saturday, March 9, Foodlink will be hosting a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) outreach training session at the Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence-it is entirely open to the public. The 1.5 hour training falls into the Season for Nonviolence in its mission to alleviate hunger by preparing and training volunteers to educate the community about the benefits of the USDA's premier program to battle hunger.
Saturday's training will give future volunteers and active community members the knowledge, skills and resources to pre-screen community members for SNAP benefits and speak knowledgably about the program. By volunteering to perform outreach at select pantries, soup kitchens and shelters that work with Foodlink, not only will volunteers gain hands-on experience working with mixed populations, they will also be alleviating the caseloads at the Department of Social Services and minimizing wait times for SNAP benefits as they better prepare clients for the SNAP application process.
If you're interested in attending the training, or even just learning more about SNAP, please RSVP by emailing Jerome with your name and organization/institution affiliation, if applicable: jnathaniel@foodlinkny.org
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Transforming Tragedy - a conversation with Kerry Cahill & Nader Hasan
March 11, 2013
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Rochester Area Mennonite Fellowship,
111 Hillside Avenue Rochester New York, 14610
For more information call (585) 463 3266
Nader Hasan, whose cousin, Nidal, is the accused Fort Hood shooter, initiated the Nawal Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to uniting and empowering Americans against violent extremism through education and collaboration.
Nader started the Foundation as a platform for Muslim-Americans to speak out against violence in the name of Islam.
Kerry Cahill is the daughter of Michael Cahill CWII (ret.), one of the 13 killed at Fort Hood by Nader's cousin.
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Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) Basic Level Workshop
Monday-Wednesday, March 11-13
10am-6 pm each day
University of Rochester Interfaith Chapel
Come examine violence and nonviolence in an interactive and fun community setting. We'll use individual, pairs, and small group exercises to look at what causes violence and supports nonviolence to grow in our personal and communal lives.
Registration for the workshop is required: call Shannon at 585.463.3266 or email srichmond@ur.rochester.edu
Suggested donation: $25-50, scholarships are available, your attendance is more important than a donation. Funds used to support food, facility use and AVP/NY. The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) is a grassroots organization, with workshops done all over the world in prisons and communities by volunteers. For more info on AVP in New York State, visit: http://avpny.org/
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Mindful Communication - Introductory Presentation with Judith Lardner
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Church of the Ascension,
2 Riverside Street Rochester NY, 14613
Judith Lardner:judith.lardner@gmail.com
or 585-317-9168
In support of the Rochester Season for Nonviolence, we offer this introduction to Mindful
Communication, as a way to bring our attention to ways we communicate with ourselves, with each other, and within our communities. If you want to learn more about the potential the practice of nonviolence has to heal, transform, and empower our lives and communities, please come to the free introductory presentation.
Mindful Communication combines combines the practice of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), mindfulness, and restorative practices.
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3rd Annual University of Rochester
Alternative Spring Break
March 11-15, 2013
929 S. Plymouth Avenue
Rochester New York, 14608
To register contact Ling Rao: lrao@u.rochester.edu
Are you a student looking for a meaningful and unique way to spend your spring break?
Join us to learn about nonviolence and explore what it looks like in practice.
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Women and Race: Healing the Wounds We Inflict Upon Each Other
Sunday March 17, 2013
1-5:00pm Asbury First Methodist Church
The facilitator for this workshop is Roxy Manning, Ph.D., a psychologist in the San Francisco Bay area (with roots in New York) who comes back to New York every summer to co-lead week-long intensives in nonviolent communication. A number of Rochesterians, including several of us at the Gandhi Institute, attended this intensive last summer. We had the opportunity to experience Roxy's powerfully healing racial work and began to dream of bringing her back to Rochester specifically for the purpose of contributing to the racial work that is being done in this community. Roxy regularly conducts diversity workshops on the West Coast, which are known to be transformational.
Please plan to donate at the event in cash or check to cover food and travel costs for Dr. Manning.
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Saturday Meditations for Nonviolence
March 16 & 30, 2013
3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
First Unitarian Church, 220
Winton Rd South Rochester NY, 14610
Meditations to cultivate mindful awareness and loving kindness in the face of frustration, anger and harsh judgment towards oneself and others.
Schedule:
3:15-3:30 Basic instruction 3:30-4:15 Meditate together
Suggested Donation $3-5 which will go to the Season for Nonviolence Youth Programs.
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March 22, 2013
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Building 6-A205, Rochester Institute for Technology Rochester, New York, 14623
Lecture by Laura J. Lederer, J.D. Senior Director for Global Projects on Trafficking in Persons at the U.S. Department of State and director of Global Centurion Anti-Trafficking Organisation. Lederer, who will speak on the topic of sex trafficking, is a pioneer in the work to stop human trafficking and has been called a founding mother of the new human rights movement against trafficking in persons. Please join us for this discussion of contemporary slavery and the fight against this problem which affects people locally and in their many millions globally.
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COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
ON SYSTEMIC CHANGE
Thursday, March 28
7:30pm-9:30pm
Gandhi House on 929 South Plymouth Ave
 | | Photo by Anna-Kristina Pfeifer |
Join us on the evening of Thursday March 28th for a dialogue exploring what we can do to create deeper social change. We would like to have a group conversation, stepping back a little to pay attention to the wider vision, and ask what systemic change could look like. How can we address not only the symptoms but also the fundamental causes of so many of the problems in our world? If this interests you, please bring your curiosity and your voice to co-create this evening of talking together and connecting.
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ORDER YOUR OFFICIAL SNV T-SHIRT TODAY!
CALL 585-463-3265
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2013 Gandhi Summer Intensive
JULY 22-27, 2013
10:00am-5:00pm every day
Gandhi House
929 S. Plymouth Ave
Rochester, NY
*Learn about Principled Nonviolence in the Gandhian & Kingian traditions
*Learn about Nonviolent Communication, Restorative Justice, and Community Activism
*Become more mindful, determined, and clear about your goals
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To register contact George Payne at
 | | Participants at the 2011 Gandhi Institute Summer Intensive |
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