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M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence
March Newsletter
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929 South Plymouth Avenue
Rochester, New York 14608
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Letter from the Staff
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January 2015
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Dear Friends,
We have been on a journey since I started working at the Institute, to learn how best to offer young people an understanding and importantly an experience of lived nonviolence through learning to interact with themselves and others differently. We started with the Youth Activist Movement in 2011 and 2012, a six week program working with 50-100 young people as part of the Season for Nonviolence campaign each year. During program evaluation, middle school and high school students reported that they felt better and got in fewer arguments with others, but that a six week program was, no surprise, not long enough. So in 2013-2014 we piloted four nonviolence clubs in local urban and suburban schools, working with students weekly all year long and making special use of the school break weeks for supplemental learning. For instance last year students had a two day workshop with Dr. Bernard Lafayette and his talented colleague Jonathan Lewis hosted by the U of R, and several attended a week-long retreat with them here in July at RIT. (see below for a report on this training!)
This year, while the clubs (or as it was christened by students, Project TBR-Think Before Reacting) continue, we added a new component at the request of one visionary RCSD school, Northwest College Prep, part of the Frederick Douglas Campus-classes for 7th and 8th grade students, embedded in the daily schedule. Take a look here to learn more about this project, which has now expanded to James Monroe middle school.
We're committed to learning how to support youth and grow their understanding to think critically about violence, to think before reacting, and to know that their lives and choices matter. We look forward, over time, to having hundreds of young leaders throughout this community who feel connected to others and who are able to lead using the principles and practices of nonviolence.
We've got A LOT happening here, please keep reading for more good news! I hope to see you at one of these events.
To continue our work most effectively for the long term, we would like to raise funds through large numbers of people making small to medium donations, especially on a monthly basis. Relying on a few people with deeper pockets is riskier. A large distributed base of support will offer this work the sturdiest financial foundation possible. If the work, presence and creativity of the Gandhi Institute matters to you, will you consider becoming a monthly donor? Contact Erin Thompson (585 463-3265, ethomps2@ur.rochester.edu) to set up a stress free ongoing contribution. We need your support.
This comes with love from everyone here,
Kit Miller, Director
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Foundation Movement Peace Concert
Last week on a snowy Wednesday night close to 150 people turned out for hip-hop, spoken word, and poetry at the Rochester Memorial Art Gallery. Hip-hop, spoken word, and poetry were all features of the concert which began with an open mic segment and transitioned into different Rochester artists before culminating in a performance by The Foundation Movement.
Thanks to our sponsors:
St. John Fisher College (Office of Multicultural Affairs & Diversity Programs)
Men of Color, Honor and Ambition (affiliate of RIT)
Teen Empowerment
Memorial Art Gallery
RIT Rap Club
Sound Source
FULL MEA5URE
Click here to view the article written up on the event the following day in the Democrat and Chronicle.
Concert at the Memorial Art Gallery
The day also began with Optimus and Eroc of The Foundation Movement leading thirty Rochester youth in a workshop discussing social justice and institutional racial bias at the Gandhi Institute.
A photo from the training earlier in the day.
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Join Us at These Season for Nonviolence Events:
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*TONIGHT*
Transcending Loss, Tragedy, and the Impasse of Self-righteous Hatred: An Evening with Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish
When: Monday, March 2, 7:30 PM
Where: Interfaith Chapel, Sanctuary, University of Rochester
Come and hear the story of three time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Izzeldin Abuelaish, who has experienced immense suffering and tribulation and yet responded with a commitment to hope and peace.
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Agents of Change Workshop
Led by Director Kit Miller
When: March 21, 2015, 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Where: Gandhi House, 929 Plymouth Ave S.
Fee: $25-100, no one turned away
Snacks and drinks provided. Please plan to bring your lunch
To register, email Dwain Wilder dwain@bearmeadow.com
"The price of democracy is awareness."-Arnold Mindell
This is a pivotal point in our civilization. But what if it turned out that the anger, rage, conflict and oppositional forces driving our crises contained within them the energy, creativity and will to solve all the problems? What if we already had, each of us and all of us, those resources - the capacities necessary to make humanity a blessing to the Earth in the midst of, and made from, the seeming curse of humanity's destructive power on Earth, its resources, its environment, and all living beings. Join us for a workshop where we explore these questions.
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Pachamama Alliance: Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream
When: Saturday, March 28th, 1-5 PM (12:45 check-in)
Where: Gandhi Institute, 929 S. Plymouth Ave.
Fee: Free! but pre-registration required
The Symposium takes participants through four key questions to reveal how our modern worldview and economic and political systems are preventing us from creating the world in which we want to live:
· Where are we? A snapshot of the current state of our world, using data and insights from a wide range of experts.
· How did we get here? An exploration of the root causes behind our current social and environmental crises.
· What is possible now? Examples of widespread social change movements from history and the present.
· Where do we go from here? Tools and next steps for you - a conscious and committed person co-creating our future.
The through-line between these four explorations is the interrelationship between environmental sustainability, social justice, and spiritual fulfillment. Using this systemic lens, and with help from global leaders such as Joanna Macy, Van Jones, Paul Hawken, and Wangari Maathai, the Symposium looks at everything from peak oil and climate change to social justice and racism.
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Report on Five-Day Kingian Nonviolence Training (July/August 2014)
Between July 28th and August 1st of 2014, the Gandhi Institute sponsored a five-day intensive in Kingian Nonviolence at the Louise Slaughter Hall on RIT's campus. From this training, forty-five youth and adults were led through introductory aspects of Kingian Nonviolence and trained to lead two hour workshops in the aforementioned philosophy.
The trainings facilitators were a duo consisting of Jonathan "Globe" Lewis and Dr. Bernard Lafayette, one of King's colleagues and co-founder of Kingian Nonviolence. Because of Dr. Lafayette's experience in the Civil Rights Movement, he was able to share with participants his experiences with utilizing nonviolent ideologies and tactics in extremely turbulent and hostile situations.
Thanks to donations and sponsorship, the participating adults were only required to pay $100 to attend the training and the participating youth were paid $100 to attend the training. Essentially, the adults were paying for their lunch and the youth were given the opportunity to attend an all expense paid training.
However, neither the youth nor the adults were given this opportunity without some expectation of contributing in return.
Before the commencement of the training, Kit requested that every participant offer two trainings in Kingian Nonviolence to other people, and there seemed to be a general agreement among the participants to comply with Kit's request. Participants could offer these trainings to colleagues, friends, family, and participants in formal workshop environments or via informal conversations.
A debrief form was constructed for participants to fill out after completing their formal workshops, which was to be scanned and sent to a Gandhi Institute staff member via email. These forms would then be filed and archived to keep record of the amount of people the information from the five-day training has disseminated to.
So far, data from thirteen of the forty-five participants has been archived. Based on the data given to us, over four-hundred and fifty-five people have been led through a two-hour training in Kingian Nonviolence, a significant portion of these people were college students; people in the Gandhi Institute's prioritized age range (the ages 12-24).
We're still working on collecting data, so the number of people who have been been led through a two-hour workshop in Kingian Nonviolence may in fact be significantly larger than the numbers documented here.
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Two Day Kingian Nonviolence Workshop with Jonathan Lewis
When: Tuesday March 31st, Wednesday April 1st, 9 AM-5 PM
Where: Gandhi Institute. 929 S. Plymouth Ave.
We are excited that Jonathan 'Globe' Lewis is planning to come back to Rochester and lead a two day Kingian Nonviolence training in the end of March. If this sounds like something you would be interested in contact Gandhi staffer Al DeNooyer alex.denooyer@gmail.com for registration details.
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Race Dialogue
Come to one of these dialogues hosted by the Friends and Foundation of the Rochester Public Library. We'll be discussing race and the impact it has on our lives.
Monday Mar. 2 (6:00-8:00 PM)
Lincoln Branch Library
851 Joseph Ave.
Wednesday Mar. 4 (5:30-7:30)
Monroe Branch Library
809 Monroe Ave.
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Season for Nonviolence Movie Series
This series will be ongoing throughout the Season for Nonviolence which begins January 30 and ends April 4.
All movies will be shown at the Gandhi House (929 S. Plymouth), 7:00 PM.
The dates are as follows:
March 4: Iron Jawed Angels - Shannon R
March 18: The Band's Visit - Alex DN
March 25: A Force More Powerful - Spero M
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Be The Change Rochester
Use this Gandhi Institute site as a resource for upcoming nonviolence events and opportunities. We will be updating this site throughout the Season for Nonviolence and part of this will include different ways that you can be actively nonviolent in your community, relationships, and to yourself. Click here
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Gandhi Decks For Sale!
We've got decks for sale here and are now shipping them all over the country! We just sent decks out West and we're excited to announce that Gandhi Decks are now being used in Istanbul! In the spirit of the Season for Nonviolence get your decks now!
$12 for individual decks, $10 for 2 or more. All proceeds benefit the Gandhi Institute. Help us to sustain the Institute and inspire people about Gandhi-buy a deck!
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Gandhi Greenhouse Project
Over the winter months the Gandhi Institute has been meeting and collaborating with architecture students from RIT to put together a plan for a future greenhouse right here on Plymouth Ave. The students are working as part of an extra credit course in the school of environmental architecture. The greenhouse will be in the space directly behind the garden, and will serve as a year round source of food production. An exciting aspect of this project is that it will create a source of fresh produce for the PLEX neighborhood, aligning with a neighborhood context analysis (see below). Goals for the project include: composting, yearly yields of 250 lbs of produce, eco- heating and cooling, etc. Come by Gandhi to hear more about this project and see the early plans!
Neighborhood context analysis.
Brainstorming session with RIT architecture students.
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Donate Your Air Miles!
We're collecting air miles for a trip to South Africa this upcoming Junes for a pair of Gandhi Staff members! If you have Delta air miles that you would like to donate to the Institute please contact Malik Thompson at malik.thompson85@gmail.com
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