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M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence
July 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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July 2015
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Dear friends,
It's wonderful to be back from South Africa and the amazing journey with Malik and Hoody! We'll be speaking about the trip this Friday evening (7/10) during a potluck here, 6:30-8:00 pm. Please join us if you're free! This week we kicked off our third year of collaboration with neighboring #19 School (Charles Lundsford School) to support their annual Freedom School program. Four sweet groups of kindergartners and first graders will walk two blocks from their school to the Institute for "Peace In the Garden", learning about relationships between people and about plants though songs, fun games and projects. Malik Thompson will lead four hours of classes for 5th and 6th grade students.
We are proud to support the great work of Principal Eva Thomas and her dedicated staff all year long.
We began our second year of collaboration with the Seedfolk youth program and their terrific group of Southwest youth, who will be here twice weekly over the summer growing vegetables in the garden. And we hosted a 'leaderful' group of middle school students, staff and the principal of School 17 for two days of Dr. King's nonviolence with returning visiting Seattle trainer Jonathan Lewis and two great Seattle undergrads earlier this week. The collaboration with #17 continues in the fall with daily programming for these students and others, to build leadership, social emotional skills, peer mediation and restorative approaches.
We're honored to be working with several schools next year (Monroe, Northwest College Prep and Wilson) every day, to support hundreds of young people and staff, through classes and whole school change work, to have the kind of school climate and school experience that EVERY student deserves. Thank you to all of you who in myriad ways have helped us to support this critical work. Stop by this Friday afternoon either for our 4:00-6:30 pm work party to take care of the building and gardens here or for the potluck after, to celebrate summer and hear a little about South Africa!
This comes with love from everyone here,
Kit Miller
For the Gandhi Institute
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Work Party and Potluck
Join us TOMORROW, July 10, for a work party and potluck at the Gandhi House. Weeding, watering plants and other good work is much needed in the garden. You can arrive at the Institute around 4 o'clock and we plan to garden or work inside until 6:30 and the potluck. Hoody, Malik and Kit will share about their trip to South Africa during dinner. Hope you can come!
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Planning 2015 Open House & Gandhi Birthday Party
Would you like to be a part of planning our 2015 Open House and Gandhi Birthday Party? We would love your creative ideas and support! In the past we've enjoyed Bhangra dance by UR and RIT students, cupcakes from Small World Bakery, stories from Nonviolence Club students, an Empathy Labyrinth, and more! Help us make this year's event another beautiful community celebration!
Sunday, October 4, 2015, 2-5 pm
Please email your volunteer coordinator Izzie, if you are interested: mkgandhivolunteers@gmail.com
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Leadership Skills that Change Lives
a training with John Engels
Monday, October 26 
Memorial Art Gallery
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Join us for a training led by John Engels, founder and president of Leadership Coaching, Inc., a science-based leadership development firm. John's 30 years of experience include exchanges with Bangladesh tribal people, Middle East refugees, Tibetan monks, inmates in maximum-security prisons and many others.
This training is a fundraiser for the Institute, so we are looking for corporate sponsors to help cover our costs. If you know of businesses that may be interested in supporting this event, please contact Kit, kmiller@rochester.admin.edu
Check out one of John's recent articles in the Rochester Business Journal here.
For more info and to register for the training, click here.
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Greenhouse Update
 
Next week we will meet to create a business plan for the greenhouse. This is in an important step in ensuring the longevity and flourishing of the project. To learn more contact Kit, kmiller@admin.rochester.edu.
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2015 Summer Nonviolence Intensive
The Gandhi Institute Nonviolence Intensive took place last week over three days. Thirty people took part in the workshop, where they explored Nonviolent Communication and important questions relating to race, class, gender, sexuality, privilege and biases.
Here are participants' reflections in response to the question:
"The best part of this workshop for me was..."
"Simply being in the Gandhi house and with the people brings such a sense of peace, joy, and acceptance."
"The amazing positive, supportive community that came together. It created an environment in which I felt comfortable sharing my thoughts and ideas."
"It is a good motivator for further practicing mindfulness in my daily life. I learned many things about myself in relation to others and the earth."
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Freedom School
For the month of July, first and second graders from the Freedom School at #19 will be spending time in the garden learning about relationships between people and plants, and having fun!
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Gandhi Decks!
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Mpho & Desmond Tutu with a Gandhi Knowledge Deck & Martin Luther King comic book.
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We've got decks for sale here and are now shipping them all over the country! The decks make a great birthday gift or gift for any occasion.
All proceeds benefit the Gandhi Institute. Help us to sustain the Institute and inspire people about Gandhi by buying a deck! Click here!
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Gandhi Staff Return from South Africa
Staff members Malik Thompson, Hoody Miller and Kit Miller retraced the steps of Gandhi's 21 years in South Africa and learned about this transformative time in Gandhi's life, as well as his influence on leaders like Nelson Mandela. Read more about their incredible journey here.
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Student Reflections
The end of the school year has brought bitter-sweet emotions for those of us working in Rochester area schools. We've observed such a difference in the feeling of trust and cooperation that exists in our classroom. In closing our school-based Nonviolence Programming, we've received enlightening feedback from our students who embody the change we wish to see. We're so grateful for the partnerships and friendships we've formed this year with students, teachers, and staff.
Check out a video interview with students and reflections below.
Here are student responses to the question:
"Describe one important thing you've learned in this class?"
-"What I learned in this class is that you got to believe in yourself."-"I have learned how to reflect more on my own and other people's actions. I strive to "walk in a person's shoes" before judging them- although I still have some difficulty with this, the Nonviolence Club has definitely helped me become more open minded!" -"One thing I learned in this Nonviolence Class is some different ways to respond to conflict other than fighting." -"I rate it an 8 [out of 10] because it is helping me to be more patient." -"Not to say rude or hurtful comments even if I'm joking because it can offend people." -"The meditation helps with stress as well as the check-ins. Days we talk about social inequality and discrimination give me more perspective, which is useful to cite when I'm discussing it outside of class."
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