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Letter from Staff
Dear friends,
There's a lot to reflect on following Oakland-based restorative justice leader Dr. Fania Davis' visit here last week. Here are two of many comments I received afterwards:
Fania exudes compassion, peace, and goodness. It's so refreshing to be in a space with people like Fania committed to nonviolence and dignity and respect for all people.
I don't think I ever enjoyed a presentation as much as Fania's tonight! Spectacular.
If you didn't have a chance to catch one of these events, links to other talks are below.
One takeaway from a day speaking and listening to Dr. Davis is that I feel even more thoughtful regarding the implications of and connections between systems like the prison-industrial complex and US militarism. Our military, the largest in history, is now such a given that no candidate of either major US party represents a commitment to downsizing. As this month includes Memorial Day, and as I reflect yet again on the tragic suicide rate of three or more veterans every day, I'll end with General Douglas MacArthur's prophetic words, echoed by Dr. King several year later. Surely they merit serious consideration:
You cannot control war; you can only abolish it. Those who shrug this off as idealistic are the real enemies of peace-the real warmongers. Those who lack the enterprise, vision and courage to try a new approach when none others have succeeded fail the simple test of leadership.
In peace and hope,
Kit Miller
For the Gandhi Institute
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Top: Dr. Fania Davis speaks on the School to Prison Pipeline at RIT.
Bottom from left: Kit Miller (Director, Gandhi Institute), Ruth Turner (RCSD), LaVergne McQuiller Williams (Chair, RIT Dept. of Criminal Justice) & Fania Davis.
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Transforming Conflicts: Nonviolence 101
Saturday, May 21
Saturday, June 11
Saturday, July 16
9:30 am-1:00 pm
at the Gandhi Institute
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Maintaining a compassionate, respectful stance toward others supports conflict resolution and peace within, between and among groups of people. Join Gandhi staff for this monthly orientation to resolving your conflicts with more confidence and skill, using the philosophy of Nonviolent Communication and other nonviolence techniques. Students free. Donations requested, no one turned away for lack of funds.
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Hoody Miller Receives "Keeper of the Flame" Award
Gandhi staff member Hoody Miller recently received Delta Sigma Theta's "Keeper of the Flame" award for his dedication to improving the Rochester community through gardening and peace work.
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"Nonviolence in Action" Webinar connects Rochester staff with Los Angeles students
This April, the Gandhi Institute hosted a two-hour interactive webinar for 6th grade students at Laurel Elementary in Los Angeles, CA. Staff members Shannon Richmond, David Sanchez, Evan Burnett, and Hoody Miller each led segments of the session, which explored various aspects of nonviolence and social justice. The event was a great learning experience for all and we plan to continue this type of educational outreach in the future!
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The Institute's dedicated sewing group makes bean bags out of donated fabric to be used in community building games in our workshops.
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Connect with Us on Facebook
For more articles, pictures, and upcoming events, be sure to like the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence on Facebook here. |
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Gandhi Institute
Open House
Sunday, October 2
2 PM-5 PM
Join us for an afternoon of music, dancing, games, and cupcakes to celebrate Gandhi's birthday and another successful year at the Institute! A brief program will feature youth and adults who are connected with and benefiting from the work of the Institute.
If you would like to help plan this year's Open House, let Kit know at kmiller@admin.rochester.edu.
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Summer Nonviolence Intensive
Monday-Wednesday
August 8-10
10 am-5 pm each day
Join us for the 2016 Summer Nonviolence Intensive!
This experience is designed for social workers, students, teachers, activists, people of faith and any individual interested in the principles and practices of social change through nonviolence.
Led by youth and Gandhi staff, this Intensive will be an introduction to different forms of applied nonviolence, with time to practice using these techniques for real life situations. These forms of nonviolence are proactive ways to work with conflict and challenging situations.
During the workshop, participants will learn: - how to shift conflicts by listening for underlying values of opposing parties,
- how to navigate the world with self-reflection upon one's rank and privilege,
- how to reconnect to energy for social change, in spite of personal and societal challenges and feelings of burn out,
- how to mediate personal conflicts using Restorative Questions.
The Intensive will be interactive with a focus on group-based learning.
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"Inspire Monroe Helpers" Empowers Youth Through Art
We're celebrating the completion of a four month Youth As Resources (YAR) Grant! The grant was written and led by ten 7th grade students, and supported by Gandhi staff members Dana Lundquist and David Sanchez. The students created the project "Inspire Monroe Helpers" to confront the issue of bullying in their school. Students spent time after school creating inspiring murals to be hung in the halls and helped lead three anti-bullying workshops with a total of 25 students. We're grateful to Rochester-Monroe County Youth Bureau and the Rochester Area Community Foundation for making this project possible.
An excerpt from the students' grant:
We want to prove that kids can do anything that adults can. We want youth to think about what would make them change their minds to do the right thing. Students in the Inspire Monroe Helpers have experience with being bullied and are affected by fighting in the school. We want to use our leadership and creativity to inspire the whole school to make positive decisions. |
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Wish List
Gandhi Institute staff and volunteers work together to keep the Gandhi House clean and welcoming for all visitors and workshops. We greatly appreciate your donations, which support our work.
We are especially in need of the following items:
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- New Socks
- 150 ft medium outdoor extension cord with standing cord storage reel
- 1 gallon exterior oil based primer
- 2 gallons exterior latex paint
- Floor-standing presentation easels (portable, able to hold poster board and flip chart paper pads)
- Meditation cushions (round ones)
- Earth-friendly all-purpose cleaner
- Earth-friendly dish soap
- Brita water filters
- Postage stamps
- Copy paper
- Toilet paper
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Last weekend, 25 brothers from UR's newest fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, spent three hours helping us get the Gandhi garden and property ready for spring. Thanks, guys!
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Learn more about our Gandhi & Nonviolence cards and order a deck of your own here.
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