Share your smiles, compliments, time, talents, money, and energy with those around you. We must truly be the change that we want to see. And we can do it. We are doing it. Believe that the future is full of mindfulness where hearts mean more than our accounts.
The Love Initiative.
Notes From the Road – Bright Lights Blog
http://troubadourofpeace.blogspot.com/
Book a house concert or music for a yoga class today!!
TOUR DATES
Date | Time | Venue | Location | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
3/22/18 | 3:00 PM | Choices | Akron, OH | |
3/22/18 | 6:00 PM | Tea Time for Peace | Kent, OH | |
3/23/18 | 5:00 PM | Friends of the Metro Parks Benefit w/ the Bright Lights | Akron, OH | |
3/27/18 | 7:00 PM | Brother’s Lounge | Cleveland, OH | |
3/30/18 | 6:30 PM | 330 Day @ Akron Civic Theatre | Akron, OH | |
3/31/18 | 10:30 AM | Celebration of Life for Marilyn Stroud | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | |
4/3/18 | 6:30 PM | MLK Kirtan | Akron, OH | Donations |
4/4/18 | 6:30 PM | Nonviolent Communication Circle | Akron, OH | Donations |
4/6/18 | 7:00 PM | Big Love Night @ Live Music Now w/ Rhodes St Rude Boys | Akron, OH | $5-10 |
4/7/18 | 8:30 PM | Mustard Seed Highland Square w/ Bright Lights! | Akron, OH | |
4/10/18 | 7:00 PM | Brother Lounge | Cleveland, OH | |
4/16/18 | 7:00 PM | Wolf Creek Winery | Norton, OH | |
4/21/18 | 6:30 PM | Bright Lights @ the Rialto | Akron, OH | $5 |
4/22/18 | 4:00 PM | Yoga Central | Canton, OH | |
4/28/18 | 7:00 PM | Wine Mill | Peninsula, OH | |
5/2/18 | 6:30 PM | Nonviolent Communication Series | Akron, OH | Donations |
5/4/18 | 7:00 PM | Big Love Night @ Live Music Now w/ Gretchen Pleuss | Akron, OH | $5-10 |
5/5/18 | 12:00 PM | Cleveland VegFest | Cleveland, OH | |
5/5/18 | 6:00 PM | Bent Ladder winery | Doylestown , OH | |
5/8/18 | 7:00 PM | Brother’s Lounge | Cleveland, OH |
Crystal Reiki is an Alternative Healing method which combines the Universal Life Force of Reiki Energy with the Healing Power of Quartz Crystals!
Requirements: Reiki Practitioner Level 1+2. If you are not a Level 2 Reiki Practitioner, please specify this, and I will include the Reiki Level 1+2 Attunements in this session.
You will learn how to use Crystals and how to benefit from the Reiki Energy for Healing.
Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity!
No previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPs and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge Connect to others with Laughter! Different times each day so check the calendar carefully. Times given for Central Standard Time. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com Come together to LAUGH for joy!
Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity!
No previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPsSM and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. Connect to others with LAUGHTER! Different times each day so check the calendar carefully. Times given for Central Standard Time. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com Come together to LAUGH for joy! “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge
Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity!
No previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPsSM and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. Connect to others with LAUGHTER! Different times each day so check the calendar carefully. Times given for Central Standard Time. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com Come together to LAUGH for joy! “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge
Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity!
No previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPsSM and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. Connect to others through LAUGHTER! Different times each day so check the calendar carefully. Times given for Central Standard Time. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com Come together to LAUGH for joy! “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge
Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity!
No previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPsSM and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. Connect to others through LAUGHTER! Different times each day so check the calendar carefully. Times given for Central Standard Time. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com The Event Page has more details including a MAP to find the correct time in YOUR time zone and a link to the Facebook Event where you can RSVP if you want to connect further. Come together to LAUGH for joy! “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge
Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity!
No previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPs and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge Connect to others with Laughter! Different times each day so check the calendar. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com Come together to LAUGH for joy!
Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity!
No previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPsSM and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. Connect to others through LAUGHTER! Different times each day so check the calendar carefully. Times given for Central Standard Time. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com The Event Page has more details including a MAP to find the correct time in YOUR time zone and a link to the Facebook Event where you can RSVP if you want to connect further. Come together to LAUGH for joy! “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge
Inspired by the 21-Day Gratitude Challenge (http://gratitudechallenge.com), musicians Nimo Patel and Daniel Nahmod, brought together dozens of people from around the world to create this beautiful, heart-opening melody.
Links to calendar and music:
http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=446
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Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity!
No previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPsSM and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. Connect to others through LAUGHTER! Different times each day so check the calendar carefully. Times given for Central Standard Time. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com The Event Page has more details including a MAP to find the correct time in YOUR time zone and a link to the Facebook Event where you can RSVP if you want to connect further. Come together to LAUGH for joy! “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge
Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity!
No previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPsSM and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. Connect to others through LAUGHTER! Different times each day so check the calendar carefully. Times given for Central Standard Time. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com The Event Page has more details including a MAP to find the correct time in YOUR time zone and a link to the Facebook Event where you can RSVP if you want to connect further. Come together to LAUGH for joy! “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge
Share and support the Peace Pledge on the International Day of Peace.
What you can do:
One action or many from the suggestions below.
1. Print out the Peace Pledge document and give it to someone (download @ www.peacepledgeproject.org) Available in 11 languages.
2. Post the Peace Pledge document on your Facebook Page (download @ www.peacepledgeproject.org)
3. Sign the Peace Pledge on Change.org ( www.change.org/p/the-peace-pledge-to-live-loving-kindness-compassion )
4. Share the Peace Pledge Petition on your Facebook Page ( www.change.org/p/the-peace-pledge-to-live-loving-kindness-compassion )
5. Share the Peace Pledge document with a school, organization, institution, business etc.
Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity! Today, we culminate these 11 days as we mark the UN International Day of Peace. When Dr. Kataria, founder of Laughter Yoga, began spreading his vision of sharing intentional laughter, he recognized that Laughter is a universal language and since its founding in 1995, he has hoped others will share his vision of using shared intentional laughter to help the world find peace. I’m SURE I’ve enjoyed laughing with each and every person who has called in during the 11 Days of Global Unity. On this, our last call of this series, we will focus on Laughter Exercises that envision a more peaceful world. As always: no previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPsSM and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. Connect to others through LAUGHTER! Time given is for Central Standard Time. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com The Event Page has more details including a MAP to find the correct time in YOUR time zone and a link to the Facebook Event where you can RSVP if you want to connect further. Come together to LAUGH for joy! “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge
Also NOTE: Sarah continues these Laughter Calls every MONDAY MORNING at 9am Central Standard Time for 15 minutes. You are always invited! Thanks for joining the fun as we all work together to find a more unified, and much more peaceful world, one big smile and one shared laugh at a time!
‘GRANDMOTHERS ON THE MOVE’ Podcast Episodes
Click HERE!
NO START TIME and NO END TIME – LISTEN to past and current podcasts!
Grandmothers To Grandmothers Campaign
The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign exists to support the indomitable African grandmothers who are caring for the millions of children who have been orphaned by AIDS. Members of the Grandmothers Campaign share three goals. They work to:
- Raise funds to meet the needs of African grandmothers and the children in their care;
- Listen to African grandmothers, respect their expertise and amplify their voices, in order to promote authentic and substantive responses to the epidemic in Africa;
- Build solidarity among African and Canadian grandmothers in order to motivate and sustain the vital work of turning the tide of AIDS in Africa.
Canadian grandmothers groups are tremendously active in their communities. They put on concerts, organize card tournaments, and sell jewellery. They visit countless schools and community organizations. They bake, cook, sew, knit, paint, write, organize cycle tours, walks, and even ride motorcycles – all to raise funds and awareness for grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa through the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
To learn more about how you can get involved in the Campaign, write to Ilana here.
Articles About The Campaign
What started as a conversation around a kitchen table has grown to become a movement to empower women, especially grandmothers, in Africa.
The Grandmothers Campaign, an initiative of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, is known as Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers in Regina, which was among the very first places in Canada where women took on projects to support families in Africa.
‘We know the power of women’s organizing in Canada and older women have an extraordinary amount of vigour and energy.’– Ilana Landsberg-Lewis
As Ilana Landsberg-Lewis explains, the movement arose in response to the human crisis, observed by her father Stephen Lewis during his time as a special envoy for the United Nations, afflicting the African continent during the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
Millions of children were orphaned by the deaths of their parents. Their grandmothers were left to raise them, with little or no support.
“Grandmothers were just in an agony of loss,” Landsberg-Lewis said. “Death was everywhere. They were left with no income and often isolated by the terrible stigma surrounding HIV-AIDS.”
Landsberg-Lewis recalled how requests seeking aid referred to the grandmothers as “caregivers” and when she asked why, she learned there was a strong bias in play.
“Nobody wants to fund them because they’re older women and nobody sees them as a meaningful investment,” she learned.
“We decided if Canadian grandmothers knew what was happening on the [African] continent then it would surely resonate with them and boy did it ever,” Landsberg-Lewis said.
“I wish I could say that I was prescient but it would be overstating it,” she said, talking about how the success of the organization, which quickly grew from a handful of activists brain-storming at a kitchen table (her own) to over 250 chapters across the country.
Since 2006 they have raised about $25 million.
“It was really extraordinary but I can’t say that I’m surprised,” she said. “Older women in our communities, we know the power of women organizing in Canada and older women have an extraordinary amount of vigour and energy.”
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The Campaign currently boasts more than 240 grandmothers groups across the country. Many of the groups have organized into regional and national networks in order to support each other’s efforts in solidarity with African grandmothers and the children in their care.
Resources from the Grandmothers Campaign go to grassroots organizations that support African grandmothers with food, health care, school fees and school uniforms for their grandchildren, income-generating programmes, counselling, social support, essential shelter, and other necessities. Throughout Africa, grassroots organizations run by and for grandmothers are sharing insights, deepening their expertise, collaborating with other local organizations, and building their capacity to turn the tide of AIDS at community level.
7th INTERNATIONAL GLOBE SOUND HEALING CONFERENCE
October 6 – 8, 2018
Pre-Conference Workshops October 5th
A BENEFIT FOR THE SOUND HEALING RESEARCH FOUNDATION
a 501(c)(3) Non-profit Foundation
www.SoundHealingResearchFoundation.org
The Sound Healing Research Foundation is performing clinical research on the use of
Sound and Music for the following issues:
• Pain Management • Autism • ADD/ADHD • PTSD
• Sleep Disorders
MORE INFO
CLICK HERE TO DONATE
This year’s conference is in a Spectacular Temple
Congregation Sherith – 2266 California Street, San Francisco
REGISTER NOW!
Prices rise in Frequency October 2nd
25 of the top Researchers, Pioneers, Instructors, Doctors, Sound Therapists, and Musicians in the field
addressing important issues and topics
in this rapidly expanding field of Sound Healing.
A Good Balance of
Sound Healing Science, New Technologies,
and Life Transforming Experiential Workshops and Concerts.
3 Days of Workshops, Concerts, Exhibits
October 6 – 8
WORKSHOPS
A nice balance of Left & Right brain workshops
to expand the mind and open the heart.
MORE INFO
Sunday is a “Kid Friendly” day with workshops that kids can also go to.
EXHIBITS
Over 25 exhibits with Sound Healers, Sound Healing music, instruments and unique life changing technologies.
MORE INFO
REGISTER NOW!
Prices rise in Frequency October 2nd
CONCERTS
Sound Healing Music in the Evening October 6th and 7th
Sound Healing Music
to open your heart, light you up, and
bring you to state of peace inside.
Music that will affect you physically, mentally, emotionally and Spiritually in profoundly positive ways.
$20 per concert
MORE INFO
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
Pre Conference Workshops
Friday October 5th
$40 for a Morning or Afternoon workshop
MORE INFO
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Food
$20 per meal
All meals are with freshly prepared food. We use mostly organic fruits and vegetables and whole grains. We do not deal with complicated ingredient lists or over processed foods.
Our menu is designed to accommodate a wide variety of dietary needs.
Awakening Humanity at Work
CCARE and Whirling Chief are excited to bring this unique leadership development retreat to California at the Allegretto Vineyard Resort. In this powerful three-day program we will explore the latest in neuroscience, the bio-psycho-physiology of compassion, and dynamic practices that support the development of compassion, wisdom, and well-being at work. A significant body of evidence shows that when people in power adopt a human-centered view of business and promote a culture of respect, trust, compassion, and wisdom, the performance of the organization rises along with individual wellness.Join us to expand your capacity for this kind of leadership.Reach out to us if you are interested in participating.
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The rise of artificial intelligence, robotics, and “smart” technologies powers change faster than ever. For some, this new era has ushered in prosperity and the potential to address some of humanity’s most vexing challenges in creative new ways. For others, however, this era of technological and social change has ushered in isolation, loneliness, and fear.
Humanity Needs a New Form of Leadership
A significant body of research shows that when people in positions of power adopt a human-centered view of business that emphasizes a culture of respect, trust, compassion, and wisdom, the performance of the organization rises along with individual well-being. Rigorous evidence from multiple disciplines demonstrates that organizations can recruit more talented people, retain them longer, draw out higher quality service, and engage in more rapid innovation when performance goes hand-in-hand with human thriving. Where people thrive, business thrives.
Audience
Corporate executives, organizational leaders and those in influencing roles who want to immerse in the new science of compassion and well-being and explore the strategic value of human-centered leadership to create stakeholder and shareholder value.
Program Objectives
In this powerful three-day program, we will use the latest research in neuroscience, the bio-physiology of compassion and well-being, and dynamic findings from organizational behavior and psychology to learn the skills of resilience and creating thriving organizations.
We will explore how a neuroscientific and physiological approach to building an organizational culture of compassion and well-being changes what you think you know about the basics of human and organizational psychology. Along with like-minded fellow travelers on a journey of evolution, we will participate in a discussion about how to develop new qualities within ourselves and within the organizational ecosystems where we live and create action plans that inspire our own compassion and well-being.
Some of the benefits you will experience through a combination of classroom learning, experiential work, discussion, and case study include:
- Gain a better understanding of the scientific basis for an emphasis on compassion and well-being in the workplace and the motivators for compassion in business,
- Increase consciousness and build skill in managing the physiology and psychology of human well-being,
- Recognize thinking habits and biases that work for you and against you as you endeavour to cultivate compassion, wisdom, and well-being,
- Learn about and experiment with some new taxonomy of ‘being’,
- Use scenario planning to envision future states of ‘doing’,
- Develop methodologies to lift self and others into new states of thriving and vitality in your organization
- Develop approaches to reducing and responding to suffering at work that may otherwise be invisible or unaddressed in order to build collaboration and enhance working relationships.
Agenda
The three days of this program will emphasize a blend of classroom-style learning, expert presentations, and discussion with experiences that help you fully internalize and practice the skills and ideas that will change your life and your workplace.
Day 1: What is the new world of work and how shall humanity respond?
Day 2: Awakening humanity in leadership: The crucial element of success in the new world of work
Day 3: A new kind of being, a new kind of business
Program Facilitators
Developed as a collaboration between Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) and Whirling Chief, the program will bring together best-selling author and renowned neurosurgeon Dr. James Doty with leadership expert and business guide Sesil Pir, principle of Whirling Chief.
Other facilitators include Monica Worline, research scientist at CCARE with expertise in compassion science and the field of Positive Organizational Scholarship; Aslı Aker, global leadership and organizational development expert; and Sinan Canan, neuroscientist and co-founder of Açık Beyin Academy.
Venue
Allegretto Vineyard Resort, Paso Robles, California.
Pilot Pricing Info
Discounted rate 6,000 USD / person, plus travel costs.
Facilitators: Dr. James Doty & Sesil Pir
Where: Allegretto Vineyard Resort, Paso Robles, California
When: October 21–24, 2018
Early Childhood Education and Public Charge
November 7 at 3:00 PM ET – 4:00 PM ET (12:00 PM PT – 1:00 PM PT)
On October 10, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was published in the Federal Register, outlining the administration’s intent to dramatically change the meaning and application of “public charge” provisions in immigration law. This proposal could harm the health and well-being of millions of children and families and is of great concern for young children’s development and the early childhood field as outlined in this Q&A. Staff at the Center for Law and Social Policy will provide an overview of the proposed public charge rule, its potential impact on young children, and explain how the early childhood field can support immigrant families and take action during the public comment period.
What Housing and Homelessness Advocates Should Know about the Public Charge Rule
November 8 @ 3:30 PM ET – 5:00 PM ET (12:30 PM PT – 2:00 PM PT)
On October 10, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed rule that would make it more likely for certain immigrants to be denied admission to the U.S. or denied green cards because they receive or would receive lifeline benefits, including public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and project-based Section 8 housing subsidies. Previously leaked drafts of this drastic policy change have already led many families to drop out of critical food and nutrition programs for their children. This chilling effect is poised to impact hundreds of thousands of hardworking immigrant households that depend on these programs for survival.
PIF Campaign: New Research and Estimating the Impact of Public Charge
November 8 @ 3:00 PM ET – 4:00 PM ET (12:00 PM PT -1:00 PM PT)
Join partners with the Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) Campaign as we discuss new research estimating economic and demographic impacts of the proposed public charge rule. During this webinar, panelists will present the findings of three new resources from Manatt Health, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Fiscal Policy Institute. For more information about the webinar, please contact Jackie Vimo and Renato Rocha.
PIF Campaign: Public Charge 101
November 14 @ 2:00 PM ET – 3:00 PM ET (11:00 AM PT -12:00 PM PT)
A recurring webinar from CLASP and NILC. The Department of Homeland Security has published a proposed regulation on “public charge.” If finalized, the regulation would dramatically rewrite immigration policy and make green cards only available to the highest bidder. This webinar describes public charge policy today, how it would change, and what you need to know if you work with immigrant families.
For more info: bit.ly/askPIFcampaign
AURA HOME WOMEN VETS
50 South French Broad Avenue
Suite 203
Asheville NC 28801
828-771-6979
http://aurahomewomenvets.org
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Prem Rawat Foundation Supports Veterans With Peace Education Program
This article is also available in: French
For too many veterans, finding an enduring sense of peace remains elusive long after they return from war. They often face immense challenges as they transition to civilian life, from trauma disorders to unemployment and homelessness.
Thankfully, November 11 marks an occasion to honor their service and support solutions that can improve their lives. The date is Veterans Day in the United States, and in many other countries it is called Remembrance Day and Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I.
A growing number of veterans say the Peace Education Program is a solution that gives them the tools they need to harness their own inner-strength and overcome their obstacles. The program’s workshops feature videos of Prem Rawat’s empowering international talks on themes such as dignity, choice and hope.
“The Peace Education Program tries only to achieve one simple thing: it’s to put you in touch with yourself,” says Rawat.
While the goal is simple, the impact was profound for Alyce Knaflich, a veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress, depression and homelessness for 10 years. She credits PEP with giving her the confidence to now work as the executive director of Aura Home Women Vets, a charity in Asheville, NC that provides housing and support to homeless women veterans.
Veteran Alyce Knaflich shares her story in this video.
“I was lost. Prem Rawat and his message in the program, it brought me home. And my home is my heart. Peace starts on the inside,” says Knaflich.
She has incorporated the Peace Education Program into Aura Home’s services to help her clients have the same enriching experience that she did.
“Prem’s message will help them heal their emotional stress, and ease the transition of coming out of the military and trying to find a new career path. It will help them center themselves and bring out their confidence,” says Knaflich.
Catholic Relief Services 75th Anniversary Celebration
· Hosted by Catholic Relief Services
Turning 75 years old is a major achievement! We couldn’t have done it without all of you, so this December, CRS is holding a 75th anniversary celebration and you are invited!
On December 5th, our 75th anniversary celebration will be broadcast via Facebook Live from the main CRS Headquarters in Baltimore. We invite you and your families to join us from the comfort of your own homes as we give thanks to supporters like you! Your support, prayers and contributions to the CRS community over the years have allowed us to fulfill our mission of helping those who need it most.
Join us in celebration on December 5th!
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=5934
… See More
Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter, the CRS Briefing:
Donate to CRS: http://crs.org/donate/
Our next Community Conversation will be on
Thursday, July 18
9:00 – 10:30 am PST / 12:00 – 1:30 pm EST
The terrible issue of immigrant children detained at the U.S. border
The United States of America has, since its inception, been a country formed by immigrants. Yet now, at our southern border particularly, thousands of people leaving their home countries are requesting asylum or entrance and are being held in detention centers and processed very slowly. Meanwhile, the immigrating families are being separated and the children held in cells – cages in many cases – without adequate sanitation or bedding, without adequate nutrition and without access to their parents or adult relatives. In spite of legal and popular objection this problem has continued and continued to worsen for over a year under the Trump administration.
Is the description above adequate to define this problem? What are some of the underlying causes of the problem and what can or should be done instead? What actions can we take to effect those changes?
Looking at this issue through your social justice and elder lenses, please read the materials suggested below, focus your attention on this issue in other news you read and conversations you hear, then bring your thoughts on the subject to our conversation July 18th.
In our Community Conversations we draw on the experience and wisdom of our group to better understand the critical issues we are facing and discern what actions we would want to take as elders in our society today. We offer moral support for each other as we grapple with the issues and challenges of our times and discern how to best support the activism that we are each engaged in.
Resources:
Letter from Santa Fe Dreamers:
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We know that you have all been reading and watching the absolutely horrific news unfold about the conditions of detention on the border. We know that many of you feel scared, frustrated, angry, and powerless by the way that our government is treating vulnerable people, especially children. We are writing today with information and direction towards action but also to urge you not to feel powerless. We are always capable of making change through our collective power. Of course this requires courage, stamina, and an intelligent, disciplined, and organized theory of change. It will not be easy. We encourage you to turn away from despair and towards this place of collective power knowing that it will test you. We will be with you the whole way. Below you will find some ideas for inspiration.
Love,
Your friends at Santa Fe Dreamers Project
- Educate yourself: Here at SFDP this is always our number one piece of advice. The more you know, the fiercer you will be as an advocate and a voter. There are plenty of explosive news articles to read but here are a few that we have learned from recently: We suggested this piece in our last newsletter but if you haven’t had a chance to read it we highly suggest Dara Lind’s “The Border is in Crisis. Here’s How it Got This Bad”. The New Yorker ran an incredibly thought provoking piece written by a historian about “The Unimaginable Reality of American Concentration Camp”. Again from the New Yorker, a report from the lawyers who were recently allowed in to inspect a children’s facility in Clint, TX, “Inside a Building in Texas where Government is Holding Immigrant Children”. Another really important thing to learn about (and something that is not highlighted enough in the news) is the Migrant Protection Protocol or MPP program that has currently turned thousands of thousands of migrants around at the US border to wait in Mexico. This is an excruciatingly dangerous policy that is threatening the lives of migrant families day after day.
- Understand that this cruelty is not new and these tactics did not just begin. In fact, the Obama administration reignited the practice of family detention in 2014. One of the reasons this summer feels so out of control is because the sheer numbers of people asking for asylum are so high. The Obama and now Trump administrations’ policies attempted to deter migrants through punishment, suffering, and torture but their success was dependent on the flow of migrants actually stopping. Now that the numbers are so high, these cruel and failed policies have now turned deadly.
- Engage with politicians: Here is the thing: The Trump administration cannot be swayed with moral arguments or blame. They are doing this on purpose. One way of thinking about engaging with politicians is to remember that Congress has the power of the purse and is funding this enforcement regime. One theory is that we can defund ICE and CBP and redirect that money to agencies or NGO’s that are capable of handling a humanitarian crisis of this scope and are not killing people for political motive. This means we have to pressure progressives and democrats and republicans with a conscience to do more than just signal compassion for immigrants. We need these leaders to articulate how they are going to disempower the Trump Administration and make sure it is part of the work they are doing to secure our votes. We can and must demand courageous leadership from our Senators and Representatives and that their actions reflect our deep desire to end the state sponsored violence on the border.
- How to respond to the threat of ICE raids: Trump’s twitter threat for a massive enforcement action last week was credible and achieved its purpose of scaring the shit out of immigrant and refugee communities all over the US. While it has been “delayed”, now is a wise time for communities to get organized. The American Friends Service Committee published this resource about how allies can support their immigrant and refugee neighbors during this time. Here is the ACLU’s guide to knowing your rights during ICE encounters and we suggest exploring it. Santa Fe Dreamers will be holding walk in hours for people to help families with power of attorney and family prep plans every Friday in Santa Fe from 1-5 at our 1213 Mercantile Rd office. If you work with concerned families let them know about this resource.
- Actions happening in NM: There is a lot of talk about national protests to close concentration camps on July 12. One of the organizations that is involved with planning this is called Lights of Liberty. Their Facebook page is a source of info– although we don’t have much info yet about that organization. We are talking with folks in NM about planning more locally focused actions and as soon as we have more details we will announce it. Choose your social media of choice or keep reading our emails to stay in touch.
- Where to donate: Of course here at Santa Fe Dreamers Project we use your donations to protect vulnerable immigrants and refugees in a million different ways every day. Specifically, we need more help on the border. We just rented a much larger office space in El Paso for our expanding team there and are raising funds for a legal assistant so we can have greater impact in the borderlands. You can donate to that effort here. Write border in the note! We are grateful for any help you can give putting this donation link out there into the universe. For those of you wondering where else it might be useful to donate here is our list of several grassroots legal organizations that we know are having impact (we also know we have left many out!)
- And finally an offer of poetry from our director, Allegra, who likes to contemplate what this particular poem is trying to teach us when thinking about the horrors we witness:
Now you know the worst
By Wendell Berry
To my granddaughters who visited the Holocaust Museum on the day of the burial of Yitzhak Rabin
Now you know the worst
we humans have to know
about ourselves, and I am sorry,
for I know that you will be afraid.
To those of our bodies given
without pity to be burned, I know
there is no answer
but loving one another,
even our enemies, and this is hard.
But remember:
when a man of war becomes a man of peace,
he gives a light, divine
though it is also human.
When a man of peace is killed
by a man of war, he gives a light.
You do not have to walk in darkness.
If you will have the courage for love,
you may walk in light. It will be
the light of those who have suffered
for peace. It will be
your light.
Regarding Investor Activism:
Here are some groups focused on Social, Environmental and Governance-conscious investing:
- Proxy Impact
- Sustainable Investment Institute
- As You Sow
- Green America (and also: www.greenamerica.org/finance)
And finally, for your research about political donations, money flow and lobbying influence:
How to join the conversation:
We will be using Zoom video conferencing, which is very easy to access by computer or regular telephone. If you choose to use your tablet or smartphone, be sure to download the Zoom app ahead of time. We will be starting each meeting on time so please connect 15 minutes before the call so that the host can help with any technical difficulties or questions you may have. Once the call starts the host will be not be able to help with connection issues. Once you are connected via Zoom you are welcome mute your microphone and turn off your video until just before the meeting starts, or you may enjoy chatting with others in the meeting while you wait.
Instructions and access to Zoom conferencing
To receive email reminders for Elder Activists for Social Justice (EASJ) meetings, monthly community conversations and workshops, please sign up here:
SIGN UP
Camp Kindness Day — July 23, 2019
On July 23, the camp community will participate in Camp Kindness Day – an event highlighting the practice of intentional kindness that happens every day at American camps. This is an opportunity to raise awareness of the the great work that camps are doing to teach kindness in engaging, simple, repeatable, and high impact ways that live on in the daily lives of campers and staff members when they return home.
Focusing on our youth and young adults, Camp Kindness Day will help showcase the commitment of the camp community to fostering the core values of kindness, compassion, generosity and care, and integrating those values more fully into every aspect of our society. These values are already part of the fabric of the camp experience. We share the mission for our youth to be nurtured, taught, supported, and inspired to grow into our new generation of kind, compassionate, socially-minded, community-oriented citizens.
Camp Kindness Day will allow camps to incorporate into their July 23 programming fun theme-based activities and cooperative games, cool projects, and memorable moments which will celebrate the value and impact of kindness.
How your camp can participate:
- Schedule Camp Kindness Day into your programming on July 23.
- Help spread the word in a unified social media campaign by tagging #CampKindnessDay into your social media and other communications.
- Share your plans so that ACA can support you through localized public relations efforts.
To support your camp’s involvement in Camp Kindness Day, ACA has produced an electronic #CampKindnessDay Backpack, complete with programming ideas and activities, FAQs, social media tips, and other information on how your camp can celebrate Camp Kindness Day.
Be part of the nation-wide evolution! Plan now to add #CampKindnessDay to your camp’s programming on July 23.
One simple goal – to make a child feel special.
Beverly’s Birthdays provides birthday cheer for children experiencing homelessness and families in need. We spread birthday cheer 365 days a year. Today, nearly one in four children in the U.S. live at or below the poverty line. In Southwestern PA alone, there are nearly 3,000 school-aged children identified as homeless. Children living in poverty often go without the everyday items that we take for granted. Special milestones, like birthdays, are often overlooked because of their families’ personal/financial circumstances. Beverly’s Birthdays enriches the lives of the children we serve by making sure they are remembered on their special day.
AUG 7
Disarm Hate: Gun Violence Prevention Vigil & Dialogue
Public
Wednesday at 7 PM – 9 PM
2 days from now68–90°F Thunderstorms
|
Former BC Courthouse then walk to Salem United Church
Doylestown Borough
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DISARM HATE: A CALL TO ACTION
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL & COMMUNITY DIALOGUE ON GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
WED, AUGUST 7, 2019, 7pm – Doylestown, PA
In the wake of the mass shootings this past weekend that left 30 dead and many injured, we ache for the victims, their families and the entire community. As we mourn, we also rise up to take a stand against hate and all forms of gun violence. The clear connection between hate and the access to firearms must be addressed by our elected officials
Please join us this Wednesday, August 7, at 7 pm on the steps of the former Courthouse (55 E Court St, Doylestown) for a candlelight vigil followed by a slow procession to Salem United Church for a Community Dialogue. (186 E Court St, Doylestown)
Please bring your own candle.
Co-sponsors include: Orange Wave, Temple Judea, The Peace Center, Rise Up Doylestown, Bucks Students Demand Action, Heeding God’s Call, The Rainbow Room, Salem United Church & CeaseFire PA.
For more information, contact thepeacecenter.org or call 215-750-7220.
The Convergence
Archives Available on VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel
In a world inevitably going global and multicultural, what becomes of religions and spirituality? What becomes of activism towards real global change? In THE CONVERGENCE, global Interspiritual pioneer and scientist Dr. Kurt Johnson joins interfaith leaders Ben Bowler of Australia and Doug King of America in engaging women and men who are inspiring leaders and change agents around our world. Spiritual and cultural leaders, sacred and secular activists, scientists, artists, writers, economists, politicians and even shamans join in this discussion of a world trying to wake up and grow up. What is at stake and what are the technologies and cosmologies creating a world that can work for everyone? If you are concerned for our world’s future and sincere about your commitments to bold and world-serving ideas, you’ll want to tune in to The Convergence on the VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel.
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Episode Description
VoiceAmerica presents this Evergreen Special detailing major 2019 and 2020 global events upcoming from UNITY EARTH partners Standing for Peace Campaign, Road to 2020 Events, and Caravan of Unity across America. The five sections of the Special spotlight, now and for months to come: United Nations mandated global holiday events like the International Day of Yoga and the International Day of Peace, the vision and work of Light on Light Magazine and VoiceAmerica in covering all these events, UNITY EARTH and its partners month to month activities and initiatives 2019-2020, and the roles of partner groups like Transformation365, We, the World, URI, UNIFY, EcoPeace and The Evolutionary Leaders. Featured are global leaders from the UN, UNITY EARTH, Light on Light Magazine, Transformation365, We, and The Evolutionary Leaders. Lets share this Special, ongoing, as a resource and PR instrument pointing toward all of these global events and gathering a global constituency for their success!
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Become More Present
Evoke Love and Compassion
You may contact us Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–5:00 pm Mountain Time.
Compassion Camp
August 15-18, 2019
at Earthaven Ecovillage | near Asheville, North Carolina
Compassion Camp is a four day event for adults and children where we create a community of people who learn, play and celebrate together, empowered to then send each other back into the world to spread these seeds of justice and love. Our time together is designed to foster community among the growing number of people in Western North Carolina and beyond who are passionate about living and promoting compassionate consciousness. Located at Earthaven Ecovillage, it is an opportunity to have fun, enjoy ourselves, learn together, and connect deeply in a beautiful natural setting.
Compassion Camp is inspired by the life and work of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, the creator of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). We believe that the theory and practice of NVC is a life-changing tool for cultivating compassion in our hearts, communities, and the world. In addition to NVC, other topics may include: social justice, ecology, circling, restorative circles, healthy relationships, feminism, families and children, eco-sexuality, community, economics, and authentic movement.
Compassion Camp combines experiential and traditional approaches to learning, including professionally led classes, small-group conversations, hands-on practices, movement, self-reflection, and interactive activities, to provide an intimate, well-rounded, and powerful experience. Through both pre-planned presentations and Open Space sessions, Compassion Camp seeks to concentrate the creativity and inspiration of participants into an ongoing, life-serving energy for the community and create networks among affinity groups such as educators and social activists. Compassion Camp also features relational activities centered around singing, dancing, storytelling, and silence, which cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien has identified as the four most common ways that humans create wellness, community, and connection.
Compassion Camp participants will likely experience:
- Increased connection to self, others, and nature
- A deeper commitment to being of service
- A broader understanding of the ways you can live compassion
- More skill in creating supportive community in your life
- More practical tools and resources to inspire yourself and others
Schedule
Compassion Camp hosts a broad selection of topics to explore through the combination of pre-planned presentations and group-selected open space offerings. Connection and movement activities, meals, and rituals also contribute to a rich and nourishing experience.
More about schedule and Open Space technology
About the Co-Directors
For over thirty years, Steve Torma has gently guided our culture toward cooperation and regeneration. He is the former President of Earthaven Ecovillage, where he continues to live his passion for community and sustainability. Trained in Nonviolent Communication, and other healing modalities, Steve co-founded The REAL Center in 2007. Through his compassionate presence and guidance, Steve has helped countless people to find healing, direction, and meaning in their lives.
Terrie Lewine focuses her work on deep self-awareness, communication and relationship work. She currently resides in Philadelphia, PA where she owns and manages her private teaching/coaching practice and the Back to Life Wellness Center. She offers classes, workshops and trainings for individuals and couples, and supports organizations by developing and supporting best practices regarding collaboration, team building and effective conflict resolution.
Steve and Terrie have been deeply enriched by using NVC in their own lives, relationships, communities and with the people they serve. Having felt the power of NVC to transform lives they are excited to create a gathering where people can come together to learn from each other, celebrate, and network.
While deeply inspired by NVC, their vision of a compassionate world includes many other aspects of creating the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible. With that in mind, they’ve brought together a group of leaders in WNC to share their wisdom at Compassion Camp.
More Facilitators and Class Descriptions
Location, Travel, and Accommodations
Location
This program takes place at Earthaven Ecovillage. This permaculture-based community offers a unique living classroom where participants will engage with the natural world, eco-infrastructure, and the intimate experience of rural community living.
Accommodations
Camping is included. Private indoor lodging at Earthaven is available for an additional cost.
Shared indoor lodging
Cost per person: 1 night $20, 2 nights $40, 3 nights $60, 4 nights $75
Private indoor lodging
Cost for 1 person: 1 night $50, 2 nights $85, 3 nights $105, 4 nights $120
Cost for 2 people (shared bed): 1 night $75, 2 nights $130, 3 nights $160, 4 nights $175
Off-site options
Various options in Bat Cave, Black Mountain, and Asheville.
Travel
Earthaven is nestled in the heart of the rural Southern Appalachian Mountains, 30 miles outside of Asheville, NC on curvy mountain roads and within two hours of three airports.
Food
Delicious, omnivorous meals are prepared by talented culinary artists from the Earthaven community. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available. Snacks and beverages (tea, coffee) are provided. Participants are invited to help with meal clean-up. Many hands make light work.
As much food as possible is sourced from Earthaven and its surrounding farms and gardens, with some ingredients sourced from local grocery stores. Our meals are created with seasonal, local, fresh, wildcrafted, humanely-raised, and organic ingredients.
Children and Families
We welcome families with children to attend and will do our best to support you and your children. The village setting of Earthaven offers a safe and fun place for people of all ages and stages to explore. Much of the content involves focused, sit-down presentations, so attending with a young child will likely mean being less able to participate fully in the program.
Children ages 0-3 ($0 includes food and camping)
Young children are welcome to attend with parent/guardian at no cost. We do not offer a program or childcare for this age group. If you decide to bring your young child(ren) to sessions, please understand that you and your child may need to step outside if your child is crying or playing loudly so that others may participate fully.
Children ages 4-12 ($100 includes food and camping)
Children are welcome to attend with parent/guardian. For this age group we offer a youth program that runs during open space sessions and will include games, crafts, and nature connection activities. Parents are responsible for their children during all other times.
Teens ages 13-17 ($100 includes food and camping)
Teens are welcome to attend with parent/guardian. We do not offer a program for this age group. Teenagers may attend sessions, but parents should be aware that there may be adult content, and parents are responsible for them and what they attend.
Compassion camp was an emotionally nourishing environment where I was able to sink into my relationship with my partner and our children. ~ Angel Trail, 2018 Participant
Cost
Registration includes instruction, all materials, food, and three nights of camping. Private indoor lodging at Earthaven is available for an additional cost (see above).
Adults
Registration Sliding Scale: $220-400
Payment available in $60 increments
Youth
Infant and Toddlers ages 0-3: Free
Children ages 4-12: $100 (youth program available)
Teens ages 13-17: $100 (no program available)
Work Trade: We offer a few partial work trade opportunities to individuals who are available and qualified for the following service areas, and who would otherwise not be able to afford to attend. Our partial work trade positions cost $50-90 depending on the position, require about 11 hours of service, and include food, camping, admittance to camp, and materials.
Scholarships: We offer limited partial scholarships of $100 to individuals who otherwise would not be able to afford it. We prioritize scholarships for people of color and single parents with financial needs. We understand that people of color experience more financial and institutional barriers to participation, and we want to counteract that by offering scholarships.
Work trades and scholarships do NOT cover transportation or indoor lodging.
Please contact us at info@schoolofintegratedliving.org to receive a work trade or scholarship application.
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~ Dalai Lama
Socially Conscious Leadership from the Inside Out
Our guest this week has come to believe that “No matter how wonderful a program is, if it is done as a bestowing – a certain group of people making decisions for another group – that is never going to bridge the divide in our city.” Does your work fit within this paradigm of “bestowing,” and how do you plant seeds for a deeper mindset or consciousness shift to address underlying structural issues? Share Your Reflection »
Dallas-based therapist, activist, writer, community leader and speaker Michelle Kinder examines and teaches conscious leadership “from the inside out.” She offers practical, achievable steps for parents, teachers and others to support children’s social-emotional health, and for business and other leaders to drive transformation in their lives and organizations. While exploring the lack of mental health resources in southern Dallas, Kinder got to know the work of the Momentous Institute, a 99-year-old Dallas-based nonprofit organization that has been building and repairing social-emotional health through education and mental health programs. Momentous Institute serves vulnerable children through therapy services, curriculum and teacher training focused on See full.
Five Questions for Michelle
What Makes You Come Alive?
Thank you for asking. Learning makes me come alive. Learning combined with contribution has long been a winning formula for me feeling most alive. Over the years I developed the habit of checking in with myself every six months or so with the questions “Am I learning? Am I contributing?” There have been interesting seasons on how the two balance each other. There are times that striving to contribute crowded out the kind of white space by brain needs for deep learning and I have had to course correct. And there have been other times that I was learning a lot, but didn’t feel like I was being a good steward in terms of making a difference for other people or for causes I care about. I should also say that because I am currently in a season of more white space and more time for discernment, increasingly, simple pleasures are what make me come alive. Listening to birds, watching our dogs, yoga, running, sunshine, good coffee and the sound of my girls laughing together. Things like that.
Pivotal turning point in your life?
When I was in High School I left my family in Guatemala and came to the states to attend boarding school. It was a transformational experience. The wonderful faculty there saw qualities in me that they nurtured into leadership and I really learned who I was and what I was capable of during those four years. Interestingly, in my previous school, there were teachers who experienced the exact same qualities as problematic, annoying or something to control. Having that experience has made me very interested in how adults show up in the lives of children in a way that respects the enormous privilege and responsibility. I always say there are no neutral interactions when it comes to our relationships with children – all interactions are either positive, negative or missed opportunities.
An Act of Kindness You’ll Never Forget?
When I was in college, my 24-year-old sister died suddenly and it was an enormous challenge to go back to school while navigating the grief process. Several weeks into it, when people had stopped checking in, I found a card tucked into one of my books. It was from a classmate I knew somewhat, but not super well. It said something like, “I know time has passed but your hurt hasn’t.” I still tear up thinking about that act of kindness. It meant so much and it has shaped my desire to show up for others in similar ways.
One Thing On Your Bucket List?
Have the kind of flexibility to visit different places for a month at a time and work remotely while folding into the local scene.
One-line Message for the World?
Regardless of the situation, if you ever aren’t sure how to be most helpful, regulate your own nervous system.
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Awakin Circles: A hub for local meditation circles that started in the Silicon Valley and have now spread to 80+ cities around the globe. The circle start with an hour of silence, followed by a circle of sharing and dinner in silence. A newsletter with a passage selected from various wisdom traditions and an audio reading is sent out to 87,000 subscribers each week. See also Awakin Calls that hosts weekly conversations with wide-ranging thought leaders.
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ServiceSpace is an organization run entirely by volunteers. We leverage technology to encourage everyday people around the world to do small acts of service. Our aim is to ignite the fundamental generosity in ourselves and others, creating both inner and outer transformation.
ServiceSpace was conceived by volunteers, was built by volunteers, and is run by volunteers — all for the benefit of volunteers. Our projects range from a daily positive news service, to an acts-of-kindness portal, to a gift-economy restaurant. Regardless of the endeavor, we act in concert to create service opportunities for each other and to support each other’s service journeys.
In September of 2011, we formally changed our name from CharityFocus to ServiceSpace. Founded in 1999, ServiceSpace was originally started to help non-profits with technical services. Over the past dozen years, the organization has become an umbrella for many generosity-driven projects. Thus we have expanded our services from focusing just on helping charities, to encouraging everyday people to contribute in meaningful ways to the world around them. As the name suggests, our new expanded ServiceSpace platform allows people to stay connected with others interested in service, participate in service opportunities through any of our dozen projects, organize their own local service event using our tools, and stay connected to inspirational content. Above all, we believe in the inherent generosity of others and aim to ignite that spirit of service. Through our small, collective acts, we hope to transform ourselves and the world.
We hold these three principles steadfast within our organization:
Stay fully volunteer-run.
ServiceSpace was founded by volunteers and is run by volunteers. There is no paid staff, no office, and no central facilities. All ServiceSpace programs are conceived, designed, implemented, and administered by people who selflessly give their time so that others can benefit from those services.
Based on twelve years of our experience with a volunteer-run infrastructure, we’ve developed a streamlined process that structures projects in a distributed and decentralized manner. This allows more volunteers to give small chunks of time and still deliver high quality services to the end-receiver.
Being volunteer-run also allows us to organically self-organize. Instead of hierarchies and prefabricated business plans, our volunteer infrastructure is dynamic, low-cost and open to radical change. Everything is based on relationships and presence, and that creates a powerful context to BE the change.
We continue to be amazed at what inspired and dedicated individuals can do. Margaret Mead eloquently said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does.” We could not agree more.
Serve with whatever we have.
We have chosen a slightly different path than most organizations, and choose not to focus on fundraising, grants, or other sources of revenue – for example, none of our websites contain any advertisement. All services are distributed are gifted without any fees. Thus, we serve with whatever support and resources that come in organically when people are truly moved to give.
ServiceSpace projects are built within a gift-economy system, an economic system in which goods and services are given freely, rather than traded. In a traditional market economy, one’s wealth is increased by saving. In a gift economy, giving leads to increase: an increase in connections and relationship strength.
Our services are given freely, without asking for anything in return. Instead of scarcity and fear for an uncertain future, our second principle roots us in abundance and trust. We have realized that over time, if you serve with pure intentions, people’s cups of gratitude overflow. They don’t give to fulfill a need, they give as an expression of their own solidarity and joy. These genuine gifts, no matter how small or large, are what sustains us.
Focus on the small.
Our attempt is to do “small acts with great love”. As our tagline says, “Change Yourself, Change the World.” If we started out by having a goal to change the world, we might have been a little disappointed in our abilities; when we start with ourselves, we notice that the ripples around us continue to get bigger and bigger and as more people try to do small acts, we have every potential to change the world.
Just as every tiny bit of a hologram contains information of the whole, we feel that paying attention to the process, to the present moment, gives us plenty of information to become instruments of a larger, systemic change.
This is how ServiceSpace makes things happen. But essentially the engine that drives the organization is inspiration, pure and simple. We learn from each other, spur each other, help each other, and frequently amaze each other. Sure, we are stirred by the words and lives of great men and women like Gandhi and Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa; but the examples set by our ServiceSpace colleagues–everyday heroes–are the real sustaining forces behind our projects.
THINK KINDNESS, WE CHARITY, COUNT ME IN CHAMPION KINDNESS WORLD WIDE
There’s a growing crisis among young people today. One-in-five students report being bullied, cyberbullying is on the rise, and teen suicide is at a record high. As these problems continue to worsen, many adults may be left scratching their heads. How do we stop this crisis and help our youth?
There are a lot of possible answers, but there’s one that I’d like to pose today that I think is too often overlooked: kindness.
Yes, the simple act of kindness – not just witnessing it, but participating in it – has the ability to change people’s lives for the better. To make our world safer and happier for our children, we need to be teaching them how to be kind at home, at school, and in their communities.
This may seem overly simple, but science backs it up. According to research from places like Harvard and UC Berkeley, among others, acts of kindness release chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin and oxytocin, which reduce depression and anger and boost overall happiness.
Being kind isn’t something we should just mention to our kids in passing – it should be an integral part of their daily activities.
As the founder of Think Kindness, I am blessed to have an incredible job. I go into schools all across the country and help kids tap into their inner kindness potential. In my ten years here, I’ve seen some amazing results. For instance, after my very first speech, a student who struggled with suicidal thoughts wrote me to tell me how getting involved in helping others radically changed his life for the better.
Luckily, Think Kindness isn’t the only organization that makes kindness its mission.
There’s a group called Count Me In, founded and led by youth, which helps to connect young people with volunteer opportunities in their communities and around the world. To date, the organization has inspired over 100 million volunteer hours. In addition, Count Me In has an annual leadership summit which serves as a bootcamp training kids how to be volunteers and do good in the world. I am also blessed to sit on the advisory board for such a powerful and meaningful organization.
Similarly, there’s an organization in Canada called the WE Charity which does incredible work to connect kids to acts of kindness. For instance, WE offers volunteer trips to impoverished communities around the world, giving young people a powerful chance to make a real difference for people in need.
They also host what they call We Days, which draw hundreds of thousands of children into stadiums across the world to hear nspirational messages about doing good around the world.
Organizations like these and others are essential to turning the tide of anger, depression, and sadness among our youth today.
But they need backup, because according to one study, youth volunteering has gone down over the last fifteen years. All of us – parents, teachers, community leaders – need to promote kindness to young people.
We can do it in two ways: first and foremost, by showing kindness ourselves; second, by connecting our kids to groups which can give them the tools they need to be conduits of kindness everywhere they go.
Let’s get to it – it just might change the world.
With Kindness,
Brian Williams
President & Founder, Think Kindness
#BeKindTogether
When: Friday, September 6, 2019 from 5:30PM – 8:30PM
Where: Novick Urban Farms, 3660 S. Lawrence Street (just past intersection of Pattison Ave and S. Lawrence)
What: Join in for a night of food, drinks, games and more! There will be Southeast Asian food, games & prizes, a farm tour and performances. Hosted by SEAMAAC and its partners (Philabundance, Vetri Community Partnership, and Novick Urban Farm), you can purchase tickets by visiting this site.
EAMAAC, Inc |
2154670690 |
events@seamaac.org |
seamaac.org |
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We are grateful to those in our communities who help us drive hunger from our
communities today and end hunger forever, including the individuals, partners,
small businesses and others who are hosting
benefits on behalf of Philabundance.
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PCK is a 14-week culinary vocational training program which has been transforming the lives women and men with low-to-no income since 2000. Students in the 500-hour program will; earn their ServSafe certificate; intern in the culinary industry; prepare meals for those in need; and receive retention services by PCK staff for two years after graduation to ensure that students maximize their training and maintain positive work ethics post-graduation.
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Moving Food Forward: Product Innovation
Our goal is to create nutritious food from surplus farm products in a way that extends shelf life & adds value for our communities in need (upcycling). We partner with manufacturers to create retail items which fund the same high quality items for donation. The Abundantly Good brand allows us to provide better food for clients AND engage socially conscious consumers in our mission in an exciting new way.
HOW WE CAN BEGIN TO HEAL OUR BROKEN WORLD |
For more than 26 years, I’ve been helping individuals and communities creatively navigate difficult transitions — such as loss of a loved one, livelihood, illness, or bursting forth of a life unlived, the collective trauma of community disaster — through story-making. I’m now finishing a book — a combination memoir and workbook — about my healing story approach. Not since 9/11, have I felt such urgency to put my work in service to healing our national culture. For the next year and half, I’m going to be offering more community reconciliation programs to counter-attack the hate and violence-filled narratives that the Administration and its minions are flooding media with. I’m targeting my programs now to change-makers: healers, writers, storytellers, teachers, activists. Here’s the mistake many are making: Focusing on Trump’s media grabs day after day. This only gives energy to his evil and distracts from the fact that millions of citizens support him as a cult – meaning a disregard for facts in favor of allegiance to a leader that makes false promises, but is interested only in expanding his own power and wealth. But how can we pull followers out of this cult? Not by judging, preaching, haranguing. Rather by listening, engaging, finding non-political common ground, by sharing our stories – not our victim tales, but a deeper story that is always flowing like a river beneath the surface of our lives – where we are one people, one race, one blood. On Sept. 10, at 8 pm eastern, I’m going to be offering a free introduction to a 3-step healing story process for people who would like to use story in their community, therapeutic, or classroom programs, but may not know how. That’s Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 8 pm eastern time. To register and receive the link, write to me at juIietbrucephd@gmail.com. |
Enjoy the rest of your summer, |
In cooperation with the WE-Energime-Global Cooperation Turtle Island International Civil Society Organization and in support of peaceful interfaith dialogue, especially in light of Laudato Si, the recent message from Pope Francis on “Care for Mother Earth”, Drawdown Markham will be assisting Global Cooperation Day (GCD, New Zealand) to Celebrate the 800 year Anniversary (in 2019) of the meeting between Saint Francis of Assisi and Sultan Al Kamil in the year 1219 by planting a *Commemorative Tree of Peace* on a property in the East end of Markham (Locust Hill) on Sunday, September 15th.
This event is being done in support of the DD Markham CCAH Collaborative Exchange Project (CEP) and the “Spark for Humanity” project by We Are Mother Earth! (WAME) and GTI Enterprises (cooperative corporation), and for the eventual establishment of our “Go Local” Campaign for community resilience and adaptation, supported by our local Drawdown Markham Interfaith Neighborhood and Business Collaborative (which is part of the EncounterCanada collaborative, which is intended “to localize the Sustainable Development Goals to build ‘Climate Smart’ safe and sustainable communities and cities, pursuant to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction”).
Blue Deer Center 1155 County Route 6 Margaretville, NY 12455
(845) 586-3225
September 20 – 22, 2019
Fall Mushroom Retreat Fungi for food, health, cultivation and restoration
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Friday, 9/20, 6 pm to Sunday, 9/22 12 pm
Cost: $385 (includes lodging on Friday and Saturday, plus dinner on Friday through breakfast on Sunday)
A commuter rate of $225 per person includes meals as above and no lodging.
Please contact Linda at lindafelch@bluedeer.org with any questions about this program or registration.
Please plan to arrive at the Blue Deer Center between 4 and 6 pm on September 20th.
Transportation options can be found by clicking on the link on your registration confirmation or by clicking here.
We offer the option of special meals for those with certain dietary restrictions (gluten-free, dairy-free, gluten- and dairy-free). If you have other dietary restrictions, please email catering@bluedeer.org to discuss your needs.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation of your reservation more than 14 days prior to arrival entitles you to a full refund of tuition less a $25 processing fee. If you cancel 8 to 14 days prior to arrival, your program fee, less a $25 processing fee, will be held for you to use in another future program up to a year. If you cancel 2 to 7 days prior to arrival, your program fee, less a $25 processing fee and food costs, will be held for you to use in another future program up to a year. No refunds or credits will be issued for cancellations received less than 48 hours before a program’s start date. Refunds will be processed within 2 weeks of cancellation.
Learn About Our Center
Ashland Global Peace Conference
Sat, Sep 21, 2019 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM PDT
David Wick at info@ashlandcpc.org, 541-552-1061
The World Peace Flame in Ashland is firing the imaginations of Peace Leaders from Middle School students, Ashland City Leaders to Oregon Legislators. Ashland is catching the attention of the global community. Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations, and Founder of the Global Movement of the Culture of Peace, is coming to Ashland to learn first-hand how Ashland Culture of Peace Commission partners with the city, local non-profits and others to transform the city with the vision of a Culture of Peace. The Ashland Global Peace Conference will give local residents the opportunity to learn more about why Ashland is deserving of the global community’s attention by highlighting how our state and local leaders are inspired to work hard to create a culture of peace for their constituents. The views of creating a culture of Peace from the global, national, state, city, community, interpersonal and personal levels will be explored.
Come to the conference and be inspired by city and state leaders’ personal commitment to cultivating a culture of peace in Oregon and be empowered with your own commitment to peace.
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Early Bird Pricing ends 8/31
while we are together, and beyond.
Peace is not an idea, it is a practice.
Thank you.
A WORLD THAT WORKS FOR ALL
A community-wide movement dedicated to transforming our attitudes, behaviors and institutions into ones that foster harmonious relationships with each other and the natural world.
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Brings heart and compassion to conversations, decision-making, and systems.
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Recognizes the inherent value of each person, the diversity within community.
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Invites everyone’s participation, relying on the natural gifts of each community member.
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Encourages mutual respect so that all residents and visitors feel safe, heard, and empowered.
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Establishes trust through holding all persons responsible for their actions.
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Employs compassionate listening to air feelings, viewpoints, and concerns.
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Discovers solutions through collaborative exploration.
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Emphasizes the universal values of kindness, generosity, love and beauty, caring and curiosity.
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Seeks larger truths and broader perspectives to better comprehend local and world affairs.
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Values and nurtures all of life, honoring the environment and promoting humanity’s balanced place in the web of existence.
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Builds upon the foundation of existing groups contributing to the wellness of the world.
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Creates an emerging, evolving, living model for thriving together as fellow humans.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, until recently the Senior Special Advisor to the UN General Assembly President, has devoted many years as an inspirational champion for sustainable peace and development and ardently advancing the cause of the global movement for the culture of peace that has energized civil society all over the world.
As a career diplomat, Permanent Representative to United Nations, President of the UN Security Council, President of UNICEF Board, UN Under-Secretary-General, and recipient of the U Thant Peace Award, UNESCO Gandhi Gold Medal for Culture of Peace, Spirit of the UN Award and University of Massachusetts Boston Chancellor’s Medal for Global Leadership for Peace, Ambassador Chowdhury has a wealth of experience in the critical issues of our time – peace, sustainable development, and human rights.
Ambassador Chowdhury’s legacy and leadership in advancing the best interest of the global community are boldly imprinted in his pioneering initiatives at the United Nations General Assembly in 1999 for adoption of the landmark Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and in 1998 for the proclamation of the “International Decade for Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World (2001-2010)”.
He served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York from 1996 to 2001 and as the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations, responsible for the most vulnerable countries of the world from 2002 to 2007.
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“I was impressed by their work in developing Ashland as a City of Peace, thereby evolving and inspiring at the same time a practical and workable model that other cities and civil society entities can learn from. I along with GMCoP encourage and support this brilliant endeavor by ACPC. My co-activists at the United Nations who interacted with ACPC leaders have particularly welcomed it.”
Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury,
Former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations,
Founder of the Global Movement for The Culture of Peace (GMCoP)
Ashland Global Peace Conference
“You Are The Flame”
Practical Applications of the Culture of Peace
September 21st, 2019 • Ashland Hills Hotel,
Ashland, Oregon
Whereas: On March 17, 2015, the Ashland Mayor and City Council proclaimed support for a Culture of Peace Community.
Whereas: On May 16, 2017, Ashland joined the International Cities of Peace and “…the City Council and Mayor, on behalf of the citizens of Ashland, do proclaim that the City of Ashland, Oregon, is a City of Peace in perpetuity and encourage city and community leaders to work with concerned citizens to develop policies and procedures that promote a culture of peace in our region.”
Whereas: The 20th anniversary of the adoption of the landmark UN “Culture of Peace” Resolution is being observed by the UN on 13 September 2019, at this year’s Eighth annual High-Level Forum on The Culture of Peace at the UN headquarters. On 13 September 1999, the United Nations General Assembly adopted, by consensus and without reservation, its resolution A/RES/53/243 on the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.
Whereas: This historic norm-setting document is considered as one of the most significant legacies of the United Nations that would endure generations and manifests very significantly that the culture of peace is a process of individual, collective and institutional transformation. ‘Transformation’ is of the most essential relevance in its implementation.
Whereas: Bearing in mind the broader dimension and potential impact of the Culture of Peace, OPGA (President of the United Nations General Assembly) chose this year’s theme to be “The Culture of Peace: Empowering and Transforming Humanity.” Their concept notes states that: “In the light of the importance of the Culture of Peace and its potential for responding to the global challenges facing mankind, the 20th Observance should be central to the pivotal discussions and commitments expected at the General Assembly in September.”
Whereas: To manifest their own commitment to the culture of peace, various activities have been initiated by civil society organizations in different parts of the world. A unique mind-body spirit Culture of Peace event is planned separately as a contribution by Pathways to Peace to the 20th anniversary observance on Saturday, 14 September – titled On, By and For Youth in New York. The Ashland Culture of Peace Commission is co-planning this incredible day-long event that honors, positions, and empowers youth as peacebuilders. Students from Ashland OR will participate.
Whereas: The Ashland Culture of Peace Commission installed the World Peace Flame in Ashland, Oregon and on September 21, 2018 established the World Peace Flame Monument through an international acclaimed lighting ceremony. Students from the Ashland Middle School have embraced the opportunity to be the World Peace Flame, Flame Keepers.
Whereas: Ashland and Southern Oregon are becoming more known nationally and internationally as a hub embracing a Culture of Peace and developing a model which can benefit other communities. This activity will further raise this profile, brand our region, and attract visitors to experience, learn, and enjoy.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission initiates:
Ashland Global Peace Conference
“You Are The Flame”
Practical Applications of the Culture of Peace
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Ashland is catching the attention of the global community.
Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations, and Founder of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace, is coming to Ashland to learn first-hand how ACPC partners with the city, local nonprofits and others to help transform the city after the March 11, 2019 presentation at the United Nations. The Ashland Global Peace Conference will also allow residents to learn more about why Ashland is deserving of the global community’s attention by highlighting how our state and local leaders are working hard to create a culture of peace for their constituents.
How did this happen?
On March 11, 2019 Irene Kai and David Wick were invited to the United Nations to make a presentation about the progress we have made developing a Culture of Peace in Ashland. We also presented the stunning story about bringing the World Peace Flame from Wales to Ashland which now stands as an iconic monument of peace locally and internationally. We then were invited to a private meeting with Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, the Founder of the Global Movement for The Culture of Peace and Former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations. Ambassador Chowdhury was so deeply inspired by what he heard of these activities that he requested to come to Ashland to experience these leading peacebuilding activities himself. We therefore have planned the Ashland Global Peace Conference around his coming to Ashland where he will be our keynote speaker.
Taking active steps to co-create a Culture of Peace is vital within the United States as well as internationally. You are invited to attend and participate in the Ashland Global Peace Conference, September 21, 2019 in Ashland, Oregon. Ashland is the Home of the World Peace Flame and the conference theme is “You Are The Flame”, Practical Applications of the Culture of Peace. This is an exceptional experience of a city co-creating a Culture of Peace.
The program planned for this special conference highlights the global, national, state, city/community, personal/interpersonal levels of personal commitment and peacebuilding action each person represents.
This conference is one of a kind and will be promoted in southern Oregon, Oregon, nationally, and internationally. The conference will be live streamed internationally.
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“I would like to encourage you to seriously consider the invitation from the city of Ashland’s Culture of Peace Commission to attend their unique Global Peace Conference in Ashland, Oregon, on September 21. 2019.
The Peace Commission has brought the World Peace Flame from Wales to Ashland where it serves as inspiration to stand for peace in the world and do all we can at the local level to promote world peace. I visited the flame this April and was honored to meet members of the Peace Commission and learn about their valuable efforts.”
US Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon
“I extend my whole-hearted encouragement to ACPC in its efforts in creating this local-to-global and global-to-local pathway for advancing the culture of peace.”
Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury
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The full day program includes lunch.
Program
Welcome – John Stromberg, Mayor, City of Ashland
Introduction of the World Peace Flame in Ashland – Irene Kai, Ashland Culture of Peace Commission
Keynote Speaker – Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, Former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations. Founder of the Global Movement of the Culture of Peace
Dr. David Yang – Vice President, Center for applied Conflict Transformation. United States Institute of Peace
Flame Keeper of the World Peace Flame in Ashland – Finley Taylor, Flame Keeper from the Ashland Middle School
——-Break——-
Oregon State Panel –
Jeff Golden – Oregon State Senator
Pam Marsh – Oregon State Representative
Ashland City Panel –
Rich Rosenthal – Ashland City Councilor
Tighe O’Meara – Ashland Chief of Police
Sandra Slattery – Executive Director, Ashland Chamber of Commerce
Kelly Raymond – Superintendent, Ashland School District
——-Lunch——-
Creating infrastructures for Peace in all nations – Dr. Saul Arbess, Director, Canadian Peace Initiative and Co-Founder and Director, Global Alliance For Ministries and Infrastructure For Peace
Rogue Valley Community Panel –
Sheila Clough – CEO, Asante Ashland Community Hospital
Steven Saslow – CEO and Publisher, Rosebud Media
Linda Schott – President, Southern Oregon University
Dee Anne Everson – Executive Director, United Way of Jackson County
David Zaslow – Rabbi, Interfaith Community
——-Break——-
Be The Flame – Thriving Leadership Academy – Will Wilkinson and Chris Harding – A summary of the key points of the conference, followed by an invitation to participants to apply what they’ve learned, and specific action steps to integrate it all.
Light the World Peace Flame Candle and
Read the invocation inspired by the World Peace Flame
——-Concludes and network——-
Accommodations:
Ashland Hills Hotels and Suites at 2525 Ashland Street, Ashland, OR 97520
(Event name: Ashland Global Peace Conference)
Standard King rooms $149
Queen-Queen rooms $159
Premium King rooms $159
Standard King Suites $169
Double-Double Suites $169
To enjoy discounted guest room rates please contact our conference host hotel – Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites at 541-482-8310 and ask for the Ashland Global Peace Conference group rates.
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Find your adventure…
Surrounded by not only the culturally rich Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland also features a variety of natural wonders, including Crater Lake National Park.
——-Theater and Music——-
Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF)
15 South Pioneer St, Ashland, OR 97520
(800) 219-8161
Monday – Friday, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm.
Performance times vary.
Group Sales (866) 545-6337 Monday – Friday, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm.
Oregon Cabaret Theatre
241 Hargadine St, Ashland, OR, 97520
(541) 488-2902
Monday – Wednesday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday – Saturday, 11:00 am – 6:00 pm, Closed Sunday
Between productions 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Britt Music and Art Festival
PO Box 1124, Medford, OR 97501
(800) 882-7488
——-Family——-
ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum
1500 E Main St, Ashland, OR 97520
(541) 482-6767
Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Emigrant Lake Water Slide
5505 Highway 66, Ashland , OR 97520
(541) 774-8183
Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, closed 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
——-Outdoor Adventures——-
Rafting
Mountain Biking
Cycling
Hiking
Fly Fishing
Golf
Crater Lake
Want to help make this Global Peace Conference possible? Want to provide people the opportunity to be inspired by this personal/local/global event? Want to illuminate the local community as well as communities and people around the world?
Sponsor today!
If you are interested in sponsoring any aspect of the Ashland Global Peace Conference, please contact David Wick at info@ashlandcpc.org, 541-552-1061
TransOhio and Clintonville Counseling and Wellness present the 2nd Annual Trans Career and Wellness Day at Columbus Public Health! Local employers and community and wellness partners will be onsite to offer employment, health, and other opportunities to the transgender and gender non-confirming community.
10AM – 3PM: Job Fair with dozens of local affirming and inclusive employers and resources from Community organizations
11AM – 4PM: Wellness Workshops
10AM – 4PM: Medical testing by Columbus Public Health
Please check back to hear about the employers and community partners attending this year, details about the wellness workshops, and info about raffle prizes! Please share!
TransOhio, Inc.
P.O. Box 14481
Columbus, Ohio 43214
Email: TransOhio@transohio.org
Facebook: TransOhio Fan page
Our Mission
TransOhio serves the Ohio transgender and ally communities by providing services, education, support, and advocacy, which promotes and improves the health, safety and life experience of the Ohio transgender individual and community.
Our Vision
- to serve as a bridge to other LGBTQ+ and ally communities
- to provide a focus for matters of concern to the Ohio transgender community and their allies by providing open, affirming, visible and tangible support
- to promote opportunities and networking that increase awareness of the Transgender and gender-nonconforming community’s needs and concerns such, as discrimination and violence
- to increase lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual, and ally understanding and cultural awareness of the Ohio Transgender community
- to help ensure that Ohio educational programs and services are inclusive and supportive of Ohio Transgender issues, perspectives, and concerns
- to provide social activities that are inclusive of all LGBTQ+ and ally communities, access to safe-spaces, people, forums for confidential discussion, support, and local and national resource information
- to foster Ohio Transgender community pride
A $30 donation per guest is highly appreciated.
The time is now more than ever to be the change and stand up for peace and nonviolence. Our communities deserve to live their daily lives peacefully and together we can strive to make that happen. As partners of #Gandi150 and believers in the power of peace, we invite you to be part of the movement on October 2. More information here.
How to get involved on October 2:
1. Nonviolence Champion – Nominate a faculty member from your educational institution, as the champion for the event.
2. Nonviolence in Action – On October 2, host a screening of the documentary film, “From India with Love”, followed by an interactive discussion to promote peace.
3. Nonviolence in Classrooms – Lead an experiential learning module on nonviolence in the classroom and promote peace.
Join us on October 2 and share your activity with us at The Peace Alliance. Find our Facebook page here and/or tag us on Twitter at @PeaceAlliance. Use #Gandhi150 and #RethinkPeace to join the worldwide social media conversation on peace!
Thank you!
In peace and partnership!
Jelena Popovic, Teaching Peace in Schools Council Lead
and The Peace Alliance Board of Directors and Leadership Council
About The Peace Alliance
Mission:
The Peace Alliance empowers civic action toward a culture of peace.
Who We Are:
We are an alliance of organizers and advocates taking the work of peacebuilding from the margins of society into the center of national discourse and policy priorities.
We champion a comprehensive, collaborative approach to peace and peacebuilding.
- Hayes Mansion, San Jose California
- 200 Edenvale Ave
- San Jose, CA
- 95136
At Science and Nonduality (SAND), preeminent scientists, philosophers, mystics and artists gather to explore and advance the new paradigm emerging in spirituality that is both grounded in cutting-edge science and consistent with the ancient wisdom of nonduality—the deep understanding of the interconnectedness of life.
To open the conference, Cynthia is excited to offer a teaching on Sacred Activism for the Great Turning; the Earth Treasure Vase Global Healing Meditation. Like acupuncture needles in the living body of the Earth, little holy vessels known as Earth Treasure Vases have been offered to Gaia to form a healing mandala of nodes and meridians imagined as a web of light to serve us as we awaken together into our own unique role in the great work of our time—to heal the web of life, restore balance and harmony, envision our world anew, and embody that vision with every fiber of our life force for the benefit of all. Charles Eisenstein’s excellent essay, Every Act a Ceremony, refers to the ETV practice. Charles will also be a speaker at SAND. October 23–27, 2019
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Venue |
Sponsors |
Vendors |
Conscious Technology Exhibitor |
Media & Press |
Volunteer |
Apply for a Scholarship |
Youth Program |
Continuing Education |
FAQ |
Gallery 1 Gallery 2 |
For scientists, bonds and connections are essential to the working of the universe; for mystics, love is the ultimate principle. From the depths of physics to the delights of being human, relationships make life possible.
The mechanistic view of reality which sees the world as separate objects, separate individuals, communities and nations, has led to fragmentation in every aspect of life. We are now realizing that, from quarks to people, from gut bacteria to galaxies, it’s all about interconnectedness, cooperation, and symbiosis.
This year, SAND will be bringing together some of the brightest minds in science, along with spiritual teachers from various traditions and artists, in a quest to expand and deepen our understanding and experience of our relational nature through the two lenses of science and spirituality. We will explore and integrate our human knowledge and experience around the theme of relationships. We will inquire into the many scales of relationship we are part of, from microbes and bacteria to mushrooms and trees, to people and families, to galaxies and black holes.
At the end of the day, no matter how complex the field of study becomes, the innate intelligence and reflective nature of the universe shines through. Love is what breathes life into the equations; Love is the field in which the quarks and human beings relate.
We will meet you there.
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As of Aug 8, Hayes Mansion is sold out for the event dates.
See a list of alternative accommodations
Download the free SAND app
We’re excited to announce that Science & Nonduality Conference 2019 has a free, official app which you can Download and be able to:
– View the event agenda and plan your schedule
– Find someone to share a ride or a room
– Plan some social activities such as a morning run, city tour, or meet-ups with your fellow attendees.
– Receive updates such as last minute room change from the organizers
– Get presentation documents and slides
– Share photos and essential takeaway
Already used the Whova app in the past? Double-check that it is installed on your phone, and log in using your existing account email and password.
We look forward to seeing you soon at Science & Nonduality Conference 2019 !
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About this Event
💜Festival of the Child is a completely FREE event and takes place ONLINE, from Nov 14th-20th, featuring experts and change-makers working tirelessly for the good of children everywhere.
🌸Supporting a paradigm shift in learning, we are reimagining education.
🌸Join us and add your voice to the collective.
🌸Learn directly from visionaries, storytellers, teachers, activists, doctors, psychologists and more to get the latest insights in how to grow today’s child for tomorrow and restore wellbeing now.
🌸So many of our children suffer from mental health issues that directly result from ways in which they are being educated and a system that is failing to look at their developmental needs.
🌸Learn tried and tested strategies that support YOUR child to grow up healthy, happy and full of hope for the future.
🦋Now more than ever we have an incredible opportunity to shift the learning paradigm into one that supports ALL of our children to truly thrive.
🦋It is time to be bold in our vision and brave in our footsteps as we re-imagine what learning looks like in the 21st century.
🦋We know that you want your children to grow up with a connection to themselves a strong sense of self and personal identity, empathy and care for others and full of creative solutions to transform humanity as this crucial time in our collective evolution.
🦋Come join the education revolution. Be heard. Have your say. Be a part of this important conversation.
💕Completely free to sign-up. 💕
But only available to registered participants.
Get your FREE eventbrite ticket then head on over to our website www.festivalofthechild.com to REGISTER.
It’s the only way to access the videos – as all links will be sent out by email.
Can’t wait to see you all on the other side!
ShaRon Rea
The Whole Family Coaching
480-420-9551
ShaRon@TheWholeFamilyCoaching.
Join us in setting our intentions for healing in China and around the world. We will be meditating together for 7 days, through February 21 with Master Mingtong Gu.
February 15th – Saturday 11am Mountain Time
February 16th – Sunday 9am Mountain Time
February 17th – Monday 9am Mountain Time
February 18th – Tuesday 9am Mountain Time
February 19th – Wednesday 9am Mountain Time
February 20th – Thursday 9am Mountain Time
February 21st – Friday 9am Mountain Time
Want to continue meditating with Master Mingtong Gu?
Sign up for weekly meditations here.
Convert to your timezone here.
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Master Mingtong Gu
Master Mingtong Gu
Named Qigong Master of the Year by the 13th World Congress on Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mingtong Gu possesses a profound ability to harness energy in order to accelerate personal and global healing, making him a sought-after healer, practitioner, and teacher.
As a child growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution, Master Gu endured hunger, poverty, and a long separation from his birth family. Despite these incredible hardships, he became the first from his village to attend college, earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics followed by two master’s degrees, including an MFA from Ohio State University. As a graduate student in art, Master Gu discovered the treasures of his own culture through the spiritual iconography of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Western mystic traditions while practicing yoga, Tantric Buddhism, and qigong.
In 1997, Master Gu returned to China for qiqong training under Dr. Pang Ming, a qigong grandmaster trained in Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, and the founder of the world’s largest qigong hospital. During his training, Master Gu observed thousands of cases of chronic and “incurable” diseases being healed at this “medicine-less” hospital, which has now treated over 200,000 patients with over 185 different illnesses, with a 95 percent effective improvement rate.
Witnessing these profound healing experiences inspired Master Gu’s dedication to the teaching and practice of qigong healing, which he now teaches to thousands of people in the United States, China, and Europe through his workshops, books, and education programs. He created the Pure Qi Online series—a collection of courses which translate the ancient teachings of Wisdom Healing Qigong™ for contemporary times—and is the founder of the Chi Center and the Center for Wisdom Healing Qigong, a beautiful 79-acre resort located 20 minutes south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Through practice, Master Gu has recovered from his own chronic conditions of asthma, scoliosis, back pain, and kidney weakness. His teaching emphasizes activating the power of inner self-healing, facilitating the release of chronic illness while improving health and well-being. Master Gu lives and teaches with his wife Linling, also a gifted healer, and their two children.
Linling Xie
Linling studied Zhineng Qigong at the medicine-less Qigong hospital in China under the guidance of Dr. Pang Ming. She is a gifted Wisdom Healing Qigong Teacher and Healer, offering private sessions while Healing Intensive Retreats are in session at the Center in Santa Fe.
40 Camino Vista Clara
Galisteo, NM 87540
A Four Week Online Course with Dr. Kenneth Rose
Virtual Reality, Māyā,
and Yoga’s Virtual Bodies
Tues, Mar 3, 10, 17, 24 (7-9:00 pm EST)
Course Description
Everyday life is rapidly going virtual, and we are experiencing the vaporization of physical reality as technology rapidly evolves. Apps are displacing shopping malls, and crude single-player video games have morphed into massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). This rapid virtualization of physical reality leads MIT computer scientist Rizwan Virk to suggest in The Simulation Hypothesis that we may be living in an MMORPG without knowing it.
If we are living in a hypnotic simulation controlled by beings greater than us but unknown by us, can we develop a powerful video game to break through to reality? Perhaps, but we would remain dependent upon machinery to awaken—like always needing a meditation app to meditate. Humanity’s mystical traditions teach that we are master simulators of our own experience—with or without machinery—and that it is our choice to sleep or to wake up.
In this course, we will unfold the classic Panchakosha, or Five-Bodies Teaching, from the Upaniṣads to realize the mystical depth in human life. This ancient teaching shows us how to perceive the multiple subtle or virtual bodies that cover up our ordinary consciousness. As we enter more deeply into this teaching over the four weeks of this course, we will also learn how to dismantle these virtual bodies and return to our inborn standpoint of natural enlightenment.
Students who take this course will learn:
The difference between virtual, augmented, and simulated reality
How Hinduism’s Five-Bodies Teaching uncovers the multiple bodies that cover our naturally illumined consciousness
How to use the natural technology of meditation
How the Simulation Hypothesis mirrors ancient teachings about māyā and illusion
How to enter deeper stages of meditation
How to perceive and pass beyond the five bodies that enclose our true Self
COURSE INCLUDES:
4 Live, Interactive Zoom Sessions
4 Q&As with Kenneth
4 Downloadable Videos & MP3s
Course Readings
10 Embodied Philosophy Credits
10 Yoga Alliance Cont. Ed. Credits
Private Pop-Up Facebook Group
Course Outline
Kenneth Rose, Ph.D., has been a professor of Philosophy and Religion for three decades. His degrees include an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in the Study of Religion from Harvard University. He developed and lead the online course, “Wisdom from World Religions,” which is funded by a Templeton World Charity Foundation grant (https://wisdomfromworldreligions.com).
His books include:
Yoga, Meditation, and Mysticism: Contemplative Universals and Meditative Landmarks,
Pluralism: The Future of Religion,
The Light of the Self: A Memoir of a Spiritual Awakening,
Edge of Awakening: Poems from the Borderline of Mind and Awareness.
These books and his three Audible programs are available at:
https://smile.amazon.com/Kenneth-Rose/e/B00B5J3ANO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1574093203&sr=8-1
Free LIVE Webinar
How to Shine Your Light to Co-create the World We Know is Possible
Wednesday, March 4 at 2:00 pm EST
- Courage: Courage to believe in your dreams . . . for yourself and for the Earth . . . even when appearances seemingly prove otherwise.
- Tools: Empowering practical tools that work. Tools that you help you stay calm, grounded, and centered, even when it can feel like the world around us is falling apart.
- Community: Connection to a community of like-minded visionaries who share your hopes, dreams, and visions. The kind of people who believe that together we can co-create a new world. In our lifetime.
- Why courage is an essential quality of all visionaries today and how to cultivate it on a daily basis to foster your dreams.
- 3 easy tools to help keep you grounded and centered so you can integrate this courage to help build your innate strength and resilience. One tool in particular focuses on building your heart’s resilience.
- Why connection to a community that shares your values is vital for visionaries.
2020
New York City at Sony Hall
Get ready to celebrate!
Join us in New York on March 9, 2020 as No Bully celebrates our partners and friends at our annual Broadway Against Bullying event. This annual one-night-only cabaret show, featuring stars from some of Broadway’s biggest musicals, benefiting No Bully’s mission to eradicate bullying and cyber-bullying worldwide.
Calling all New York area Friends who LOVE Broadway. March 9th: Broadway Against Bullying, a one-night-only cabaret featuring stars from some of Broadway’s biggest musicals. Lexi Lawson (Hamilton), Telly Leung (Aladdin) and Kevin Duda (Book of Mormon). A wonderful organization, committed to a kinder world, No Bully has teamed up with Broadway Stars,(Year 2) for an evening supporting bullying prevention school programs and positive action initiatives. Entertainment and Doing Good! Get your tickets for March 9: www.nobully.org/broadway2020 and join the movement to end bullying! #broadwayagainstbullying #nobully #bullying #kindevolution, #nobullyingperiod
IGNITING COMPASSION
Words that come to mind when describing our team include: compassionate, kind, inclusive, strong, and has a generosity of spirit.
Each one of us has our own personal story around bullying and we hold this work near and dear to our hearts. We are constantly trying to live out our mission on a day to day basis, both igniting compassion around the office and also the world!
No Bully takes a holistic approach to partnering with schools and districts by involving the administration, staff, parents, and students in the process.
FIND OUT MORE
No Bully is the most comprehensive professional development program proven to combat bullying and enhance school culture.
There are so many ways to become a part of No Bully’s mission to dramatically reduce bullying. Consider yourself invited to tell us how you’d like to connect.
Phone:
(415) 767-0070
Mailing Address:
No Bully
1012 Torney Ave
San Francisco, CA 94129
Take Action on National Refugee Shabbat
National Refugee Shabbat 5780, which will take place on March 20-21, 2020, is a moment for congregations, organizations, and individuals around the country to dedicate a Shabbat experience to refugees and asylum seekers.
Register: Learn more about how your community or group can participate at hias.org/nrs – it’s not too late!
There are also many ways individuals can take action for refugees and asylum seekers in the week leading up to National Refugee Shabbat, as well as on the actual Shabbat itself (in accordance with individual Shabbat practice). Feel free to share the list below widely with family and friends.
12 WAYS TO TAKE ACTION THIS NATIONAL REFUGEE SHABBAT
1. Advocate – Call your Member of Congress to ask them to stand for the rights, safety and dignity of refugees and asylum seekers.
2. Get Involved in the Election – Research the candidates running in local elections in your area, and let them know that the rights of refugees and asylum seekers are among your top priority issues this year.
3. Update Your Facebook Photo Frame – Show your support for refugees by updating your Facebook profile picture with the HIAS #JewsforRefugees frame. Click here for directions.
4. Join the “Jews for Refugees” Facebook Group – Joining this group is a great way to connect with thousands of other committed individuals across the country, access up-to-the-minute information about the Jewish response to the refugee crisis, and share the actions that you are taking. Click here to join.
5. Donate Your Miles to Asylum Seekers – HIAS has partnered with Miles4Migrants (M4M), a nonprofit charity dedicated to using donated frequent flyer miles and money for the relocation of refugees and those seeking asylum – including families recently separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. HIAS and Miles4Migrants (M4M) will work to identify refugees and asylum seekers who need assistance purchasing airfare to reunite with their families. Donate your frequent flyer miles here the week of National Refugee Shabbat.
6. Buy Refugee-Produced Goods – Support refugees and asylum seekers around the world and in your local community by buying refugee-produced goods and/or researching refugee-owned restaurants in your community and having a meal there. Check out this website to purchase goods made by a collective of African asylum-seeking women living in Tel Aviv, Israel.
7. Give Life to Refugees and Asylum Seekers – In the week leading up to National Refugee Shabbat, set up a Facebook fundraiser to benefit HIAS’ work.
8. Scholarships for Displaced Students – Research whether your local universities and colleges offer scholarships to refugees and asylum seekers. If not, reach out and ask them to consider starting such a program. Check out Columbia University’s program for an example.
9. Have A Difficult Conversation – Using the HIAS Conversational Guide for How to Talk About Refugees with Family and Friends, commit to having at least one conversation with someone in your life who has expressed concern about welcoming refugees to the United States or even someone who has made disparaging remarks about refugees or asylum seekers.
10. Light Shabbat Candles with Intention – As you welcome Shabbat on March 20, use this reading before lighting Shabbat candles to set an intention to stand with refugees and asylum seekers around the globe.
11. Host A Gathering In Your Home – Invite a small group of friends over to your home for Shabbat dinner or lunch or a havdallah (the ceremony for closing Shabbat) wine and cheese gathering. At the gathering, consider using the HIAS National Refugee Shabbat 5780-2020 Programming Content Resource. Use the text study on page 6 of this guide as a jumping off point for conversation, take a look at and discuss the refugee art on page 13 of this guide, or screen the movie suggested on page 14 and 15 of this guide.
12. Start A Book Club – Start a book club – for adults or young people – to read books by and about refugees and asylum seekers. Use this list as a jumping off point for suggestions or search google for even more ideas.