Monthly Archives: September 2014

Power, Identity, Oppression, and Liberation

Sunday October 5 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM At Maitri House
In these three interconnected workshops, we’ll first identify and strengthen the resources we have, and identify the resources we don’t yet have, to create the changes we want in our lives and in the world. We’ll also identify the resources — and lack thereof — of those whom we consider our adversaries in creating change, and help us find ways to partner with rather than oppose them in creating solutions that work for all of us. We’ll examine the ways we have been holding on to unhelpful habits related to the identity we or others have given ourselves (for example identities related to race, gender, class, family relationships, etc). Finally, we’ll learn how to exercise greater freedom in our relationships with ourselves and others. Based on the principles and tools of Nonviolent Communication (NVC).

This is also an opportunity to befriend and collaborate with others interested in social justice work. Opt-in potluck lunch and dinners — no alcohol please. We’re also 2 blocks from a pizza store and food co-op.
Facilitated by Amanda Blaine and Ryan McAllister

Schedule (times approximate and flexible based on participants’ needs and interest)
9:30am Socializing start
10-Noon Workshop 1: Power, Resources, and Choice
Noon-1 Potluck lunch or get food at coop or pizza place
1-2:30 Workshop 2: Identity and Oppression
2:30-3 Break with napping places, playing places
3-5:30 Workshop 3: Toward Relational Solidarity and Collective Liberation
5:30pm Potluck dinner or get food at coop or pizza place

For Registration and Directions:
Email ryan [put an at symbol here] notjustskin.org

Cost of the Workshops:
On a practical level, the expenses for this workshop have already been paid, in the form of the training and experience we have accumulated to be able to share these ideas, the building where we will meet, the materials that have been prepared, the time that we have set aside to share, etc. How much of this work we are able to do depends upon how much participants contribute. If you would like to facilitate our work, you can make a donation at the end of the workshop. For those who would like to give but don’t have financial resources to do so, we welcome other forms of contribution that support our continued effort.
If that leaves you feeling uncertain, we suggest considering what you make in an equivalent time at work (if you have a job), your access (or lack of access) to wealth, how useful what we shared was for you, the value of supporting us and our families, and the value of increasing access of others.
Notes About Accessibility
We want our house to be safe for all of us, including people with chemical sensitivities, so please no perfume or other fragranced products. We find that often guests do not understand this request, so if it is unfamiliar to you, you might read about chemical sensitivities here: http://invisibledisabilities.org/educate/chemicalsensitivities/whygofragrancefree/ .

Our house is not currently wheelchair visitable as defined by the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (we have four steps up to the front and the bathroom clearances are too small.) If any guest who uses a chair or other mobility device or has other accessibility needs would like to visit, we’re interested in discussing what we could do.

There is a dog but no other pets.

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Can We Love the “System”?

Finding compassion for the structures and systems we live in while creating the world we want

Wednesday Oct 1 7:30 – 9:30 PM At Maitri House
Before the workshop, there is also an optional potluck starting at 6:30 — no alcohol please.

As social change agents, we are longing for the world to be different. The gap between the world as it is, with the urgency of the challenges we are facing, and the world we want, can leave us burnt out and frustrated. In this workshop, we’ll build our capacity to open our hearts to the world that IS while holding dearly our vision for the world we WANT. We believe the result will be greater freedom, creativity, and peace within ourselves to do the work needed. This process is built on principles and tools of Nonviolent Communication (NVC).

Facilitated by Amanda Blaine and Ryan McAllister

For Registration and Directions:
Email ryan [put an at symbol here] notjustskin.org

Cost of the workshop (Self-Selected Sliding Scale):
On a practical level, the expenses for this workshop have already been paid, in the form of the training and experience we have accumulated to be able to share these ideas, the building where we will meet, the materials that have been prepared, the time that we have set aside to share, etc. How much of this work we are able to do depends upon how much participants contribute. If you would like to facilitate our work, you can make a donation at the end of the workshop. For those who would like to give but don’t have financial resources to do so, we welcome other forms of contribution that support our continued effort.

If that leaves you feeling uncertain, we suggest considering what you make in an equivalent time at work (if you have a job), your access (or lack of access) to wealth, how useful what we shared was for you, the value of supporting us and our families, and the value of increasing access of others.

Notes About Accessibility
We want our house to be safe for all of us, including people with chemical sensitivities, so please no perfume or other fragranced products. We find that often guests do not understand this request, so if it is unfamiliar to you, you might read about chemical sensitivities here: http://invisibledisabilities.org/educate/chemicalsensitivities/whygofragrancefree/ .

Our house is not currently wheelchair visitable as defined by the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (we have four steps up to the front and the bathroom clearances are too small.) If any guest who uses a chair or other mobility device or has other accessibility needs would like to visit, we’re interested in discussing what we could do.

There is a dog but no other pets.

Comments Off on Can We Love the “System”?

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