Monthly Archives: January 2010

Dialogue with a Voice for Creative Non-Violence

Join us on Sunday, January 24, 2010, for a potluck with renowned activist Kathy Kelly discussing war and peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan at Maitri House.

6:00 Potluck – 7pm Presentation – 7:30 Discussion

Bring a friend! Children welcome!

Questions?  Contact Tarek (202-374-0369)

In consideration of those with chemical sensitivities, we request that you avoid bringing smoke- or chemical fragrance-producing products.

Kathy Kelly co-coordinates Voices for Creative Nonviolence, (www.vcnv.org) a campaign to end U.S. military and economic warfare. As a co-founder of Voices in the Wilderness, she helped form 70 delegations, from 1996 – 2003, that openly defied economic sanctions by bringing medicines to children and families in Iraq. Kathy and her companions lived in Baghdad throughout the 2003 “Shock and Awe” bombing. More recently, she has visited Gaza and Pakistan, writing eyewitness accounts of war’s impact on civilians. Kathy was sentenced to one year in federal prison for planting corn on nuclear missile silo sites (1988-89) and served three months, in 2004, for crossing the line at Fort Benning’s military training school. She and her companions at the Voices home/office in Chicago believe that non-violence necessarily involves simplicity, service, sharing of resources and non-violent direct action in resistance to war and oppression. Kathy hasn’t paid federal income taxes since 1980.  See vcnv.org/kathy-kelly-long-version for a more complete biography.

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Making Friends—Nonviolent Communication Style

by Lynd Morris

Have you been wishing you knew a few more people who could communicate with you from an awareness of the beauty and universality of needs? The Capital NVC database now includes more than 1,000 people and all of them are invited to gather for our community celebration from 11:00 to 3:00 on Saturday, January 9th, at Maitri House in Takoma Park, Maryland.

Meet other people practicing NVC, share a potluck lunch, and hear about some of the inspiring peacemaking projects members of our community are engaged in. There will also be an empathy room for people to receive and offer empathy (coaching will be available for those who’d like it); a space for youngsters to play (unsupervised); an area for posting NVC- and other peacemaking-related resources, flyers, and books; and a chance to talk about what support you’d like to receive for growing NVC in yourself and to offer for growing NVC in the Metro DC area.

Letting us know you are coming (and the number of people you may be bringing), will allow us to set up the space comfortably. Just send an email to Ryan McAllister any time before January 9th. But, if it works better for you to decide at the last minute whether or not to come, that would be fine, too—you (and your family) are welcome.

Please consider bringing:
• A potluck dish (be prepared to list ingredients for people with food allergies) and serving utensil
• Plates and cutlery for everyone in your party
• Folding chairs/backjacks, if you have them

Please consider offering to:
• Arrive up to an hour early to help set up (let Ryan know if you can do this, if you RSVP)
• Stay a little late to help clean up
• Rotate through the empathy room to offer your compassionate listening for 15-30 minutes or so.
• Bring NVC- or peacemaking-related resources to post/share
• Hang out in the children’s space to get to know our youngest community members and provide time for their parents to get/give empathy, eat lunch, or participate in any of the presentations.

Our tentative schedule for the day:
11:00 a.m. – Noon Welcome and social hour
Noon – 1:00 p.m. Potluck lunch
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Presentations and practices
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Closing circle/celebration
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Clean up
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Empathy room and children’s space

Contact Ryan McAllister if you have questions or comments regarding any aspect of our upcoming community gathering.

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