Monthly Archives: January 2012

Community Nonviolent Communication Gathering

We are excited to invite you to a day of NVC social gathering! We hope to encourage a large group to join together to share presence and connection from 11am to 5pm on February 25 at Maitri House in Takoma Park, MD.

The vision of this Capital NVC social gathering:
• To have a fun, free, family-friendly social event
• To build community among those involved with ‘compassionate communication’ or ‘NVC’ in the DC area
• To be as inclusive as we can for people of varying ages, family status, chemical sensitivity, gender expressions, families of origin, socioeconomic class, and mobility.
• To support continued learning and deepening of intentions and skills while enjoying fun and warmth
• To increase the opportunities for life-affirming social change

Date and timeSaturday February 25, 2012, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location:
Maitri House, a family-inclusive, NVC-inspired intentional community in Takoma Park, MD, is contributing its common space for the event.
contact ryan@notjustskin.org if you need directions
Two Blocks from the Takoma Park Food Co-Op
Walking distance from the Takoma Metro station on the Red line
Near bus stops for the Ride-On Buses 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, and the F4, F6 Metro buses.

Opportunities we anticipate during the event:
• A potluck lunch and social time all throughout the event
• An empathy room to practice being fully heard and received and fully listening and receiving others
• Various short presentations or mini-workshops on the foundation of NVC. We anticipate at this time the offerings to happen between 1pm and 3pm.
• A play area for kids of all ages with NVC activities, cooperative games, arts & crafts and lots of free play
• An optional facilitated cuddle party (see more info below) – around 4pm.
• An environment that welcomes people of all ages — children are warmly welcomed
• An opportunity to meet local NVC trainers and facilitators so people can socialize with whom is leading trainings they sign up for or send others to

What’s a cuddle party?
by Ryan McAllister, who will be facilitating this event
A cuddle party is a brief workshop on boundaries, consent, sensing what you want, and choice-fully saying no and yes. Followed by the option to invite or not invite others to cuddle with you. The format for all-grown up versions was created by a well-established group of facilitators who I respect: http://www.cuddleparty.com/faq/. They’ve given me encouragement to create a family-inclusive version of the event. We plan to conclude our NVC gathering with an opt-in cuddle party that adults, and children with their responsible adults will be welcome to join.

Potluck Lunch and Snacks:
If you would enjoy doing so, we invite you to bring a potluck lunch or snack item. The healthier the better. No alcohol, please.

Helping Out
We welcome volunteers to help setup before and cleanup after the event. Come 30 min earlier or stay 30 min later for tidying.

Other Considerations
• Maitri House intends to be a place safe for people with chemical sensitivities. So please do not bring or wear fragrances or smoke-producing products.
• Maitri House has a dog, who can be in a separate space during the event. Still, dog allergies may be an issue for some.
• While we wish it were different in this aspect, the space is not currently well-adapted for wheelchairs. If you use a wheelchair and would like to come, contact Ryan at ryan@notjustskin.org and we can describe the limitations of the space and hear from you what we can do to make it as workable/enjoyable as possible for you to attend.

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