Non-violence Training

[Joe Brummer]

Though I would share with you all, that I have been accepted to train as a "trainer" for Kingian non-violence training. Since my partner is currently unemployed, they are allowing me to do the trainng on a partial scholarship! I will do 5 weeks of training every Friday night and every Saturday to beome a trainer. Then I will be doing trainng of non-violence in schools from the third grade all the way to collage age students....I am very psyched to do this...It sounds like such an exciting chance to learn and to teach!

[Zerbie]

What a wonderful adventure! Bet you'll grow a lot from it. Not to mention what a service you'll be doing all those you train in future. Congratulations.

What group/institution offers this training? Do they have chapters all over? Or only in your area?

[SolInvictus]

Congrats Joe!!! Good luck & a blessed journey you are beginning.

[Jennifer5]

Congratulations! :weee:

Be sure to tell us how it all goes.

[Vanessa White]

Congratulations, Joe, and good luck to you in training to be a trainer. I, like Zerbie, would like to know the who, what, and where about the program. I do a lot of training in addition to my counselor job, and I love doing a blend of both. That type of training, if it were available or could be brought to our area somehow, would be totally awesome. Peace and blessings Vanessa

[Joe Brummer]

you can find out more about the training here:

http://www.nonviolenceinstitute.org/2006/02/register_now_fo.html

[Vanessa White]

Thanks for that Joe! Peace, Vanessa

[Joe Brummer]

I thought you would all get a kick out of following my trainning to be a non-violence trainer. Tonite was my first training of 5 weeks of training every Friday for 3 hours and every Saturday for 4 hours. Tomorrow is longer.....

What a great nite. We played the name game in the begining. Each person had to say their name with an "positive" adjective to describe them. I was Jumping Joe.... You then had to go around the room and say your name with the adjective and the names and adjective of those before you.......that is hard with 35 people in a room.

We then talked about our values, and discovered we have the same values regardless where we come from, what our race is, what our background is...etc....our core values and what we feel is important in life.....is the same.

In the next group activity we had to all hold hands and jump over a rope, never breaking the hands. (think that mexican agme...limba...limbo..I can't remember the name" The rope was kinda high....so we had to figure out how to get everyone over the rope.....or start over......wow, the only way it can be done is "the beloved community" It really makes you think about how we all need to help out each other. It makes you think the only way to get over the rope is to plan together, help each other. A great excersice......


We then defined violence....then non-violence.....very cool discussions....great insight into what we see as violence as that non-violence is not the opposite of violence. Understanding and learning is th opposite of Violence.

I was given some homework. Due tomorrow morning. SOrry I have to complain about that....homework? due tomorrow, on a friday night? that is violence.....just kidding......

I so enjoyed day 1, I really took home the thought that inside we all strive for the same things.....I so enjoyed being around a whole room of people, who are, as into striving for the "beloved community" as I am.......

As we train every Friday night, and most of Saturday. I will update you later on tomorrow's class....

I am very excited to become a trainer of non-violence....going into the schools and organizations and teaching the "journey" is going to be rewarding for me. I look forward to the idea that I can help to spread the message about the principals of non-violence to kids who can use it to bring us closer to what MLK would call the "Beloved Community" . These are kids who live in violent worlds. Gangs and violence, Bullying, and strife.....what better way to change the world than this...

I will update you more after tomorrow...

[BillPLed]

Hello Joe. I am wondering if there is a text that you are using in this training. I just ordered a workbook called Engage: Exploring Nonviolent Living. It is from the Pace e Bene Community. I know nothing about this community except that it seems to be Franciscan. I did a fairly through search of the net and came across this workbook. It seemed to be good from what I could tell. I work in an in-patient alcohol and drug abuse clinic and am working on creating a new lecture on "everyday non-violence." I ordered several other books as well (including Wink's Jesus and Non-Violence and a book by the Fellowship of Reconciliation). Anyway, I was just wondering what type of curriculum they were using in this training. I am glad you are keeping us informed about this training. It sounds great.

[Joe Brummer]

The training is based on the writings on Dr. King and Gandhi, but more King. I would reccomend reading stride to freedom from Dr. King, especially the section which you may find on line called "pilgrimage to non-violence"

I think the idea of everyday non-violence sounds great. I started to write something like that for my blog and have yet to finish it. I will at some point but time has been limited for me lately.

I don't know anything about that workbook, but I would be interested in it.

[Joe Brummer]

Okay day 2 of training was amazing. SO much philosophy on principles Dr. Kings gave us for non-violence. We also watch some PBS on the civil rights moving so we could understand what it means to suffer for a cause bigger than yourself. We talked much about the dream of a "beloved community". I so love this dream and belief.

Day 2 was long goining until 3PM from 9am. I was really wiped out by the end but feel I have learned so much in 2 days time.

We did some cool group work too where each group wrote questions about the priciples of non-violence and the other groups answered them. Very stimualting. Great way to exchange ideas.

I will update you more after my next few trainings.

[Joe Brummer]

Well, this was weekend #2 of my Kinging non-violence training of trainers. The training was much more intense this weekend. Firday night was really focused on the letter from the Birmingham Jail, the 6 steps, and learning how the principles appply to the steps.

Saturday was even harder, we had an exam on the history on non-violent movements....no, I don't know if I passed, but I think I did okay. In a very unlike me event, I actually remembered all the dates of the non-violent movements of the civil rights movement. I am not so good with dates.

Saturday also brought tensions as we were asked to take modern issues, real issues and apply the steps to solving the conflicts. ANti-gay chrsitians is one of the groups projects, unions was another, and rights of convictied felons was another...1 counted off into groups and I was assigned to the group...how fitting.....talking about anti-gay christians. It was hard to apply the steps of non-violence to each detail. Especially step 6. Something for all of you to think about on your journey to the beloved community....what is reconciliation for us? When do we find it? What is the win-win solution into the beloved community where anti-gay christians can maintain their beliefs about gays, and gays can maintain justice?

I don't know the answer to this question, but it is one to think on.....

[Jennifer5]

Joe, this sounds like a great training program.... you must love getting to do this... even if it is hard... this sounds facinating...

[Joe Brummer]

I love it, but I must say the last two days of training have left me uneasy......different people apply the philosphy differently and at different degress. SOme want so much to be non-violent but cannot let go of their anger and turn it to love. I wonder how they will be trainers of such an important philosophy. I struggle like all of us on my journey to a non-violent life.

I know the rest will be challenging, musch more than I thought. I have been forced to re-examine the world I live in and find a way to do it all ....non-violently, and then teach that to children who so need to hear the message of Dr. King and Gandhi. Their lives are filled with violent video games and gangs.....then me asking them to be non-violent....that is a challenge.

[Jennifer5]

I'm one of those who would love to have you be able to teach me about non-violence... I wisk I knew more.:love:

[Joe Brummer]

As much as I love this, and really truly believe this is the way for gays and lesbians.....and jews and christians....and muslims and Hindus.....and black and white..........I know this is the way to peace.

We must start to recognize even at the daily level, on a trip to homo depot that the angry grumpy clerk who doesn't want to help us.....non-violence will work....collect the facts....educate.....self-purify......negotiate......direct action.....reconciliation......

It all works......If you would like to learn it....read the principles.....read the steps....and then think of conflicts in the world and apply them. In the msallest conflicts in our lives can be solved with non-violence.

I bet you will see ...they work!

[Jennifer5]

what particular principles and steps though???:love:

[Joe Brummer]

The six principles
http://www.thekingcenter.org/prog/non/6principles.html

The six steps
http://www.thekingcenter.org/prog/non/6steps.html



also try this article from Soulforce. It is a 4 step self-study in Non-violence
http://www.soulforce.org/article/566

[Jamie McDaniel]

We must start to recognize even at the daily level, on a trip to homo depot that the angry grumpy clerk who doesn't want to help us...
Just a side note that Home Depot scores an 86 on HRC's Equality Index. :)

[Joe Brummer]

and as a home owner, I live there every weekend....

[Jennifer5]

Thanks for the links Joe :)