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...
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