M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence

August Community Dinner is around the corner! Join us at the Gandhi Institute on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 PM EST. Everyone is welcome.

Let us know that you are bringing dishes or snacks by emailing [email protected]

Register to join here: https://www.giveffect.com/campaigns/33741-august-community-dinner

Join Erin and Michael for our next Breakfast Chat on Tuesday, August 13 at 8 AM EST!

We recently visited the University of Rochester's Simon Business School to chat about Cultural Humility as part of their program orientations, check out these moments from one of our workshops with them!

Update: We have decided to postpone this year's Changemaker Retreat.

Presently the Gandhi Institute is undergoing adjustments to personnel and programming, and we have realized that we must claim this time together to regroup as a staff in order to ensure the continued viability of operations from a financial and logistical standpoint and to fully lean into our mission going forward.

Celebrating the Community Space created by one of our Youth Healing Hate grant recipients. This project group wanted more meeting spaces for neighbors in their community, so they created one! Over months, the group worked to transform a green space into a community meeting space for neighbors in the PLEX neighborhood. Check out this pic from the opening celebration!

A quote from a recent blog post.

Read it on our website!

Major thanks to all of our supporters that make it possible to work in rcsd!

Have you heard of our workshop series in partnership with the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, Transforming Conflict: Nonviolence and Restorative Justice for LGBTQ+ Leaders?

Across the country, activists, leaders, volunteers, and stakeholders are engaged in important work to change the world. However, they often find themselves stuck at a crossroads of conflict, unable to both address the conflict, and move through it to achieve a positive resolution. Given the state of the world, our LGBTQ+ community needs to be as strong as ever. We can transform society through strengthening our relationships.

The Gandhi Institute, in collaboration with the Rochester Rainbow Union, is hosting 6 workshops targeted towards LGBTQ+ leaders. These 2 hour long workshops will help give LGBTQ+ leaders the skills to work through various types of conflict (internal and external) to improve the health of our local community. There are 20 available slots for this workshop series, filled on a first come first come basis. There is no charge to attendees, and we ask that they commit to the entire series. Sessions will be facilitated by Gandhi Institute representatives.

For many folks, effective communication has never felt harder or more important. Given our communities' challenges, it can be easy and almost irresistible to disengage from others rather than talk about what’s really going on and share a vision of where to go from here. Learning Nonviolent Communication offers one avenue for engaging deeply with ourselves and one another, so we’re better equipped to keep building a future that works for all.

Join us for an exploration and practice in Nonviolent Communication, Difficult Conversations, Cultural Humility, Feedback Learning Labs, Restorative Practices, Grief Circles, and Conflict Transformation.

Workshops will take place from 10 am to noon on the following dates:

-Thursday, October 3rd

-Thursday, October 17th

-Wednesday, October 30th

-Thursday, November 14th

-Tuesday, November 26th

-Thursday, December 12th

This workshop series is generously made possible thanks to a Trillium Health Pride Grant and the Support of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence.
bit.ly/conconfl

Join us for Conflict in the Comments 2.0! This online conversation with Rivera Sun and Dominic Barter will be on Friday, July 26 at 12 PM EST.

Learn more & register here: https://www.giveffect.com/campaigns/33243-conflict-in-the-comments-2-0

Summer's here, and so are our Community Dinners! Don't miss the next Community Dinner on June 25 at 6 PM. Bring a dish if you would like to, but don’t worry, we’ll be cooking up a few of our own! Everyone is welcome.

Stop by or register using the link in our bio! Let us know that you are bringing dishes or snacks by emailing [email protected]

Join us on July 27th for a workshop for transforming conflict and de-escalating tense situations. Participants will work collaboratively to respond to conflict in ways that enable and promote safe outcomes.

Registration is open for the 2024 Changemaker Retreat! Build community & explore nonviolent strategies with us on August 19-22. RCSD staff can get professional development credit for participating in the retreat!

Register to join here:
https://www.giveffect.com/campaigns/32145-changemaker-retreat-2024

Join us for one more month of online Grief Circles! We'll be taking a break after June 27.

Grief Circles are weekly online spaces for support online and in the community, to honor our pain for the world and to unlock love and energy. Every kind of grief is welcome.

Thursdays 12-1 pm EST

Join us on June 22 at 10:30 AM EST to connect over a shared brunch & dialogue. Whether you've personally navigated life after incarceration or want to foster understanding and support, all are welcome to contribute their voices and experiences.

Bring a dish if you would like to, but don’t worry, we’ll be cooking up a few of our own. Everyone is welcome, but we ask that you bring curiosity, respect, and an appetite!

Register to join here: https://www.giveffect.com/campaigns/32415-sharing-stories-to-build-community

Nonviolence News: Kenya’s Water March, Chile’s Fashion Landfill & Gaza Encampments Are 97% Peaceful This week, Nonviolence News is full of stories that remind us that our actions make a difference. There are 15 success stories in this issue, ranging from the US pausing weapons shipments to Israel to activists in India stalling a coal mine. You'll also find articles on Kenya's water march, Chile's....

Join the Gandhi Institute for three free weeks of gardening basics. Participants will be given space in the community garden to put their new knowledge to practice. Neighbors can sign up to take car of a garden bed for the whole summer - those outside of the PLEX neighborhood can plant and tend to space in our stone-lined beds. Seeds, starters, water, and tools will be provided on workshop nights. Families and youth of all ages are welcome!

Sign up here: https://app.giveffect.com/campaigns/32360-beginner-gardening-workshops

Join us for our May Community Dinner on May 29 at 6 PM EST.

Bring a dish if you would like to, but don’t worry, we’ll be cooking up a few of our own.

Everyone is welcome — you can donate if you would like, but all we ask is that you bring curiosity, respect, and an appetite!

Let us know that you are bringing dishes or snacks by emailing! [email protected]

Garden volunteering starts next Saturday! We will be there from 1:00 - 3:00 pm (but first, visit the Urban Agriculture Conference held at Edison Tech on April 27th!).

Tools + tasks provided - just dress in comfortable clothes that can get dirty. We are planting cold-weather crops and prepping garden beds. But we are almost past danger of a last frost and into full growing season.

Sign up here: https://app.giveffect.com/campaigns/31434-garden-work-parties

It was a pleasure having student volunteers from at our March Community Dinner!

Breakfast Chat is on Wednesday this week!

We wanted to remind our friends that this month's breakfast chat is on Wednesday.

What would you like for breakfast?

Here are some highlights that you can expect at Soulforce 2024! This special evening will feature a keynote speaker, musical & dance performances, catering, and an open bar! We hope that you'll join us on April 13 🌟

Lots of smiles at our latest De-escalation workshop with Forward Leading IPA (FLIPA), in Syracuse. These workshops are intended to practice skills to reduce violence and keep each other safe in our communities and work environments.

Save the Date for August 19-22! Our annual Changemaker Retreat will be four days of community-building and fun. Stay tuned for more details and registration.

Join us tomorrow!

You’ll get to play for a cause and learn about the Gandhi Institute, while enjoying Dice Versa’s diverse game selection, tasty food, drinks, with some good company!

That makes 4 Good reasons to play!
1. Every roll of the dice and every card drawn supports the Gandhi Institute’s mission of promoting nonviolence through education and action.
2. Discover how your participation contributes to building a more nonviolent, just, and sustainable world.
3. Play classics like chess or Scrabble to modern favorites like Wingspan, there’s something for everyone!
4. Eat delicious snacks and beverages, and make new connections with fellow beautiful souls.

Join us for an evening that’s both fun and meaningful.

https://app.giveffect.com/campaigns/31148-gandhi-games-at-dice-versa

Join us for the return of our spring fundraiser, Soulforce!

Connect with us on April 13 for an unforgettable evening filled with good vibes, good company, and the power to make a real difference alongside the inspiring Dr. Rashid Muhammad! ✨

Don't miss out! RSVP today and be part of creating a better tomorrow!

RSVP and learn more here: https://www.giveffect.com/campaigns/30961-soulforce-2024

Special guests will be joining us for this month's community dinner! A team of EcoReps from the University of Rochester will give a brief presentation on sustainability and help us minimize waste as much as possible at this event. See you soon for good food and conversation!

Some non-violence content for your day!

Check out "Decolonizing Nonviolent Communication," a workbook by meenadchi, that we're loving! Want to read it in community? Katie and Bianca are doing a 4-week book group around this workbook on Thursdays, starting March 14. This will be an intentional BIPOC-only space.

Register to join here: https://www.giveffect.com/campaigns/30275-decolonizing-nonviolent-communication