Saturday, 8:30 am-4 pm March 13, 2010 (Snow date: March 14)

Pine Tree State Arboretum, 153 Hospital St., Augusta

For more information Larry Dansinger, ROSC, (207) 525-7776 or rosc [at] psouth [dot] net

Why a Day to Learn about Nonviolence?

In a world filled with violence, how can we offer a different way to address problems and resolve conflicts?

Even though our ethical and religious or spiritual principles tell us not to use violence, it is the world norm. We have little knowledge of the history of nonviolence, from the abolitionists to women’s suffrage to the civil rights movement to today’s actions against oppression and the US war in the Middle East.

We revere icons of nonviolence like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi, but we don’t practice what they taught. Nor do most of us have the awareness, education, and training to use nonviolent action consistently instead of violence.

The messages we get from governments, the media, popular culture, workplaces, schools, the military and sometimes even religion and the family is that it’s OK to use violence.

Our goals for this day will be to:
*help all of us broaden our views of how nonviolence can be a force for positive change and effective action;
*help us (re-)evaluate the role of nonviolence in our daily lives;
*identify nonviolent options to use in situations where violence seems to be the norm;
*help us to practice using nonviolence on a daily basis.

Schedule for the Day:

8:30 AM — registration, read materials, relax, get ready

9 AM — Introductions

9:30 AM — What is nonviolence and why is it important?

9:40 AM — “Empathy for Activists”

10:45 AM — Break with “light n’ lively”

11:00 AM — “Communication Circles: an Exercise Exploring the Art of Talking and Listening”

12 noon — Lunch (potluck, bring food to share)

1:30 PM — Small groups looking at how to practice nonviolence in the world—Nonviolent Direct Action, Nonviolent Lifestyles, “Pro-Peace Messaging,” Nonviolence in Schools/Reducing aggression in children, Restorative Circles

3:00 PM —Break + light and lively

3:15 PM — Summary of highlights from small groups, sharing experiences, etc.

3:30 PM — Feelings about the day, where can we go from here, evaluation of the day.

4:00 PM — Finish and clean up

Some Facilitators (others to be added) of Small and Large Groups Include:

Peggy Smith — Maine Nonviolent Communications Network
Peggy is the first Mainer to be certified by the Center for Nonviolent Communication (www.CNVC) as a trainer; offering workshops, seminars, and coaching to individuals, organizations and businesses.

Sue Rudalevige — Coordinator, Maine Alternatives to Violence Project
Sue believes there is no peace without justice and has been an advocate for change in the criminal justice field for over 30 years.

Linda Coté-Small — Facilitator, Alternatives to Violence Project workshops
Linda volunteers for the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) in Maine prisons, and has facilitated many workshops, including ones on “being peace” and the Earth Charter.

Wells Staley-Mays — Program Director for Peace Action Maine and Secretary, Maine Freedom Trails
Wells is a fan of writers and practitioners such as Adin Ballou, Gandhi, King, Tolstoy, and Alice Paul and has studied nonviolent movements, particularly the abolition of slavery, labor history, and the struggle for women’s rights.

Sally Breen — Action Committee, Peace Action Maine
Sally is a long-time activist seeking to abolish nuclear weapons and all forms of war.

Chuck Saufler — Safe Schools for All
Chuck was the coordinator of the Maine Project Against Bullying (1997-2000) and is founding member of the International Bullying Prevention Association.

Bob St. Peter — Director, Food for Maine’s Future
Bob grows food and seeds with his family in Sedgwick and is editor of “Saving Seeds,” Maine’s food sovereignty journal.

Andrew Donaldson — Former Board Chair, Good Life Center
Andrew lives on a small, non-electric homestead in Sedgwick.

DIRECTIONS

Coming from 1-95 South or North (Portland, Lewiston, Waterville, Bangor): Take the Augusta-Route 202 Exit # 109A (Western Avenue); head east towards Augusta on Western Avenue to the capitol rotary. Go 180 degrees around rotary to the 2nd exit. Go over the Memorial Bridge crossing the Kennebec. At the next rotary, (former Cony High School on the corner, now CVS drug store and Hannaford’s near by) take the first, immediate right exit onto Stone Street. Follow Stone Street though the lights (road now becomes Hospital Street). The turn to the Pine Tree State Arboretum is approximately 0.7 mile past the lights on the left, across from State of Maine brick buildings on the right. If coming from Lewiston, you can also take Route 202 to Augusta and you are on Western Ave., then follow directions above. If coming from Waterville/Bangor, you can also take Exit #113. If coming from Portland, you can also get off in Gardiner and follow directions below.

From Gardiner/Randolph: Go across the bridge over the Kennebec into Randolph. Turn left at the light. (Follow directions below from Randolph. From Randolph: Follow Route 9 north and east towards Augusta. The turn for the Pine Tree State Arboretum’s Visitor Center is on the right hand side about 5 miles from the intersection of Routes 126, 27, and 9.

From Midcoast (Belfast or Rockland): From Belfast, Take Route 3 to Augusta. (You can either take the old way to the Cony rotary or take Route 3 to Route 201 and turn left to go straight into town to the Cony Rotary. Then follow directions above for those coming from Bangor/Portland etc.). From Rockland, take Route 17 to Augusta, turning left at Stone/Hospital streets (traffic light). Follow Hospital St. about .7 mile to the Arboretum.