[Peace] Reminder Sunday, January 22, Restorative Practice Group (2pm) and Great RC Essay!

[Karen Medina]

Reminder: Sunday, January 22, Restorative Practice Group and Great RC
Essay, Walking Toward Conflict!
at the Urbana Free Library, 2pm.

All are welcome - including folks with no prior RC experience. Bring a
friend - or someone with whom you are having conflict! :)

------------------- Now for the essay: -------------------

Walking Toward Conflict

by Dominic Barter
January 9, 2012

At the top of one of Rio de Janeiro’s favela shantytowns—one of
several recently occupied by heavily armed military police units—an
uneasy gathering begins. Where moments before children chased a ball,
now local leaders on several sides of Rio’s long and complex social
divide assemble to hesitantly, courageously look at each other and at
what they have in common. The gathering includes members of resident
associations, local shopkeepers, elders, youth leaders, police, and
members of the drug gangs that, until recently, controlled the running
of community life.

A few short weeks before, these same actors had met in the same place
but in a completely different way: enmity across class and social
divides had exploded into petrol bombs, rubber bullets, and serious
injury. Strategies of repression and revolt came to blows; outrage,
pain, and fear followed. As the Brazilian saying goes, “we’ve seen
this film before.”

Now those present at the gathering form a circle. This simplest, most
ancient of social patterns describes an intention—to recognize the
other, to share meaning, to invite truth-telling...

The rest of the article is available for $2.00 from Tikkun Magazine
(special Restorative Justice issue).
I encourage you to consider the purchase, both because the article (in
my opinion) is worth far more than a cup of mocha - and because I know
Tikkun is struggling to stay afloat right now.
http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/walking-toward-conflict
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Improve Communication - Surviving and Thriving in Conflict, Parenting and Love
Talking To Strangers - 52 Weeks of Giving Away What I Love and Value
to Perfect Strangers