Gandhi Fellows Reflect on the Meaning of Nonviolence

“I study theories and abstractions in class. Working with the Gandhi Institute allows me to take that knowledge and use it with a commitment to love and truth in a project that empowers oppressed youth.” – Joseph Gardella (UR Senior)

“As a native Pakistani, I had known quite a bit about Gandhi. But, I only learned about his passion for inter-religious and intercultural understanding after becoming a Gandhi Service Fellow. One of the first gifts I was given when I became part of the Institute was a book called Vows and Observances. After reading it, I was able to see how knowledgeable Gandhi was about other faiths and how he worked to incorporate all religions into his community, the Ashram, making people of all backgrounds feel welcome and respected.” Fatima Bawany (UR Freshman)

“Working with the Gandhi Institute changed my life completely. I became at peace with my inner self. The frustrations that I felt during my first year of college disappeared. I am happier and even much better at my relationships with other people.  I am learning to accept people the way they are without losing who I am. If more people acknowledged the power of nonviolence, we would solve many of the world’s problems such as global peace and security…Before I started working with the Gandhi Institute, I considered people who didn’t like me as “enemies.” However, through nonviolence lessons, I found out that an enemy is the one whose story I don’t yet know. Many people think that nonviolence is a weapon of the weak. I have found out that nonviolence is actually a weapon of the brave and not the weak.” Lendsey Achudi (UR Sophomore)

“Working with the Gandhi Institute has been such a beautiful and worthwhile experience for me. I have always desired to achieve peace in my community, and I feel like I am one step closer to my goal after learning about the many forms of peace initiatives in Rochester. The journey to peace on Earth seems endless, but does not every journey begin with a few small footsteps in the right direction?” Faye Gura (UR Junior)

Members of Gandhi Institute Celebrate Special Birthday

From the sidewalk, the house at 929 S. Plymouth Ave. looks like it’s seen many better days.

But Sunday, members of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence picked this old house to celebrate the birthday of the man who inspires their work because next year this former abandoned crack house will be the home for the institute.

“We are celebrating Gandhi’s birthday — he was born Oct. 2, 1869,” said Kit Miller, institute director. “This was originally scheduled to be a house-warming party when we started rehabbing this house months ago, but it has been an abandoned house for the past 17 years and it needed a lot more work than anticipated.”

Mohandas K. Gandhi, more commonly known as Mahatma which means “great soul”, organized nonviolent protests that eventually freed India from British rule in 1947.

Named after Gandhi, the institute is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals and communities develop resources and practical skills to promote nonviolence. The organization also sponsors classes on nonviolence, mindful communication, sustainable living and restorative practices. It is currently based at the University of Rochester.

The new center, expected to be completed in December, will offer office for staff, a meeting area and rooms for visitors.

“But literally when we got in there it was filled with furniture with crack pipes on the floor and it was a crack house,” Miller said. “It’s actually looking beautiful to me right now.”

The century-old house is actually owned by David Skinner and David Knoll, who own 26 houses in the southwest neighborhood across the river from the University of Rochester. Skinner said he first came to the neighborhood in the 1970s as a UR student. After graduation he returned in the 1980s to Rochester and started investing, with partner Knoll, in the area.

“We are really delighted at the prospect of luring the Gandhi institute into the neighborhood,” said Knoll. “They wanted an urban community presence and we are looking to bring a positive energy to our neighborhood.”

The university has been promoting the area for students for the past several years. Neighborhood leaders are beginning to see changes in the area with new investment such as the Staybridge Suites hotel at Brooks Landing and the Gandhi Institute.

“Words cannot describe what is happening in this neighborhood,” said John Borek, co-chair of the Southwest Common Council. “It is transforming and it is a collaborative effort of many, many people.”

JBLACKWELL@DemocratandChronicle.com

Gandhi Fellow Fatima Bawany Reflects on 9/11

Bismillahir rahmanir raheem; with the name of God, most gracious, most merciful.

            For me, September 11, 2001 seemed like any other day. As always, my third grade class went through our writing exercises; as I was practicing my cursive, suddenly, our teacher received a phone call, and grew very silent. Immediately, he turned on the TV, and cries of confusion and wonderment filled the classroom as we watched the Twin Towers crumble to the ground, surrounded in dark gray clouds of smoke. As an 8-year old, I didn’t quite understand what the images meant, or why the eyes of the people onscreen were shining with fear, and my frustration only grew when the same footage was on every TV channel at home.

            I realized the next day how directly 9-11 would affect me; at lunchtime, one of my classmates determinedly stood up, pointed at me, and loudly declared, “Fatima. If I ever saw one of your people, I would shoot them right in the middle of their turbans.”

            Throughout the rest of the day, my mind was buzzing with questions and ideas, sparked by confusion, anger, and fear. Who were these people, these strangers, who had twisted my religion, one of the most influential forces in my life, into something evil and monstrous? The Muslims I knew were people I admired, people who inspired me with their love and kindness: my parents, my teachers, and my friends.

            In the next few years, Islam faced attacks from all sides of the political and social spectrums; at the same time, though, people grew more curious to learn about the faith that seemed so controversial. I resolved that the only way others would open their eyes to the peaceful and beautiful truth of my faith, a truth that was apparent to me, would be if Muslims, including myself, took on an active role in educating others as well as themselves about Islam, through their actions, words, and character. I became heavily involved in interfaith work, seeking out opportunities to build relationships based on an exchange and appreciation of another’s experiences. I began to observe the hijab, the Islamic way of dress, eager to strengthen my personal connection with God, while acting as a clear symbol of my faith.

            As a result of my efforts, and those of other Muslims and non-Muslims alike, I saw my peers begin to understand Islam more clearly, to the point where my friends would quickly reprimand anyone who even suggested that Muslims supported violence. The Rochester interfaith community is unique in this sense, eager to celebrate and explore differences rather than suppress or criticize them. It is this quality that must carry us into the future; on this tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001 we must make a decision: will we let ourselves be consumed by the negativity and hurt that resulted from 9-11, or will we accept it as a challenge and emerge from it stronger, on both a personal and community level? In the end, how we deal with this tragedy, and how we let it affect us, will decide whether we strive for a brighter future, or live in a painful past. 9-11 was a shocking and heartbreaking event for all Americans, and it is through remembrances and dialogues that we will come together as a community and unite in the face of hardship, striving for healing and supporting each other. Our nation was able to bond together against intolerance in the past, with the civil rights and suffrage movements; today, interfaith understanding presents a beacon of hope for Americans of all generations, and just as we have in the past, we shall overcome.

The Double Anniversary of September 11

The following is the text from remarks that Gandhi Institute director Kit Miller offered during Rochester’s Interfaith Remembrance ceremony on Sept 11, 2011.

I am here to speak about a call to action.  I have thought of dozens of things to share in these 5 minutes.  I have wondered about all of you, whose lives have been directly and indirectly changed forever by the events we remember today.  I would like to share three calls to action with you.

The first is a piece of wisdom I have treasured since hearing it ten years ago, at an interfaith gathering in Rochester just  after the events we remember today.  Responding to a heartfelt question from the audience, I remember Dr. Mohammed Shafiq from the Islamic Center of Rochester recommending ‘people of faith cool down and get humble’.  I repeat, ‘people of faith, cool down and get humble. ‘

I have carried that advice with me to many situations and it has served me well.   This is the first call to action I recommend today.

The second thought I would like to share comes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  King pointed out that many of us focus the majority of our attention on the people involved in the situation, rather than on underlying issues.

He urges us to do the creative unexpected thing-to focus our attention on the issue instead of the people.  Individuals come and go, and the issues stay the same.  I have found this principle helps at home and at work as well as in community and political life.  The second call to action today is to keep your attention on issues.

Today is a double anniversary.  105 years ago a crowd in Johannesburg, S Africa stood with Mohandas Gandhi and made a vow of nonviolent resistance against a proposed law that would in effect reduce Indians and other ‘Asiatics’ in S Africa to semi-criminal status.  Sept 11, 1906 marked a new way of waging conflict, when thousands of people chose to peacefully harness their spiritual values to create political change.  The power of the golden rule, do unto others as you would have done to you, which every religion in the world espouses, was harnessed.  They vowed ‘We will not oppose the person, we only oppose the injustice that person currently stand for’, which frees us both.  What was born that day ultimately influenced more than fifty countries to shake off the yoke of colonialism.  It has been and remains a mighty force for change.   The events this year in Cairo in Tahrir Square which launched the Arab spring attest to that.

The third call to action today therefore is to watch your own thoughts and stories about what this day means.  If we believe that evil and violence are inevitable, then that is the future we will likely create.  Instead, include the golden rule in your dealings with others and let’s ask our leaders to do the same at the national and international level.  We are part of an unfolding story whose unknowable outcome is up to us.  Thank you.

For more information on the 9/11 double anniversary, view the booklet “Hope or Terror? Gandhi and the other 9/11” written by Professor Michael Nagler, founder of the Metta Center in Berkeley, California

http://mettacenter.org:8000/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/hot.pdf

2011 M.K. Gandhi Summer Institute

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110818/NEWS01/108180324/1002/NEWS

Donna Durbin spends her workdays helping to mediate such issues as custody disputes and visitation rights.

But this week, Durbin, who is director of family programs for the local Center for Dispute Settlement, is using her vacation time to sharpen her peacemaking skills.

As one of 26 participants in the M.K. Gandhi Summer Institute at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Durbin is exploring — in a big way — the principles of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

“We as citizens must do something about violence,” Durbin said Wednesday, after watching a video in which King explained his nonviolence philosophy.

Participants this week have listened to guest lecturers, meditated together, and joined in discussions and other group activities. The sessions end Friday.

“What is inspiring is to learn with other people of different backgrounds,” said George Payne, who is on the staff of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, the group that organized the event.

One of Wednesday’s activities was a game called “crocs and frogs,” which promotes team-building and cooperative use of scarce resources.

Whenever the sound of a box of rice being shaken stopped, the participants — the frogs — had to hop on pieces of newspaper strewn on the ground, representing lily pads in a pond.

Anyone not able to find a piece to stand on was out of the game — devoured by the crocodile.

“If the crocodile eats you, I’ll give you a hug,” said Gandhi Institute staff member Shannon Richmond, wanting to ensure that a cooperative spirit would not be lost during this activity.

As the game progressed, organizers reduced the pieces of newspaper on the ground — requiring the participants still in the game to share what they stood on.

The Gandhi Institute is a nonprofit organization that is legally separate from the University of Rochester but based on its campus. UR is the institute’s biggest funder. A house on South Plymouth Avenue soon will also be used by the institute as it expands into the community.

Gandhi organized nonviolence protests that eventually freed India from British rule in 1947. This week’s program is another example of the institute increasing its community outreach.

The 26 participants are almost all from the Rochester area, but include Australian resident Emily James, 25, who this year has been traveling to South America, Mexico, Canada and the United States, staying with activists and attending events that promote peace.

Another participant, Devin Wiesner, 37, of Rochester recently left his corporate job and is hoping to find a new career working for social change.

He said that some of the principles that he used in dealing with people in his past career will have application in his new endeavor.

“Show compassion,” Wiesner said.

Teaching People Power

Gene Sharp didn’t topple Mubarak, of course. The Egyptian people did that. What he did do was write books that activists in Egypt—like activists in other countries, from Serbia to Burma and from the Baltic states to Iran—found useful in forging their own revolutions.

http://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/index.php/news-and-media/featured-news-stories/1477-teaching-people-power

Gandhi Institute Newsletter-Special Edition Egypt

Dear Friends, Here at the Institute, we were as mesmerized as the rest of the world in the last weeks by the unfolding events in Egypt.  And we are inspired, learning of the training and preparation that Egyptian activists undertook in these last few years, that helped give form to the ‘spontaneous’ uprising of the Egyptian people. To learn more about this, here is a story in this week’s New York Times about one of the lesser-known proponents of Gandhian nonviolence, Gene Sharp This is a link to a video shot during the last few weeks about the work and discipline used by the April 6 movement in Egypt. People and Power I pray that many more people around the world will study and take up the practices of nonviolence, to create a world that works for all. In peace and hope, Kit Miller for the Gandhi Institute

Gandhi Institute in the Democrat and Chronicle

The M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence was mentioned in the Business section of today’s Democrat and Chronicle. Below is an exerpt of the article. For the full article, please go to:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011101310316

University of Rochester students Joseph Gardella and Lorenzo Mendez recently gave a classroom of Rochester middle school students a lesson in nonviolence.

Mohandas Gandhi, more commonly known as Mahatma which means “great soul”, organized nonviolent protests that eventually freed India from British rule in 1947, Gardella explained.

The Wilson Foundation Academy students, who were being counseled on conflict resolution, were then played a CD with the message, “Be the change that you want to see — just like Gandhi.”

As volunteers with M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence at UR, Gardella and Mendez make weekly visits to the Wilson academy — trying to make Gandhi’s message relevant.

Gardella, 21, is a UR senior from San Diego and Mendez, 20, is a junior from Brooklyn.

The importance of their mission became all the more apparent because on the same morning of their visit, funeral services were being held across the street for UR student Jeffrey Bordeaux Jr. He had been stabbed to death during a dispute with another UR student, Daren Venable, who has since been indicted on one count of second-degree murder.

Located on the UR campus for most of the past four years, the institute is one of more than 300 such peace and justice programs at colleges that in large or small ways promote nonviolent solutions to disputes.

Language, Nonviolence, and A Culture of Peace

‘No culture has devised a means for talking without highlighting some things at the expense of others’
Edward T. Hall The Silent Language

During a recent workshop at the Gandhi Institute, a group of students spent time looking at the war and violence embedded in everyday language. We looked for war-like language in the areas of sports, politics, business, entertainment, and common expressions. In 10 minutes, we discovered dozens of phrases—from ‘spearheading’ a project to ‘killing a bill’. Several people said they felt shock at seeing how commonly these words appear.

Does it matter that English, rapidly becoming the lingua franca of the world, has hundreds of phrases where war and violence are invoked, however unconsciously?

I have been trying to rid my language of violence for years, a work in progress. I do it as an awareness practice, as a nudge to stay conscious of the power of words on my mind, relationships, and actions.
Language is not a neutral vessel; it is a mold that shapes the way people think and act.

Kit Miller