RantWoman suspects that the overlap of people who read her blog and people passionate about Alternatives to Violence International might be approximately zero. RantWoman thinks this is unfortunate. Alternatives to Violence is a conflict-resolution training program originally begun by Quakers in a New York prison. Since its inception Alternatives to Violence has spread to many countries with different adaptations based on culture and history. RantWoman wants her readers to attend the presentation to learn more about the ways AVP works.
RantWoman is reposting the announcement below about Guatemalan AVP volunteer Lilian Vega Ortiz' speaking tour in the Northwest in an attempt to remedy her readers' possible unfamiliarity with the work of AVP! If you live in one of the places on the itinerary and are even slightly interested in Alternatives to Violence International , RantWoman highly recommends this speaking tour. If you read all the way to the end, RantWoman MAY even provide some commentary on the event last night at her Meeting as further enticement
Alternatives to Violence in Guatemala - Lilian Vega Ortiz Join us in hearing about Friends Peace Teams work in Central America: RantWoman already has the event at her Meeting on her calendar. RantWoman is especially humbled by the wonderful quote below. After a career of volunteer social service with young people in detention facilities, Lilian Vega Ortiz now devotes her time to theological study and facilitation of workshops for the Central American Evangelical Center for Pastoral Studies, including Alternatives to Violence workshops. "I believe that all of my life experiences, as difficult as they have been, never took place to paralyze me, even though I have been a victim. Instead, they have given me strength to go forward and prepare myself to help others find their own values and find the support systems so that change can take place. I know that this society, full of adversity, needs the efforts of valiant and optimistic people, now more than ever.”
Tue., 6/29 Olympia Meeting Contact: Donna Schumann Wed.,
6/30 7 PM University Friends Center 4001 - 9th Ave. NE Seattle 98105 (just north of University Bridge, 1 block W of Roosevelt Avenue, exit 169 off I-5) Contact: Pablo Stanfield
Thur., 7/1, 7 PM Lopez Island Worship Group at the Lopez Library Contact: Ron Metcalf
Fri., 7/2 7 PM Bellingham Friends Meeting/Whatcom Peace and Justice Center, 100 E. Maple St. (at the corner of Cornwall and Maple) Contact: Doris Ferm
Mon., 7/5 7:30 PM Hosted by South Mountain Meeting and held at the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, 87 4th St., Ashland Contact: Ken Deveney
Wed., 7/7 7PM Multnomah Meeting Contact: Andy Cross Thur., 7/8 5:30 Potluck 7 PM Program Corvallis Friends Meetinghouse, 3311 NW Polk Ave. Contact: Esther Schiedel,
Fri., 7/9 Eugene Friends Meeting – presentation and benefit concert Contact: Helen Park
What stood out to RantWoman, hopefully without spoiling the opportunity to hear Lilian's own eloquent presentation.
--Lilian outlined the colonial history of Latin America and spoke of different cultures and histories in several countries where AVP noew has a presence.
--Lilian spoke movingly of a connection between opportunities through AVP workshops for women's empowerment and noticeable changes in the domestic lives of women who participate.
Lilian also got everyone who attended to participate in part of a mini workshop. For example, we got assigned to do a crafts exercise. RantWoman would say the gringos cheated: The task of the crafts excercise was to create an animal using only a total of one sheet of paper per person and masking tape. Each person was limited to only two movements per turn. People had 30 seconds to talk at the beginning and then were to work in silence.
RantWoman thinks her group defined movements broadly enough to for instance fold paper, stick on tape, and add it to the animal even though some of these steps clearly involved more than one step. For instance, Applying masking tape meant finding the end of the tape on the roll, pulling off a length of tape and sticking it where wanted.
RantWoman thinks the challenges and risks of this venture would be even more obvious if tighter limits were enforced about what is meant by a movement. Perhaps life was uncertain enough as the exercise evolved. IN any case, RantWoman heartily recommends these appearances!
For more about the history of AVP:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternatives_to_Violence_Project
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I met Lillian when she came to Lopez Island and add my encouragement to yours for people to hear her speak. I've never done AVP training, though I've heard a lot about it over the years. Lillian's stories of Guatemalan women's healing and empowerment echo those I've heard from others who have used AVP approaches in Burundi, Colombia, and prisons throughout the US. From my privileged, safe, empowered position, it's hard to fully understand the realities Lillian described and even harder to comprehend how some of these fun AVP exercises can bring about the kind of healing and transformation they reportedly do. I know there is much challenging, ongoing work that accompanies the workshops, and I'm grateful to those, like Lillian, who are doing it. Hearing her stories is powerful and humbling.
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