Category: Peace Education

What is a Peace Pole?

Peace Pole in Charleston, SC

A Peace Pole is usually a four-sided pole with the message and prayer “May Peace Prevail on Earth” written in four languages, one on each side.

Thanks to the efforts of the Peace Pole Project, to date there are more than 200,000 Peace Poles planted in over 190 countries around the world, all serving as a reminder for us to visualize and pray for world peace. Continue reading “What is a Peace Pole?” →

Alternatives to Violence Project – Training in Columbia, SC

The Alternative to Violence Project (AVP) is being offered for the first time in South Carolina, sponsored by The Columbia Friends Meeting (Quakers).

Each workshop will be held at the Columbia Friends Meeting House, 120 Pisgah Church Road, Columbia, and will include five meals.  The Basic workshop will be held Friday, all day Saturday, and Sunday afternoon for a total of 18 – 20 required hours.  A $25 donation is suggested; scholarships are available.

AVP workshops are each limited to twenty participants. Each workshop builds upon skills learned in the previous workshop. The sessions are divided into three workshops; the Basic workshop is on December 12-14, the Advanced Level workshop is scheduled for January 9-11, 2015, and the Training for Trainers workshop is on February 6-8, 2015. Participants are encouraged to sign up for each of the workshops. A certification of completion is given upon completion of each workshop.  Registration deadline for the December workshop is Dec. 1, 2014.

The Alternative to Violence Project uses a series of experiential learning exercises to teach skills of non-violent conflict resolution.  Specifically, the focus is on Affirmation, Communication, Cooperation, Community, and Creative Conflict Resolution.

AVP is a non-denominational, multi-ethnic/multicultural international conflict resolution program. Currently hundreds of volunteers are presenting AVP training in 42 states and in 12 other countries.

This approach to resolving conflicts is being utilized in prisons, schools, and community organizations in society where violence seems to be increasingly prevalent.

AVP (www.avpusa.org) was developed in New York State in 1974, after the Attica riots, through collaboration between the Quaker community and inmates of the New York State prison system. The fact that they developed the format, exercises, and methodology cooperatively makes the workshops such an effective process.  AVP has a spiritual base but promotes no religious doctrine. We believe there is a power for peace in everyone which, if we are open to it, can transform violent situations.

For more information, contact Diane Butler at 803-727-6307; phil419dbutler@gmail.com or register online at http://goo.gl/f5024R or download, print and mail your registration.

The Class of Non-Violence, Jun 7-Sep 20

We now have dates and a location for The CSRA Class of Non-Violence.

We’ve reserved Study Room C at the Headquarters Library at 823 Telfair St, Augusta, GA, 30901. Each class begins at 6:30 pm and ends at 8:30 pm on the first and third Tuesdays of June, July, August and September. Study Room C is on the 2nd floor, behind the Reference Desk.

There is no attendance requirement, so even if you can only make one session, you’re welcome to come. Reading the suggested readings for each lesson is recommended but not mandatory.

RSVPs are recommended but not mandatory. There is limited space, and if it becomes necessary, we’d need to look for an alternate venue. RSVP requires creation of a free account at Meetup.com.

  1. June 7 – Introduction to Non-Violence – Facilitator Denice Traina (RSVP)
  2. June 21 – Gandhi – Facilitator Matthew Bosisio (RSVP)
  3. July 5 – Dorothy Day – Facilitator Bill Bobo (RSVP)
  4. July 19 – Martin Luther King, Jr. – Facilitator Terence Dicks (RSVP)
  5. August 2 – Feminism and Non-Violence – Facilitator Shannon Nix (RSVP)
  6. August 16 – Techniques and Methods of Non-Violent Action – (RSVP)
  7. September 6 – Civil Disobedience and Suffering in the Way of Non-Violent Action – Facilitator Terence Dicks (RSVP)
  8. September 20 – Non-Violence and Animals – Facilitator Bill Bobo (RSVP)

If you would like to facilitate one or more of these sessions, please e-mail Ayman Fadel or text him at (706) 284-3002.

Update June 1: We have acquired The Facilitator’s Manual for the Class of NonViolence!

Great Opportunity – Need to Raise $450 in 1 Day

At last night’s meeting, the CSRA Peace Alliance members reviewed various options for non-violence education. It turns out that one of our members is in a position to take the first step in certification in Kingian non-violence training from The King Center in Atlanta, GA. This person needs financial assistance to attend a 4-day training seminar in Atlanta November 12-13 and December 3-4.

The registration fee is $199. I estimate a hotel night each Friday to total 2 x $70 = $140. Fifteen gallons of gas each trip total 2 x $42 = $84. Then throw in $20 each trip for food for another $40. So the grand total on expenses for this comes out to $464.

The current bank balance is approximately $50. Our voting on this matter is essentially how much money people pledge for this project. Please call or text Ayman Fadel at (706) 284-3002 with the amount you pledge. You can also e-mail your pledge. To actually donate, follow these instructions.

Nov 9 Organizational Meeting Focuses on Non-Violence Education

On November 9, 2010, at the Maxwell Branch Library on Lumpkin Rd, from 6:00 pm – 7:45 pm, the CSRA Peace Alliance plans to hold its monthly meeting.

The main goal of the meeting is to discuss implementation of the goal on which the attendees of the July 2010 Peace Retreat agreed. Continue reading “Nov 9 Organizational Meeting Focuses on Non-Violence Education” →