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We are in a critical time. What we do matters. We participate in the making of our world through the everyday moments of our lives. How we live into these moments shapes the future that is emerging. 

Our world is made up of relationships - with ourselves, our partners, families, communities, organizations, institutions, and the other social worlds in which we are located. These relationships are shaped by many small moments that, taken collectively, create relational patterns and culture. We can use these moments to intervene in established dynamics, shifting momentum towards the worlds we imagine, to worlds of justice, peace, and liberation for all beings. 

These moments include:

- when we encounter our own conditioning 

- in difficult conversations 

- when we cause, experience, and/or witness harm 

... as we learn and unlearn in community, and organize and advocate for change. 

Like any skill, nonviolence requires practice. "Finding the Way(s) Between" is a place for that practice. Join us in community as we practice nonviolence and cultivate our ability to live wisely into everyday moments to shape our lives, our world, and our future. 

“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all of the time.” - Angela Davis

The practice:

We’ll ground this practice into experiences in our own lives. We’ll use the serpentine model from the communication theory, the Coordinated Management of Meaning, to map relational episodes and identify critical moments. In small groups, we’ll examine these moments through a variety of frameworks and explore what living wisely into these moments could look like. Through this reflective practice, you will gather tools and insight to implement going forward. Each week we’ll repeat this process to cultivate relational skillfulness, learning with and from one another. 

We’ll prepare for this practice through two intro sessions. Attending both sessions is required to enter into the practice group. 

1) Intro Part 1 -  Introduction to the serpentine model on Thursday, July 23rd @ 5 - 6:30 pm PST. 

2) Intro Part 2 - Introduction to our practice framework on Wednesday, July 30th @ 5 - 6:30 pm PST.

After these two intro sessions, you can join in with the ongoing weekly practice Wednesdays, 5 - 6:30 pm PST. 

*If you are interested in joining the practice group but are unable to do so at this time, you can email [email protected] and ask to be put on a mailing list to receive notice of future offerings. With the view we have from this point of time, we anticipate offering additional intro sessions in the future.*

The facilitator:

Sarah Bunting (she/her) is a scholar-practitioner and educator whose being is organized around a commitment to relational wellbeing. Her curiosity centers on this question, “How do we participate in creating the worlds we imagine by living wisely into the everyday moments of our everyday lives?” Sarah’s work crosses disciplinary boundaries. She draws from systems theory, communication theory, critical social theory, conflict transformation, peace building, restorative practices, circle processes, somatics, psychology, mindfulness, dance, aikido, Ayurvedic medicine, and ecology. She is deeply informed by her own embodied experience, her intimate connection to nature, and affinity to the liminal. Sarah recently completed a thesis at Goddard College. Sarah has brought this form of practice to the Irresistible book club community and Rivera Sun’s Summer Peace Literacy Program.

This event will happen virtually using the Zoom online conferencing platform. If you are not familiar with this platform, click here for instructions.

This is an event being offered in the Gift Economy. No fee is being requested, but donations to East Point Peace Academy are welcome.

Please note: if you encounter any problem with the registration form below, please email [email protected]. Thanks!