Peace building & reconciliation training
Donation protected
Imagine if over the course of one hundred days 20% of your community was wiped out, losses that included vast numbers of your own family members and friends. Imagine if every minute six people died, 8,000 people a day, and these were not just losses but mass slaughters you likely witnessed. Imagine if it was one of your own neighbors who participated in taking the lives of your children, spouse, extended family and friends.
How does one recover from such enormous trauma? Where does one find even a miniscule clearing within the devastated field of ones being to plant the smallest of seeds for healing and recovery?
Today, twenty years after what is known as the Rwandan Genocide those who suffered losses and those who participated in the killings are learning to move forward, to forgive, to heal, and to rebuild their community . . . and they are doing this TOGETHER! Through an amazing program they helped develop in 2003 called Healing & Rebuilding of Community, the Tutsi's and Hutu's are working to understand their trauma, loss, grief, and mourning, learn how to deal with the consequences of trauma (such as anger, depression, isolation) and to rebuild community trust.
What can we learn from people living at the edges and margins of power about creatively evolving community? What can the Rwandan people teach us about reducing the "ism's" (racism, sexism, etc.) that create such deep divides between people? And what can this country with such deep scars teach us about developing transformative healing practices?
July 24-August 18 twenty-five people will gather from all over the world to be trained as Healing & Rebuilding of Community facilitators. I'm intending to be one of them. To immerse in this project is to strengthen my capacity to do work in the areas of alternatives to violence, creative conflict resolution, mediation of deep divides in perspectives and trauma healing here in the United States.
There is no amount too small to contribute. Every dollar makes a difference and adds to this collective endeavor. Together we can make a difference. YES WE CAN!
How does one recover from such enormous trauma? Where does one find even a miniscule clearing within the devastated field of ones being to plant the smallest of seeds for healing and recovery?
Today, twenty years after what is known as the Rwandan Genocide those who suffered losses and those who participated in the killings are learning to move forward, to forgive, to heal, and to rebuild their community . . . and they are doing this TOGETHER! Through an amazing program they helped develop in 2003 called Healing & Rebuilding of Community, the Tutsi's and Hutu's are working to understand their trauma, loss, grief, and mourning, learn how to deal with the consequences of trauma (such as anger, depression, isolation) and to rebuild community trust.
What can we learn from people living at the edges and margins of power about creatively evolving community? What can the Rwandan people teach us about reducing the "ism's" (racism, sexism, etc.) that create such deep divides between people? And what can this country with such deep scars teach us about developing transformative healing practices?
July 24-August 18 twenty-five people will gather from all over the world to be trained as Healing & Rebuilding of Community facilitators. I'm intending to be one of them. To immerse in this project is to strengthen my capacity to do work in the areas of alternatives to violence, creative conflict resolution, mediation of deep divides in perspectives and trauma healing here in the United States.
There is no amount too small to contribute. Every dollar makes a difference and adds to this collective endeavor. Together we can make a difference. YES WE CAN!
Organizer
Jennifer Edson
Organizer
Santa Clarita, CA
