2002 Program Report

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Detroit, Delhi, and Dracula's Castle

By George Lakey

"I expected to be talked down to, but you're so down to earth! You didn't give me less respect. Meeting someone who is an adult who is still active is inspiring, and it's inspiring that even though you're so busy doing so much, you came here to talk to me!" - high-school age youth activist

"I had some fear I might be overwhelming, but you're so strong, that didn't happen. This dialogue addressed my loneliness, which happens when there are no young people in political work I'm part of." - older, seasoned activist

Education through dialogue is at least as old as Socrates, and continues to be an effective and empowering technique, judging from this project. It was needed because the bruises sustained by the Philadelphia area during the Republican National Convention hadn't healed; instead, the gap between the generations threatened to become permanent. There was a further gap between campus-based activists and non-college activist youths.

Thanks to a grant from the William Penn Foundation, TFC in cooperation with the Civic House of the University of Pennsylvania launched an Activist Dialogue Project in May01. The one-year project concluded in May02 with two tangible products. A dialogue manual full of colorful stories from our experience was posted on the TFC website so other cities can initiate their own dialogues. Also, a volunteer committee of activists, older and younger, meets periodically to monitor the situation and consider whether new interventions need to be taken to strengthen the activist communities.

"I had stereotypes of you because you're a boy and a Penn student; I think of them as not thinking deeply about how their personal life relates to activism." - young non-campus-based activist

"Talking with you gives me hope. You are courageous, astute, intelligent. The laughing was fun. And the silence -- space, quiet -- helped me, too." - older, seasoned activist to youth.

The first phase of the dialogues was one-on-one, in coffee houses and at kitchen tables. Three TFC staff (a Penn student, a non-college youth, and a seasoned activist) facilitated these one-on-ones until the growing trust enabled group dialogues. 17 of these group events occurred before the end of the project.

"I want to encourage this explosion that happens with people when they realize they are good enough -- they think, 'I am good enough, in myself and in relation to others.'" - older, seasoned activist

"I'd assumed that 'older people don't get it.' Now I realize that I'm totally off base on this one, and I'm going to keep talking to older people!" - Penn student leader

TRAINING CURRICULUM APPROVED IN NEW DELHI BY NONVIOLENT PEACEFORCE'S FOUNDING CONVENTION

Leaders from 40 countries and six continents came to New Delhi in November to found the most ambitious effort yet to create a global version of Gandhi's dream -- a "shanti sena," or peace army. The organizers of Nonviolent Peaceforce asked TFC to draft a training curriculum for the nonviolent soldiers who would be recruited from around the world and then sent to areas of hot conflict to save lives and protect human rights.

TFC already had a track record in this field: it had trained volunteers for Peace Brigades International and Christian Peacemaker Teams, and even trained their trainers. TFC had also gathered lead trainers from a number of groups in the field and published the results of their consultation. This time TFC got a two-year grant from the U.S. Institute of Peace, supplemented by generous contributions from individual donors and Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting of Friends, to be able to research extensively, experiment, and invent new training tools. The result (soon available on TFC's website): the most extensively researched training curriculum in the field of third party nonviolent intervention.

Daniel Hunter joined TFC's staff in late01 to head up the research effort, and soon was consulting humanitarian organizations like Doctors without Borders and the International Red Cross/Crescent, conflict resolution experts like the West African Network for Peacebuilding, academics, Norwegian Army colonels with experience in UN Peacekeeping, and of course the pioneers in the field like Peace Brigades International. Daniel and George Lakey wrote the 100 page draft in time for the training committee of Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) to review it and then adopt it in principle at New Delhi. NP is asking TFC to play a major role in implementing the training and training a pool of trainers from around the world who can eventually take over the work. TFC will therefore devote major time to this work in03.

36 WORKSHOPS IN NORTH AMERICA WITH ALMOST 1000 PARTICIPANTS

Even while doing the Activist Dialogue Project and the Nonviolent Peaceforce training curriculum, TFC staff and Training Associates led 36 workshops from Oregon to Massachusetts, Vancouver to Detroit, Arizona to Minnesota to Virginia. 9 were diversity workshops (race, class, gender, sexual orientation); 4 were organizational development/leadership workshops; 7 were nonviolent strategy workshops. The workshops in the U.S. had 19% participation from people of color.

The White People Confronting Racism series continues, led by Antje Mattheus and Lorraine Marino, and won national attention through the publication of a new study. The Project Change Anti-Racism Initiative and the Aspen Institute selected TFC to be among the ten U.S. programs described in depth in their new book Training for Racial Equity and Inclusion.

TFC continues to be asked by activist leaders to facilitate strategy workshops: two that were notable in02 were Philadelphia's coalition United for Public Schools and Canada's national Solidarity Assembly meeting.

TFC trained trainers in 16 workshops, including the Ruckus Society and a North American collaboration between Baptists and Muslims. The Super-T once again attracted participants from Asia and Europe as well as North America, including a trainer from the Otpur youth movement which led the nonviolent overthrow of Yugoslav dictator Milosevic.

CONTINUING BALKANS TRAINING PLUS THE FIRST-EVER ASIA SUPER-T

For the third time George Lakey travelled to the Balkans (Romania this time, near Dracula's castle) with Claudia Horwitz, for the University of Bologna's ongoing youth leadership development project. 37 young adults from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo built their leadership skills and at the same time confronted their violent recent history. (Full report: see "Dracula's Castle.")

The International Network of Engaged Buddhists for the first time organized a Super-T, with 24 participants from East Timor, the Philippines, Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand. The intensive 16 day workshop focussed on popular education and TFC's multi-cultural approach. While in Thailand, George Lakey also led an "alumni" workshop for 16 Thai trainers who over the years have participated in his workshops. The participants included an equal number of Buddhist nuns and monks, as well as lay people. (Full report: see Asian Super-T)

As the U.S. becomes ever more reluctant to grant visas to allow participants from less developed countries to train in TFC's Philadelphia Super-T, internationals are increasing their requests for TFC to facilitate workshops abroad.

TFC MOVES TO INCREASE "RIPPLE EFFECT" OF ITS TRAININGS

"Training for Change suggests that individual learning and self-awareness emerge from experiencing risk, conflict and mistakes, especially if they are balanced by humor, fun, and reflection. . . .the program holds that supporting grassroots, nonviolent social movements and offering advanced training for activists is the most effective means for achieving their goals of promoting local decision-making, empowering people, and creating a racism-free world." -- Ilana Shapiro, Ph.D., after observing TFC workshops for the national study on anti-racism training.

TFC's challenge is to make this kind of training available to more and more social movements.02 found us training trainers and working to increase the accessibility of our approach to training.

Two more TFC Training Associates were added, bringing the group to eight. (See website for more including photos.) Marj Fulmer joined us as office coordinator.
The website was re-designed to include a new section on training tools, to share manuals, and to enable people to order literature on-line (as well are register for workshops and donate money to TFC).
We made 13 presentations to activists with over 1,000 total in audiences.
George Lakey continues as ZNet commentator, focussing on strategy and leadership tools for a global audience of subscribers increasingly concerned about war and other major violence.
We published articles and a widely-discussed pamphlet rebutting Ward Churchill's attack on nonviolence ("The Sword that Heals"), contributed to books being published for activists, and gave permission to other websites to carry our materials. An Internet search reveals literally thousands of references and descriptions of our tools and ideas on other websites!).

TFC's Board decided on a process of strategic planning for TFC's future, involving study, writing, and intensive workshops led by a consultant. In an unusual move, the board agreed to re-constitute itself from its mainly local membership into a new board based internationally. The first meeting of the new board elected Kathleen Anderson President. The writing of the strategic plan is in its final stage.

The funding base of TFC continues to come from four sources, in round numbers: workshop fees, $25,000 (18%); consulting fees, $24,000 (17%); foundation grants, $48,000 (34%); individual donations, $44,000 (31%). In02 income totalled $144,000. Expenses were $180,000, which included spending for programs that were funded by grants given the previous year. Financial report available by request, either preliminary or audited.

Since grassroots groups can rarely pay what it actually costs for TFC's training and materials, the work is made possible by the generosity of individuals and foundations who know that training can make a difference in sustainability and effectiveness. On behalf of over a thousand activists who have, in effect, been scholarshipped by these thoughtful funders, we thank you!