M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence

Dialogue Circles
2022-10-13 18:00 - 2022-10-27 19:30 (America/New_York) | NY
Dialogue is an incredible tool. By using skillful dialogue, we can harness the power of diversity. Join us for this three-part workshop series to deepen your knowledge about using dialogue as a peacebuilding and conflict resolution strategy. Youssef Slilem, our Community Solutions Program Fellow, developed and refined this workshop in Morocco. We are excited to share Youssef’s knowledge and experience with our Rochester community. Some MKGI staff will join Youssef to facilitate this series.
Workshops will include dialogue circles, interactive exercises to learn and apply communication strategies, and space for each person to express their beliefs and perspectives.

Conflict De-Escalation Workshop 2.0
2022-10-09 15:00 - 18:00
This in person session is designed to help us develop and exercise skills to transform conflict and de-escalate tense situations within ourselves and with others. We’ll work through scenarios and practices to collaboratively respond to potentially violent situations in ways that enable and promote safe outcomes.
*This is for participants who have already attended a de-escalation workshop or have pre-existing experience in de-escalation.
If you want to join and haven’t been in a workshop before, please contact gwen@gandhiinstitute.org.

Nonviolence Debate
2022-09-24 18:00 - 19:00
Copy description here.

12th Annual Open House
2022-09-24 13:00 - 16:30
It’s time for our annual Open House celebration! We’re thrilled to open our doors and green spaces to our community *in person* this year. Whether you’re a long-time friend of the Gandhi Institute or have never checked us out before, we hope you’ll join us for this all-ages, joyous, and connecting event. Here are some of the things we’re excited to share with you at the Open House:

Delicious food!
Face painting!
A labyrinth scavenger hunt!
Music!
Games!

…And more! We hope you’ll join us and celebrate community together for as much or as little of the time as you can make. Feel free to register or just show up. Bring folks in your circles, and please spread the word – see you soon!

Garden Work Party
2022-09-17 12:00 - 2022-11-19 15:00
Drop by our community garden any time between 12:00 and 3:00 pm on Saturdays to help us plant, weed, and tend the garden, and deliver food and flowers to our neighbors. Wear casual clothes and closed-toe shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Tools and gloves will be provided.

Transformation Technologies
2022-09-16 09:00 - 16:30
Join us for this special event with friend of the Institute, Petra Kumm who will be visiting us from Germany!
Based on the work of facilitator and author, Kelly Bryson, this workshop will introduce participants to exercises that build connection and establish fields of trust within groups that allow us all to show up authentically. Bryson described these games and exercises as Connection Exercises. One of them is the Forum, an exercise that was developed in the German community ZEGG which Bryson described as “…the greatest tool for a community to communicate with itself.”
We hope you’ll join us for this exciting opportunity to learn, play, and build community in person at the Gandhi Institute on September 16 from 9 am to 4:30 pm. Space is very limited for this special event, so please register soon!

Yoga in the Labyrinth Fundraiser
2022-09-08 18:00 - 19:00
Join us on Thursday September 8th for a fun, relaxing summer fundraiser. We’ll spend the evening doing yoga on our outdoor meditative labyrinth. Tickets start at $5, please give what you can.
Bring your own mat if you can, but we will have extras.
Our flow will be led by Eileen Casey-Campbell, who teaches all body types.

Yoga in the Labyrinth Fundraiser
2022-08-25 18:00 - 19:00
Join us on Thursday August 25th for a fun, relaxing summer fundraiser. We’ll spend the evening doing yoga on our outdoor meditative labyrinth. Tickets start at $5, please give what you can.
Bring your own matt if you can, but we will have extras.
Our flow will be led by Eileen Casey-Campbell, who teaches all body types.

Changemaker Retreat 2022
2022-08-08 09:30 - 2022-08-10 16:00
Announcing the MK Gandhi Institute’s 2022 Nonviolence Retreat! Join us for three days of in-person community-building and fun as we explore nonviolence together! Some of the topics we’ll explore include:

Understanding different approaches to nonviolence
Talking with people across big conflicts and differences
Practicing skills to de-escalate tense situations
And much more!

This retreat will be in-person at the Gandhi Institute from 9:30 am – 4:30 pm with a break for lunch. We offer this retreat on a sliding scale and ask for you to contribute what will work for you while considering our sustainability. Space is limited so please register soon!

Please contact Gwen (gwen@gandhiinstitute.org) with any questions or concerns.

Yoga in the Labyrinth
2022-07-21 18:00 - 19:00
Join us on Thursday July 21st for a fun, relaxing summer fundraiser. We’ll spend the evening doing yoga on our outdoor meditative labyrinth. Tickets start at $5, please give what you can.
Bring your own matt if you have one, but we will have plenty of extras.

Dinner with the Community
2022-07-13 18:00 - 2022-09-14 20:00
Join us for community dinners throughout the summer in the Gandhi house and garden.
Let’s connect, talk, mourn, celebrate, exchange stories, create ideas, dream, and get to know each other over a shared meal! Bring a dish if you can, but if you can’t don’t worry, we’ll be cooking up a few of our own. Everyone is welcome — you can donate if you would like to, but all we ask is that you bring curiosity, respect, and an appetite!
If you want to join, please let us know by emailing bianca@gandhiinstitute.org

Grief Circle
2022-07-12 12:00 - 2022-08-30 13:00
“People are not going to find their truth-force, or inner authority, by listening to the so-called experts, but by listening to themselves. Every one of us is an expert on what it is like to live on an endangered planet.” -Joanna Macy
Join Bianca Pointner and Kit Miller for weekly virtual circles to honor our pain for the world and to unlock that stored energy for present and future good. All people, and every kind of grief, are welcome.
We continue to meet Tuesdays at 12pm through July and August at 12pm EST. You are welcome to join all sessions or you can drop in for as many sessions that work for you.
For questions feel free to reach out to: bianca@gandhiinstitute.org

De-Escalation Workshop
2022-07-10 15:00 - 18:00, 2022-06-09 17:00 - 18:00
Join us on July 10th for an in-person workshop to develop and exercise skills to transform conflict and de-escalate tense situations. Participants will work collaboratively to respond to conflict in ways that enable and promote safe outcomes. This event is open to all community members and free of charge (donations accepted). Walk-ins are welcome, but please pre-register if you are able to.

VIRTUAL: Policing Black Bodies
2022-06-27 19:00
A presentation and community conversation with co-authors, Angela J. Hattery and Earl Smith. Sponsored by Elders & Allies (E&A) to support Free the People Roc (FTP).
*Policing Black Bodies (rev. 2021) can be purchased in advance at Hipocampo Books, 638 South Ave.

IN-PERSON: Policing Black Bodies
2022-06-27 19:00
A presentation and community conversation with co-authors, Angela J. Hattery and Earl Smith. Sponsored by Elders & Allies (E&A) to support Free the People Roc (FTP).
Register below to join in person. If you’d like to join virtually, please register here.
*Policing Black Bodies (rev. 2021) can be purchased in advance at Hipocampo Books, 638 South Ave.

Let's Talk About Hate
2022-06-16 19:00 - 2022-06-23 21:00
What is hate? How does it shape our thoughts, identities, and communities? What can we do about it? Join Kit Miller, Jonathon Jones, and Matt Liston for a 2-part workshop dedicated to exploring this seldom discussed topic through a variety of perspectives and traditions.
Read ‘Medicine for Hate’ in the blogs section of our website to read a blog by Kit reflecting on her experience facilitating the first ‘Let’s Talk About Hate’ workshop.
Cost of registration is offered on a sliding scale, please select the option that works best for your budget.

Gandhi tea social
2022-06-09 15:30 - 16:30
Meet us for a cup of Chai and some good conversation.

Grief Circle - BIPOC ONLY
2022-06-01 18:00 - 20:00
The purpose of this Grief Circle is to create a space and time for people who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color to come together, in the wake of the killings that took place in Buffalo on May 14th. Come and feel safe in expressing yourself and collectively processing the actual and intended harm that was done. We can take this step toward healing together.
You can participate in this grief circle in person at the Gandhi Institute, or you can join online on Zoom. Directions or zoom link information will be provided in the confirmation email.

Big Tech, Mental Health, and Social Change
2022-06-01 12:00 - 2022-06-29 13:00
WEDNESDAYS JUNE 1ST – JUNE 29TH / 12:00 – 1:00 PM EST
On average, people in the US spend about 3 hours on their phones per day and 8 out of 10 of us check them within fifteen minutes of waking up. In just a handful of years, smartphones and social media have become a nearly ubiquitous part of our lives. Yet we may be wondering: has the growth of these technologies has outpaced our examination of their meaning? In this experiential workshop series, we’ll explore a variety of aspects of smartphone and app based technology and their impacts in our collective lives. Some of the topics we’ll explore include:

How app design may influence individual behavior and mental health

The relationships between algorithm design and social influence in groups

Conflict and peacebuilding in online spaces

Organizations, groups, and strategies on the cutting edge of building more healthful, nonviolent, online ecosystems

Join Gwen for this exploration on Wednesdays from noon to 1 pm for all of June. Hope to see you there!

Book Group: Your Children are Very Greatly in Danger by Justin Murphy
2022-05-26 16:00 - 2022-07-21 17:00
That Rochester has a segregated past, despite being a northern city, would not surprise long time residents or even visitors to our community. However, few of us have an understanding of the deep roots of this segregation in our school systems and how they persist and impact youth, and all of us, to this day. Join Alex and Chyna for a facilitated book group of local author Justin Murphy’s new book Your Children are Very Greatly in Danger. We’ll read and discuss what we learn as well as strategies for making changes to this deeply harmful structural violence.

Meeting times: May 26th, June 9th, 23rd, July 7th & 21st from 4:00pm – 5:00 pm EST.

For any questions or requests please feel free to reach out to our facilitators alex@gandhiinstitute.org or chyna@gandhiinstitute.org.

*Spaces are limited to provide intimacy over the virtual platform.

Gandhi tea social
2022-05-26 15:00 - 16:00
Join us at the Gandhi house for a cup of tea and good conversation!

Garden Work Party
2022-05-21 14:00 - 17:00
Join staff and board members to help clean the garden space and take care of new plants at the start of the growing season. Even if you can’t make the whole time, we definitely appreciate your support for a shift or two. Wear weather-appropriate clothes that can get dirty and closed-toe shoes.

Nonviolent Communication: Communicating For Change
2022-05-09 17:00 - 2022-05-30 19:00
For many folks, effective communication has never felt harder or more important. Given the challenges our communities have been facing, it can be easy and almost irresistible to disengage from others, rather than talking about what’s really going on and to share a vision of where to go from here. Learning Nonviolent Communication offers one avenue for engaging deeply with ourselves and one another so we’re better equipped to keep doing the work of building a future that works for all.
Join us for four weeks of online exploration and practice in Nonviolent Communication through thought, speech, and embodied practices.
We will explore how to apply this framework through discussions, interactive break-out rooms, & roleplays.
Registration & Cost:
Capacity is limited to 30, please register below to reserve your spot. In an effort to make our events as accessible to as many people as possible; If you have any questions feel free to reach out to: bianca@gandhiinstitute.org.

Nonviolence At Work (Pace e Bene)
2022-05-05 12:00 - 2022-06-02 13:15
This series focuses on how we can embody nonviolence at work through our relationships, skills and structures. We’ll explore what nonviolence at work looks and feels like in the workplace on the personal, interpersonal, and professional levels. We’ll dig into how we can co-create processes, practices, policies, and spaces that are anchored in active nonviolence. Each session is 75-minutes long, designed to fit into your workday. Feel free to bring your lunch/breakfast/coffee.

Weekly Grief Circle
2022-05-03 12:00 - 2022-06-28 13:00
“People are not going to find their truth-force, or inner authority, by listening to the so-called experts, but by listening to themselves. Every one of us is an expert on what it is like to live on an endangered planet.” -Joanna Macy
Join Bianca Pointner and Kit Miller for weekly virtual circles to honor our pain for the world and to unlock that stored energy for present and future good. All people, and every kind of grief, are welcome.
We meet Tuesdays starting May 3rd through June 28 at 12pm EST. You are welcome to join all sessions or you can drop in for as many sessions that work for you.
For questions feel free to reach out to: bianca@gandhiinstitute.org

This series of Grief Circles is supported by our friends from River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding.

Garden Work Party
2022-04-30 11:00 - 2022-11-05 15:00
Drop by our community garden any time between 12:00 pm and 4:30 pm on Tuesdays and 11:00 am and 3:00 pm on Saturdays to help us plant, tend, and harvest food and flowers with our neighbors. Wear casual clothes and closed-toe shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Tools and gloves will be provided.

Gandhi Tea Social
2022-04-19 15:00 - 16:00
Grab a cup of tea and join us to learn more about the work we do in the Rochester community.

Soulforce III
2022-04-09 13:00 - 15:00
Join us Saturday, April 9th for the return of our annual spring fundraiser, Soulforce! This year’s virtual event will include inspiration from and fun with the Gandhi team, updates on work both local and beyond and some opportunities to engage with likeminded people from around the US. Tickets start at just $20.00, all proceeds are tax deductible and benefit the Gandhi Institute’s work.
Look for some fun online competition the week before. Help us exceed our spring fundraising goal of $6000.

Gandhi tea social
2022-04-07 14:30 - 15:30
Join us for a cup of Chai and good conversation.
