Podcasts about ahimsa collective

How large of a force is shame in shaping the behaviors we see in society and ourselves? In this talk, René Rivera gently but powerfully guides us through the terrain of shame, drawing from personal experience, restorative justice work, and Buddhist teachings. He names shame as one of the five primary human emotions and explores how it subtly drives fear, anger, and avoidance.René relates how shame shows up intensely in work with people who've experienced or caused sexual harm and how facing it consciously can lead to healing and growth. He also ties shame to cultural patterns of oppression, suggesting that unexamined shame fuels collective harm, such as the political targeting of marginalized communities.To help us recognize and transform our own shame, René shares several tools and frameworks:Shame vs. Guilt: Shame is “I am bad,” while guilt is “I did something bad”—guilt can motivate action, while shame tends to immobilize.Compass of Shame (Nathanson):Attack Self: Internal harshness or over-apologizing.Attack Other: Blaming or lashing out.Withdrawal: Avoiding situations that might evoke shame.Avoidance: Distraction or pretending nothing happened.Body Awareness: Shame often shows up in physical sensations like sinking or heat; returning to the body anchors awareness.Reflective Questions (inspired by Byron Katie):Is it true?Can you absolutely know it's true?How do you react when you believe it?Who would you be without it?Is this mine?“Shame Report” Practice: Sharing shame stories with trusted others to dissolve secrecy and regain perspective.René encourages us to remember that our shame responses often began as survival strategies. Bringing compassion, curiosity, and community to our experiences allows us to shift from painful self-concepts toward healing and freedom.______________René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man.René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation Center and other meditation centers. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence. ______________ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

As part of our series, “A World Beyond Revenge” on Restorative Justice, today's episode features Yoana Tchoukleva. She is an attorney, community organizer and restorative justice practitioner. She has held dozens of restorative justice accountability processes, both inside of carceral institutions and in the community. Most recently, she served as Assistant District Attorney in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office where she expanded access to Restorative Justice Diversion for youth and adults facing felony charges. Currently, she teaches Restorative Justice Diversion at UC Berkeley School of Law, leads a new reentry project at Impact Justice, and supports many movements for change. Yoana received her JD from Berkeley Law and her BA in International Human Rights from the University of Chicago. You can email Yoana at ioanaq@gmail.com. You can reach out to her on Instagram @yoana.tch, and on LinkedIn. Please consider donating to Atunse Justice League through their fiscal sponsor Restorative Community Solutions, and to The Ahimsa Collective. Yoana would like to give special thanks to Sujatha Baliga, Shilpa Jain, Zakee Hutchison and Jonathan Bradley. When not working, Yoana serves as an elected delegate to the California Democratic Party, Vice Chair of the Oakland Public Safety and Services Oversight Commission (SSOC), and Legislation Committee Co-Chair of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee. She lives in Oakland on unceded Ohlone land and loves to dance.Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Content/Trigger Warnings: crime, assault, justice, incarceration, explicit languageLINK TO OUR LISTENER SURVEY! We've come up with a short audience survey, which you can find linked in our show notes and in the bio of our Instagram page @actuallyhappening. We'd love to hear your opinions and feedback, and we'd really appreciate your point of view. Link below:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxV-6qeNAOuIAbBnuSJpoyqE3tlvusxb069dZCUC1RWeLfEg/viewform Social Media:Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcast Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Wondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at wondery.com/plus Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com Intro Music: "Illabye" – Tipper ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources: National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's episode is a departure from the standard format of this podcast to revisit a topic we explored back in 2021, which is sexual abuse in capoeira. This remains an ongoing issue, and with this episode, where I am joined by Natasha Távora Baker (Pequena) of the Natasha Explains It All podcast, we hope to get listeners up to speed on what's been happening since the last episode and what we as a capoeira community can do about it.Trigger warning: this episode includes discussion of sexual violence and abuse, including of minors. We reference various resources and campaigns during this episode and they are:CapoeirAcolher, on Instagram @capoeiracolher: supporting survivors of sexual abuse in capoeira and doing prevention work in Brazil Please support the GoFundMe campaign to get CapoeirAcolher formally off the ground and registered as a non-profit.https://gofund.me/62e2b467Participate in the #RaulPresente (on Instagram @raulpresente) campaign to bring justice to capoeirista Raul, who was abused by his capoeira instructor: Record video of yourself in support of victims of sexual abuse within capoeira and end by saying “Raul presente” (Raul present) to raise awareness and put pressure on the judiciary to move Raul's case forwardMestra Colibri of Capoeira Brasil ChicagoSchool's website: https://colibricb.com/School's code of conduct: https://colibricb.com/code-of-conduct/Instagram: @chicagocapoeiracenter @katiacolibriYoutube: @katiacolibriParticipate in Mestra Colibri's global survey on Identifying Barriers to Women in Capoeira, in English (for the US), in English (for non-US), Portuguese, Spanish, German, and FrenchMarias Felipas, a collective doing work to promote gender equity in capoeira, on Instagram @mariasfelipas The Ahimsa Collective, https://www.ahimsacollective.net/, is one organization that can help your group navigate conflict and harm repair

Can turning away from pleasurable experiences actually limit our practice?In this talk René Rivera shares that there are wholesome states that signal we are on the path to awakening. However the pleasurable states often get a "bad rap" in Buddhism as something to be avoided so as not to trigger craving.  René summarizes the importance of pleasure by quoting Betty Martin:"Pleasure is a powerful change agent. Pleasure helps you make friends with your body and that changes the sense of who you are in the world, and your sense of self worth, value and compassion. Many fears and inner conflicts resolve. That is why it is often said that pleasure heals."He also leads the sangha in an exercise to explore an everyday object with one's hands. The intent is to find the ways in which we may find nourishment by introducing the act of noticing. Focusing on pleasurable sensations is a good way to begin because that's where our mind naturally gravitates anyway. ______________ René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man.René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation Center and other meditation centers. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence. Support the Show.______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.GayBuddhist.org.There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

How do we bring our practice into the difficult moments of relationships with others? Can we learn from these and approach them with curiosity and presence as an opportunity to grow? René Rivera looks at the ways our practice can help us become more aware of when our words or behaviors generate conflict. He shares his approach to mend these transgressions, including: Be present with ourselves. Pause and focus on the sensations and emotions we feel when we make a mistake, such as shame, anger, or frustration. Open to the other person. Turn with curiosity to understanding the other person, such as acknowledging what has been said and being open to feedback.Seek to repair the damage; make amends sooner rather than later. ______________ René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man.René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation Center and other meditation centers. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.GayBuddhist.org.There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

What might educators learn from practitioners of conflict mediation and transformative justice? What does it look like to enact “beloved community” in our classrooms, organizations, and movements? What should teachers and learners do to better align our ideals of justice and equity with our day-to-day practices?Peace educator and nonviolence practitioner Kazu Haga joins us to reflect on these questions and more. The author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm (2020), Kazu has spent 20+ training communities in practices of conflict reconciliation, harm reduction, and nonviolent action. As the founder of the East Point Peace Academy, and now as a core member of the Ahimsa Collective and the Embodiment Project, he has taught restorative practices to high schools and youth groups, prisons and jails, and numerous activist and social movement organizations around the world. He is the recipient of several awards, including a Martin Luther King, Jr. Award from the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the Gil Lopez Award for Peacemaking. His next book, Fierce Vulnerability: Direct Action that Heals and Transforms, will be published in August 2024.Credits:Co-hosted and co-produced by Tina Pippin and Lucia HulsetherAudio editor: Aliyah HarrisIntro music by Lance Hogan, performed by Aviva and the Flying PenguinsOutro music by Akrasis

GUEST:René Rivera (he/him) is a meditation teacher and restorative justice facilitator working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer Latinx trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, as a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive people, and offers classes and retreats for many Buddhist centers and groups. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender based violence.Find René's talks and guided meditations for EBMC's Alphabet Sangha on YouTube. Here are also a few of his talks and conversations on Spotify on Gender and No Self, Attachment Trauma Repair, Bringing our Mindfulness to Powerand Bringing Compassion to Conflict.Article in Lion's Roar: Finding Nonself on My Gender Journey

GUEST:René Rivera (he/him) is a meditation teacher and restorative justice facilitator working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer Latinx trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, as a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive people, and offers classes and retreats for many Buddhist centers and groups. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender based violence.Find René's talks and guided meditations for EBMC's Alphabet Sangha on YouTube. Here are also a few of his talks and conversations on Spotify on Gender and No Self, Attachment Trauma Repair, Bringing our Mindfulness to Powerand Bringing Compassion to Conflict. Article in Lion's Roar: Finding Nonself on My Gender JourneyHOSTDalila Bothwell (she/her), a Dharma practitioner in the Insight Meditation/Theravada Buddhist tradition and a graduate of Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leader Program.  She served as Deputy Director of New York Insight Meditation Center for nearly a decade where she learned the priceless value of sangha and the role relationships play in embodying the teachings and in creating kinder human beings.  With a formal education in food and nutrition, her practice meets at the intersection of physical and emotional wellbeing while being Black and queer and her love of recovery, nature, community, and justice. A native of the Southwest, Dalila currently lives in Papago / Tohono O'odham territory in Arizona with her handsome pup, Brisco.To connect with Dalila in other ways:www.dalilabothwell.comIG: @moonearthlove

In Part 3, René Rivera looks at how we connect intimacy with self and others to the whole of our life. He examines how we can become more aware of, and present to, the world around us. ______________ René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man.René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation Center and other meditation centers. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.GayBuddhist.org.There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

After first exploring intimacy with ourselves in Part 1, we now look at how the dharma informs all our relationships:Intimate, friends, family, colleagues, society, and even the natural and unseen world - ancestors, guides and deities. In this talk, René Rivera reminds us that we can become more grounded in our relationships using the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which are awareness of:1. The physical body2. Feelings and sensations3. Thoughts and consciousness4. The dhammas - phenomena and the nature of existence______________ René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man.René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation Center and other meditation centers. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.GayBuddhist.org.There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

0:08 — Julian Ward, restorative justice facilitator who's run victim-offender dialogues in California's prisons, and community-based restorative justice processes, mostly working through the Ahimsa Collective. 0:19 — Trino Jimenez, went through a restorative justice process with the man who killed his oldest brother. He now gives talks about restorative justice in prisons.  0:33 — Pamela Price is almost six weeks into her new job as Alameda County District Attorney.  The post What does restorative justice work look like?; Plus, Alameda County's New District Attorney, Pam Price appeared first on KPFA.

Sonya Shah is someone Brad has admired from her appearances on other podcasts for her deep expertise around restorative justice, and all forms of healing justice that represent an alternative to the punitive, and many times racially insensitive systems of justice that currently preside in this country. Sonya is the Co-Executive Director of Ahimsa Collective is an organization that works to address harm in ways that foster wholeness for everyone. Their goals are to replace systems of punishment with paradigms grounded in healing, relationship, and love. It's a great talk where Sonya takes Brad to school around the work of restorative justice - how it's not a silver bullet solution to all instances of harm, and how much race and sheltered moralities really come into play for the people who disagree that we need an alternative to the current justice system's structure of repairing harm. Real Feels is produced, edited and hosted by  Brad Gage. The theme song was written by Russell Henson and our logo was designed by Nolan Fabricus. Thanks for listening and if you or someone you love is interested in seeking a restorative approach to harm, please reach out to the Ahimsa Collective at contact@ahimsacollective.net And if you want more conversations around masculinity and empathy, and loving the inner world of men, subscribe to this podcast or to Real Feels on YouTube.

Caroline Welcomes the return of Sarah Wolcott and Kristine Hill, gathering to brew a metaphoric feast of Gratitude, as Jupiter the Intelligence of Giving Thanks, Blessing, & Story stations, in its Piscean realm. So Thanks Giving be redemptively real now. Metaphor, myth and music, be the incarnational garb whereby Power enters the world. Jupiter stations at the “prism” degree – unifying Vision dissolving division… On yesterday's New Moon in Sagittarius – Jupiter's out going realm.The quest begins with questions…and wonder… May this serve as a priming of the pump for all our gatherings, to ladle out blessing and dedication into the memosphere…which of course requires digestive bitters…to metabolize America's Pluto return… Sara Jolena Wolcott, M.Div, is a descendent of some of Founding Fathers of the United States of America. She co-conspires with the Divine Mistress of Time to conjure better origin stories, ecological family histories, and mythologies for our interconnected beings. directs the ecospiritual learning community Sequoia Samanvaya, https://www.sequoiasamanvaya.com/ Kristine Marie Hill is a member of the Beaver Clan, Tuscarora nation, Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Like the Beavers for whom her clan is named, she is an eager agent of resourcefulness, persistence, and a willingness to topple trees for glorious architecture that benefits and fire-proofs the hood; primarily through her work as an indigenous peacemaker and restorative justice practitioner in the long tradition of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Towards that end she founded Collective Wisdoms, and works with peacekeeping collectives such as the Ahimsa Collective and Honeycomb Justice Collective. A member of the Tuscarora nation, also known as the “People of the Hemp”, she actively supports others in working with plant medicines and is a collaborator and a mentor to many who seek to address the first harms of colonization. https://www.collectivewisdoms.org/ “It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it. Carry it by the comfortable handles of gratitude for what's positive.” ~Lena Horn The post The Visionary Activist Show – Feast of Gratitude appeared first on KPFA.

Caroline welcomes Sara Wolcott and Kristine Hill for Honoring Halloween. America's spooky Pluto return, retrieving “The cosmo-vision that America's founding fathers either never understood or purposefully ignored…We are descendants of the men who sat together; the founding fathers of the United States and the members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. (and Caroline, descendant of Thomas Dudley, 2nd Governor of Mass, who kicked Roger Williams out, 'cause he wanted to cooperate with Native Americans.) Essential stories/myths about living within the Haudenosaunee cosmovision and the Kayanerenko:wa, the Great Law of Peace. Sara Jolena Wolcott, M.Div, is a descendent of some of Founding Fathers of the United States of America. She co-conspires with the Divine Mistress of Time to conjure better origin stories, ecological family histories, and mythologies for our interconnected beings. A distinctly witchy minister, she is reMembering and reEnchanting the world through creating healing rituals and rituals for healing, helping wizards integrate their own learning journeys, and serving as a spiritual midwife for regenerative soil-and-soul-ful leaders and communities. She loves speaking (a form of spell casting). Officially, directs the ecospiritual learning community Sequoia Samanvaya, serves as a Legacy Advisor for Innovation 4.4, and paints dragons. https://www.sequoiasamanvaya.com/ Kristine Marie Hill is a member of the Beaver Clan, Tuscarora nation, Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Like the Beavers for whom her clan is named, she is an eager agent of resourcefulness, persistence, and a willingness to topple trees for glorious architecture that benefits and fire-proofs the hood; primarily through her work as an indigenous peacemaker and restorative justice practitioner in the long tradition of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Towards that end she founded Collective Wisdoms, and works with peacekeeping collectives such as the Ahimsa Collective and Honeycomb Justice Collective. She is the proud and often amused mother of four brilliant children (aged 26-32). A member of the Tuscarora nation, also known as the “People of the Hemp”, she actively supports others in working with plant medicines and is a collaborator and a mentor to many who seek to address the first harms of colonization. https://www.collectivewisdoms.org/   Support The Visionary Activist Show on Patreon for weekly Chart & Themes ($4/month) and more… *Woof*Woof*Wanna*Play?!?* The post The Visionary Activist Show – Honoring Halloween & Pluto appeared first on KPFA.

Richard Cruz is native and his relations are through his mother (Georgia) Assiniboine Sioux, Nakota, and Arapaho. After decades in the California Department of Corrections he serves as the Co-Executive Director of the Ahimsa Collective, an Oakland-based organization focused on restorative justice. In this episode, Richard talks about his shift in mindset after leaving incarceration and how Restorative Justice has exposed him to different opportunities and different ways of thinking.Support Richard's Organization: https://www.ahimsacollective.net/Check out our LIVE EventsSend us feedback at media@amplifyrj.comJoin our Mighty Networks platform to connect with other people doing this work!Rep Amplify RJ Merch You can connect with Amplify RJ:Email list, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Website, Reading list, YouTube, and TikTok!SUPPORT by sharing this podcast, leaving a rating or review, or make a tax-deductible DONATION to help us sustain and grow this movementSupport the showSupport the show

A day retreat organized around the Brahma Viharas; practice in diads;  guided practice; and a closing talk on EquanimityTALK #1:  Tending to inner and outer conflict - “bring the calming rains that quiet the fires inside of us.”Exploring the Brahma ViharasTom Spanbauer - In the City of Shy Hunters - “How do I keep my heart open in hell?”-BREAK-THE 4 BRAHMA VIHARASMetta - Loving KindnessKaruna - CompassionMudita - Sympathetic Joy  Upekka - EquanimityRetreat agreements (from East Bay Meditation Center):Try it onPractice self-focus -  speak from your own experience and not make assumptions about othersUnderstanding the difference between intent and impactPracticing both/and -  noticing the difference between but/andRefraining from blaming or shaming othersMove up, move back - noticing the space we take up in groupsPractice mindful listening - bring our full attention to the person who is speakingConfidentiality - “take home your learning but leave the details here”Right to pass____________ René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation Center and other meditation centers. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.GayBuddhist.org.There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

All this week we have been featuring the work of the East Bay non-profit, the Ahimsa Collective. They are named after the Sanskrit word for “non-violence.” And that is exactly what they are trying to promote with a program that brings survivors of crime inside prisons.  For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS Radio's Kathy Novak, who joined the group inside Soledad State Prison to learn more about the program.

What should come after the #MeToo era? Restorative Justice is a process that hands the power to the victim after harm is done, while still working in collaboration with the person who did the harm. This way all those involved can release some of the shame, anger, or secrecy surrounding the incident. Because sometimes victims need something more than what law and order can provide. Written, Edited, and Performed by Brad Gage Music by Russell Henson Check out Russell's music here: https://www.russellhenson.com/ Find resources on Restorative Justice through the Ahimsa Collective https://www.ahimsacollective.net

Conflict can exist internally and externally to ourselves. How can we bring mindfulness to the experience of this conflict? If we allow compassion for this conflict to enter our hearts, how does this express itself both internally and externally? As an adolescent, I found that I was expressing violence externally and causing others pain and suffering. I recognized that I didn't want to cause others pain, and found a way to be compassionate to myself. ______________ René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation Center and other meditation centers. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.GayBuddhist.org.There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

  Are you feeling burnt out, but you're not sure what to do about it? Kony Kim shares:   - Why she decided to take a break from therapy school. - How her break helped her heal from past trauma.  - What she learned from her break.   After her break, Kony recently joined an Oakland-based nonprofit called The Ahimsa Collective, where she works with some of her former clients as teammates. Connect with Kony at linkedin.com/in/konykim.

If we are committed to healing and a joyful life, we must look at our culture's longest shadows, and change the way we understand justice. The opposite of the expansive freedom of a festival is the national nightmare of mass incarceration. Today on Life is a Festival. Sonya Shah, a specialist in restorative justice, is here to shine a light in our collective darkness and a possible path out. The show begins with an exploration how to live a meaningful life and how to cultivate joy in activism. We discuss the US prison system, why incarceration doesn't serve society, and ways to support reform. Then we dive into the alternative practice of restorative justice with all its benefits and challenges. I share my own experience participating in a community accountability process. We finish our conversation with a discussion of masculinity and gender violence, and how we can create space for healing by learning to sit with our own triggers. Sonya is an Associate Professor at California Institute of Integral Studies and has been teaching and facilitating restorative justice circles for over 15 years. She has trained hundreds of facilitators in trauma healing, and helped communities design their own group healing processes. She initiated the Ahimsa Collective in 2016 which facilitates circles for survivors of sexual harm and people who have committed sexual harm within prisons and other environments. She is a Buddhist, a first-generation immigrant from India and a shining example of joyful service. Links: Ahimsa Collective: https://www.ahimsacollective.net/ Life Comes From It: https://www.lifecomesfromit.org/ Zehr Institute: https://zehr-institute.org/ Justice in America Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0wb6JtwN3qBgGiwKKmqj1i bell hooks The Will to Change Men, Masculinity, and Love: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Will-to-Change/bell-hooks/9780743456081 Thirteenth (film): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_(film) You're Going to Die: http://www.yg2d.com/what-is-youre-going-to-die Timestamps :06 - bell hooks and patriarchal harm :14 - What does it mean to live a meaningful life? :18 - How to cultivate joy in activism :25 - The prison system, privilege and how we become aware of our collective shadow :37 - How we can take action for prison reform and advocacy :47 - Switching to restorative justice :53 - Eamon's experience with a community accountability process 1:05 - Reframing from perpetrator to “person who caused harm” 1:14 - Gender violence and patriarchy 1:20 - Sitting with triggers and reactivity 1:25 - Facing challenging truths

“If I could describe prison, it's like you're in the middle of the ocean and the only thing you're trying to do is tread water and keep your head above [it].” This conversation with London Croudy is unapologetically about the women in the midst of that ocean, women who are directly impacted survivors of mass incarceration and other systemic trauma. London possesses a spirit, knowing, and purposefulness that is hard to capture in words but is undeniable. She's currently a Program Manager at The Ahimsa Collective and has dedicated her life's work to advocating for social and restorative justice for survivors of oppressed communities. Learn more about The Ahimsa Collective here: https://www.ahimsacollective.net --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ashley-asti/message

René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation Center and other meditation centers. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.GayBuddhist.org.There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Meet Tessa Carroll Tessa is a designer, maker, photographer and all round legend AC make really beautiful things that aren't terrible for the planet We've (big little brush) known and loved Tessa and AC for a really long time, safe to say we're big fans! Here's some links to ACs stuff and the book Tessa mentioned at the end of our chat: AC website AC on Instagram The Common Good Co website The Common Good Co on Instagram Book: We can't say we didn't know - Sophie McNeill big little brush At big little brush we sell beautiful, biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes and use the profits to help fund health and hygiene programs in remote communities around Australia. Find out more at biglittlebrush.org I make this podcast on the unceded lands of the Bunarong people and acknowledge Elders past, present and future. Thanks for listening, catch you again soon x JH

I speak with sonya shah, founder of the Ahimsa Collective, about restorative justice. We break down what it is, what role a “victim-offender dialogue” can play in one's healing journey, and the world changing efforts that she and her team are making to radically change the way we address harm as a community.She also shares about some of the conversations she's had with those who have caused harm and what they've had to say in answer to the question, “Why did you do this?”https://www.ahimsacollective.net/Support our show! If you'd like to make a donation in support of the podcast, go to http://bit.ly/beyondsurvivingpodcastdonation - all contributions will be applied towards funding scholarships, the running of donation based & free programs, & making sure that those reaching out for support get what they need.----sonya shah initiated the Ahimsa Collective in 2016. She is also an associate professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Central to her core values are nurturing community belonging and collective care, healing, compassion, love and transforming harm. She is a Buddhist, a first-generation immigrant from the Northwestern part of India and feels most at home in nature. She has two amazing children who remind her what it means to be in love all of the time, and currently resides in northern California. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/beyond-surviving. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join Kazu Haga, author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm, and me as we delve into the nature of personal, social and ecological change, healing trauma, and the intersection of non-violent direct action and spirituality. ~ ~ ~ Kazu Haga is the founder and coordinator of the East Point Peace Academy and is an experienced nonviolence trainer, certified in several methodologies of nonviolence and restorative justice. Having received training from elders including Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Rev. James Lawson and Joanna Macy, he teaches nonviolence, conflict reconciliation, restorative justice, organizing and mindfulness in prisons and jails, high schools and youth groups, and with activist communities around the country. Kazu was introduced to the work of social change and nonviolence in 1998, when at the age of 17 he participated in the Interfaith Pilgrimage of the Middle Passage; a 6-month walking journey from Massachusetts to New Orleans to retrace the slave trade. He spent a year studying nonviolence and Buddhism while living in monasteries throughout South Asia, and returned to the US at age 19 to begin a lifelong path in social justice work. Kazu spent 10 years in social justice philanthropy, while playing leading roles in many movements. He became an active nonviolence trainer in the global justice movement of the late 1990s, and has since led hundreds of workshops worldwide. He is the founding board chair of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), sits on the board of Peace Workers, and is a member of the Ahimsa Collective. He is the recipient of several awards including the Martin Luther King Jr. award and the Gil Lopez Award for Peacemaking. Kazu is an avid meditator and enjoys being in nature, particularly with his dog. He is a die-hard fan of the Boston Celtics and of mixed martial arts, the latter of which he is still sometimes conflicted about. " If we carry intergenerational trauma, then we also carry intergenerational wisdom. By maintaining a relationship with our ancestral wisdom, we can build a truly peaceful world for future generations." -EastPointPeaceAcademy.org -Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harmhttps://www.parallax.org/product/healing-resistance - Fierce Vulnerability, work in Progress

René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation Center and other meditation centers. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.GayBuddhist.org.There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Why Making End-Of-Life Plans Right Now Is Important, and Empowering (0:30)Guest: Timothy G. Ihrig, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Crossroads Hospice and Palliative CareAs hospitals across the country scramble to find the space and ventilators to treat the most seriously ill COVID 19 patients, there is something you and I can do right now (besides staying home and staying safe). Doctors say this is a crucial time for you and your loved ones to document your end-of-life wishes in the form of an advanced directive. Mothering Young Kids Under Stress in Quarantine – How MK Backstrom Keeps Her Cool (16:38)Guest: MK Backstrom, Blogger and Author “Mom Babble: The Messy Truth About Motherhood.”We're all stressed right now. Florida mom MK Backstrom is maybe a little more stressed than many, because she's got two young kids at home. MK Backstrom's got a large and devoted following on her “MomBabble” Facebook and Instagram pages. She's known for her humor and her kids' hijinx. Lately her live videos have taken a more serious turn given her husband's role treating COVID-19 patients. But in the middle of it all, Backstrom is out with her first book of funny essays called, “Mom Babble: The Messy Truth About Motherhood.” The Sneaky Bias That Keeps Women and African Americans Off Juries. (35:53)Guest: Ann Eisenberg, Professor of Law, University of South CarolinaThe US Constitution guarantees you the right to a jury trial in criminal cases, and the Supreme Court has said that ought to be a jury of your peers. But if you've watched any legal drama on TV, you know that juries are not assigned at random based on the community they're drawn from. If you're black, there's no guarantee there will be any people of color on your jury because lawyers on the case have a lot of power to pick and choose. They're technically not supposed to kick people off a jury because of race or gender. But University of South Carolina law professor Ann Eisenberg has evidence that women and African Americans are disproportionately removed from death penalty cases in her state. What if Justice Meant Something Other Than Punishment? (50:37)Guest: Sonya Shah, Executive Director of the Ahimsa Collective, Associate Professor at the California Institute of Integral StudiesIf you were seriously wronged by someone – say they hurt you or someone you love in a really terrible way – would you want to see that person punished? Here in America, justice equals punishment. Someone commits a crime, we lock them up. That helps explain why the US has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. But many indigenous communities – and even a few countries like Norway – don't think about justice as punishment. Instead, they do “restorative justice.” The Enormous Power of Placebos, Paired With Persuasion (1:09:52)Guest: Jay Olson, PhD Candidate, Department of Psychiatry, McGill UniversityA bunch of college students at McGill University in Canada thought they were participating in a research experiment where they'd take a drug similar to magic mushrooms and see how it affected their creativity. More than half of them reported a psychedelic experience during the four hours of the study. So, imagine their surprise when they were told that little pink pill they'd been given was just a placebo. How did so many of them feel like they were on a drug when they weren't really? The answer has some interesting – and important – implications for the way drugs are used to treat all kinds of conditions. Treat the Parent to Treat the Child With Anxiety (1:24:41)Guest: Eli Lebowitz, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of the Program for Anxiety, Child Study Center, Yale UniversityTreatment for anxiety in children only works about half the time. But what if we treated the parent instead of the child? New research shows that putting parents in counseling actually works because their efforts to help their anxious kid are often hurting more than helping.

When people go into the military, they receive weeks of training.  Yet those of us who are activists for social change often have not trained adequately in the skills that would make our work more effective.  Host, Marlena Willis, talks with Kazu Haga, teacher of Kingian Non Violence and author or the book Healing Resistance, about the importance of doing the work that allows us to be truly non violent and healed enough from our own trauma to do the organizing that is necessary to turn this world around and toward justice. Kazu Haga is the founder of the East Point Peace Academy, a core member of the Ahimsa Collective and the Yet-To-Be-Named Network, and author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm. He teaches and facilitates nonviolence, restorative justice and organizing in prisons, with youth and community leaders.     The post Training To Create A Just World appeared first on KPFA.

When people go into the military, they receive weeks of training.  Yet those of us who are activists for social change often have not trained adequately in the skills that would make our work more effective.  Host, Marlena Willis, talks with Kazu Haga, teacher of Kingian Non Violence and author or the book Healing Resistance, about the importance of doing the work that allows us to be truly non violent and healed enough from our own trauma to do the organizing that is necessary to turn this world around and toward justice. Kazu Haga is the founder of the East Point Peace Academy, a core member of the Ahimsa Collective and the Yet-To-Be-Named Network, and author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm. He teaches and facilitates nonviolence, restorative justice and organizing in prisons, with youth and community leaders.     The post Talk It Out Radio, Sun, 2/16, 7pm: Training To Create A Just World appeared first on KPFA.

René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation Center and other meditation centers. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.GayBuddhist.org.There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter