December 2008 Newsletter
The Gathering for Justice Staff would like to send you and your family many warm wishes beginning with Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad, Happy Kwanzaa, Mele Kalikimaka, 圣诞快乐, Joyeux Noël, Frohe Weihnachten, and メリークリスマス. At the close of another year, we pause to wish you a warm and happy holiday season. We have such a deep appreciation for all of you who have dedicated your lives to improving our communities as well as our nation. We understand that there are people who want things to happen, some who wish things can happen and others that make things happen. We are proud to say that you all have made it happen, another exciting year full of many wonderful memories. We thank each and every one of you for your endless commitment and as you climb every mountain in your life, just know that you WILL reach the top. We also ask the creator to bless and acknowledge our brothers and sisters who have lost their lives and are now in the spirit world watching over us, our children who are incarcerated, our ill and our elders. Let us remember and pray for all those in need. We send you all our wishes for a Happy Holiday Season and a New Year of health, happiness and prosperity. Blessings!
Carmen, Jonathan and Malia
2009 in review
Last year close to 1000 young people from all over the country came together in Oakland to commit themselves to building a nonviolent movement to rebuild communities and end child incarceration.
These young leaders returned to their regions and revisited their local strategies to prepare for 2008, a year of training and research on nonviolence and solutions to ending child incarceration.
Now as we begin to close the book on 2008 and reflect on our year, we are proud to say that we have gone above and beyond the goals we set for ourselves. A coordinated effort initiated by the grassroots and joined by the grass tops is emerging.
You only have to read a few of the blogs (www.thegatheringforjustice.org) by our young people or visit any of our regions to see how 2008 has prepared thousands of young people to continue to build campaign plans and in one region, begin negotiations which may lead into long term direct action.
The Gathering, through our field work and our trainings, has produced real and quantifiable outcomes in the lives of over thousand youths and through that have created a qualitative difference in communities across the country.
Recently during a non violence training in Erie PA, during 55 high school students a 200 student riot broke out at one at Central High School. All 55 students left the training and went to the school and began a reconciliation process with students, teachers and parents. As a result of this intervention young people are asking the city council to sponsor hearings on the quality of life for youth in Erie. City Council President Curtis Jones lauded the efforts of The Gathering and their intervention as well as their ability to successfully refocus their peer’s energies toward a constructive dialogue and non violent problem solving.
In November, The Gathering conducted one of our most powerful non violence trainings to date. It was held in Los Angeles at the downtown campus of LA Trade Tech. Participants ranged in age from 11 - 60 years old- all with varying backgrounds- some participants had spent half their lives in jail and others were on the cusp of having their childhood stripped away. The Gathering brought these participants together, from all walks of life, into a shared safe collective that created an opportunity for open and honest dialogue- for some, this was the first opportunity such as this that had been presented to them in a long time.
These stories are a minor reflection of the work being done by The Gathering on a daily basis. Across the country, young people are forming a movement; The Gathering’s efforts nationally are supporting our youth as they realize their personal agency in rebuilding their communities and enacting the tenets of non violent direct action into their lives and communities.
We are experiencing some of the hardest economic times in generations, the impact will be the greatest our communities. In this time of transition from training to large scale direct action, it is critical we redouble our commitment to The Gathering. Together we make The Gathering part of your journey.
Greetings from the field:
From Tufara Waller Muhammad
- Highlander Center:
The Gathering for Justice has been busy doing work all over the nation and I am proud to be a part of the excitement. My name is Tufara Muhammad and I work regionally with the Gathering. I have participated on different levels and in various events. In March, I was a part of the Mississippi’s Veteran's of the Civil Rights Movement and in April, I participated in the Southern Gathering in Memphis during the 40th Anniversary Commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination. In May, I participated in “Take Back America” and in June I organized a Black & Brown delegation of twelve to participate in the International Conference on Racism and Globalization. July was a little busy for me; I participated in a 2 weeklong Kingian Nonviolence Training of Trainers where I became certified to provide the 2 Day Core workshop myself and attended the “Seeds of Fire” Youth Camp Kingian Nonviolence Training. Things slowed down a bit for me in August; however, In October I traveled to Los Angeles, CA as a delegate to the National Black Latino Summit where the Gathering sat on the Steering Committee. In November, I organized the Little Rock Kingian Nonviolence Training which was a huge success. So as you can see, I have experienced firsthand the work that the Gathering is doing all over the South and across the nation. They work in different capacities on various issues ranging on Juvenile Justice, Economic Development, Education Reform, Immigration Reform, Violence Prevention, Leadership Development and Strategic Alliance building. In Little Rock, my home community, I witness the Gathering being instrumental in building intergenerational relationships and bridging the gaps between the SNCCer generation and Sneaker generations, the Hippies and the Hip Hoppers. I believe, once we are able to better build bridges to fill the gaps and perform political education then we will be better equipped to attack some of the issues that I listed above.
I have very fond memories with the Gathering and honestly I would have to say that two are my favorite. The first one being the ride back to Little Rock from the Gathering held at Lemoyne Owen College in Memphis, TN. Initially when I organized the 12 person delegation I was concerned that there might be conflict between the members of the majority male delegation that I recruited because of the difference in where people came from in the Little Rock area. The entire ride to Memphis was mainly silent except for individuals talking to me. After being in the Memphis and being forced to sleep in the same room with each other and after spending time with Mr. B, Mr. Newborn, Mr. Dennis and Rev. Vivian things changed. I am not sure what the content of the conversation was with the elders but what I do know is that these young brothers returned to Little Rock with new friendships and are now building community across block, set and color.
The second memory was in Los Angeles, CA during the National Black Latino Summit where we gathered in circles. These sessions were extremely emotionally and spiritually moving for me.
As the Gathering moves forward in 2009, I hope to be able to continue to work in connecting the South to the Gathering. I also have a desire to train additional people on Kingian Nonviolence and help train individuals on the use of arts and culture as strategic tool in community organizing.
To my fellow Gathering members, I would recommend a book to you all: The Gospel According to Jesus by Stephen Mitchell, it is a wonderful read for Christians and Non-Christians. As a Muslim that works in the Bible Belt, this book has been a great tool for me since my motivation to do to justice work is largely connected to my spiritual life. It also helps me to be able to talk about Jesus in a realistic way to people of faith.
" We know as freedom fighters we sometimes go to jail......but when you fight for freedom the Lord will make your bail......Get on board children lets fight for human rights" -- Bro. Hollis Watkins, SNCC
From Kazu Haga-
2008 was a full year for the Peace Development Fund’s, as well as my own personal relationship with The Gathering. It amazes me how strong this family has become this past year, just one year after the national convention in Oakland. From all of the Nonviolence Trainings to celebrating the end of the Longest Walk II in DC, the experience and honor of attending Simba Camp, the time spent in New Mexico and CR10 to time spent on building with new staff, I am beginning to see The Gathering’s potential fulfilled.
2008 also saw The Gathering come back to the Bay Area, with Jonathan and Carmen organizing two-day core Nonviolence Trainings in Oakland and San Francisco. I’m excited to see how The Gathering takes root in the Bay.
Heading into 2009, I see a lot of opportunities for us. The new administration should create a lot of openings which we need to take advantage of. PDF will be partnering with The Gathering to host a donor event in Chicago in March with Mr. B. We will also be working closely with The Gathering to develop our own Criminal Justice Funding Initiative, building the capacity of the communities most directly impacted by incarceration. I’m also looking forward to strategizing about how to build a decentralized funding base, with a longer-term vision of institutionalizing Kingian Nonviolence within some foundations. Keep an eye out on the website for discussions on that.
As we look forward to (hopefully) taking a deep breath for the Holidays, check out these two books to get your minds thinking: “A Long Way Gone” by Ishmael Beah, and “The Revolution Will Not Be Funded,” by INCITE!. The first is a powerful first hand account of Beah, a former child soldier in Sierra Leone who was able to overcome the violence of his past and become a champion for the rights of children. The latter is a collection of essays that speak about the “Nonprofit Industrial Complex,” an interesting concept as we move forward in building The Gathering.
See you all in 09.
Carmen, Jonathan and Malia
2009 in review
Last year close to 1000 young people from all over the country came together in Oakland to commit themselves to building a nonviolent movement to rebuild communities and end child incarceration.
These young leaders returned to their regions and revisited their local strategies to prepare for 2008, a year of training and research on nonviolence and solutions to ending child incarceration.
Now as we begin to close the book on 2008 and reflect on our year, we are proud to say that we have gone above and beyond the goals we set for ourselves. A coordinated effort initiated by the grassroots and joined by the grass tops is emerging.
You only have to read a few of the blogs (www.thegatheringforjustice.org) by our young people or visit any of our regions to see how 2008 has prepared thousands of young people to continue to build campaign plans and in one region, begin negotiations which may lead into long term direct action.
The Gathering, through our field work and our trainings, has produced real and quantifiable outcomes in the lives of over thousand youths and through that have created a qualitative difference in communities across the country.
Recently during a non violence training in Erie PA, during 55 high school students a 200 student riot broke out at one at Central High School. All 55 students left the training and went to the school and began a reconciliation process with students, teachers and parents. As a result of this intervention young people are asking the city council to sponsor hearings on the quality of life for youth in Erie. City Council President Curtis Jones lauded the efforts of The Gathering and their intervention as well as their ability to successfully refocus their peer’s energies toward a constructive dialogue and non violent problem solving.
In November, The Gathering conducted one of our most powerful non violence trainings to date. It was held in Los Angeles at the downtown campus of LA Trade Tech. Participants ranged in age from 11 - 60 years old- all with varying backgrounds- some participants had spent half their lives in jail and others were on the cusp of having their childhood stripped away. The Gathering brought these participants together, from all walks of life, into a shared safe collective that created an opportunity for open and honest dialogue- for some, this was the first opportunity such as this that had been presented to them in a long time.
These stories are a minor reflection of the work being done by The Gathering on a daily basis. Across the country, young people are forming a movement; The Gathering’s efforts nationally are supporting our youth as they realize their personal agency in rebuilding their communities and enacting the tenets of non violent direct action into their lives and communities.
We are experiencing some of the hardest economic times in generations, the impact will be the greatest our communities. In this time of transition from training to large scale direct action, it is critical we redouble our commitment to The Gathering. Together we make The Gathering part of your journey.
Greetings from the field:
From Tufara Waller Muhammad
- Highlander Center:
The Gathering for Justice has been busy doing work all over the nation and I am proud to be a part of the excitement. My name is Tufara Muhammad and I work regionally with the Gathering. I have participated on different levels and in various events. In March, I was a part of the Mississippi’s Veteran's of the Civil Rights Movement and in April, I participated in the Southern Gathering in Memphis during the 40th Anniversary Commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination. In May, I participated in “Take Back America” and in June I organized a Black & Brown delegation of twelve to participate in the International Conference on Racism and Globalization. July was a little busy for me; I participated in a 2 weeklong Kingian Nonviolence Training of Trainers where I became certified to provide the 2 Day Core workshop myself and attended the “Seeds of Fire” Youth Camp Kingian Nonviolence Training. Things slowed down a bit for me in August; however, In October I traveled to Los Angeles, CA as a delegate to the National Black Latino Summit where the Gathering sat on the Steering Committee. In November, I organized the Little Rock Kingian Nonviolence Training which was a huge success. So as you can see, I have experienced firsthand the work that the Gathering is doing all over the South and across the nation. They work in different capacities on various issues ranging on Juvenile Justice, Economic Development, Education Reform, Immigration Reform, Violence Prevention, Leadership Development and Strategic Alliance building. In Little Rock, my home community, I witness the Gathering being instrumental in building intergenerational relationships and bridging the gaps between the SNCCer generation and Sneaker generations, the Hippies and the Hip Hoppers. I believe, once we are able to better build bridges to fill the gaps and perform political education then we will be better equipped to attack some of the issues that I listed above.
I have very fond memories with the Gathering and honestly I would have to say that two are my favorite. The first one being the ride back to Little Rock from the Gathering held at Lemoyne Owen College in Memphis, TN. Initially when I organized the 12 person delegation I was concerned that there might be conflict between the members of the majority male delegation that I recruited because of the difference in where people came from in the Little Rock area. The entire ride to Memphis was mainly silent except for individuals talking to me. After being in the Memphis and being forced to sleep in the same room with each other and after spending time with Mr. B, Mr. Newborn, Mr. Dennis and Rev. Vivian things changed. I am not sure what the content of the conversation was with the elders but what I do know is that these young brothers returned to Little Rock with new friendships and are now building community across block, set and color.
The second memory was in Los Angeles, CA during the National Black Latino Summit where we gathered in circles. These sessions were extremely emotionally and spiritually moving for me.
As the Gathering moves forward in 2009, I hope to be able to continue to work in connecting the South to the Gathering. I also have a desire to train additional people on Kingian Nonviolence and help train individuals on the use of arts and culture as strategic tool in community organizing.
To my fellow Gathering members, I would recommend a book to you all: The Gospel According to Jesus by Stephen Mitchell, it is a wonderful read for Christians and Non-Christians. As a Muslim that works in the Bible Belt, this book has been a great tool for me since my motivation to do to justice work is largely connected to my spiritual life. It also helps me to be able to talk about Jesus in a realistic way to people of faith.
" We know as freedom fighters we sometimes go to jail......but when you fight for freedom the Lord will make your bail......Get on board children lets fight for human rights" -- Bro. Hollis Watkins, SNCC
From Kazu Haga-
2008 was a full year for the Peace Development Fund’s, as well as my own personal relationship with The Gathering. It amazes me how strong this family has become this past year, just one year after the national convention in Oakland. From all of the Nonviolence Trainings to celebrating the end of the Longest Walk II in DC, the experience and honor of attending Simba Camp, the time spent in New Mexico and CR10 to time spent on building with new staff, I am beginning to see The Gathering’s potential fulfilled.
2008 also saw The Gathering come back to the Bay Area, with Jonathan and Carmen organizing two-day core Nonviolence Trainings in Oakland and San Francisco. I’m excited to see how The Gathering takes root in the Bay.
Heading into 2009, I see a lot of opportunities for us. The new administration should create a lot of openings which we need to take advantage of. PDF will be partnering with The Gathering to host a donor event in Chicago in March with Mr. B. We will also be working closely with The Gathering to develop our own Criminal Justice Funding Initiative, building the capacity of the communities most directly impacted by incarceration. I’m also looking forward to strategizing about how to build a decentralized funding base, with a longer-term vision of institutionalizing Kingian Nonviolence within some foundations. Keep an eye out on the website for discussions on that.
As we look forward to (hopefully) taking a deep breath for the Holidays, check out these two books to get your minds thinking: “A Long Way Gone” by Ishmael Beah, and “The Revolution Will Not Be Funded,” by INCITE!. The first is a powerful first hand account of Beah, a former child soldier in Sierra Leone who was able to overcome the violence of his past and become a champion for the rights of children. The latter is a collection of essays that speak about the “Nonprofit Industrial Complex,” an interesting concept as we move forward in building The Gathering.
See you all in 09.
Tags: carmen, haga, jonathan, kazu, lazu, malia, muhammad, tufara, waller
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Agnes Johnson on -
And this week, Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 1pm, court hearing for Troy Davis Appeal, 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, 56 Forsyth St. NW 30303. Open to the public. Limited seating. First come, first served. Photo ID needed for admittance to court building.Troy Davis finally has a new Court date! Let us pray and be there to usher in a new day with this brother at home with his family. Collectively let us claim this as a reality.
About
The Gathering’s Mission
The mission of The Gathering is to build an Intergenerational, movement, rooted in history, cultures and non-violent direct action to heal communities, build collective strength and generate an environment of hope and opportunity.
Civil rights and social justice organizations have come to understand that collective action on a national basis is required to stop child incarceration and challenge the immoral process which perpetuates an unjust justice system. These groups are working under extremely difficult circumstances and many of them with little or no resources. The Gathering is a national movement that creates a coordinated space to 1) fortify relationships between regional groups, 2) support local endeavors and 3) enhance the ongoing organizing of non-violent direct action training. Central to its mission is strengthening our moral environment.
- “a project of tides center” -
"The Gathering" is a project of Tides Center 501c3
Civil rights and social justice organizations have come to understand that collective action on a national basis is required to stop child incarceration and challenge the immoral process which perpetuates an unjust justice system. These groups are working under extremely difficult circumstances and many of them with little or no resources. The Gathering is a national movement that creates a coordinated space to 1) fortify relationships between regional groups, 2) support local endeavors and 3) enhance the ongoing organizing of non-violent direct action training. Central to its mission is strengthening our moral environment.
- “a project of tides center” -
"The Gathering" is a project of Tides Center 501c3
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