HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0212.310 1996-1998 t.nen't ti'hine's Cleatung Serti~ice
PO &~x 2056
Ke~iu. Haw~tii 9f;74e
~aaz sz~~ ( ~~e-~~.« s~~~~1
~~,lf~.~
r.t~r, ;
llear ~lerrthcn r,I the ('ounn t'ouncil,
:'as :cry: r is to register m}~ op~sition to food irradiation.
I .uu a st~lt-~~m~loy eti singte mother. 1 knoav about making ends meet. 1 hay e
<'ompassion Cor the lut'mers and sh.u'c iu their exciteuienP about jumping into the
i"orld market, but building an irradiator is not the way to go.
ay concern for the emnronmenr ann tutur'e
generations, sat that it i5 not wise to bet nme depe,tdenl on processes or
substaru~es That are tonic. We alread~~ ha~~e so man}~ toxin substances in ncu l:a~es,
;i~wu ~ leaning i.rodu~ ir> ts. gaxrlinc. i3uiidmg an irradiautr is making a huge
~r?nuuiuu~~nt Curt her 1n that direetiorr_ ~ dtrecrion which is not health~~ in the Ione
nn. a dirrvtion rcl;i~lr is akin is, .~d~ir; uac~.
1~e ull ktr~n~-that more ruone} d;,esn't mean more health ur b:~tppin~ss. 7 hero arr_
man e~..tanples of T~unihcs and ~ ontmunitiPS wtrh plennr of money and i~fenn of
pain and ti,rtci iu boot. We need creati~'e, inno~°ative solutions to meeting frcupte's
rleed~ _rs a vcholc cammunln~, then we Gvi!1 a1[ experiencr~ ..t higher ~t.ralhy of Life.
!?rst r~~• need a ronunitment to seek natural, healthy solutions. Enclosed is a
saurpk~ flyrr for a L:;rnmunity iitaildutg Workshop given by a ytainland group, The
ivundatir;n t<;~r Cc~niniunir,~ Pncrnrragement, I also havr~ their ~5 minute t7deo
~~+ife~.i "ears hinu for Commuuit}" which t tvoul~t l:av~ to sham ~~~itYt ~~ou. I'm ti~en
~~~,~iU.~d b~s this dirt't'tir~n and would he rrs^ltic to ha~~c these workshops in our
~~=~~nu;nil~,. Pr~rhnp". it ~~ould help br'ir.g us tos:eUier to find solutions nc~l .mh u.
=n-7tnl~ ;,rohicns hin niso girisons. se!?nr?i~, E~tt.
urt. ~,nc is ~atrnct;ri ?r~ rPns idc~t_ plessc r~~tll ntc. i ha~~e further inlornrnir>n on
h~~w !u sp~~itu,r these .~<~rkshups.
Chank
cncn~t ~ntne
Ooo~. Diw, ?
12~ S~f1~_
>nw x.. FN 1
Presoatec
lef. Tot `
lees. Date MAY 0 7 1997 _
s 'I'hc Visitation Center
The Visitation Center is a retreat facility in IZidgeCicld, Connccticul, nestled in n private country
environment tin top of West~•`Ivi'di~t~t~ij1. Thcrc is a panoraniel:yi~S~-oC three states. The Center
provides comfortable siogic/double rooms and wholesome, i)ourishing meals. 'lilt restful mcditatiive
aUnospherc is well suited to a Conununity Building Workshop.
Consideration for Participation in a Community Building Workshop
P:IrUCII)a1115 should haVC a gCllUlilC CICSIre (O lc:lrrl about LI1Cn1SC1VC5, al)OUl IlllCrOCrs011;11 rcl;uianships and about
group behavior. There may be stressful situations in the workshop and you arc responsible Cor self-screening iC
stressful situations arc a concern.
Rid6criclU Comnnlnily building \Vorkshop
c% Ruth Aplnkcr
74 lakcvicw Drive
Ridgefield Cl' 0(877
Community Building Workshop ,..,,r.........,.,-.,.---.. Th¢
Oc v~co..q anlvrd ~J,--....r-._.... ti.......aaie¢
Ilnsed al the writings of TIIE PGW) ((S51MV(t(D `~-{E Di
f
f
eren~
M. Scott Pcck, M.i). • ' : ~ 1 n^^ n ~
Scpmmbcr 9-l 1, 1994 ~`l'~l, I p IT~I~A`'1l~/Lr~_D~ p~m
Ridgclicld CI' v~/ nL COMMUNfTYMNCING
~ >~w!'s~
~/,AITING ^
o° aC~RN l~~li~a~„~
Sfifrlfrrnl Grmf~flr
Civility Rediscovered M.Soott(azcl~,~~n
llY M. SCUT T PECK MQ k~~. ~a n r IrxatLV7ly~l)ro
a..
Poundatwn for Conununity rncouragctncnt (I'CL) presents
COiYITVIUNITI' BUILDING WOI2I~SHOP
bisect on the wriring.r of
.1VI. Scott Pecl~, M.D.
aruhor oj1'hc Different Drmn,'C6c IZoad Lcss Traveled anti A World Wailing to be Born
CDM1f 6fUNITY IS A CROUP OF TWO Olt MOlili I'liD 1'l,ls who have aCCCptcd and lr:utSCCndetl dtGi dI(CC(CnCeS, enabling dicnt
of communicate openly and work togcdrer dCcclivcly toward Utcir common goal.
ACIIIIiVGh11i N'r Oh COMMUNITY IS DIFRICUI: f, INTIiNT10NA1. AND It L'wARD(NC.'fhc Foundation for Commwtily
Lncoumgcmcnt has developed a set of techniques to assist individl471s and groups m experience community. .
TIIItOUCII Ttlli INCIt1iASGU PIi1tSONAL rtL•'tiPONSIbILITl', RISK AND COh+MUNICATION, a groupgradually tlccorncs
a "safe place;' an environment in which pcrsanal growdr, self-discovery and shafctl leadership can ?ourish.
A TItUG COMh1UN17Y CAN IIL A 111h1ARKAlILY 1i1~7~P.CTIVE UIiC ISIUN-11fAKINC UODY, rolnvigoraling huSinCSSCS, agenCicS,
clwrchcs and other organir.uions where tG~m-work is essential.
TUti Turtr:>;-DnY COMMUNITY
IIUILDINC WOItK8110P 1~hc PuunJntiun fur Community Encauragcmrnl (PCB) was fomtcd in
1'acililalc5 art Cxpcncttli5l proecsS of buildlog reslxnrsc io n nccrl Cor community as perceived by one of the lounding
genuine community, a Safe place for authentic mcnilxrs, Dr. hl. Scott Pcck, nudtor o[The Difjeren7 Drwn, The Raad Less
eOnununiailion,risk-liking, vulrterahilily and '/'ruvclednndA lVorld n'niring mLe Uorn. Community lluilding Workshops
shared Ieidership• tench grnups huw ro achieve a•sense of convnunity or collective spiri4
Prgvides a forum in which pardCipmtla join identify common purpose and accomplish agreed upon goals. Two fneilitn-
togcthcr to overcome cultural, pOliliGtl and tors, troinal by PCL• and Ih. Pcck, will guide We group N dtc Community
religious differences that prevent us from Ouildiug taoccss.
embracing our human diversity.
" hdegrt(es the com ntunily experienCC wilt There arc rules by which people can come back logedtnt.. It is dte mission
diagnostic tools that cart improve [CIallOnShipS of FCL• m tench dtcsc rules, In make hope real again, to make the vision
al work, al IIOmC, and in odrer group settings. actually manifest in a world which haz almost forgotten dw glory of what it
nicans to be human.
Builds skills accessary for cffcclivc commu- -from Utc FCB Philosophy Statcmrnt -
nicadon and crG~ung consensual decisions.
Friday, Sept. 9 -Sunday, Sept. 11, The Visimlion Center, 223 West Mountain Road, Ridgefield CI'.
• Workshop fee: $275 with room/meals; $230 with meals only • Advanced registration required
' Registration also includes workshop fees and break snacks
• Enrollment limited to first 50 paid registrants
' Limited scholarships arc available "
- For further information calf or write:
Itutlt Aplaker, 74 hkcvictiv Drive, Ridge icld CT (X,+377; 203/A33-.94G
Mail with nonrefundable $1W deposit to CF1W-12idgcficld, Rulh Apurkcr, 74 L~kcvicw Dr., Ridgcficld CI' 06877.
Full payment in U. S. dollars is due by August 15, 1)9A. Make checks payable to CBW-Ridgcficld.
Name:
Address:
City: Stilt:: Zip:
Phonc:(day) (cvc)
F~RLY 131RD FuII $275 cncloscd (room/meals) Pull $230 cncloscd (meals only)
Ai'I-ER JUNH 7ST'hf: _Full $325 cncloscd (room/meals) _Full $280 enclose) (meals only)
_$lW cncloscd (balance due by August 15)
_Plcasc note any dietary restrictions
Y
THE FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNITY ENCOURAGEMENT, INC.
November 1, 1996
Dear Friend of FCE:
A 40-year-old woman came to her first Community Building Workshop (CBW).
She had had many problems and had enrolled in, or organized, several different
groups in the past. She was a difficult person to accommodate in the workshop.
She demanded a large share of attention from participants and used different
manipulative methods to get it. People began to resent her over-use of "air-time"
and said so, sometimes strongly. Others tried to listen with sympathy. Atone stage,
she had left the workshop, only to return, just as unexpectedly, the following day.
During her absence, she became even more the center of attention.
Participants regretted at having failed to be big enough to support her needs. She
became the group's task which eventually brought the group into community while
she was gone. When she returned, the participants were ready to respond to her
as a group.
Was advice given? Was she scolded for childish behavior or were there
attempts to persuade her that her stories were just fantasies? Some must have,
especially outside the circle. Others did lose patience with her within the circle.
The result of this was to stimulate even more bizarre behavior and stories.
What seemed to make a difference, however, was listening with full attention
and trying to hear her stories as she felt them, thus letting her know that she was
being taken seriously. This required setting aside logical, even reasonable,
judgments about her.
Was it easy for participants to respond this way? No! There was no warm
feeling of satisfaction about their attitudes towards her. Rather, they shared uneasy
guilt at not having been tolerant enough, or of being irritated, at having to devote
so much attention to one participant. People did seem to know, though, that "to be
there for her" (and for everyone else) was the right thing to do.
About 6 weeks after the CBW, she discovered that she had advanced cancer.
This was a shock to her and was cause for unease among those who felt that,
maybe, they hadn't taken her seriously enough at the CBW. Some visited her when
she was hospitalized, others had hoped to....
103 Dnr+nuav ROADS Surna S, Rmrra'iet,~, Cov~~x:rmicrm 06877 0 203/431-9484 0 Fnx 203/431-9749
Her manner on these visits now showed evidence of inner transformation.
Though obviously physically ill, she now spoke in well-grounded terms, with no
trace of the improbable-sounding fantasies. She was interested in other people,
and it was enjoyable to spend time with her. Visitors were hearing from her, and
from close family quoting her, "This group, these people who don't even know me,
are the first people who have ever accepted me as I am!"
She died four months after that CBW, having experienced very briefly, the
knowledge that she was accepted and acceptable.
For those who are familiar with the work of the Foundation for Community
Encouragement (FCE), stories like this one will strike a resonant chord. In small
ways and large, the work of community building evokes human transformation.
Individuals and groups alike discover ways of honoring and receiving themselves
and others that seem startlingly and refreshingly new and simultaneously practical
and relevant. Within business, university or family settings, even within groups of
strangers, the community building work of FCE is having an extraordinary impact.
And this work is happening in the United States and beyond. The principles of
community, as practiced by FCE's talented facilitators have now found their way to
Canada, Britain, South Africa, Russia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Pakistan and Australia.
Teaching principles such as integrity, respect, tolerance and a willingness to deal
with difficult issues is accepted despite differences in language and customs.
But in order to spread its vision and continue to teach the principles of
community building, FCE needs the financial support of those who have been
touched by its work and who know of the promise of authentic human community.
So, this letter comes to you with the express hope that you will consider making a
generous contribution. Our funding base is small, but growing. In order to reach
our goals in the arenas of the inner cities, families, and to work with more diverse
groups, we need your help. The charges for our programs do not by themselves
allow us to balance our budget. We are dependent upon the generosity of persons
like yourself to continue this work which we believe gives cause for hope in the
future.
Please help in our quest for community by sending your tax-deductible gift
today.
Sincerely,
Stephen Bauman and Philip H. Mirvis
Co-Chair