"International Newsletter for AVP - Only one year late !!! says Elaine Dyer.

Its an interesting thing - an email magazine. For a computer illiterate person such as myself, it means dependence on a typist who has the time and energy to put into entering all these words, formatting the newsletter, then zapping it out.

There has been some delay in finding such a person despite some promising beginnings, and finally Mana Morgan from Turangi, the heart of New Zealand’s North Island has offered. So with his nimble fingers and generous spirit, we begin.

Some of this news will not be fresh for some of you. Perhaps it will be surpassed by now ! but it will come as a collection of articles and stories to stimulate updates. Perhaps this job as Editor isn’t as huge as my imaginings have made it out to be, and I can get busy and gather together another one sooner than I’ve been able to for this.

So this is also a call for more material, a Newsletter can’t exist without the news ! now I have a new depth or compassion for my mates who have been editors, with their calls for contributions !please send your thoughts, articles and updates either to; Mana Morgan - mbo@xtra.co.nz or fax to me at; 64-09-4169556, or by snail mail to : 9 Mamari Road Whenuapai, Auckland NEW ZEALAND . I’d like to produce this Newsletter at least three times a year.

My understanding is that each email contact will down-load and print this for AVP distribution in their own countries, so trust each of you will ensure that this happens.

For this issue, Mana Morgan and I concentrated on just getting the written material together - but we’d like to experiment with graphics and photos for future issues.

So despite rumours from the International Co-ordinator (greetings dear Bill !) I haven’t been lost at sea - just a bit wave tossed and stranded on tropical beaches for a while (don’t I wish !) metaphorically speaking !

I also need to acknowledge my own process in all of these delays. I’m still in a personal journey of healing over past months taking time out from ‘active service’ to rest, integrate all the intense work of the past 6 years in AVP (and a life time of workaholism !!)

I’ve been making some good progress in healing the resulting physical manifestations of exhaustion and overload. I’ve gardened, sewn, read, written and played with friends and family. Its been a necessary time of slowing down. I’ve appreciated the support I’ve received from my extended AVP family in doing this, and the regular letters which come to me from around the world are treasures !!

I’ve also been to both Australia and Tonga and include reports on these places. So….here is the good news to date, I’m eager to hear more current news - I heard a whisper yesterday that John Schuford is back in Capetown, South Africa again. Steve Angell is apparently poised for Bosnia. People got together at the Quaker triennial in England, and there was a series of AVP presentations on for quite a good group.

Let me conclude by thanking all of you who continue to hold the vision of AVP in your hearts and practices. As each of us does so, the ripples of peace extend into this pond of the planet we all share. In the news that comes from around the world, I hear more and more messages of tales, of people standing together to seek another way to resolve differences than the violent habits of the past.

Each one of us makes a difference as we touch our parts of this world - whether it be bound by Prison walls or touches many countries - peace needs each of us to work its plans !

Blessings to us all !!!

Elaine Dyer, International Liaison for AVP Aotearoa and Editor for the International AVP Newsletter.

AVP International Conference for 1998

"Does anyone have an update on the AVP International Conference yet," asks Elaine who suggests offers of help, ideas should be sent to - Bill McMechan, AVP Canada.

By Elaine Dyer

BACKGROUND

In November/December 1996, Ralph Johnson and I were invited to introduce AVP to the community of Tonga through, Eileen Dwyer, of Lapaha Mercy Sisters.

Eileen was introduced to AVP at the International Prison Chaplain’s conference in Canada in 1995. Her experience of AVP at the conference generated her desire to see it introduced in the Pacific.

Ralph and I spent a month in Tonga providing numerous opportunities. We completed two basic, one advance and T4F for eight Tonga trainees. In addition to the workshops, we gave lots of exposure at public meetings, local news papers and mini workshops to school staff, teacher’s college students, women’s organisations and police.

We were funded generously by the NZ High Commission in Tonga. We were able to budget the funds to return to the Island for a second visit in July for two and a half weeks.

Eight months had elapsed since our initial first visit in November/December 1996. AVP Tonga had been busy with an intended of least one basic workshop a month. Hurricane Hina played havoc with a planned workshop. However, the group completed four Basic courses - two community workshops in Nuku’alofa, one in Houma and a Prison Basic course.

Our return to Tonga in July saw us armed with our manuals, mandala, goggles, flippers and leaving behind a wintry New Zealand and into a tropical sojourn.

Our flight into a stunning red and gold sunset and stepping off the aircraft onto the warm Tongan earth was a good omen.

One broadly smiling Eileen met us with a portentous statement, "ah…do we need rain ! two months of beautiful days has been tough on the farmers….no sign of it yet."

Two days later, her statement came to pass as the grey skies arrived and it rained on and off for the next two weeks we were there ! Ah, who would we be to complain?

We were based at Nuku’alofa in a newly redecorated house that was to be our home for the next two weeks. Kololia and her husband Maka provided the hospitality of this house as well as a van which to played an invaluable contribution.

Our brief with Kololia, Eileen and Telesia provided an avenue for them to outline their hopes. Together, we planned to fit one Advance, T4F, a committee meeting, one talk and a social evening to complete our visit.

All of these commitments were to be held in the evening except for Saturdays which was an all day event. Sundays was the Islands observance of the Sabbath day. This gave us day time hours to plan, study, relax and play in the lagoon.

Our Advance workshop was held at the Queen Salotte College with a promising number of 14 participants of which nine completed and eight were keen to go onto T4F’s.

Adapting to the culture in terms of workshop time frames evolved from the commitments participants had in the weekends. There was Saturday morning market days where weekly incomes were generated. Sunday observance and attendance at Church were also required.

Traditional weekend workshop times were substituted for a five four-hour sessions. Thursday, Friday and Monday from 5.00pm to 9.00pm. Saturday afternoon after the markets from 12.00pm to 9.00pm.

This was indeed a different experience from traditional weekend workshop from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. This different process seemed to achieve great meaning and relevance to all participants. The interpersonal depths I have experienced in the usual structures wasn’t as tangibly present. Of course, my observations are that of a visitor (palangi). As we worked together and established deeper trust and ease of communication, this quality of closeness also increased.

Language barriers from English to Tongan and visa versa was another experience for Ralph and I to overcome. We were thankful for the support of Telesia, Inoke and Kololia in offering translations and explanations in both languages. Workshops worked at a much slower pace which increased the essence of the messages we were communicating.

Commitments and demands on facilitators took its toll. The main stay facilitators were Telesia, Kololia and our only active male facilitator Inoke. Other facilitators contributed their time where possible to workshop time where possible. Training for Facilitators couldn’t have come at a better time to help reinforce the group numbers.

A supportive group of helpers have now formed themselves a committee. A draft Action Plan has been written which they are in the process of adopting.

Identifying and understanding the functions of the roles of the facilitator, administrator and committee member were some of the issues we helped them through. I sent them guidelines of committee task descriptions worked on by AVP Western Australia.

Funding is an issue and not appropriate or feasible to charge participants to attend the groups. They contribute in other ways by bringing food for meals and their preparedness to take on support roles.

We discussed these issues with the NZ High Commission and they were open to exploring the possibilities of grant and other possible sources. We were able to pay for all the manual copying, venue hire, extra food as well as leaving a $200.00 donation.

Fund raising by the group was another option. They were about to do a sponsored ‘workathon’ cleaning up rubbish along the Nuku’alofa foreshore and were eagerly presenting their sponsorship forms.

Churches were supportive and gave a lot of recognition of the work put in by their employees. They provided access to venues, photocopying and much more.

The value of returning after eight months was evident both to consolidate the training, but also to give practical and emotional support to the group.

Its a huge task to establish the project in a country, and the challenges of that are as varied as the cultures in which this has been done. Returning and building on what we had initially done eight months ago was very important in re-establishing our links.

As we left Tonga, we were aware of leaving the group to confidently carry the work forward. We were heartened to see the huge growth in confidence and skill in all the facilitators we had trained on our first visit. There are two more men facilitators to support Inoke and six more women.

Translating the manuals and handouts in Tongan will continue. The Tongan word for Transforming Power is ‘Ivi Liliu’. Most of the agendas that graced the walls were bilingual.

The group is keen to hear from other AVP groups internationally. They are excited to get Canada’s newsletter and enjoy the New Zealand (Aotearoa) panui (newsletter) ‘Awhi’.

Funding is an uncertainty. It would be great if there could be ongoing input from other facilitators and trainers. There is a VSA (Volunteer Service Abroad) position available in another organisation that could benefit AVP for a woman who has had some crisis centre experience, but also who has, or can get, some AVP training - maybe someone is keen - contact me for details.

We have also encouraged the facilitators to link up when travelling overseas. We have encouraged them to make themselves available to opportunities to facilitate and one of our hopes is that they could help in a workshop for Tongans in New Zealand.

Sister Valencia is a newly trained facilitator who is moving to wellington on assignment and is keen to link up with the AVP group there.

They have committed to send regular reports on their workshops and questions to me. I can offer on going support and supervision as it is requested.

Tonga is very aware of the challenges of violence with a recent incident of inter-school rivalry which ended up with a million dollars of damage being done to one of the schools. There is increasing desire to heal family violence and empower women and men to find alternatives.

Ralph and I often talked about the importance of learning these qualities from our experience in Tonga. They are a refining of listening skills, placing aside assumptions and judgements and grateful for the improvisation skills.

It has been a privilege, challenge and huge responsibility to have been involved in the establishment of the project in Tonga. The chance to deepen the place of understanding between our cultures, the respect for the magnificence of AVP, and the expansion of our valuing of ‘Transforming Power’ in our processes of individual and collective growth have all been treasures.

For many Tongans, AVP is viewed as a place of spiritual renewal and the tales of new perspectives and its implications have been inspiring.

The presentation of a Tapa cloth to Ralph and I on our last evening was one of reverence and respect. Turning the bark into a fibrous cloth requires an enormous co-operative effort. It requires beating the bark into fibre, combining the strips, layering together, dyeing and then printing the beautiful patterns on it.

I couldn’t help but reflect on the parallels with AVP - together we construct and decorate a thing of beauty, with our co-operative effort and willingness to add in our creativity.

Patterns are different in different cultures, but the fibre of it is the same, the threads of peace its strength.

AVP In Hungary

by Istvan Fedor

In November 1994, Susanna Eveson introduced the AVP programme to Hungary and personally carried all discussions with the Director of the Gyula Juhasz Teacher Training College, Head of the Pedagogy Department and the Mayor of Szeged.

In the period of forming for democracy, AVP is a filler for teachers in both content and methodological points of view. Nowadays, Hungarian society is going through considerable changes and with this, a new pedagogical way of thinking and practice is needed. e.g. Now we are learning to enforce our own interests independently without national protection. In the decision process, that the basic principle becomes concerned, and having agreement based on consent and consensus.

AVP provides a new way of applying knowledge, skills and abilities. It provides an example which helps individuals and the society to find the way out.

Some of the positive results have been a number of published articles in connection with teaching experiences in co-operation with the Hungarian AVP Association; News information been published in the Mass media; we’ve held at least 50 lectures and training and 163 registered educational institutions have connected with the programme; six lectures about AVP work in National forums; the official curriculum of AVP has already been worked out and accepted; we are training teachers to work in the spirit of the programme; 1995/96 academic year, the Soros Foundation sponsored 4 complete training’s.

Future prospects are training college students to be trainers; spreading AVP training’s in Hungarian higher education; writing a course book - ‘Changing Attitudes’ about experiences; organising a national conference in autumn 1996.

Participants varied from elementary teachers in training, to psychology students, associates of the Science of Mind and Psychologists who did the workshop as well as strong interests in becoming facilitators to form the nucleus for future AVP Russia.

The majority of the workshops were conducted in the pedagogical colleges. They were mostly of two day duration concentrating on community building, communication, solving conflict, introduction of Transforming power, and some role playing of conflict situations. De-briefing became an important aspect for participants to interpret their individual experiences.

In almost all cases, the students and their teachers were pleasantly surprised in discovering that the workshop was not in fact a lecture as was the expectation but an experiential learning experience.

Every workshop was conducted with the help of an interpreter provided by the college. The best interpreters simply translated what was said while others added their own remarks and instructions creating frustration for the facilitators.

During the four weeks Ruth Hillman of the Warkworth Area Council was there, some 155 participants experienced the programme and that an advanced and T4F was to be held after her departure at the pedagogical college.

"I felt this was the beginning of a very worthwhile experience for these participants of an emerging democracy."

"A book written by Olga Farkas on ‘AVP in Hungry has been published in Hungarian," says Bill McMechan.

Some interesting reports from Istevan Fedor who facilitated recently in Moscow and Ruth Hillman on ‘AVP in Hungarian Higher Education’ are well worth reading, says Bill.

Tamiyo Britton and her husband are doing prison volunteer work in Japan and flew out to the USA for a combined holiday, business trip. They are most interested in AVP and possibilities of working with others to establish a presence in Japan.

They have traveled through the East Coast of the USA, Minnesota and Los Angeles for a period of eight weeks.

After completing their Basic at ODAAT in Philadelphia, they said what a unique and wonderful experience it was at the workshop. While in Philadelphia, they stayed with Sister Margaret at her addictions shelter in the heart of inner city Philadelphia.

They completed their Advanced at the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility in Yardville, NJ.

"We were sweating this one because all NJ prisons were locked down for a couple of days earlier in the week as a consequence of a corrections officer being stabbed to death by an inmate" said Tamiyo with relief.

The lockdown was lifted just before the Advanced was scheduled to begin.

The next step is their T4F which will be scheduled between Aug 23 - September 11^th in California. Tamiyo and her husband were keen to travel anywhere in the state to complete their T4T’ers.

Unfortunately they were unable to complete their T4T because of conflict with travel and other commitments.

Tamiyo said they would be interested in continuing their training during their next visit and would be very interested in working with others who might be interested in going to Japan to offer workshops.

By Janet Lugo

"I knew Ellen Flanders some 25 years ago when we were both doing advocacy work and said to her that we will be still doing it until we were too old to move,"

"Well, 25 years later, she has become a formidable old lady and she’s made it big time."

Ellen has undergone surgery for a triple heart bypass and is doing fabulously.

I played rummy with her the following day after her surgery. They had moved her to a cardiac rehab centre next to the hospital where they operated. She will be there for at least two weeks rehabilitating and learning how to do things differently.

Ellen is learning how to live without any of the good things in life, like, salt, coffee, fat. I just hope she doesn’t starve to death before she goes home.

"Well I’m so elated that she has made it, love to you all."

WORKSHOP IN HAITI

"She’s one of Gods gifts," says Janet Lugo about Trace Gaskin who is a young black school teacher who lives and teaches in Harlem, New York City.

Harlem is famous because it is the biggest black neighbourhood in the USA.

Janet says that she doesn’t teach regular school work like reading, arithmetic and writing.

Trace teaches AVP to absmiddle-school kids (early teens) five days a week.

Janet tells us that Trace went to Haiti as part of a team to train the trainers. It is the first time in Haitian history that a workshop on Alternatives to Violence was conducted with Haitian facilitators.

"They did a spectacular job and they ought to be proud of the fact that they did the first Haitian workshop in their country," says Trace, " I was so proud of their ability to facilitate."

Trace also went on to say that everyone was looking forward to Janet Lugo coming in September to help conduct the Advance workshops.

Trace was on her way to Virginia Beach for a much needed vacation before she plunged into her work again back in Harlem.

Trace is a Teacher of AVP at the Study Centre for Law & Peace.

Janet Lugo has been to Haiti before to conduct workshops and was invited there by Michelle Karshan, who has organised a group called, ‘Alternative-chance’ which is similar to AVP but includes other services and projects.

India

From Stephen Kemp and Karin Fry

"Imagine a large room with 32 apprehensive volunteers in the centre, with 50 observers around the walls inclusive of males, females, boys and girls. All paired off with someone they don’t know well. No time for warm ups, straight into it" says Karin who describes the scene as two minutes is offered on talks about, ‘things I like or like to do’, talks about ‘things about myself which I really like’ and then instructions translated into English and Hindi.

"As far as we are aware," she says, " this is the first taste of AVP in India. We had been given a 45 minute slot during the Conference of Quakers from all over India."

"The level of excitement and interest afterwards was very encouraging judging by the comments of participants who wanted to know how soon they could get proper workshops up and running."

"The following week was to prove even more challenging as Stephen and I were sitting under a banyan tree counting our participants as they arrived for the workshop. The expectation was for about 14 but 27 assembled, two of us plus an Indian friend who had taken part in the first basic workshop in England and two interpreters."

"We had an equal amount of male and female mainly of the younger group. One of our concerns was the cultural appropriateness. On the first day, the teenage girls found it embarrassing addressing myself as Karin and Stephen as Stephen even with native adjective words such as ‘kamal netri’ (lotus eyes) The ice soon melted away because how can ice survive under this sun."

" The second morning brought a real sense of community and cultural appropriateness seemed insignificant. ‘A difficult situation I handled peacefully’ took the workshop forward and real personal experiences were shared openly. By lunch time we took a risk and did an Alaskan hug to the amusement of participants followed by an affirmation tower."

"This was certainly a workshop with a difference. Four of the six sessions were in the open air with flip charts on rickety A-frames made from saplings and leaning against a tree. Translation of the language had to be done in two languages. Amazingly, no one left and no one passed on anything, all had a go."

"This was small a humble beginnings with a very enthusiastic and energetic group who wanted to know how AVP could be carried forward to the rest of India."

"The common bond or thread for our group was that we were all Quakers. The young girls were part of the Sohakpur School choir that sang at the gathering. It seemed they expressed themselves better in song. On my last morning there, they came to my room and sang me a song which was symbolic of the close bond we had developed."

"The Indian men were incredibly sensitive to the young women by encouraging the girls to contribute which created a real sense of community and trust. The AVP belief of all being equal became a reality after witnessing the Indian men. We were highly delighted to see how the gender and age groups mixed comfortably together. I feel this respect for the individual is one of AVP’s greatest gifts. Particularly when they had to call us by our first names which was quite a hurdle for them."

"A good indication of the ‘trust process’ was having a dependency on the translators. My background as a speech therapist all made sense to me after that experience. "

"Thank goodness for Ram, our Indian friend who completed the first basic workshop in England who was a source of inspiration for us. He knew enough about AVP and Hindi to keep us on the straight and narrow. He was involved in the debriefing as well as the workshop and we are thankful for his wisdom."

Costa Rica

Adillia Caravaca has received support from ILAND, a United Nations Division for Latin America to prevent crime. The Director of the University for peace has indicated an interest in conflict resolution.

Two workshops were held in November 1996 with Paula Wilson from Miami, USA, mentoring facilitators and workshops in Costa Rica. Paula says she’s full of praise for the AVP committee in Costa Rica. She says their concerns are about quality control and the need for facilitators to be abreast of presentation requirements and the need to practice, and practice.

Germany

"Our first basic workshop was in early 1994 and by the end of that year we had 12 facilitators in addition to the five who had their training in the USA, Canada and England," said Coosji Petry.

"Four inmate facilitators joined the ranks in May 1996 with six Penal Institutions offering AVP workshops mainly in Lower Saxony", says Martin Steller, recently retired Prison Chaplain and active organiser of AVP workshops.

IRELAND

"AVP Ireland is alive and well," says Sheilagh Reaper-Reynolds and Helen Haugton. They say after only two years of operation, a programme has firmly been established in Dublin and Limerick including the women’s Prison.

"The group has found it difficult to keep up with the demands. A hostel in Dublin is under construction for released inmates with AVP connections," they concluded saying.

The hosting of the International Conference was the big event of the 1996 year and the gathering of the AVP National Council.

The appointment of Marc Forget to the position of Associate Co-ordinator was a significant step in the development for assisting the National Co-ordinator on a one day a week basis. Marc spent two years in Nicaragua working with Pro Nica and co-ordinating AVP.

MANUALS

Currently in print are basic manuals in Spanish, Hungarian, German in addition to the original version in English.

A start on the Russian translation is underway, Ruth Hillman brought a copy back from Moscow.

A start has been made on the French version in Canada by Margaret Watts and inmates of Warkworth Institution in Montreal