Perspectives on Peace: Transforming Tomorrow
Perspectives on Peace: Transforming Tomorrow is the podcast hosted by The M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence that seeks to inform & inspire a better future.
We are based in Rochester, New York and seek to cover topics that are vital to our community and serve as the launching point to transform tomorrow. We attempt to do this in a way that feels authentic & inclusive.
Join us as we investigate perspectives on peace so that we can work on transforming tomorrow!
About The M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence:
The M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence (MKGI) is a nonprofit that equips people to use nonviolence to create a sustainable and just world for all.
MKGI collaborates with local organizations, academic institutions, students, and committed peacemakers in these areas: Nonviolence Education, Restorative Practices, Environmental Sustainability, & Racial Justice.
We prioritize programming for people between the ages of 12 and 24. We offer training in skills such as Nonviolent Communication, meditation, cultural humility, de-escalation and experiential interconnectedness.
By serving as a physical manifestation of Gandhian principles and Martin Luther King’s Beloved Community, the Gandhi Institute seeks to advance the cause of peacemaking regionally and beyond from within a neighborhood challenged by poverty and violence.
Perspectives on Peace: Transforming Tomorrow
Perspectives: On Summer
Discover the transformative power of community gardens and the joy of local engagement as we chat with Jordan, who supports School 19, as he shares his inspiring journey with restorative practices. You’ll hear firsthand about the magic of choosing plants and the pivotal role of programs like 4-H and Food Link in fostering connections among students and residents. Let Jordan's adventures in developing a community garden inspire you to cultivate not just plants, but meaningful relationships within your neighborhood.
Experience the vibrant summer culture of Rochester as we highlight the bustling farmers markets and scenic trails that bring our community together. From the fresh produce at the Rochester Public Market to the local treasures at the South Wedge Farmers Market, we celebrate the importance of supporting local businesses and engaging with our food sources. Plus, we’ll take you through the picturesque walking and biking trails of Durand Eastman Park and Turning Point Park, perfect for a leisurely escape into nature that refreshes both body and mind.
Engage in meaningful conversations and discover the necessity of "third spaces" for community engagement, especially for our youth. We explore the benefits of having areas for self-reflection and creativity, and the importance of active listening and empathy in building stronger community ties.
Using the example of the pop culture feud between Drake and Kendrick, we illustrate how even heated discussions can foster connection when approached with understanding. Tune in for practical strategies on navigating conversations and cultivating a sense of community through shared experiences.
Welcome to another episode of Perspective on Peace. What's up, guys? You're here with Jordan, I'm here with Aaron, katie and Mike, just in case you're wondering why it's been a while since I've been here. I've been working in schools, specifically School 19, and this kind of helps me segue into our conversation for the day. One of the things that I've noticed over the course of this year is everybody's already ready for summer. Summer is a few weeks away and a lot of my students are already talking about how they have nothing to do. So today, our episode is what things we can do, what possibilities, what options we have during the summer, and what the summer means for a lot of us and a lot of our students.
Speaker 2:I have a quick question, jordan, what do you do in the schools?
Speaker 1:I'm a support staff at School 19, and I love explaining this but I feel like it's kind of complicated to explain. I go pretty much where I'm needed around the building and I try to provide as restorative practices as possible. So we do restorative circles around the building. When there's certain issues within the classroom, I'm communicating with students, teachers and parents about what the best options are for a lot of my students in class, providing a sort of help zone when kids and teachers can take a break throughout the building and just being that partner throughout the building that can help wherever I'm available pretty much.
Speaker 2:Okay, thank you for that, yeah.
Speaker 1:I can get us started with our first topic. Before we even started recording, we were kind of touching up on a lot of our topics for the day and one of those things was community gardens. Not only do I work in schools, but also one of my favorite things and one of the things that we're leaning into a friend of mine and myself are leaning into for the summer is community gardens. Um, we may have touched on this on earlier episodes, but a friend of mine named Caden and myself we are working on our own community garden. We got started last summer and we're really excited about this year because last summer we were kind of just catching up and this year we can finally like start taking steps towards beautification and getting in some seeds and plants that, like we get to choose. Last year we got a bunch of stuff donated, so it wasn't really our choice. We were really excited to just be growing stuff. But this year we're really excited about like choosing what we want. We just put in some nice blueberry shrubs and so like we're really excited to see the end game there.
Speaker 1:But I think one of the more important topics that goes around with community gardens is what resources a lot of our students and just people in general have throughout the city, because I think a lot of people don't know who they can go to in case they do want to get outside and get involved as much as possible. And, as a matter of fact, I'll just, you know, list them all. We have 4-H, we have programs like Food Link, we have Rochester Ecology Partners. I feel that a lot of these programs they of course, do their own things, but a lot of them involve themselves with getting people outside right. So what can we do in order to get people more involved in gardening and not just gardening like, just like physically being outside, right? What options do we have? Going to a park, helping people throughout the community?
Speaker 1:I know that personally, 4-8 works a lot with not only getting kids outside with gardens, but getting kids outside to like help out with other community members throughout the city.
Speaker 1:Right Last year we did a bunch of programs where a bunch of students would come to our garden and help out, but not only that. We walked around the block. There was a church there and a bunch of them needed help bringing stuff in, and so, like, we helped them bring stuff into their church as well, and so I think it not only teaches students and people in the city that you know these things are important, but it also gets them really engaged in what it means to be a community member. It's not just about growing plants right. It's about like being a help right and knowing the people around you and knowing that you can get help, but you can also be there to provide the help as well. I think that is a super important. It's super crucial and it makes we spoke about this before, but it makes Rochester like what it is, you know we spoke about this before, but it makes Rochester like what it is.
Speaker 3:You know Totally. And I just also have to say that Rochester is a city of community gardens and I don't know if everyone knows it. So this is a great point to bring up, because there are so many people doing grassroots community gardens and they're popping up more and more. So, yeah, raising awareness about this is really important, I think, and even if you're not into getting your hands dirty, it's just great to walk through to become acquainted with the space, with the area. It's a great way to just learn more about your community, especially for young people, but it's really for everyone. That's what I love about community gardens. So how, like, what's been your favorite part of being part of a community garden?
Speaker 1:I think the best part is I'm thinking of last year when we, caden and I got familiar with a lot of the neighbors throughout that neighborhood and every Sunday we would host a game of some sort. So the first week we did baseball and then the second week we did kickball, and then, like every week, we would go and make up a new game. And, mind you, these were people that I didn't know, you know, weeks before and now, like I have their number. Like Paul, he's really close to Caden and I, uh, I still have his number and sometimes I'll like test him, like what's going on, how are the kids doing? And he, uh, we, like I said we just started at our garden for this summer and the other day we were there and he like pulled up on us and surprised us and he just chilled at the garden for a little bit and and hung out. So I think that that's like my favorite part is the fact that, like, we not only get to provide food and and even with that, like one of my, one of my biggest things is like knowledge as well is like if these people can learn that, like, instead of going to the grocery store and paying ten dollars for, you know, a bag of tomatoes or a bunch of onions or or something like that, and they can grow it in their own backyard. That's a that's a big thing. It's like that's a huge thing, right? Especially when we're living in times where everything is super expensive, right? So to not only provide that relationship with someone but to also like be able to provide that knowledge, I think are like two very, very big things for me. Yeah, yeah, that's great.
Speaker 1:I'm hearing like a chance for connection or kind of building capacity through, definitely recommend or urge whoever's listening to, like, walk down the street, you know, walk down the street, you know, walk around your block. You'll probably find a community garden. Katie was just saying a second ago this is a community garden city, so a lot of times, people who have their own community garden, they're looking for help. Anyway, they're looking for someone to help. You know, help put beds in or just to lift something, and so if you want to, you know, just do something this summer. If you want to do something you've never done before or something that you have, you know, if you're looking to just be busy for a little bit, I'm telling you you can go anywhere in the city. You'll find somewhere and they'll. If they need help, they'll ask for help and they'll be available, and so I definitely urge people to like just go to your local community garden and see what's up on there.
Speaker 2:I'm loving that and I'm loving when you were saying oh yeah, we were playing games and whatnot too, every week and you got really, really close with the people. I think at the Institute we host our own community garden parties every saturday, starting at 1 pm, and it usually that's um, headed by our great community gardeners, christina and alejandra, our master gardener, and we have community beds, we have fun and it's always a great time.
Speaker 4:You know, what I love about the community garden vibe is that it provides an instant point of common ground for people, and some of the most interesting conversations emerge from people encountering one another just in these green spaces that they're sharing together. There's a connection to community. There's often like a shared vibe for wanting good things for the community be it green space or beauty, or fruits and veggies and it provides like fertile ground no pun intended for community members to talk about other things that they want for the community. That's been my experience with community garden, one of the reasons why I really love it, you know.
Speaker 3:And speaking of that, like fresh produce and the idea of being able to get your own fruit, produce, veggies from gardens I kind of want to segue into something that I really value in Rochester over the summer, which is farmer's markets, and I know farmer markets like there's that's a big trendy thing We've seen all over social media, but farmers markets are one of my favorite ways to lock in with local businesses, local vendors and also get fresh products and produce from local vendors all summer. So one of my favorites is the Rochester public market. That's probably our biggest one, I would say, and that's right downtown and you get a chance to just walk around, buy whatever fruits or produce is in season and also just meet local businesses and vendors. It's a great way to even just like meet people and get to know about what the scene in Rochester is. So it's not just like food, but you can also see local nonprofits, local organizations and businesses. So it's not just like food, but you can also see local nonprofits, local organizations and businesses. So it's a great way to kind of get a sense of what's really going on here in Rochester.
Speaker 3:But there's not just the public market, that is like one of our big ones. There's also the South Wedge Farmers Market, the Westside Farmers Market and all of those. You'll find, yeah, local vendors, farmers, business people who are just sharing the commerce space, and it's a great way to, yeah, just be informed with what's going on in Rochester and around us. So I love those public markets and the farmers markets.
Speaker 1:I just wanted to add a little more. I know you said that it's not just about food, and I completely agree, but to bring us back to to bring us back to food a little bit, I think it's just important to know where your food is coming from. You know, I think nowadays everything has a label on it with this chemical and this chemical, and I think it's really important. Every time I go to the public market we go every Saturday I'm like doing a walk around, right? So the first walk around is just to see prices, just to see you know what's the best stuff, and then our second run around I'm like checking in with the farmers. You know these are people that are like putting in work to provide this good food for us, right? So, like we should be asking these questions like where is this coming from, or or how long does you know?
Speaker 1:Just knowing and being aware of, like not only where your food is coming from, but like what work goes into actually making it, it helps. I think it helps with the appreciation behind it, right? Especially when you're someone who does, you know, have a community garden or participates in a community garden, you get to connect with that person, like you were saying earlier, with someone who, like, grows food at like such a large scale, now you're doing it at like an even lower scale. You get to connect with them in that, and I think that that's like super important as well.
Speaker 4:So just this past week, I think, last Saturday, I uh got up and my wife and I we ended up going to Durand Eastman park and uh, so you know, there's the beach up there and all that, and there's also a section of the park that is trails. You can get back a bit off the beaten path if you will, and it was a fantastic experience and it reminded me how much I appreciate the amount of trails that we have in our general Rochester region. And as summer approaches and is coming in, I think I want to give a shout out and encourage people to look into both walking and biking trails. Right, there's a pretty good amount of it in Rochester, you know there's. There's really something special about being enveloped in just greenery and not seeing and hearing cars greenery and not seeing and hearing cars and um, and for me you know it it uh, it feels like it balances me out, um, and so thinking about you know how everything is mediated through a screen these days and we're always connected.
Speaker 4:I'm I'm holding out and walking, uh and biking trails as an and I'm holding out walking and biking trails as an opportunity for kind of getting back in touch with ourselves.
Speaker 4:It's also a great way of exercising. I mean, we were walking around and this was probably be rated a fairly easy trail, at most kind of moderate, and we were walking around for maybe an hour and a half and, you know, got my heart rate going and, you know, just excellent conversation and it was just a good time. Excellent conversation and it was just a good time, and I know that I haven't pulled out my bike in like some time. Um, but the fact that we have, like bike trails that connect, go straight through across the city, it's a chance to get out and, um, see the city and maybe you know, at a pace that you can actually kind of take in what's happening around you if you get out onto some of these bike trails.
Speaker 4:Um, so, yeah, I'm all about it. Uh, I'm all about trail life this, this, this summer, both walking and biking, and so some of the some of the options and there are a bunch of them but, um, there are some like mixed use trails where you might see people doing everything from walking to biking, to like in the wintertime, like skiing and all this cross country skiing and whatnot.
Speaker 1:But there's, um, there's turning point park trail, which is down Lake Avenue, um, a bit out into Charlotte, they got a really nice yeah, yeah, we, but we, every year, we uh, my friends and I we bike from um, you know where the rose garden is, and the rose garden all the way down to charlotte, and we just chill at charlotte for the day. We bring a bunch of food, waters, maybe like a volleyball net, and we just spend the day there.
Speaker 4:That's a nice little troop Perfect, yeah, yeah, perfect spot. Let me ask you this what do you know about around the Quaid Bay Park West? You ever heard of that?
Speaker 1:is that near? Uh, have you ever heard of the white lady castle?
Speaker 4:yeah, that's in highland, though, I think right, or that's no, that's in duran, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you're talking about. Michael's over there chuckling by white lady.
Speaker 1:I mean they call her the white lady because she wears a white dress. It's like a whole like urban legend thing in rochester. Yep, yeah.
Speaker 4:That is the Randall, yeah, so that's out like toward the beach. So this, this is kind of tucked back behind um, behind Culver Ridge area and um, the actual entrance to it is, uh, let me see here, it's on South Glen road in Irondequoit. So people, if they look up Irondequoit Bay Park West, I'm spotlighting that one in particular because that is has a feel of being more of a wild, adventuresome trail. So for people who want to ratchet up the experience a little bit, this trail is a little more strenuous, it's got um, it feels it's it does.
Speaker 4:It doesn't feel like Rochester when you get out there.
Speaker 4:So so, yeah, so I I'm, I'm planning on making the rounds this year, both on the bike and by foot. Um, certainly checking out those couple that I mentioned, but you know the list goes on. Um, there's there's, even at Mount Hope cemetery, you know there's, there's, there's good walking to be to be had there. Um, at our Genesee Valley park, they, they got a series of trails that you can go on. Um, you know there's um for bike trails, in the Northeast quad, where I'm from, there's the? Um, the heck, is it called the? Uh, the bike path? The? Uh, the Conky. There's a bike path that goes like along Conky Ave. Uh, there's, there's, there's resources in all four quadrants of the city and I would recommend just just just google I'm gonna be lazy here google walking or biking trails. Rochester, new york. Um, you know people are always discussing this stuff on uh reddit as well, r-e-d-d-i-t. If you want to get like the skinny on some good places.
Speaker 1:So highly recommend it yeah I also just wanted to add a quick thing.
Speaker 1:I love that you pick specifically like trails and like biking and walking, but I wanted to just say this was another one of my talking points was like conversations about like people just need to like need things to do, and I think this ties into like um, like the Kia boys, and a lot of what we see going on in Rochester is I think people just don't have third spaces, they don't have activities to to get into when there's nothing else to do.
Speaker 1:And I think that um to to point out biking trails, hiking trail, like that's something that I feel like like my family never does, Like a lot of my friends don't do, but it is so fun, and not only that, even when I feel like I don't really feel like going on, just going for a walk, it provides you with something to do right, and other ideas come from that right. It sparks that creativity, right, and you mentioned something earlier that really gravitated to me. It was you get a chance to better understand yourself or better find yourself. Yeah, I feel like that's like a big thing for me is like a lot of times we're in these environments and even with yesterday we went to visit the what was it called yesterday.
Speaker 4:The.
Speaker 1:VR thing gives you a chance to like reflect right. I'm like what are you going through right now? You know what can you be doing right now, and I think that that's super important. I'm sorry, I kind of cut you off there, Mike.
Speaker 2:No, it was cool. We went to the U of R and we visited their pop-up for, like mindful and like restorative pop-up that uses virtual reality, that was really engineered and spearheaded by a take five student that's graduating geneva, geneva hinkson yeah, and she's yeah, we'll send links for that because that thing's amazing. It was, it was really cool, yeah, and then, like she's gratefully like donating it to us.
Speaker 2:So yeah be on the lookout for how we use it, because it's going to be amazing. You have a chance to deescalate yourself. Yeah, I loved what everyone was talking about so far. Okay, summer's happening, it's warm out in Rochester Usually it's freezing cold, there's snow out, but like we get to go outside now, people are going outside, so that's a chance to connect with nature, connect with yourself, connect to local businesses and connect to your neighbors around you, and we brought all that together.
Speaker 2:But, like, I'm also thinking like what gets in the way of connection misunderstandings, miscommunication and I'm wondering like, okay, I think in summer, times can get heated, blood can get boiling and, with the election coming up, like we're going to be talking around differences and I'm wondering how do we talk around differences? And I'm wondering how do we talk around differences? What helps that? And I'm really wondering what are our non-negotiables for being able to talk? What do we need to be able to talk with someone who's different from us? Is there an understanding? Is there a framework? Yeah, to have a productive conversation over something you're different. If we were to take something that's a little bit lighter, oh man, jordan, how do you talk with somebody who thinks Drake is winning the rap battle?
Speaker 1:That is a great question, mike Oof, I think okay. So my friend gave me a solution to a problem I was having a long time ago with my parents. We would always get into these arguments and I feel like this kind of the idea of what I'm about to say. It goes without saying, but I think that sometimes, when we're in the heat of the moment, when we're talking to someone and we want to be right, so bad we forget to do it. Um, just listen, you know. Um, I think that a lot of times we're so already, you know we've got our idea already loaded in. You know we're we're, we're already ready to like throw something back that we're not willing to like hear out what the person is saying or where they're coming from. Um, in this case, we all know drake lost, right, but but I'm, if someone is arguing that I, I need to hear why, right, I need, I want to be able to have that conversation to learn about, like, you know what your perspective is, right, um, and I think also, and this, that conversation, I think, in the grand scheme of things, is so like unimportant. I don't care if you know you're siding with Drake that much, right, because there's other. I think there's other things for us to be talking about, and that conversation between Drake and Kendrick it can get to plenty other conversations.
Speaker 1:I think that it's a it's a big conversation on like trauma and what that means for people.
Speaker 1:I think that throughout this beef back and forth, they brought up other people's trauma and I influence that famous people have on pop culture and the fact that we have 40 and 50 year old grown men dissing Drake on Twitter and like that's like a big thing.
Speaker 1:The fact that Metro Boomer can get on social media and be like yo, you guys make other songs that like speak to this beef. It's crazy, because that's exactly what advocates for Palestine have been asking for, right. It's for famous people to like say something or provide something right. So now we know that it's possible and these are conversations that only come from us having conversations about the beef between Kendrick and Drake, right, and so I think that me siding as to who's one isn't as important, but, like there are things, there are nuances that come from that conversation, and so I think just being open and being able to listen for a few minutes before we're just throwing ideas, Although it's jokes like the Drake and Kendrick beef has really shown me that people do have the capability like you said, jordi to come into the same room, do it for something in popular culture.
Speaker 3:I think we can also do that across so many different other realms of our life and I do think that for me, one of the biggest barriers is just getting people into the same space, and there is just so much value in bringing people who normally wouldn't be in the same room together into the same room and into the same space, and that's what I love about things like our community dinners and we've had things like roundtables and dialogues that bring people across differences, across generations, race, age, everything into the same room to talk across difference and hopefully we can have the same. You know hype and excitement about talking about community issues as we can with Drake and Kendrick, but I think that that does show that we're capable of doing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I appreciate both of your answers and some of the obstacles for us having a great conversation and talking across differences is, one, not even interest in listening and two, getting across those barriers of difference. And two, getting across those barriers of difference Like, okay, I'm usually around people that think like me, that speak like me, sometimes, that look like me and the opportunity, a safe opportunity to go out. I think that's very, very valuable and I'm also hearing the chance for bigger topics than these surface level things that might start the conversation are really, really important, and I saw you about to speak, aaron, I was just going to add that I think there's something to be said for getting people in the same space.
Speaker 4:So oftentimes when we're debating things online, we kind of come into these spaces with a certain position, a certain attitude and there's a certain ease to move toward entrenched extremes. That is, I think, more difficult to maintain when you're looking at someone in the same space, seeing people like process and respond to what's being said and shared in real time. There's a humanizing effect that being in the same space can have, in my experience, some of the challenge and some of what ultimately is an ingredient for a successful dialogue across differences just crossing that initial hurdle of getting people to share space. And so there needs to be a certain confidence about safety, literal, physical safety. In my opinion, there needs to be an expectation and a thought that a person's views are actually going to be allowed to be aired. Tacking those things on to what you all have already shared.
Speaker 1:This is something that I wanted to add. It kind of seems pretty minuscule, but it's something that I've noticed through working at School.
Speaker 1:19 is another thing is, as we're having conversations, just checking in, usually when I'm talking to students and even some of my fellow staff during the day.
Speaker 1:It's like when we're talking and I'm talking to students and even some of my uh, uh, some of my fellow staff during the day. It's like when we're talking and I'm really getting into whatever conversation I'm getting into or we're debating something, I'm like, okay, well, did you understand that? Or do you know, like usually with my kids, do you understand what this word means? Or, or like those check-ins in the middle of like your long drawn-out. It allows you guys to actually like engage, you know, make sure that they're like listening to what you're saying, or that you're listening to what they're saying, or or or following certain tones or the way that the person you're talking to is looking. I think that, like stopping in the middle and checking it is like super important. I know it seems like it's just like a random detail, but it's like, I think, in my opinion, a very, very big detail when you're having conversations about things that you just don't agree with other people.
Speaker 2:If I have something to get off my chest and maybe it's different from what you believe, if you're willing to listen and understand and hear me out, I think that does a lot. So I'm hearing how do we talk across differences, have productive conversations and, like, still be in community? I'm hearing okay, you got to listen, you got to be safe. You gotta meet up with differences in a space that provides that safety, well-being and care.
Speaker 1:I think to be a little uncomfortable people are going to disagree with you sometimes and I think that nowadays we're like you, speaking to the unsafe kind of idea. A lot of times, especially nowadays, you disagree with someone and it's like the end of the world. You know, um, cancel culture and everything but like level of understanding is a really big thing. I think that there are conversations where things are taken to the extreme, but usually by having that level of understanding and being willing to have a conversation with someone who disagrees with you, it's very big.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think maybe we've been socialized and maybe it's just the way it is. But, like Twitter, fingers are made for war, you know. But when you come across someone's actual humanity and you're in the space with them, unless you're socialized and have stark belief, you start liking another person, maybe not even liking, you start noticing that there are another human being who lives, breathes, has hardships and like, goes through it just like you. I know learning different methods of speaking to be heard without doing harm, a la nonviolent communication, has been very, very helpful. I know being able to listen and understand and still bring up difference has been very, very helpful.
Speaker 2:All these different tools that we have to be heard to speak without hurting. I think they're very, very valuable as we start to get outside, as our differences start to get put under a microscope, and start to get outside as our differences start to get put under a microscope and start to divide us. So we have workshops on that. That's like one of our main things. We try to host spaces where people feel safe and can learn and be in community. That's what it's really really about being community. I'm wondering if there's any last thoughts that you guys want to bring up.
Speaker 3:I am wondering before we close up. I'm sure folks are wondering how they can get involved with us here at the Gandhi Institute over the summer. Is there anything that y'all are looking forward to that we are offering coming up in the summer? I'll say, for me, one of them is the community dinners that we'll be having throughout the summer months, once a month, and they're going to be outside, which is our favorite thing. You know, if you've come to a community dinner in the fall or winter, we're usually cozy inside the house, but once the summer months come and once the flowers start to bloom, we love to move outside and it's a great way to, yeah, connect with our community garden and our community members. So, yeah, that's a great way to come and get some food, bring yourself and your appetite and come and visit us and connect.
Speaker 4:What are y'all looking forward to? I'll make mention of our breakfast chats that are going on second Tuesday of each month bright and early Chats for folks to come by have a bite to eat, check out the Institute grounds and offices, have a chat with at least myself and Michael, who hold down these spaces, and whoever else comes from the community. Think of it almost as a early morning version of the community dinners, in the sense that people can come together and begin to share what's on their mind and what's important to them and connect to the Gandhi Institute here. So that's the second Tuesday of each month.
Speaker 2:I'm really looking forward to our de-escalation workshops. If things get heated, how do you get out safe? How do you get out with respect? And practicing how to do that is really, really important as things heat up socially and physically. Jordy, you were talking about community gardening and I know we have some offerings around that and yeah we do like gardening parties during the summer.
Speaker 1:Right, I know that they're every Saturday, but can one of you guys give our audience a description of like what we usually, what that usually entails or what we usually do?
Speaker 3:That is a chance. Our gardening parties are a chance for you to come and hang out with our garden managers, alejandra and Christina, and we've got our big community garden here with different veggies, produce flowers, so you'll have a chance to get your hands dirty wherever you're interested in. So there's weeding, there's watering, any kind of maintenance that you can help us with Our other tasks around the Gandhi Institute as well. And, yeah, just a good way to chat and meet new people and learn more about this direct community that we're in. So you can come and join us on Saturdays and no gardening experience prior is necessary. You can come with whatever levels of gardening experience you have. And, yeah, come and get your hands dirty with us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's great. So garden parties, we got breakfast chats, we got community dinner. You know we love food. Um, we have our de-escalation workshop coming up. Uh, in the fall we'll have some non-violent communication series so we can kind of get to practicing the nuts and bolts of how to, of non-violent communication that seeks to understand and be heard and speak towards those universal needs to be understood, to have peace to be seen. And I think the last thing ever revolving is like we have our online grief circles. Every Thursday at noon you have a chance to meet up with individuals who have something heavy on their heart, or maybe like medium heaviness, and, yeah, process it.
Speaker 4:I think that chance to also process when things get hot is very, very useful. All right, I feel like getting out and walking the trail soon and got me going. But yeah, this has been a good conversation, yo, it is Peace, peace.
Speaker 3:See you next time.
Speaker 1:Peace indeed.
