Spring Assembly

Spring Assembly

Spring Assembly 2010
Spring Assembly 2009

“Embracing Conflict -Imagining Equitable Sustainability”
Western Washington FOR’s 21st Annual Spring Assembly
Saturday, April 6th., 2019, from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm.

Registration begins 9 am, program 10 am – 3:45 pm
at Fauntleroy UCC Church, 9104 California Ave SW, West Seattle.

Pre-register now!

NEWSFLASH 3/29/19 Schedule and Workshop Descriptions now available!  Click here

We will build on Kazu Haga’s work in determining that conflict itself is neither negative nor positive, but an opportunity to understand
others’ viewpoints and actions — if we take the opportunity to listen with care.

Information flyer can be viewed or downloaded here (2-page pdf file)

Please pre-register now!  Send registration info by March 29, by email, postal mail, or phone, wwfor@wwfor.org, 206-789-5565 or WWFOR, 225 N 70th St, Seattle WA 98103.  Please include:

name
address including zip
email
phone(s)
carpool offer or need (number of people)
suggested donation $20, by postal mail or at door

Nobody turned away for lack of funds!  Pay as you are able.  An average of $20 will cover our expenses.  Lunch is included.

Walk-in registration is also accepted

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LAST YEAR’S SPRING ASSEMBLY

“Inspiring One Another to
Continue Taking Steps Toward Justice and Peace”

Western Washington FOR’s
20th. Annual Spring Assembly
Saturday, April 14th., 2018,
from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm.

For the past 19 years, WWFOR has sponsored a day long get together to share information and help support and sustain each other in the ongoing journey of activism for greater justice and peace. This year we again will be gathering at Fauntleroy UCC Church, 9140 California Avenue, SW, West Seattle, for our 20th. annual get together on Saturday, April 14th. We intend to continue the feature of significant interactivity throughout the day.

Focus of the day’s theme and activities: As human beings, our immediate reaction to extreme stress is often to fight, flee, or freeze. For most of us, it is completely understandable that the current state of our country elicits one or more of these immediate actions. However, there is an alternative response: one that is more proactive, hopeful, empathic, and mindful. How can we get there, individu-ally and collectively, in a manner that is truly just for all? The 2018 Spring Assembly is focused on sharing information, tools, and mu-tual encouragement to continue working toward this goal.

The emphasis on mutual sharing and interactivity will begin with small group participation around the theme of “Inspiring One An-other…”
Workshops: There will be four, perhaps five workshops, 90 minutes each, including sharing of comments and questions. The various workshops will cover crucial topics such as environmental issues, nuclear weapons, Mindfulness and self-care for activists, one deal-ing with the bystander effect, and a workshop presented by the Mike Yarrow Peace Fellows.

Click here for Spring Assembly Schedule and Workshop Descriptions!

CONFIRMED WORKSHOPS INCLUDE

RESISTANCE TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.  Elizabeth Murray and Glen Milner, members of the Poulsbo-based Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action (www.gzcenter.org) — an affiliate of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons)  — will discuss the threat posed by nuclear weapons in the state of Washington, plans to “modernize” the nation’s nuclear arsenal, as well as the nuclear resistance activities of the Ground Zero Center.  The workshop will include time for Q & A, discussion of nonviolent action and ways the public can become involved in countering the possession and use of weapons of mass destruction in the United States.  Glen Milner is an anti-nuclear weapons activist and a researcher with the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action.  Elizabeth Murray is Member-in-Residence at the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action in Poulsbo, WA.   Her opinion piece: “With Nuclear Submarines in our Backyard, Isn’t It Time To Give Peace a Chance?” was published in the Seattle Times on October 10, 2017.

FIGHTING ENVIRONMENTAL HOPELESSNESS.  “Fighting Environmental Hopelessness: How to Effectively Act, Reach Out, and Work Together. ” With several environmental problems feeling insurmountable before January 20, 2017, recent decisions by political powers now heading the country haver many of us feeling depressed and downright hopeless when faced with challenges surrounding climate change, water rights, and the like. This workshop focuses on how to fight environment apathy on an individual and institutional level, and examines ways and resources to help us all cooperatively push for positive change. Ashley Blazina, researcher in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington.

Pre-register by Monday April 9, this will help us plan. Click here to view or download flyer with pre-registration form.  However, do come to the Assembly even if you don’t register ahead of time. Suggested donation: $ 20.00. Do come, whatever you can pay. Lunch will be provided with the fee as well as luncheon music.

Sponsor: Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation: 206-789-5565. wwfor@wwfor.org; www.wwfor.org-Information, (send pre-registration info to WWFOR: 225 N. 70th. St., Seattle WA. 98103)  We encourage car pooling

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SPRING ASSEMBLY, 2017

Sat April 22, 2017, Registration begins 9 am, program starts at 10 am and ends 3:30 pm, at Fauntleroy UCC Church, 9140 California Avenue SW, West Seattle;  see maps and details at http://www.fauntleroyucc.org

Western WA FOR 19th Annual Spring Assembly.  Theme “FROM OUTRAGE TO OUTREACH: SOME POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS ”.  

JUST POSTED 4/5/17  !  WORKSHOP SUMMARIES.  See below.

Come help us discuss together and thus discover healthy and helpful responses to our current troubling political, social, and economic situation. 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD FLYER AND REGISTRATION FORM

CONFERENCE THEME & ACTIVITIES

Every year the Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation brings grassroots folks together for a Spring Assembly to share ideas and strengthen the movements for social justice, nonviolence and peace. This year’s WWFOR Spring Assembly will stimulate interactive participation as we explore the theme, “From Outrage to Outreach: Some Possible Solutions.”

Have you been feeling shocked, angry, fearful, hopeless, and traumatized in the past few months? For most of us, regardless of our political orientation or worldview, recent events have seriously challenged our ability to maintain a strong sense of hope and persistence for the near future for our country and the world. We have struggled to maintain the necessary emotional and physical stamina to work together collectively for social justice and peace. Today’s workshops and other activities will address these needs. We hope you will enjoy this day as stimulating, inspiring and valuable.

We’ll start the day with small group participation sharing our stories related to the theme. You may choose either of two theme-related workshops in the morning and either of two different ones in the afternoon. (See workshop summaries in the box in the right column.) Some members of Seattle Labor Chorus will perform briefly at noontime.

Please bring issue-based information, handouts, petitions, etc., to display and distribute on our information tables and announcements to post on our Announcement Wall.

Gather at Fauntleroy UCC church, 9104 California Ave SW in West Seattle (almost down to the Fauntleroy ferry to Vashon Island). See maps and details at www.fauntleroyucc.org. Registration, social time and light refreshments start at 9 am. The program starts promptly at 10 am. Enjoy a delicious catered lunch.

It costs WWFOR approximately $15 per person to put on the Spring Assembly. We welcome participants regardless of ability to pay, so we hope those who can afford more will balance those who can afford less. Your registration donation includes a catered lunch.

It helps us plan better if people pre-register by Friday April 14, but you can show up spontaneously and pay at the door. If possible, please send your name(s), mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address and registration donation ($15 or more or less, including the catered lunch – with checks payable to WWFOR) to David Lambert, 413 Farallone Ave, Fircrest WA 98466. Questions? Contact David at (253) 759- 2280 lambertdavid39@gmail.com

To carpool from Olympia, contact Glen Anderson at (360) 491-9093 glenanderson@integra.net

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD FLYER AND REGISTRATION FORM

WORKSHOP SUMMARIES

“Connecting with Trump Supporters” — We cannot be truly nonviolent unless we can argue the other side. How do we authentically connect with someone who has such different world views? This experiential session will show skills to help us get past our judgments, fear, and resentments, and express our truth in ways more likely to be heard. Janice Eng has taught Nonviolent Communication, the work of Marshall Rosenberg, PhD, in Washington State prisons since 1999 through the Freedom Project.

“Healing Ourselves, Each Other, The World” — Persistent peace and social justice activism are always challenging. They call for our deepest level of commitment to this wholehearted work. During this workshop we will explore, through interactive exercises and discussion, the emotional and attitudinal aspects of this work, including how to manage burnout and enhance self-care. David Lambert is a Clinical Social Worker and active member of Tacoma FOR chapter.

“Fighting Environmental Hopelessness: How to Effectively Act, Reach Out, and Work Together” — With several environmental problems feeling insurmountable before January 20, 2017, recent decisions by the political powers now heading our country have left many of us feeling depressed and downright hopeless when faced with challenges surrounding climate change, water rights, and the like. This workshop focuses on how to fight environmental apathy on an individual and institutional level, and examines ways and resources to help us all cooperatively push for positive change. Ashley Blazina is a researcher in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington.

“Sharing Our Activist Experiences: A Generational Perspective” — In this workshop we will hear from the 2016 Mike Yarrow Fellows (a WWFOR youth training project) about their experiences and perspectives on organizing as youth and with youth, especially in the light of the current political climate. Attendees of other generations will be asked to engage in exercises to reflect on our own organizing perspectives, and draw lessons from the challenges and successes we’ve experienced, as we face the coming years.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO:
-RECONNECT WITH OLD FRIENDS AND MAKE NEW ONES!
-PARTICIPATE IN WORKSHOPS
-GAIN AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL
-EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF RENEWAL
-NETWORK WITH OTHER ACTIVISTS

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD FLYER AND REGISTRATION FORM

info https://staging.wwfor.org or David Lambert (253) 759-2280  lambertdavid39@gmail.com 

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3 YEARS AGO ASSEMBLY (Spring 2016)

“Acting On Our Values to Overcome Fear”

Western Washington FOR
18
th Annual Spring Assembly

Saturday April 16, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Fauntleroy UCC Church, 9140 California Avenue SW, West Seattle
See maps at www.fauntleroyucc.org

Click on this link to view the 2016 Spring Assembly flyer and pre-registration form.

Every year WWFOR brings grassroots folks together for a Spring Assembly to share ideas and strengthen the movements for social justice, nonviolence and peace. Our 2016 Spring Assembly on Saturday April 16 will stimulate grassroots participation.

This year’s theme and activities: Fear is widespread in our society. Fear is a normal human emotion. But some politicians deliberately provoke fear of terrorism, Muslims, Mexicans, refugees, LGBT people, etc. Other people are legitimately afraid of nuclear weapons, climate disruption, economic collapse, etc. Some of us are afraid of taking bolder steps in working for peace and social justice.

Fear – even well-justified fear – can cause people to feel powerless and dissuade them from taking thoughtful and constructive action. At a time when thoughtful and humane boldness is needed, fear holds people back.

A good remedy is to ground ourselves in humane, compassionate values for peace, social justice, and nonviolence. For 100 years the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) has been supporting these values and urging people to act on them.

The Western Washington FOR’s 18th Annual Spring Assembly on Saturday April 16 will help us do that. Instead of a keynote speaker, we’ll begin the day in small groups briefly sharing our experiences acting upon our 2016 theme, “Acting on Our Values to Overcome Fear.” You may choose one of four theme-related workshops in the morning and one of four different ones in the afternoon. We’ll enjoy a catered lunch and a brief performance by the Seattle Labor Chorus.

-> Please bring announcements to post on our Announcement Wall.
-> Please bring issue-based information, handouts, petitions, etc., to display and distribute on our Information Tables.

You will enjoy a stimulating and positive day as you:

-> Connect with old friends, and meet new friends
-> Participate in exciting workshops
-> Gain and share knowledge and skills about issues and grassroots organizing
-> Lift your spirits from the day’s social and informational energy
-> Network with other activists to build stronger movements
-> Browse information tables for handouts, petitions, etc.
-> Post and read information on our Announcement Wall

 We’ll even serve you lunch!

Sponsor: Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation (206) 789-5565 wwfor@wwfor.org www.wwfor.org

Information: This is posted on www.wwfor.org Contact Glen Anderson (360) 491-9093 glenanderson@integra.net

Pre-Register by April 7 if possible because this helps us plan. But even if you don’t pre-register, come anyway!

Donation: It costs WWFOR approximately $15 per person to put on this Spring Assembly. We welcome participants regardless of ability to pay, and hope those who can afford more will balance those who can afford less. Your registration donation includes a delicious catered lunch.

Your special bonus for inviting 3 or more persons who attend the Spring Assembly is a $10 gift certificate for the national FOR’s bookstore.

Arrive as early as 9:00 a.m. for social time and refreshments. The program will start promptly at 10:00. We’ll end at 3:30.

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Content of PRIOR ASSEMBLIES follows:

Join us on Saturday April 11, 2015 for the WWFOR Spring Assembly at the Fauntleroy UCC (9260 California Ave SW, Seattle)

The theme for 2015 is “Nonviolent Solutions for Structural Oppression”

Click on this link to view the 2015 Spring Assembly flyer and pre-registration form.

This year’s event will be very much more participatory than in any of our past years, and it will be profoundly multi-issue. It will also generate solutions rather than merely obsess about problems.

Each year the Fellowship of Reconciliation’s Spring Assembly brings together grassroots folks from throughout Western Washington to share ideas and network with each other to strengthen the movements for social justice, nonviolence, and peace.

Martin Luther King, Jr., an FOR member, never called any individuals evil, but he did recognize three systemic evils (racism, poverty, and militarism). He also sharply criticized our economic system’s injustices to people. Today big business corporations als0 hurt our environment and climate, so if King were alive now he might include this fourth systemic evil. Fortunately, people are nonviolently resisting these four systemic evils.

Info at 206-789-5565 or wwfor@wwfor.org.

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In 2014, our theme was “Resisting Systemic Evil”.
Glen Anderson’s brief keynote on “Resisting Systemic Evil” helped us connect the dots and promote nonviolent solutions. Three workshops in the morning and three in the afternoon gave participants an opportunity to learn, share, and explore.
Missed it? You can still see the wonderful Seattle Labor Chorus who inspired us: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnejFIe8xJ0

You can read more about the exciting workshops that you missed by clicking on this link.

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In 2013, our theme was “Challenges of Nonviolence & Sustainability.” The Seattle Labor Chorus provided us with a special treat after lunch. (Thanks to them, and to Todd Boyle for videoing.)