By Danita Dodson
On July 13, 2015, a new era in my life began. Travelling from Tennessee, I arrived in California to attend the Ahimsa Center’s Summer Institute for K-12 teachers. Held at Cal Poly Pomona, Journeys of Nonviolence focused on two champions of nonviolent action for social change, Mohandas K. Gandhi and...
On July 13, 2015, a new era in my life began. Travelling from Tennessee, I arrived in California to attend the Ahimsa Center’s Summer Institute for K-12 teachers. Held at Cal Poly Pomona, Journeys of Nonviolence focused on two champions of nonviolent action for social change, Mohandas K. Gandhi and...
Nelson Mandela, who devoted their lives to battling racism, oppression, violence, and poverty. This biennial program introduces teachers to the concept of ahimsa and assists them in creating innovative curriculum that brings the ethics of nonviolence to their classrooms. Joining a select group of thirty-one educators from across the U.S., I was privileged to participate in a two-week journey that was truly life-changing.
I was drawn to the Ahimsa Center when a good friend shared his own experience in the 2013 Institute. Because I have always valued opportunities that nurture transformative learning, my friend’s description resonated deeply. While I am a joyful person, I cannot remember a time when I did not recognize and mourn the injustices and disharmonies around me. Growing up and teaching in rural Appalachia—a region steeped in both discrimination and activism—I endeavor to help disadvantaged students realize the importance of social action to end cruelty, discontent, and poverty. Desiring to help them fathom the 7 billion Others and to realize that local troubles are akin to problems around the globe, I was attracted to the Institute’s mission. It promised to help me teach Gandhi’s and Mandela’s shared truth that injustice, violence, and hatred can be remedied only by the propagation of kindness, harmony, and respect for all life.
Within the current global and local contexts of escalating hostilities and divisions, the Institute affirmed just how crucial it is that teachers connect pedagogy and nonviolence. The interdisciplinary format included the themes of compassion, forgiveness, transformation, and reconciliation, providing not only notable lectures about the history of nonviolent social change but also invaluable curriculum-development workshops with exceptional facilitators. Working with expert faculty and scholars in appraising the importance of Gandhi and Mandela in their own eras and also their continuing relevance in our time, participants were exposed to readings, discussions, and documentaries that enhanced our understanding of nonviolence and nonviolent social change. Based on our learning experiences, reflections, and analysis of sources, each of us wrote a comparative essay on a salient aspect related to Gandhi and Mandela and developed an associated lesson.
By the end our exploration of Gandhi in week one, we began to jubilantly pronounce the words swaraj, swadeshi, satyagraha, sarvodaya, and to advocate their vital applicability to our lives and our instruction. One of the most poignant experiences of that week for me was a close study of Gandhi’s talisman, which encourages us to envisage “the face of the poorest and the weakest” when we act. Pondering this benevolent wisdom as I continued to immerse myself in Gandhi’s writings, I began to realize that his life itself is a talisman of compassion, and the study of his journey can only bring us goodness. In the second week, approaching Mandela’s writings through this lens, I became cognizant of his comparable empathy for the oppressed as he worked to lessen their suffering and to facilitate their freedom. Working with a Mandela scholar, participants engaged in a thorough study of the horrific conditions under apartheid and the extraordinary movement against it. We also had the unforgettable opportunity to hear Linda Biehl share her story of love and forgiveness for the four men who killed her daughter Amy in South Africa, men she now calls her friends. Presented within this multifaceted and profound framework, Gandhi and Mandela transcended history and became a palpable part of our present.
In addition to giving participants a critical assessment of Gandhi and Mandela and their contributions to history, the Institute allowed us to experience the sense of community that these men diligently sought to create. Assembling educators whose applications exhibited a deep interest in teaching students a greater appreciation for humanity and its oneness, the program placed us within what Gandhi called an “oceanic circle” with a common goal that still respected the individuality of each. It inspired a bond that will likely last a lifetime. Currently, I am in contact with my Ahimsa fellows almost daily, and we continue to be mindful of our unified endeavor to “be the change.”
Although only one month has passed, I have begun to put into action the lessons of nonviolence in my school system, for the Institute has empowered me with the ability to extend the oceanic circle into my own community. Two weeks ago, in a professional development session, I shared Gandhi’s talisman and related insights. Emulating approaches I learned at the Ahimsa Center, I noticed receptivity radiating from Tennessee educators as I reminded them of human connections. Though the words ahimsa, swaraj, and sarvodaya were foreign to them, their equivalents nonviolence, freedom, and well-being of all were not. Last week I also began the work of bringing the principles of compassion, civility, unity, and trust into my classroom. I have designed a multicultural curriculum to provide disadvantaged Appalachian students a bright lens through which to view both their region and their world, one that will encourage them to make their own inward journeys, to imagine positive possibilities, and to understand the oneness of all life. This curriculum includes the lesson I created at the Institute, which explores how Gandhi and Mandela helped their peoples reclaim cultural heritage, symbols, and values; it is anchored in a framework that promotes cultural competence, tolerance, and appreciation of the heritage of others. Thanks to the Ahimsa Center Institute, I have made a commitment to be more fully present in every encounter, professionally and personally. The experience has helped me tap into my truest self, delve into my purest potential, and embody the essence of nonviolence in my life. (Danita Dodson is a high school English and Spanish teacher in Sneedville, TN. She also teaches literature and humanities as an adjunct instructor at Walters State Community College. To learn about the Ahimsa Center : www.cpp.edu/ahimsacenter.)
I was drawn to the Ahimsa Center when a good friend shared his own experience in the 2013 Institute. Because I have always valued opportunities that nurture transformative learning, my friend’s description resonated deeply. While I am a joyful person, I cannot remember a time when I did not recognize and mourn the injustices and disharmonies around me. Growing up and teaching in rural Appalachia—a region steeped in both discrimination and activism—I endeavor to help disadvantaged students realize the importance of social action to end cruelty, discontent, and poverty. Desiring to help them fathom the 7 billion Others and to realize that local troubles are akin to problems around the globe, I was attracted to the Institute’s mission. It promised to help me teach Gandhi’s and Mandela’s shared truth that injustice, violence, and hatred can be remedied only by the propagation of kindness, harmony, and respect for all life.
Within the current global and local contexts of escalating hostilities and divisions, the Institute affirmed just how crucial it is that teachers connect pedagogy and nonviolence. The interdisciplinary format included the themes of compassion, forgiveness, transformation, and reconciliation, providing not only notable lectures about the history of nonviolent social change but also invaluable curriculum-development workshops with exceptional facilitators. Working with expert faculty and scholars in appraising the importance of Gandhi and Mandela in their own eras and also their continuing relevance in our time, participants were exposed to readings, discussions, and documentaries that enhanced our understanding of nonviolence and nonviolent social change. Based on our learning experiences, reflections, and analysis of sources, each of us wrote a comparative essay on a salient aspect related to Gandhi and Mandela and developed an associated lesson.
By the end our exploration of Gandhi in week one, we began to jubilantly pronounce the words swaraj, swadeshi, satyagraha, sarvodaya, and to advocate their vital applicability to our lives and our instruction. One of the most poignant experiences of that week for me was a close study of Gandhi’s talisman, which encourages us to envisage “the face of the poorest and the weakest” when we act. Pondering this benevolent wisdom as I continued to immerse myself in Gandhi’s writings, I began to realize that his life itself is a talisman of compassion, and the study of his journey can only bring us goodness. In the second week, approaching Mandela’s writings through this lens, I became cognizant of his comparable empathy for the oppressed as he worked to lessen their suffering and to facilitate their freedom. Working with a Mandela scholar, participants engaged in a thorough study of the horrific conditions under apartheid and the extraordinary movement against it. We also had the unforgettable opportunity to hear Linda Biehl share her story of love and forgiveness for the four men who killed her daughter Amy in South Africa, men she now calls her friends. Presented within this multifaceted and profound framework, Gandhi and Mandela transcended history and became a palpable part of our present.
In addition to giving participants a critical assessment of Gandhi and Mandela and their contributions to history, the Institute allowed us to experience the sense of community that these men diligently sought to create. Assembling educators whose applications exhibited a deep interest in teaching students a greater appreciation for humanity and its oneness, the program placed us within what Gandhi called an “oceanic circle” with a common goal that still respected the individuality of each. It inspired a bond that will likely last a lifetime. Currently, I am in contact with my Ahimsa fellows almost daily, and we continue to be mindful of our unified endeavor to “be the change.”
Although only one month has passed, I have begun to put into action the lessons of nonviolence in my school system, for the Institute has empowered me with the ability to extend the oceanic circle into my own community. Two weeks ago, in a professional development session, I shared Gandhi’s talisman and related insights. Emulating approaches I learned at the Ahimsa Center, I noticed receptivity radiating from Tennessee educators as I reminded them of human connections. Though the words ahimsa, swaraj, and sarvodaya were foreign to them, their equivalents nonviolence, freedom, and well-being of all were not. Last week I also began the work of bringing the principles of compassion, civility, unity, and trust into my classroom. I have designed a multicultural curriculum to provide disadvantaged Appalachian students a bright lens through which to view both their region and their world, one that will encourage them to make their own inward journeys, to imagine positive possibilities, and to understand the oneness of all life. This curriculum includes the lesson I created at the Institute, which explores how Gandhi and Mandela helped their peoples reclaim cultural heritage, symbols, and values; it is anchored in a framework that promotes cultural competence, tolerance, and appreciation of the heritage of others. Thanks to the Ahimsa Center Institute, I have made a commitment to be more fully present in every encounter, professionally and personally. The experience has helped me tap into my truest self, delve into my purest potential, and embody the essence of nonviolence in my life. (Danita Dodson is a high school English and Spanish teacher in Sneedville, TN. She also teaches literature and humanities as an adjunct instructor at Walters State Community College. To learn about the Ahimsa Center : www.cpp.edu/ahimsacenter.)
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