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welcome In February, we celebrate Black History Month, Lunar New Year, and St. Valentine's Day. This is a time to remember the remarkable contributions of African Americans who came before us, especially those who dedicated and gave their lives to ensure and secure civil rights for all people. It is the Year of the Tiger. Tigers are fiery fi ghters; they symbolize courage and fearlessness. Valentine's Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate love and affection with those who are dear to us. We also remember all of the people in Haiti and their families around the world. This month's newsletter theme is relationship and being in relationship. It is a good time to look at all the relationships in our lives, our relationship with people and with things. Let us do so with courage, fierce compassion, and with Love. "fish palace" Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey. photo copyright 2010. angel Kyodo williams
The Way of Council | Building Relationship Council is a practice in authenticity. It requires a deep listening, a rigorous discernment, [image:Shubert Ciencia]
a reverence for truth, and a steady commitment to
transparency and fierce compassion. Every Thursday evening, with few exceptions, we hold our Community gathering at the Center. We start with our evening service anchored by the chanting of the Heart Sutra. This is followed by Warrior Breath Practice and a period of sitting meditation. When there is no newDharma Talk scheduled to follow, the Community holds Council. Read more... The Way of Council CXC Practice Schedule
in SIGHT Never Forget | A Journey of Revelations (Part I)
radical relationship: three pillars for transforming together INcite with angel Kyodo williams Whether you consider it a commercial fabrication designed to use our tender hearts to draw money from our tender wallets or a genuine 1500-year old tradition of expressing courtly love, Valentine's Day gets us to thinking about Relationship. Its no wonder we have an increasingly commitment-phobic culture given that relationship has been associated with martyrdom for millennia. But once we move past the anxiety of proving our love by way of flowers, greeting cards or a trip to the local Zales (Tiffany's if you've got it like that) we
No video? Click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIMLT78iMKg
Dr. Cornel West, intellectual, author, theologian, philosopher, artist, and activist exemplifies the very best of impeccably balanced wisdom, role modeling and alignment between heart and mind. We share these videos in celebration of Black History Month. In the fi rst, Dr. West speaks about the challenges that today's youth, particularly African-American youth, face when it comes to finding the courage to think for themselves. In the second, he speaks about the importance of
can actually make use of this time to hone in on how we're showing up in
thinking critically, loving, and hoping, especially in the
relationship to our selves, the people in our lives and the planet.
face of catastrophic circumstances. Never Forget | A Journey of Revelations | 9:16 min
One of the more edgy aspects of the Center for Transformative Change's history is its underlying structure. It has been a residentially-based community of people that live, work and practice together for nearly three years. This experiment in relationship was designed to force us to bring all of the main aspects of life into one place. Each of us would be witness to
Dr. Cornel West on Courage | 7:19 Dr. Cornel West's Official Website Subscribe to CXC on YouTube
in TIME CXC is Hiring
each other. Each of us would be witness to each other. We could no
Center for Transformative Change
longer show up as heroes at work while neglecting our personal business
is seeking someone to help round
without being seen. We had to stop hiding behind being "perfect" practitioners that had all the answers while being unreliable colleagues
out our dream team for deep change:
that couldn't be counted on to complete projects. In the course of this experiment, we discovered that integrity and embodiment had to become the hallmarks (pun intended) of our commitment to justice and sustainability. If we can't achieve balance in our own lives and
- Communications & Events Steward Pass it on... Communications & Events Steward
organizations, how can we expect to bring it social, national and planetary scale?
Universal Form: Meditation in Action
3 Minutes to Power and Peace
It's given us great insight as an organization into what being in relationship really calls for day in and day out. Recently, changes in our
Universal Form is a healing practice that incorporates
community challenged us even further to become explicit about the
Yoga, and Qigong. Join us at MLK Civic Center Park and
what, how and why of being good relationship. All good relationships are
take your practice out in the world. Register today.
based in mutually-empowered, mutually-respected and mutually-held agreements. What we didn't recognize was that in a culture that has
March 13th, 12pm
body, breath and energy with elements of Tai Chi,
Universal Form: Meditation in Action | Saturday,
over-privileged and over-valued individuality above all else, we needed to establish such shared agreements as the foundation for being in community in the first place.
fearlessYOGA Teacher Training: Yoga Built for Justice (fYTT) April 2-28 2010 The first and only yoga ever designed for agents of
Rather than a long tome dictating the rules of engagement for every possible interaction, we needed a set of principles that could be held
social change, fearlessYOGA is a physical metaphor for
within the palms of our hands (brief) and carried in the depths of our
practicing yoga through a standard series of multi-level
hearts (memorable). While we don't expect everyone will start living in
postures that, once learned, can be practiced as a
practice-based, eco-friendly, soon-to-be-solar-powered social justice communes tomorrow, it has been a monumental learning, the principles
"flow." Register today.
of which can become the foundation for living models of personal
Justice (fYTT) April 2-28 2010
social justice. It offers an accessible approach to
fearlessYOGA Teacher Training: Yoga Built for
transformation within community everywhere. 27 Days of Change: Spring Practice Period
3 Pillars of Radical Relationship 1. Radical Responsibility - Cultivate appreciation and come to terms with the reality that your life is yours and yours alone. Each of your choices, actions, consequences, outcomes, experiences and feedback are yours to deal with, be in relationship with and take responsibility for. There's no more time for the blame game and we all need to to get off the pity line. In community and organizations, this means both responsibility for one self and to others. This doesn't mean you won't acknowledge and address very real impacts of people, events and conditions on your life, it simply means that you meet those impacts as WHAT IS. This is Radical Responsibility. "It's not my fault, but it is my responsibility. Whatever comes, I will meet it as it is, then either initiate a plan to change it...or
It's time to register for 27 Days of Change: Spring Practice Period, March 2-28, 2010, nationwide. Register
today. 27 Days of Change: Spring Practice Period US Social Forum: June 22 - 26, 2010 | Detroit, Michigan For the first time CXC will be representin' at the US Social Forum (USSF). USSF is one of the most important national gatherings for those who are devoted to social change. US Social Forum | June 22 - 26, 2010 The Core of What We Do Practice at and from the Core
Join Us for:
shut up about it until I'm willing to do so."
fearlessYOGA Sunday - Free Class fearlessYOGA Mornings
2. Radical Accountability - Cultivate fierce determination to shift
Jo Kata Practice
from allowing habit-patterns to drive your basic experience. Key to transforming your life is taking up the full space created by
fearlessMeditation Mornings
embracing Choice as a lifestyle. Gone are the days of "it just happened," "i'm just that way," "I didn't have a choice." There is
Council
Community Thursdays: Dharma Talk and Dinner or Deepen Your Practice in Community
always choice. And yes, there are consequences, too. We can decide, validly and reasonably, that we do not wish to bear the consequences of a particular choice, but we must recognize, and
in the CENTER
be accountable, for the choices we make. All of them. Every
The Body Does Not Lie |
single one without fail. In groups, community and organizations,
fearlessMeditation I: practice of
this means both being accountable and expecting to be held accountable. When we feel stuck, we often cannot see the
the body
choices available to us. If you commit to a practice, greater and
now? We just wrapped up another
greater choice becomes apparent. In the meantime, you can choose Radical Accountability.
How is your body positioned right fearless Meditation I: practice of the body (fMI) workshop on Jan. 15th. With activists from Amnesty International, UC Berkeley, and
"May I exercise the precious gift of choice and the power to
Restorative Circles, we had the opportunity to witness
change that makes me uniquely human." Whether conscious or unconscious, the impacts of my choices are mine to see through
how supportive fMI is to those who are struggling to
to resolution. —quote from Warrior-Spirit Prayer of New Dharma Community (full version below) 3. Radical Purpose - Cultivate an unwavering commitment to help
fi nd balance and alignment in their lives and bodies. Read more...
inner PRACTICE
others transform their lives, too. Whatever intention we have for transforming our lives—all actions really—if not ultimately rooted
Ecstatic Birthing | Body &
in a genuine desire to see the live of others positively
Freedom
transformed, will be self-serving and have as its result a building up of the kind of ego-centric worldview that is not only false, it is
Not only removing birthing from
Experience as Vehicles of
the medical establishment, which views birthing as a medical
clearly unsustainable for our communities, countries and planet. The goal for our personal transformation—the end game of "towards what end"—must be in service of our interconnectedness,
emergency and relates to it as a source of possible
our collective wholeness, and an integrity of the structures that
for transformative, transcendent, spiritual change.
hold it all together. Our pursuit of justice, if truly transformative,
Social change agents can learn from ecstatic birthing
must affirm life and insist of security, sustainability and self-determination for all. Both the how and the why, being in
how to choose to relate to any experience, moment by
Radical Relationship means your liberation is bound up in mine and there is no justice without justice for all. Red, Blue, Black, White, North, South, Left, Right, our movements for deep change, for justice will best serve us aligned in Radical Purpose.
litigation, ecstatic birthing views birthing as a vehicle
moment, however apparently difficult it may seem. Read more...
outer ACTION Living in Alignment | The Relationship Between
"Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never
Reverence and Transformation
be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality." —Martin Luther King, Jr. "...your liberation is bound up with mine..." —Lila Watson "Until we are all free, we are none of us free." —Emma Lazarus
contributor's note: written in memory of and in reverence for Howard Zinn (1922-2010) [image: angel Kyodo williams]
Howard Zinn lived a life in alignment with his highest ideals, with what he wholehearted believed in. He will be remembered as an historian, writer, teacher, ally, and activist who dedicated his life to social justice and
For justice to be embodied rather than contrived, we have to walk our talk, so I like to think of these principles as the Radical RAP. While we
truth-telling. In 1980, with the publishing of his book,
seem to mistakenly assign "radical" to anything that is off the charts or
the way we looked at US history.
"way out there" as an idea, radical refers to the root. In choosing Radical Relationship as the perspective that leads every action we take internal
"A People's History of the United States," he changed Read more... A People's History of the United States Big Think Video Interview with Howard Zinn
and external, real change arises from, gets at and returns us to ours roots: the fundamental Truth of our interconnectedness and unassailable
social CHANGE Avatar: Who Owns the Truth &
Love that sources us all.
Why I Ain't Mad at Cameron op-ed piece by Premadasi Amada
"...without collective freedom, none of it matters." —yours truly, aKw
James Cameron, Avatar writer and director, has created a movie
with inspirational gratitude to Kimberly, Simha & Lorna, and deep,
about many issues from his
abiding praise for El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. may his radical journey to love beyond limitation continue to inspire and permeate my every action."
perspective: white, heterosexual, rich, Western, abled,
This essay riffs and expands on MTX1 part b of the Mind Training &
representation of all the issues he raised in his film
Xformation series, a yearlong training delivering pith instructions for
come from, well, his perspective. Yet, from the left on
transformation each week. Find it here: "First, do the Groundwork" http://bit.ly/change-MTX1b
one side, and yes there are sides, come cries that
liberal, man. Therefore, I wasn't shocked to see the
Avatar is racist, while from the other side of the left proclamations that Avatar is the best anti-imperialist thing since Evo Morales. Really?? How can we do effective social change work from this place, hunkered
angel Kyodo williams is founder of urbanPEACE and its Center for Transformative Change. A social visionary and leading voice for transformative social change, she is the author of Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace. Blog: new Dharma: live, love & lead from the heart
down, with our positions and our few friends who agree with us shouting at no one? Who will hear us and who will care? Read more... "'Avatar is real', say tribal people"
in the MIND
Facebook: Fan angel here
Balanced Wisdom | The
Twitter: Follow angel for tweets of wisdom on Change
Heart-Mind Connection
Web: about.angelkyodowilliams.com
"To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order;
angel Kyodo williams' next public talk:
to put the nation in order, we
angel is on sabbatical and next talk is tba. Check here for latest info
must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal
newDharma Talk
life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right." -Confucius, 551-479 BC
Unhindered
When we think about analytical intelligence, most of us
Words are powerful. A single word or phrase in a
relate it to the functioning of the brain. When we think
chant can have enormous weight. Behind the word
about emotional intelligence, we attribute that to the
unhindered in the Warrior Spirit Prayer is the chance to get beyond our own obstacles and risk facing our
work of the heart. Fully considering these two
ourselves and our fears. It helps us consider what's
the harmonious relationship between the two.
scarier, jumping into the unknown or staying right where we are.
platforms, we can extrapolate that wisdom resides in Read more... Institute of Heartmath
Warrior Spirit Prayer of the New Dharma Community May all beings be granted with the strength, determination, and wisdom to extinguish anger and reject violence as a way.
Global Coherence Initiative
"the best workshop i've ever taken. radically changed my work."
May all suffering cease and may I seek, find and fully realize the love and compassion that already live within me and allow them to inspire and
fearless Meditation is our 3-part signature series that
permeate my every action.
is offered for no charge for agents of social change:
May I exercise the precious gift of choice and the power to change that
1st Friday
teaches practical meditation in a social justice context fearless Meditation I: March 5, 2010 | 7pm & every
makes me uniquely human and is the only true path to liberation. May I swiftly reach complete, effortless freedom so that my fearless, unhindered action be of benefit to all.
in the BODY Twelve Months of Abhasa (fearless) Yoga | Utkatasana
May I lead the life of a warrior.
Utkatasana, like many Asanas
(yoga postures), goes by a few different names. The
"We have to engage the moment-to-moment opportunity to practice
traditional Sanskrit name utkatasana, or Chair Pose as
being unhindered that arises before us. We have to engage it with a
we call it here in the west, is also called "awkward
fierceness, a fireceness that's like, I'm in a burning house of my delusion and this is in my way. I've got to get out! Are you going to stay in the
pose," which literallly translates into "powerful or fierce
house and burn? That's what most of us do. We just burn up. We burn up in our anger. We burn up in our frustration. We burn up in our old wounds and we stay there and we cook." Listen to Unhindered
pose." Read more...
wellness & being well National Black HIV/AIDS Prevention [image from blackaidsday.org]
February 7th is National Black
activists, allies & agents of change Beholding | An Act of Deep Love Spirit Centered-Activist, Advocate and Social Entrepreneur, Aqeela Sherrills is the principal partner of The Reverence Project, a three-fold initiative that is working to shift the social and philosophical construct of the present world culture rooted in violence, shame, guilt and fear into a more balanced world view rooted in reverence, forgiveness, compassion, and truth. He is the subject of multiple films and documentaries on gang violence prevention and intervention, a national and international speaker/consultant on peace building efforts and is the curator of the Watts Arts Gallery.
HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This years theme is "HIV/AIDS Prevention - A Choice and a Lifestyle." HIV and Aids affect people of all races, and it is essential to have a day which speaks specifically to and for Black People during African American History month about these diseases. Read more... National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
february wallpaper
CXC: What is The Reverence Project? AS: The Reverence Project, founded in February 2007 by former community activists, performance artists and healer/practitioners, is a 3-fold initiative that is working to shift the social and philosophical construct of present world culture rooted in violence, shame, guilt and fear into a more balanced world view rooted in reverence, forgiveness, compassion, and truth. Read more... The Reverence Project Watts Arts Gallery
tour de l'amour When engineer Gustave Eiffel designed the ubiquitous iron lattice tower to welcome people to the 1889
resources for change‌ Learn more about Zanmi Lasante (ZL) which means "Partners In Health" in Haitian Kreyol. ZL is Partners In Health's flagship project - the oldest, largest, most ambitious, and most replicated. The small community clinic that first started treating patients in the village of Cange in 1985, has grown into the ZL Sociomedical Complex. If you're curious about the origins of the gangs of Los Angeles read an independent review of the documentary, "Crips and Bloods: Made in America," directed by Stacey Peralta. Finally, check out the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HIV/AIDS Awareness Day website, a very good resource for tips on promoting your own local events promoting HIV/AIDS awareness. Stand with Haiti | Partners In Health
World's Fair, he had no idea it would become not only one of the most recognized monuments in the world, but that as an extension of both Paris and France, it would also become one symbol of romantic love. There is nothing quite as romantic as Paris and night--except for strolling under the night lights of La Tour Eiffel. photo copyright 2009. angel Kyodo williams
Download this image as wallpaper with or without calendar for your desktop. Download with calendar... Download without calendar...
Crips & Bloods: Made in America" HIV/AIDS Awareness Days
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Everyone you see, you say to them, "Love me." Of course you do not do this out loud; Otherwise, Someone would call the cops. Still though, think about this, This great pull in us To connect... —Hafiz from the poem, "With That Moon Language" from The Gift (translated by Daniel Ladinsky) Learn more...
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Center for Transformative Change
entirely dedicated to bridging the inner and outer lives of social change agents, activists and allies to support a more effective, more sustainable
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social justice movement.
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We name, frame and advance Transformative Social Change by both developing practices and programs for agents of social change and working in collaboration with leading organizations to help shape this emerging movement. Most importantly, we reflect the field and the movement back to itself, strengthening our collective identity, community and shared vision. This long-term vision for shifting the paradigm of work for justice, changing the WAY change is done, will fundamentally alter broad-based social change at its very core--from inner to outer--resulting in a more just, equitable society for all. Great vision takes great action and our work is not possible without the generous support and partnership of individuals like you. No amount is too small, so make your contribution to deep change today. Donate to CXC Visit the Center's website What is Transformative Change? Find out HERE
Center for Transformative Change is a project of urbanPEACE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization whose mission to inform, incite and empower a broad-based, presence-centered, transformative social change movement.
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