Those who are attracted to nonviolence should, according to their ability and opportunity, join the experiment.

– M.K. Gandhi

Program Summary:

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What Metta Mentors is: The Metta Mentors Nonviolence Immersion Program is a 10-week mentorship (internship) program based in Berkeley, California. The program pairs students of nonviolence (mentees) with local partner organizations for practical nonviolence and social justice work, while offering regular guidance from Metta, in order to help participants 1) learn about the principles of nonviolence as a personal path, and 2) apply those principles effectively in the service of building a nonviolent culture.

Three days a week, participants work with a local (San Francisco East Bay Area) social justice organization to be of service as an intern, to gain experience in a given field, and to address specific issues relevant to nonviolence in their work.

Twice a week mentees come together under the guidance of the Metta Center to participate in reflective exercises, forums, and workshops that explore how to integrate nonviolence into social change work and daily life.

In short, Metta Mentors is an immersion program in applied nonviolence.

Who we are looking for: The Metta Mentors Program is designed to help young people with an existing interest in nonviolence to catalyze a life-shift, to cultivate a deeper focus on nonviolence, and to inspire within themselves a commitment to be nonviolent in all aspects of life. We are looking for people who want to learn and live nonviolence, to be multipliers of nonviolence — explicitly, by sharing it with others, and implicitly by exemplifying it as a way of life. If you want to live the experiment of nonviolence, to be a voice and exemplar for this way of life, we want you!

Detailed Program Description:

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Preamble: First, watch this one minute video about a certain kind of power….

What is this power? Some call it love in action; Kenneth Boulding, a peace scholar and activist, called it integrative power. By whatever name, this is the power employed in nonviolence – a power that when applied to social change can awaken the conscience of an entire people, gain civil rights for an oppressed minority, free a nation from imperialist rule. Through the Metta Mentors program we hope to offer a transformative experience to young activists and equip them with this most powerful of internal forces, which Gandhi called the “weapon of the brave”: nonviolence.

How Metta Mentors works…
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• Three days a week, participants will work with a local (San Francisco Bay Area) social justice organization to address specific issues relevant to nonviolence such as human rights, youth empowerment, conflict resolution, food justice and environmental sustainability, and other forms of work toward social transformation.
• Twice a week mentees will come together under the guidance of the Metta Center to participate in gatherings, forums and workshops that explore how to integrate nonviolence into social change work and daily life. The time at the Center will include:

• Personal reflection, facilitated discussion, and realtime exploration of the links between personal nonviolence and social justice work.

• Workshops, speakers, and seminars on various topics, exploring interpersonal nonviolence, nonviolence as a social and political force, etc.

• Involvement in local nonviolence movements and group service peojects.

• Guidance and structure, with opportunity for mentees to democratically contribute to their own learning and experiences.

By participating in the program, mentees will:
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• embody the spirit of praxis, reflecting on principled nonviolence while working actively for social change.
• be challenged to ask tough questions and live out the answers during the 10-week mentorship, and beyond.
• receive guidance and mentorship from the Metta Center for immersion in a nonviolent paradigm.
• build deep relationships with their peers and colleagues, thereby creating a community and culture of nonviolence that inspires and supports each individual to realize and activate their own potential for change.

Program Logistics:
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Program Dates: Friday, June 3, 2011 – Friday, August 12, 2011

Application submission: Applications will be accepted until spots are filled, with a priority deadline of March 18, 2011. Applicants will be notified of selection no later than April 15, 2011.

Location: Berkeley (and wider San Francisco Bay Area), California, U.S.A.

Stipend: While there is no predetermined stipend for this program, Metta Center will cover the costs of food and lodging for program participants, as well as incidentals such as travel money to reach program locations, etc. In most cases, mentees will be asked to cover travel expenses to California, though we will most likely have funds available to cover travel expenses for international applicants. For more information on this topic, please see our FAQ section. Note that we are planning to work with mentees on an individual basis to determine the best way we can provide for your needs. Please contact us with any questions or concerns about this part of the program.

Time Commitment: Program participants commit to:

1) attend an orientation retreat from Friday, June 3 – Sunday, June 5.

2) devote 24 hours each week (8 hours/day) to the mentorship program for nine Monday-Wednesday work weeks, beginning Monday, June 13, and ending Wednesday, August 10. (The first week of the program, June 6-9, is an introductory period, wherein participants will have time to orient themselves with their partner organizations, the local community, and each other.

3) complete a culminating project. This project will be co-created and largely self-directed by the mentees. More information on this project will be available at the outset of the program.

4) remain in Berkeley from program beginning to program end, with any desired individual travel to be undertaken before or after program dates.

Partner Organizations: Each mentee will be paired with a partner organization, with whom they will work Monday-Wednesday of each week. Mentees are encouraged to play a part in the selection of their partner organizations, and in the creation of their work plan, though full support and guidance will be offered by Metta Center every step of the way. For more information on how the PO aspect of the program works, please see our FAQ section.

Application: We would love to have you as a participant in our 2011 program! You can download the application here. We look forward to receiving it.

What is the Metta Center for Nonviolence?
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The Metta Center for Nonviolence (previously the Metta Center for Nonviolence Education) is a nonviolence resource center, which exists to raise consciousness about principled nonviolence and serve as a catalyst in the shift toward a modern nonviolent paradigm. We were established in 1982 by Prof. Michael Nagler, a world-renowned Gandhian scholar and practitioner of nonviolence, and professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. Michael currently serves as the President of Metta, and provides important guidance to the Metta Mentors and other Metta programs. Today we offer ourselves in service to anyone who wishes to learn and practice nonviolence, which Gandhi called “the greatest force at the disposal of humanity.” Metta Mentors offers the most in-depth and personalized experience of all of our programs.

Questions? Check out our FAQ page
Feel free to contact the 2011 coordinators with questions:
mettamentors@mettacenter.org | 510-548-5550