Letter to My Classmates
This is a letter I wrote, mostly for my classmates in a graduate program in education, to accompany fliers for an introductory lecture that Robin King and I will be holding prior to a new fundamentals class. I'm trying to figure out ways to share more broadly what I know.
Dear friend,
It is the day after the election, and I know that many of us in education are upset about the results of Proposition 227. I am writing to invite you to learn more about a tool which has proven extremely helpful for clarifying issues and confronting problems, both on an individual and a societal level. The tool is Re-evaluation Counseling (or Co-Counseling), a process that people of all ages and backgrounds can learn to use effectively. Frankly, it is the best thing I have come across. Though I am not immune to discouragement over issues like Proposition 227, by using this process I have created strong, supportive relationships with many people who can help keep me pointed in a direction away from my discouragement and toward hope.
There now exists a large body of knowledge, which has emerged from the practice of Re-evaluation Counseling, about the connections between an individual's struggles and confusions and the larger social forces which set people up to be confused or have difficulty, such as institutionalized racism and sexism. The simple process of exchanging listening time changes people's lives. I personally know many people who have emerged as strong leaders against injustice who are united across racial, ethnic, religious, gender, national, and other differences with thousands of others all over the world.
As in the Jewish tradition, individual Co-Counselors are encouraged to "do what's right." The organization itself is non-partisan; however, the long-range goals of the organization include such things as ending all oppressions and achieving unity and cooperation between all groups of humans. Many individuals are using Re-evaluation Counseling to do very effective work with their families, in prisons, to create better conditions for people in their workplaces, and in many different ethnic, religious, and local communities.
I want to share this information and these resources with you. You are invited to attend an open introductory talk in June to learn more about this process and how people can participate. (You're welcome to bring along friends.) A class will be offered in the summer for some of those who are interested. Other classes are offered throughout the Monterey Bay area by a number of different people at various times during the year.
With affection and determination to move forward,
Nancy Faulstich
Santa Cruz, California, USA