Tikkun Community Forming in Rochester

Transfered from old site

By Elaine Russell, R-IMC
 

 
(April 13, 2003) A gathering of interfaith peace advocates met today with National Tikkun Organizer Marisa Handler to learn more about the Tikkun Community and organize locally. This orgainzation was founded by Rabbi Michael Lerner, Cornel West and Susannah Heschel to advance a commitment to a world of justice, love, gernerosity, kindness, peace and ecological sanity.
 

 
Ms. Handler told the gathering that the International Tikkun Community is working to transform the world from the inside and outside. “The people of the world are longing for a deeper connection and we need to be the change we want to see. For that we need to act on our compassion and cooperation.”
 

 
She explained the two paradigms that people use when their personal security is threatened. The “power over” paradigm is about gaining security by dominating and controlling others who seem threatening or competing. It rests on fear and negativity, and is ultimately self-destructive.
 

 
The “power with” paradigm offers a security achieved by trust and cooperation. It rests on love, trust gererosity, compassion and mutuality. People driven by fear have difficulty with this paradigm because they dread being vulnerable and being taken advantage of. It is actually that perception that creates the event that they fear.
 

 
The Tikkun Community is achieving its vision by organizing model communities all over the world where its values can be practiced as wells as to broaden and deepen the anti-war movement.
 

 
The national Tikkun Community is organizing a conference and teach-in for June 1-4 in Washington, DC. More information is available at www.tikkun.org. Details on the Rochester organization will be posted by Indymedia as information becomes available.