In April 2008 we had the great pleasure of interviewing Mary Gendler of A.N.E.C (Active Non-violent Education Center) while in McLeod Ganj, India.
At the invitation of the Dalai Lama, Mary and her husband Rabbi Everett Gendler (one of the contemporary grandfathers of Jewish nonviolence) have led eleven workshops on nonviolence with the Tibetan community in India over the past 13 years.
My first day in India, and I was already overewhelmed… but not in a bad way. I was delighted and amused and feeling alive and fully charged up for the task at hand. Of course I had no idea what I was getting myself into! The next three weeks was a whirlwind of interviews and video shoots and running around and jumping on taxis and trains and busses (ok so we missed our train but that’s another story) - Protests and candle-light vigils, and monks chanting and schoolchildren grabbing our shirts and mule carts and tuk tuks and temples and heat and rain and sun and sore feet! Plus a cascade of amazing connections and friendships that have only just begun!
And as I’ve now returned from India.. and am looking at the 40 video tapes in front of me… and thinking about months of editing.. I am really asking myself.. “What have I gotten myself into!!! But I’m still ecstatic and inspired. I feel incredibly lucky to be taking on this project. I’m really hoping that we get some funding (as I’ve spent just about every last dime on this project at this point!) and we are working on a promo video and written proposals toward that goal. I’m very optimistic.
Andrea and I have returned from an incredibly successful trip in India and I wanted to share with you the milestones we have achieved and the current and future plans of our film project. We are deeply grateful with how magical this trip has unfolded; from the tremendous support from our community, to the incredible connections that arose in the Tibetan Exile community.
I’ve been working for days now trying to get this new blog and forums installed! Whew! What an incredible time we live in. The tools available to us… wow. At the same time a bit daunting… Doing the best I can here.. I hope it looks good!
Tashi Delek! Welcome! Hello!
We are very excited about our new … well everything! New Project, New Website, New Blog. Its all happening so fast I have to be standing while I type this!
Please be sure to check out our PROJECTS page, where you can read about the full-length documentary film we are producing about Non-Violence and the Tibetan Uprising.
Also we are still completely self funded.. so any DONATION helps out tremendously. What’s 20 bucks?
There is so much to share.. I really hope you will take some time to read some of our Blog. And send us a note too!
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