Nepali people courageously continue to recover from the massive
earthquake and many after-shocks since last spring that caused great
devastation to their people, their land and their historical landmarks. The
work of recovering from the immediate devastation and long term traumatic
impacts of the earthquakes are in addition to the struggle to end human
trafficking, while also dealing with one of the highest poverty rates across
the globe.
From September 20–28, I will be returning to Kathmandu, Nepal to
provide Expressive Arts Therapy and Community Art Practice training for Nepali
health, humanitarian and community development workers for the Nepali
Expressive Arts Therapy Institute. I
have been invited to teach a 5 day introductory course in Expressive Arts
Therapy and Community Art Practice. I will also spend 3 days coaching trainees
in their organizations as they begin to provide EXA and Community Art
experiences in their work places. Upon
my return I will provide ongoing supervision from the US electronically.
Expressive Arts Therapy and Community Art making are actually centuries old practices embedded in every culture, grounded in the awareness that we are held by something much bigger than ourselves which shows up to helps us engage life. Expressive Arts Therapy is an opportunity to experience through art making, a dialogue with what is important to our minds, our spirits, our embodied lives in the moment we are in. In Expressive Art making, we can become emboldened through our senses to identify what is vitally important to life in this moment, along with new ideas and awareness for moving forward more effectively towards what is healing helpful, hopeful and strengthening. Community Art practice creates opportunity for a group of people to experience a similar phenomenon.
Community Art helps all who are gathered to sense a
satisfaction in becoming the makers of one whole experience through the vital
individual contributions of each person.
People engaged in Community Art sense their way through improvisational
processes seeking the satisfaction that comes in arriving together at the
completion of a project. Through this
work, human beings engage what indeed makes us human, our ability to
effectively sense and respond to life in the current moment with new found
courage, risk taking, hope seeking activity.
And through this art making together, we are able to identify the
strengths the group has within it that participants can apply to real life for
the sake of community healing, resiliency, greater peace, increased hope and
even greater joy.
Funding this project will require $4,500 by the end of
August. These funds will cover travel
costs, art materials and educational resources, as well as the cost of renting
space to hold this training and translator costs.
Dear friends, In HOPE I ask you to consider donate today!
You may also send your tax deductible support to:
Sunset Covenant
Church with NEPAL written in the memo.
And Addressed to:
Sunset Covenant Church
18555 NW Rock Creek Blvd, Portland, OR 97229
