Our dear friend, co-worker, and co-founder of the Resource Center for Nonviolence Scott Kennedy died Saturday, November 19, 2011, of natural causes.   We love Scott.  He is one of us.  He collaborated with many of you in active nonviolent struggle for freedom and justice.  And he shared deep friendships with so many.

Please share your remembrances of Scott with us. Let us know how we can reach you as we make plans for a memorial, and let us know of others we should contact: rcnvinfo  at gmail  dot com, or call 831-423-1626. We will be in touch soon with more information.

Scott’s circle of community and friends is large, and you are all a part of it.  We will miss him fiercely, but Scott will continue to be a part of all of our lives as we continue our work for nonviolent social change and justice through the Resource Center for Nonviolence and beyond.  On Scott’s behalf, we thank you for your love, thoughts, and support.

For now we share this message from one co-founder of the Resource Center for Nonviolence, Joan Baez, as she writes from Occupy Wall Street…
“Scott died in his sleep last night, I’m sure you know.

Scott Kennedy’s death is a loss to not only family and friends, but to the larger family of nonviolent soldiers he has taught, shared with, laughed with, and loved.  I’m fortunate to consider myself a member of his compassionate and passionate army.  Not many people manage to make a dent in the world of conflicts, but Scott’s work in the Middle East defies all cynicism and hopelessness.

At this time in the world of extraordinary current events, we now need those of his nonviolent army to infuse the enthusiastic thousands with the true spirit of Gandhi, and of the minions who have steadfastly stood their ground through the waves of violence with strength, love, caring, and the willingness to suffer rather than inflict suffering.

May he make the crossing smoothly and joyfully.”

Joan Baez

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Links to Media about Scott’s passing and Life’s work:

Scott Kennedy, former Santa Cruz mayor and founder of the Resource Center for Nonviolence, dead at 62

SJ Mercury News Article

Scott Kennedy’s family, colleagues plan memorial and center’s future

Online Memorial Guestbook at Legacy.com

SC Patch: Scott Kennedy, Former Mayor and Nonviolence Center Founder, Died Saturday

Scott Kennedy wins 2010 Pfifer Peace Prize, A PDF file report of the event

Fellowship of Reconciliation Blog Tribute to Scott Kennedy by Mark Johnson, Staff.

Scott Kennedy, PRESENTE!

Video of Scott Kennedy on Community TV Program SoWat

The Mid-County Post

The National Catholic Reporter

John Perkins

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!!  Help us spread the word…

Location: Crocker Theater, Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Dr., Aptos
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Best-selling Author John Perkins to speak on “Economic Crisis- the Hit Men Strike Home- What’s Next and What We Can Do About It”

6:00p.m. Special Reception with the Author (includes reserved seating and signed copy of book).
7:30p.m. Presentation

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE: General $15-25 sliding scale; Preferred Seating $30-50; Students/Low-income, senior $12-25; Reception with John Perkins 6:00p.m.l $50-150 (includes reception, special reserved seating, signed copy of the book). 3 Ways to get tickets in advance: **BUY TICKETS NOW via Paypal: click on DONATE button in right column. Enter amount you want to pay. SCROLL DOWN to Notes Section: please specify type of tickets, price of tickets and quantity of tickets you desire. Please add 3% to offset our Paypal fee. Call 831-423-1626×101 if you have questions. **CALL TO RESERVE YOUR TICKETS & HAVE THEM MAILED TO YOU: 831-423-1626 or IF- 831-724-4108. **Buy your tickets in person: RCNV, 515 Broadway, Santa Cruz,  M-Th 12:00-4p.m. or IF, 160 Sunflower Lane, Watsonville, CA 95076

The Resource Center for Nonviolence and IF are co-sponsoring this event featuring author John Perkins. His most recent book is \”Hoodwinked: An Economic Hit Man Reveals Why the World Financial Markets Imploded- and What We Need to Do to Remake Them.\” Perkins\’ other books include: \”The Secret History of the American Empire,\” \”The World Is As You Dream It,\” \”Shapeshifting- Techniques for Global and Personal Transformation\” and \”Confessions of an Economic Hitman.\”

John Perkins will explain how tools used in the past four decades in developing countries are enabling the extremely rich to purchase businesses and real estate at fire sale prices and exploit human and natural resources. He reveals how economic hit men helped to engineer the current economic crisis here in the U.S.
We the people have the power to demand new goals focused on generating a sustainable, just, and peaceful world. Perkins presents a plan for transforming the economy and describes ways each of us can employ our individual passions to create a world we will be proud to pass on to future generations.

More info: rcnvinfo@gmail.com, 831-423-1626

Please Join Us on November 4th at 6 pm at the RCNV, 515 Broadway for an evening of People Powered Poetry. We’ll have refreshments, a pedal powered sound system and the creative energy of you and your friends. The event is free, donations accepted, and we seek to build a new community of artists/musicians/poets etc to promote nonviolent direct actions and campaigns for a more just and peaceful world.  For more information please call Sandino at 831 750 8687

In an effort to reinvigorate the Resource Center with youth involvement   the ReGeneration Project seeks to provide a space for Santa Cruz youth and students of all ages to engage in critical and creative thinking about our society, and the resources to address those issues through creative and nonvi0lent means. We believe that the arts are the vehicle through which social change and creative cultural resistance can occur!

This project is still in its beginning stages, so if you would like to get on board,donate your time, talent or ideas, or just want more information, please contact us at rcnvinfo@gmail. com or call 831-423-1626×101!

We are planning at benefit show/Fall Festival, so if you are an artist, musician, performer, or have other ideas on how we can fund raise, let us know!

612 Ocean St

October 1, 2011

Dear Friends and Supporters:

The Resource Center for Nonviolence is in for some major challenging and exciting changes. These changes will build and strengthen our work and advance the cause of active nonviolence. After more than 34 years at 515 Broadway, the Resource Center, a project of the non-profit 501(c)(3) Eschaton Foundation, will relocate to 612 Ocean Street. We have purchased and will be moving over the next several months into the former Church of Christian Science just two blocks from our present location.

This new facility offers larger and better space:

*It is a single story building accessible for people with special needs;
*It includes a large meeting hall, several smaller meeting and conference rooms, more office space for staff, volunteers, special programs and other community groups;
*There is substantially more parking than on Broadway, on site as well as on nearby public streets; and,
*The location has even more traffic and is more visible than our current location.

How are we able to make this big move at this time? First and foremost, careful stewardship of our current facility for more than three decades means that we own the Broadway property without debt. This enables us to take loans against and eventually sell our property on Broadway to purchase the new facility. A local resident and long-time supporter of the Center, who prefers to remain unnamed, has stepped forward with a major gift and loan. A recent bequest from the estate of lawyer and community activist Emily Maloney will help us cover additional costs related to the move into the new facility. The Estate of the late lawyer and theologian William Stringfellow will provide needed resources as well.

Project director Kim Frentz Edmonds of Ventura Partners has drawn on her extensive experience helping nonprofits build or renovate buildings to support their work. Kim has helped us lay out a financial plan for the next ten years detailing costs for operating the new facility and doing our work at and from the Ocean Street site. This plan incorporates a financial projection that understates potential revenue and is realistic about likely expenses. This financial plan will enable us to focus on the next phase of the Resource Center life and work after moving into the new facility.

As we make this move to 612 Ocean Street, RCNV staff and Steering Committee are embarking on a review of our current programs. We will be seeking community input on projects that will help create a more cooperative and inclusive society. This program assessment is in many ways even more important than the fact of a new home for RCNV. But we have come to understand that the work we do requires different space than available at the Broadway building. The facility we utilize and the work that we do go hand in hand and reinforce one another. We are confident that our new facility will strengthen and sustain our work by providing ample room for activities, community gatherings and special events, and coalition building, as well as knowing that the ongoing work of the Center will make good use of this new facility.

We encourage you to join in the following three upcoming events:

* March/Procession from 515 Broadway at 11:00 a.m. to 612 Ocean Street on Tuesday October 4. Join us for a symbolic move from our present home to our new facility. Food and beverage provided. Bring your own sign.

* Volunteer work day at 612 Ocean on Saturday October 15 at 9:00 a.m. Let us know you are coming 831.423.1626 or just show up!

* Join us for our annual dinner and program Sunday October 23rd, 6:00 dinner and 7:00 program at 900 High Street. RSVP at www.rcnv.org or 831.423.1626.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel ran a recent article about this new home for RCNV (9/28/2011). You’ll be hearing more about this project from us in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we wanted you to hear directly from us about this exciting new phase of our work and to thank all of our friends and supporters who have helped set the stage for our big change!

Peter Klotz-Chamberlin, Chair
Yolanda Henry
Darrell Darling
Dorah Rosen
Erik Larsen
Ricardo Banda
For the Steering Committee

Marciano Cruz
Sandino Gomez
Anita Heckman
Scott Kennedy
Wallace “Woody” Wood
For the Staff

Please note changes in the Program- see below

Resource Center for Nonviolence

Annual Dinner and Program

Sunday October 23, 2011

Presentation on our New facility, and Dr. Stephen Zunes, professor of Politics, University of San Francisco, will speak on the Arab Spring and its ramifications for U.S. policy in the Middle East

At First Congregational Church, 900 High St., Santa  Cruz

Gather 5:30p.m.; Dinner 6:00p.m. – Vegetarian Cuisine

Advance Reservations Required for the dinner: call Now 831-423-1626 or email rcnvinfo (at) gmail (dot) com

Program 7:00p.m. NO advance reservations needed for the Program portion of the evening.

We are very sorry that due to circumstances beyond our control, Ahmed Salah has had to cancel his visit to the United States. Ahmed is well and he is deeply involved in the tumultuous events still embroiling his country, but he won’t be speaking at our Annual Dinner and Program on October 23rd. In his place we will be making a presentation about and having discussion of the Resource Center’s new facility. Dr. Stephen Zunes will also speak about the Arab Spring and its ramifications for US policy in the Middle East. We hope we can still count on your participation and support. If you want to cancel your reservation, please just let us know.

We will also welcome special guests from Greenfield and King City, where activists are engaged in organizing for more inclusive and representative government. As a central part of this effort, activists have chosen as their first project a youth leadership development project. A special collection will be taken to support their modest start-up budget of $10,960. Tax deductible contributions may be made to RCNV or to CAUSE (Coastal Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy.) 100% of your donation by check or cash will support this youth leadership initiative. Thanks for any support that you can give to this important initiative.

Dr. Stephen Zunes is a Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, where he chairs the program in Middle Eastern Studies. He serves as a senior policy analyst for the Foreign Policy in Focus project of the Institute for Policy Studies, an associate editor of Peace Review, and chair of the academic advisory committee for the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. Professor Zunes is the author of scores of articles on Middle Eastern politics, U.S. foreign policy, international terrorism, nuclear nonproliferation, strategic nonviolent action, and human rights. He is the principal editor of Nonviolent Social Movements, the author of the highly-acclaimed Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism and co-author (with Jacob Mundy) of Western Sahara: War, Nationalism and Conflict Irresolution.
Advance Reservations Required for the dinner: call Now 831-423-1626 or email rcnvinfo (at) gmail (dot) com