From Rumi's Field to Praxis Leadership

January 10, 2014

By Jenna Barron 

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Praxis at the Homeless Garden Project Fall Farm Supper Fundraising dinner. This was an evening full of hard work, great food, and knowledge about food justice. Praxis helped set up, serve, and clean up for this dinner which brought together the community to eat delicious local and organic food from Monterey Bay award winning chefs and learn about how local heroes are making a different in the challenge for food justice in our community.

As I reflect on my years at UC Santa Cruz, I know moving to Rumi’s Field Nonviolent Communication (NVC) themed residence hall at College Ten was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. At the time, I was looking for a space to channel my need to serve my community and thought Rumi’s Field  was an ideal opportunity. What I learned was that this journey began with myself. In our weekly NVC class facilitated by an enthusiastic and caring teacher,  Christine King, I learned the tools and language to empathize and express compassion for myself and others. With this priceless knowledge, my educational experience was deeply enhanced and transformed into a holistic process. I felt the distinction between my heart and mind grow closer and I was enabled to find a sense of purpose and meaning in my life.

Feeling empowered by my newly formed relationship with myself, I felt called to bring these values out into my interpersonal relationships and greater community. In NVC we learn the philosophy that all humans share the same universal needs, we all simply have different ways of meeting those needs. When we don’t understand another person’s strategies for meeting their needs, this may give rise to conflict, judgment and misunderstanding. As my outlook on life was shifted through this understanding of shared connection between all beings, I began to question, what are the unmet needs of my UCSC community? I saw that while I had the chance to learn skills to improve my emotional intelligence and feel heard and cared for, other students were not so lucky. I wanted to bring about a culture of caring and compassion so I led a team of students in organizing a World Café in the spirit of a community dialogue called the Compassion Café. After experiencing the healing and connecting energy of compassion in that space, my passion was sparked and I felt confirmed that I was heading in the right direction. This was what got the ball rolling for my civic engagement work and since then I have been involved with various student organizations.  In addition, I have developed a pilot project titled The Compassionate University Initiative.

I am currently the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Intern for the Praxis Service-Learning Program at Colleges Nine and Ten and am grateful for the chance to share my experience and knowledge with my peers. My mission for this group is to build a community of servant-leaders through volunteerism and civic-engagement. In our meetings and projects I use my experience in NVC and leadership to serve as a mentor and show Praxis members that they can make a difference in our world and that change begins with ourselves and local community.

Our theme for the year is “Personal and Societal Transformation” and I have been working to choose topics and activities which provide students with the tools needed to become agents of change. Topics of weekly discussions have included: sustainable living, positive psychology, compassion, and Nonviolent Communication. This space has been designed to incorporate “inner work” with community building and together we critically think and engage with social, environmental, and economic justice issues that we personally care about. I have been amazed at the sustained commitment of the students and their willingness to serve their community. Together we have been making a difference in the city of Santa Cruz and experiencing the rewards of giving back.  Thus far students have volunteered at the Homeless Garden Project, with Shared Adventures, Save our Shores, and Habitat for Humanity.  I couldn’t be more grateful to be facilitating this transformative experience with such a wonderful group of young leaders.

My experience with Colleges Nine and Ten have been integral to my leadership skills and capacity to coordinate projects which have the core values of compassion, service, kindness, and community. I look forward to what the future has in store for Praxis and Rumi’s Field and hope that others will find this article useful in building their own story of service.

“World peace must develop from inner peace.

Peace is not just mere absence of violence.

Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.”

~Dalai Lama XIV