A Workshop with Father Michael Lapsley, SSM
Saturday, October 22nd, 2016, 9:00am—4:00pm
Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga
3224 Navajo Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37405
Contact: 423-624-2985 or minister@uucc.org
We are all in need of healing because of what we have done,
What we have failed to do, and what has been done to us.
You are warmly invited to participate in an experiential process of deep listening, reflecting, and sharing led by Father Michael Lapsley, founder of the Institute for the Healing of Memories. The hosts of the workshop are Reverend Cathy Harrington and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga.
The Healing of Memories workshop is an opportunity to voice our own pain and be listened to in a safe, respectful and confidential space. It is also an opportunity to examine any internal biases we may have, and the ways we sometimes project them on others. Through hearing each other’s perspectives we will build better communication between community members and police officers, which is the first step to reconciliation. Through this process we can better foster community policing and increase and strengthen partnerships.
A former anti-apartheid activist, Michael Lapsley was targeted for assassination by the South African regime only 3 months after Nelson Mandela was released from prison. After his recovery, he founded the institute for the Healing of Memories to provide those who could not appear before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission an opportunity to share their experiences and be acknowledged for their suffering during the apartheid years. The Institute provides workshops internationally, enabling people from different ethnic groups, races, and religions to reach a better understanding of themselves and each other, and helping people cope with challenges or circumstances including HIV/AIDS, and gender, racial, and ethnic violence. The diverse communities he has worked with in the U.S. include veterans, survivors of domestic violence, incarcerated individuals, and those recently released. For more information, please view our short film on Fr. Michael’s story at: http://na.healing-memories.org/videos/the-father-michael-lapsley-story.html.