Program areas at The Ahimsa Collective
Life comes from it - we provide The administrative duties for life comes from it, which invites requests for funding projects and collaborations led by people of colour that focus on restorative justice, transformative justice, indigenous peace-making and land-based healing. With one grant cycle a year, we make small grants up to $25,000 to organizations. Most grants will be one-time grants, though there may be exceptions. To receive a grant, you need to be a 501c3 organization or be fiscally sponsored by a 501c3. If you are neither, we can help connect you to fiscal sponsors. There are two categories: individual projects; networks, convenings and collaborations that enhance movement building.
A victim offender dialogue* (vod) is a face-to-face meeting between The person who was harmed and The person responsible for The harm. The experience of talking directly with The responsible party in a safe setting allows The survivor to give full voice to all they endured. They are finally able to say what they need to say and to get answers to questions only The person responsible for The harm can know. People responsible for harm, no matter how severe, are given The chance to hear The often wide-ranging and complex impact of their actions. Only then can they fully realize and understand The effects of their actions in their entirety and formulate their own response. Both parties are active participants in a reparative process, tailored to their needs. It allows them to expand on The meaning The tragic event had for them and explore a new purpose in their lives. The total vods held for The year 2022 is 13.
Land project - The Ahimsa Collective has two land projects. The healing center "just love" is 25 acres of land in a santa cruz, California. Just love will provide short- and longer-term healing stays for communities of colour, returning citizens, survivors, and justice workers. We work in collaboration with 10-20 community-based organizations to offer just love for no charge for groups of 8-12 for 5 to 10 days at a time. We may provide food as well, so that all a group has to do is get to The space. Cooking, farming, swimming, talking together, walking in nature, and silence are deep healing modalities. We also provide The time and space on an individual basis for people to come to just love for short term (5-7 days) and eventually long term (one-month) stays and support what they need. Ahimsa Collective will utilize The space to offer 5-7 trainings a year to continue to build people's capacity in restorative and transformative justice, trauma healing, and facilitation skills. Once a year we will have a healing weekend, a time when people come together, celebrate, eat, camp, build, and dance. The Ahimsa Collective supportive home is our second land project it is home in oakland that offers a deeply person-centred home where men returning from incarceration can stay until they get on their feet, have control over what they need, have an Ahimsa community of continual support, and then become a part of a community to walk with others transitioning home. Our belief is that when our basic needs-food, water, warmth, rest, security, safety-are met, we can then trust, build relationships, and live into our full potential. We will provide all these basic needs and not limit The time someone can stay in The home, providing each person with their own room, allowing family members and loved ones to visit, and having an agreed value system that creates safety for all that live in The home.
All other programs including general programs, circles in prison, healing circles, mutual aid and restorative justice (marj), trainings, re-entry support, survivor support, restorative justice in The community, and ride home program.