Making Violence Obsolete Debuts Penultimate Conflict Resolution Process

As of Tuesday evening, New Horizons introduced its “Council of Elders” methodology; a primo New Horizons' passageway for trekking to the other side of conflict and the transforming of personal and collective lead into gold, reaching the peak of the Mountain of Awe and other good things.

It’s A Love Bath!

How can resolving a conflict become a “love bath”? 

Check it out for yourself. That’s how you can come to “know” it. 

One thing it isn’t, however, is akin to our national politics!

There is no way that a group of humans can easily, imperfect as we are, make the proper advances, to grow and become more than we started off being. Yet conflict resolution, community-style, offers one of the best, most scenic routes we know!  And, in our mode, the most loving!  Tough love that it is!

So in our view, that’s the deal; conflict resolution, community-style, for evolving one’s consciousness and the behaviors that support the higher levels of human functioning; the transforming of the lead of our innate humanity into the gold of our living potential.

So how do we attain such riches?

The full truth here is that you really have to live it to know it. But I will give you a few glimpses of the landscape here, New Horizons style. 

At New Horizons conflict resolution is the foremost vehicle that enables said changes. Based on our decade’s old procedures of conducting intra-community “truth and reconciliation” processes the results are, over time, nearly miraculous, or so it seems. 

Certainly our methodology has, over the past forty years plus, transformed the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of individuals, relationships and families.

You can tell we are very proud of this!  Right?

However there are so many layers of complexity to the overall process; so many twists and turns that it takes, that I am not going to be able to readily create a clear picture of all that our finely honed methodology incorporates. Nonetheless, I offer you the following highlights achieved so far as we begin getting off the ground with our latest endeavor. 

In summary, here is how our adventure is unfolding, along with some of the key New Horizon’s principles at play. 

• Our experiment which is having its first “official” session tomorrow held its very first “Truth and Reconciliation” effort (i.e. the Council of Elders) Tuesday evening;
• This was brought about due to one of our members having a conflict with me (Anastasia), calling into play the serious preparation for and implementation of a “Council of Elders” meeting, conducted for four long, intense hours (in addition to all the prep time and post processing needed);
• Principle: The assembling of a “Truth and Reconciliation” meeting (i.e. the Council of Elders) to guide and direct the alchemy of “lead into gold” is our almost highest endeavor on the pathway of “Making Violence Obsolete.” (The very highest is our weekend/week long “Truth or Dare Game,” formerly called the “Discount Derby. To be introduced/re-introduced in some, not as yet defined future.)
• Principle: With this undertaking, our basic “experiment” premise can be realized. 

“The Premise” is this --

"Violence “could” become obsolete, “someday”, if we start, now, doing more and more of the right things and, together, stop doing the “wrong” ones!”

Nothing that we know of can spotlight the "what not to do" and the "what to do" as impactfully as this process.

What our process has accomplished so far ---

• Conflict between a community member and Anastasia aired publicly (in our New Horizons counterculture community “public).”
• Subtle violence in a moderately abusive couple’s relationship within our budding community was re-routed (merely first baby steps taken but steps nonetheless) via the process of the guidance and role modeling of our "Community Elders” and a more public airing of that relationship than formerly and its hurtful dynamics (i.e. it “takes a village.”)
• Our budding community beginning to coalesce as a “real” community entity (no pain, no real gain).
• Role modeling of our “lean in legacy template” process, was seen in action and became clearer to community members as to how to live it. 
• The notions of “leadership as a lifestyle” and “communication and relationship as art" became more tangible through the personal and collective experience of our process;

Wondering what really occurred in a visual and experiential way? 

Well we know this is a good bit vague here but we anticipate being able to bring our "Council of Elders" process to you via YouTube sometime in the future.

Nonetheless, for now, I will plan on filling in some of the details on this site and the challenges and rewards as they unfold.

The best way, however, to know for yourself that the “pain is worth the gain” (i.e. a “love bath”) of such a process is to join in with our developing “Making Violence Obsolete” movement and our Counterculture Community Development Experiment if you qualify.

Here is how you can get involved.

For details and information:
Contact Anastasia at 240.409.5347

or email us at: HarpersFerryNH@aol.com