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<TITLE>Being Change: the Way of the Activist. </TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Optima, Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Please pass on...<BR>
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</SPAN><FONT SIZE="7"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:48.0px'><B>stone circles <FONT COLOR="#008000">presents: <BR>
</FONT></B></SPAN></FONT><B><FONT SIZE="6"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:21.0px'>Being Change: <FONT COLOR="#008000">the Way of the Activist.</FONT></SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10.0px'> <BR>
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</U><FONT COLOR="#008000">August 6-11 Retreat for Activists, <BR>
Vallecitos Mountain Refuge, Taos, New Mexico
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</SPAN><FONT SIZE="4"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:13.0px'>Spiritual Activism is not a philosophy- it is a Way of life. The fullest integration of an intellectual understanding of justice and an embodied realization of liberation requires committed time that we may not encounter in our daily lives. Periods of retreat dedicated to this integration where activists commit to deeper reflection, contemplation, and presence are an essential part of maturation and growth. <BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Optima, Times New Roman">For this reason, stone circles is offering a 5-day retreat for activists across the country that will provide activists with a structure that supports their spiritual practice while developing their strategies of social change. The retreat will provide abundant time for silence, spiritual practice, structured and unstructured reflection, discussion, and workshops on change theory, group dynamics, and political strategy.<BR>
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<B>The Vallecitos Mountain Refuge <BR>
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For ten years the Vallecitos Mountain Refuge has been serving the social justice and environmental activists as a place of refuge. Located high in the Rocky Mountains of northern New Mexico, Vallecitos is a spectacular 135-acre wildlife refuge and mountain sanctuary and the ideal refuge for solitude, quiet, rest, prayer, meditation, healing, reflection and renewal. For more information, check out www.vallecitos.org <BR>
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The retreat will begin on the evening of August 6 and end the morning of August 11, allowing ample time for travel to and from Vallecitos on those days.<BR>
Please note that we are committed to ensuring the diversity of this retreat, particularly with regard to race/ethnicity. <BR>
For this reason, we are reserving 50% of the spaces for people of color.<BR>
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<B>Price<BR>
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The cost of the retreat is $425 if you’d like to stay in a casita or yurt; $375 if you’d prefer a tent. All three are heated. This includes room and three amazing vegetarian meals each day. <BR>
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<B>Stipends and Scholarships<BR>
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</B>We are committed to making the retreat affordable for everybody. We will be able to offer a limited number of scholarships to help cover the cost of the retreat or travel expenses. We may also be able to help secure frequent flier miles for a limited number of participants. If you need assistance, please indicate that on the application form and how much you are requesting. <U>If you are in need of a scholarship and/or frequent flyer miles, please let us know by June 15.<BR>
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</U>For additional information see attached document.<BR>
Questions? please contact<BR>
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jesse maceo vega-frey <BR>
jesse@stonecircles.org <BR>
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413.563.5642<BR>
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<FONT COLOR="#008000"><B>stone circles staff</B></FONT> <BR>
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<FONT FACE="Optima, Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><B>Claudia Horwitz</B> is the director of stone circles, which she founded to help individuals and organizations bring spiritual and reflective practice into their work for social justice. Claudia is committed to practice and ritual as vehicles for personal and organizational transformation, and to helping develop the growing field of spiritual activism. She has extensive experience in leadership development, community-building, and facilitation. She is a certified Kripalu yoga teacher.<BR>
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<B>Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey</B> is a program consultant for stone circles and an artist who lives in Holyoke, MA. With the sense that complete embodiment of his ideals lies somewhere between relentless struggle and “inspired laziness,” his art and life are constantly attempting to fall in alignment with a revolutionary Way of being. A board member of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Jesse is a committed meditation practitioner. Jesse has worked to research and communicate how contemplative practices can be woven into organizations dedicated to social change. <BR>
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www.stonecircles.org <BR>
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