PEERS NEWS AND EVENTS

"RESISTING BURNOUT" WORKSHOP WITH VIKKI REYNOLDS, PhD, RCC

We're not burning out, we're being
BLOWN UP!

March 12th, 9am—5pm

LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED

Cost: $100 Regular; $75 for outreach workers & students

Contact us if cost is a barrier at 250-388-5325

Vikki is a therapist/activist whose experience includes clinical supervision and therapy with refugees and survivors of torture, mental health and substance abuse counselors, anti-violence counselors, and working alongside transgendered and queer communities. This event benefits PEERS Victoria Resource Society. Vancouver Island's only agency run by sex workers, for sex workers.

People working with those struggling with poverty, violence and oppression are often told that they will “burn out”. The compassionate care of the workers is seen as naïve, immature, unprofessional, and something they will “get over”. We’re also told that clients are responsible for harming us with their pain, when most workers tell me that’s not the case– and that they suffer from structural issues of injustice that don’t allow for us to provide the care required to address suffering.

Contrary to this story of sustainability; how our collective work sustains us, nourishes our hope, invites us to honour the resistance and strength we witness in the people we work alongside, and allow us to work congruently with out ethics.

Objectives:

In this experiential workshop workers will unpack the prescriptive story of “burn out”, and map their relationship with stories of sustainability.
We will collectively honour our own resistance to unjust ways of working, and map the influence of ideas and practices of social justice in our work.
Workers will be invited to begin to build their own “solidarity team”; examining who stands alongside them, what ideas and practices sustain them, and how they might access support when burnout attacks.
We’ll address our collective ethics and practices of Collective Care as opposed to self-care.

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"Voices from the Edge" POETRY BOOK NOW AVAILABLE

This book of raw poetry speaks directly to the heart with unflinching honesty. Facilitated by local writer, Dvora Levin, it was written by program participants at PEERS and Rock Bay Landing.

NOTHING STAYS SILENT POETRY PROJECT AND FUNDRAISER
JANUARY 2011 ONGOING

poetry/journal

The Friday morning poetry writing group, led by local poet Dvora Levin, is a two-hour weekly workshop that includes learning poetry techniques and styles, hearing works by other poets, challenging the participants to be free of the confines of their ‘logical brains’ and unleashing their creativity.

A couple months ago, they started talking about how to get the word out about the poetry
into the community and the result of those conversations has been two projects. The
first, a “chapbook,” or small booklet, is an anthology of poems produced in the class that
the participants have decided to distribute around the community. The chapbook will introduce the project to the broader community, promote poetry-reading in public spaces, and will let readers know how they can support PEERS. It is also aprecursor to the next project, a lined writing journal, that will be produced and sold in the new year. The journal will be decorated with participant-made cover and will contain participants’ poems scattered throughout. Keep your eyes peeled for them—they’re due out in the Spring.

In the meantime, Cowichan Bay artist Kristine Payton has generously donated a number of luscious writing journals that she produced entitled “Big Beautifuls – Journal For the Self” that we’re selling along with a copy of the Nothing Stays Silent poetry chapbook as a bonus. They make excellent gifts for your loved ones. Please support Elements and contact us to get yours! You can also donate directly to our PEERS Writing Journal Project by specifying it on your donation cheque.

PEERS NEWSLETTER
December 2010

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