CSW57: Love and Courage Beyond Fear

In dedication to the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Meditation Center and Gallery in Manhattan hosted a community event on Thursday, March 14. The workshop, facilitated by Jill Shanti from Australia (Member of the BK delegation to CSW57) was titled, Love and Courage Beyond Fear.

The evening began by Jill sharing her personal experience as a survivor of domestic violence with a full house. Following the end of her relationship, she founded and led an organization Out the Door, with the aim of empowering women in similar situations. Through a short power point presentation, Jill shared some of the highlights of her journey with Out the Door along with methods used to heal and uplift the hearts of many.

Forming groups of 4-6, the participants were then asked to each make a list of words that made them feel empowered. The groups were asked to create a song using the all/most words from the list made by each member. For the less musically inclined, borrowing melodies from popular songs was permitted! Taking into consideration that groups were only given 19-12 minutes to create and rehearse the song before performing them, all the groups performed beyond everyone’s (as well as their own) expectations.

The workshop while being interactive and fun emphasized the importance of coming together as well as the healing power of creative actions, particularly that of music.