A two-day training seminar teaching compassionate listening starts today at the Spirit Room in Fargo.
The workshop grew out of a program that brought American Jews to Palestine to hear first-hand what locals said about the regional conflicts. A second trip brought American Jews to Germany to hear from World War II survivors.
The workshops aim to not only help the listener see things through the storytellers' eyes but also to realize that what is heard can be the listener's interpretation and not actually what is being told, said organizer Jerry Nagel of the Meadowlark Institute located near Lake Park, Minn. The goal is to lead to a more peaceful world.
Andrea Cohen of Seattle facilitates the workshops, which are co-sponsored by the Meadowlark Institute and Southern Metropolitan Mediation Services based out of the Twin Cities of Minnesota.
The workshops run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days and cost $225. For more information, go to www.compassionatelistening.org or call (218) 280-1105.
