Our Founder

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The Rev. Dr. Harry J. Bury 

Priest, Professor, Political Activist, Warrior for Peace 

Harry J. Bury is a retired Roman Catholic priest of the Saint Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese and Professor Emeritus of Organizational Behavior and Administration with Case Western Reserve University. He taught at Baldwin Wallace University from 1980 to 2010, and consulted not only in the U.S. but also in numerous other countries. 

Bury’s activism started as a new priest serving at the University of Minnesota’s Newman Center in the 1960s when young Catholic men asked him to write letters for them as Conscientious Objectors for the Vietnam War. In 1971, at the request of some Vietnamese, he and three others chained themselves to the U.S. Embassy gate in Saigon to protest the Vietnam War. In 2005, he was abducted in Gaza while serving as a human shield between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian citizens. 

Fr. Bury is also one of the coordinators of the nationwide Nonviolent Cities Project coordinated by Pace e Bene’s Campaign Nonviolence. And Fr. Bury founded Twin Cities Nonviolent and heads up that organization’s work in Saint Paul-Minneapolis and surrounding areas. Twin Cites Nonviolent develops the 12 Days Free From Violence program every September and partners throughout the year to reduce violence in its many forms.

Fr. Bury, in collaboration with Will Wallace of Nonviolent Peaceforce, together worked with former gang members of North Minneapolis (The Brothers) on a groundbreaking project referred to as “Cop-Free Schools” whereby members of The Brothers, well-trained in nonviolence methodologies, created and implemented nonviolent security at Ascension Catholic School in North Minneapolis—a model that will be implemented in other North Minneapolis schools by Twin Cities Nonviolent. 

Fr. Bury believes in dialogue and compromise between people in the community and around the world. In his 93 years, he’s never hesitated to “risk the worst in order to achieve the best.” 

Nurturing a Positive & Unified Community 6/26 at Central Midway Building (Concordia College Building)

Mark Anderson

Barbara Schneider Foundation President
Mark will talk with us about the 4-part Conversation Cycle
he is co-leading at the MN Chippewa Tribe Building to
identity assets and strengths within our community.
Diverse community members are identifying a path for
transformation as we talk and dream together.

Preview attachment Barbara Schneider Foundation Flyer6_26.2019.pdf

Barbara Schneider Foundation Flyer6_26.2019.pdf347 KB

THE COLLABORATOR’S MEETING FOR May IS WEDNESDAY, the 29TH.

Because of logistical issues, our meeting in May will be moved to the last Wednesday, May 29 and will be from 7-9pm.  Same location.  Donna Minter, founder and executive director of Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute, will give a mini-presentation on the STAR Training modules.  STAR integrates neurobiology, trauma healing and resilience, restorative justice, nonviolent conflict transformation, and broadly defined spirituality to assist individuals who want to be trauma-informed, resilience-oriented, and restorative justice-focused to build peace in their lives, workplace, and communities. “Together, transforming our communities peace by peace.”

CLICK BELOW FOR THE FLYER:

Click to access may29-6.pdf

The Collaborator’s Meeting For April is Wednesday, the 24th.

For our April 24th collaborator’s meeting, Latriste Graham will lead us in a circle of exploration, healing and reparations as a sample of their upcoming event during 10-days Free From Violence. Their organization, Coming Out of Bondage, aids sex-workers in leaving the life. See flyer below for details.

This is also a monthly collaborators meeting for the purpose of networking and planning events for our ‘10 Days Free from Violence,’ Sept. 20-29, 2019.

All of our collaborator’s meetings will feature mini-presentations (about 45 minutes in length) previewing the events which will be held throughout the 10-days.

The Collaborator’s Meeting For March is this Wednesday, the 27th.

For our March 27th collaborator’s meeting, Spiritual Director Pam Winthrop Lauer will give us a preview  us a preview of the power of Nonviolent Communication, which she will be sharing with us during this summer’s 10-days Free From Violence. See flyer below for details.

This is also a monthly collaborators meeting for the purpose of networking and planning events for our ‘10 Days Free from Violence,’ Sept. 20-29, 2019.

Moving forward, all of our collaborator’s meetings will feature mini-presentations (about 45 minutes in length) previewing the events which will be held throughout the 10-days.

This event features Pam Winthrop Lauer teaching non violent communication. It is from 6:30 PM until 8:30 PM on Wednesday March 27th in the Central Midway Building at 393 North Dunlap Street. St Paul MN. 4th Floor conference Room

Any questions? Email Contact@twincitiesnonviolent.org

2019 Related Events

Wednesday, March 20, 2019 6-9pm  –  Landmark Center, F. K. Weyerhaeuser Auditorium 

Admission Free  –  Your generous donations will go to the Veteran Resilience Project

World Storytelling Day 2019 –

Myths, Legends & Epics of Coming Home from War

This year’s global theme lends itself to the epic struggle of veterans coming home whole: to meaningful life. Odysseus took ten arduous years to return from the Trojan War. Psychiatrist Jonathan Shay documents such heroic journeys in books like Achilles in Vietnam. The literature of folklore is littered with legends like the Grimm’s Bearskin, where a returning soldier suffers valiantly for seven years to win the life he wants and deserves. Finally, real life veteran legends like Jesse Owens and Hugh Thompson are rivaled only by the growing cadre of women veterans daring to stand up to the travesty of military sexual assault. Since 2003, World Storytelling Day events take place on or around March 20 in more than 25 countries around the world.

 

6:00pm Information Fair from our Program Partners
Storytelling and Veteran Support Organizations
(For more information, or to reserve a seat or information table, contact Larry Johnson, Veteran, Storyteller/Organizer, Author, at larryjvfp@gmail.com)

7:00pm Our Storytellers
Hector Matascastillo
Army Ranger, Psychotherapist, Clinical Director, Author, Speaker
Trista Matascastillo
Veteran, Ramsey County Commissioner, Bush Fellow, Feminist
Carol McCormick
Veteran Spouse, Professional Storyteller, Story Arts of Minnesota (Board Member), Author
Derek Anders-Turner
Combat Engineer, US Bank Technology Product Manager, Natl Black Police Association Member
Mark Wagler
Legendary Storyteller from Madison, Co-Founder Northlands Storytelling Network
Elaine Wynne
Storyteller, Veteran Spouse, EMDR Therapist/Trainer, Founder of Veteran Resilience Project