Shanti Sena

Shanti Sena (pronounced “SHON-tih SEE-nuh”) is the volunteer security and conflict resolution system that is used at Rainbow Gatherings, and they are the words people call out to summon the help of others when emergencies arise. I feel that the collective experience of over 40 years of trying to resolve conflict thru non-violent and peaceful means is one of the best things that the Rainbow Family has to offer to the rest of the world. There are many aspects of Shanti Sena that are agreed upon by almost all gatherers, but there are others where there are different opinions. This document intends to show the range of them, and show how well, and how not so well, different concepts work in real situations. I have mostly excluded threads discussing interactions between gatherers and Forest Service employees and concentrated on interactions among the gatherers themselves.

I have gathered some threads about Shanti Sena and the various problems that lead to it from alt.gathering rainbow here into one document, converting them from web pages produced by Google Advanced Groups Search. I have made no changes or corrections to anybody’s posts, with this exception: I have shortened quoted sections, since in some cases people quoted entire posts, including quotes of quotes therein, and to reproduce all of these would make this document way too long.

The threads are not presented in chronological order, but in an order to introduce it to a reader who has not experienced Shanti Sena action in person. (They can be read independently of each other in any order, and a table of contents is provided on every page.)

– Butterfly Bill

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What is a Shanti Sena?

Thanks,
Kaya

From: HiYaKaya <HiYa...@aol.com>

> What is a Shanti Sena?

Shanti Sena - keepers of the peace

At a gathering, everybelly is shanti sena. If you witness a tense situation you try to defuse it.

Spaceman

***Be Here Now***

On Fri, 8 May 1998 15:57:44 -0600 “Spaceman” <spac...@primenet.com> writes:

> Shanti Sena - keepers of the peace
> At a gathering, everybelly is shanti sena. If you witness a tense situation you try to defuse it.

I was wondering is there a Shanti Sena traning camp?

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Wandering Bear wrote:

> I was wondering is there a Shanti Sena traning camp?

Depends on what gatherings you go to. At our last couple of regionals in Southern California, we’ve had a daily Shanti Sena council after dinner circle, right about dark. We’ve had experienced Shanti Sena folks share their knowledge. And we all talked about different problems, different solutions, and brain stormed.

And while we are all Shanti Sena, we all have differing levels of experience. So yes, anyone who sees something that ain’t right, needs to step in. But there are folks who have experience with legal issues that arise when we’re dealing with rape, murder or assualt with a deadly weapon type stuff.

So if the situation turns out to be more than you can handle, don’t jepordize anyone’s safety, send for more experienced help. Then stay to participate in what happens next and little by little you’ll be one of the more experienced folks.

Love,
Karin

Spaceman wrote:

> Shanti Sena - keepers of the peace
> At a gathering, everybelly is shanti sena. If you witness a tense situation you try to defuse it.

In addition to the vibe that we are *all* responsible for keeping the peace, and the encouragement for everyone to be involved in what we Rainbows see as a community responsibility, it’s important to know that there is also a Shanti Sena Clan that sees peacekeeping as being their primary volunteer service at a gathering. There is some consistency in networking and communications for more serious or ongoing situations, as well.

Just as with any volunteer service, some people don’t want to do it at all. Others are happy to help out when the need arises. Others, such as myself, consider ourselves on duty 24 hours a day. Naturally, the degree of experience and competence varies, as does the degree to which people communicate with others about day-to-day or ongoing situations.

Many of the folks at the gathering carry radios. Not all of them are Shanti Sena. And not all Shanit Sena clan carry radios at all times. But if there is a serious situation that needs more than an on-the-spot intervention, anyone can go up to anyone with a radio and ask them to call for a major Shanti Sena effort or a Shanti Sena council.

Examples of when to put out the word gathering-wide that Shanti Sena help is needed would be an instance of a lost child, or a violent person who is out of control.

Examples of when a Shanti Sena Council might be called is an occurence of sexual assault or the consideration of what to do with a mentally ill person who is a danger to self or others.

As with any other function of the gathering, there is no real organization, but there is a lot of co-ordination and cooperation. And as with any other function of the gathering, sometimes it runs very smoothly and sometimes there are problems. Sometimes the people involved are wonderful, and sometimes they are assholes.

A general word of caution: if someone tells you something that doesn’t sound or feel right, like “You should give me all your money to hold because I’m Shanti Sena,” they are lying. I’ve heard stories over time of abuses committed in the name of Shanti Sena. This really upsets me.

No one has authority over anyone else at a gathering. Shanti Sena are peace-keepers, mediators, diplomats, crisis counselors, and so forth. They are *not* cops, and have no right to violate anyone’s rights. They only time there is a moral or legal right to detain or restrain someone or instruct them to do somehting they would otherwise not do, is when there is imminent danger to self or others.

If you see someone doing something in the name of Shanti Sena and have questions about whether or not it is righteous, please ask for a full Shanti Sena council immediately. Ask someone to put the word out on the radio that others should come join in. We are each other’s best checks and balances.

Most of the instances where I have heard of questionable actions taken in the name of Shanti Sena have occurred at Regionals. This I believe to be due to lack of experience and/or communication. Any mistakes in this direction can be avoided by following some general guidelines. The following guidelines are a working definition only - formulated by me as I write - and are open to additions, corrections, and whatever discussion or argumentation we wish to enter into.

1. Safety is the primary consideration of any Shanti Sena action - safety for both the person acting out and for the people around them.

2. Whenever possible, interventions should be non-physical. Any physical intervention should be as brief and as gentle as possible, and then only if someone is harming themself or others.

3. If any decision needs to be made about what to do about an ongoing situation, or about an instance in which violence has occurred, it should never be made by one or two people, and it should not be made in the heat of the moment. Folks need to chill, sit down with each other in a circle, OM to bring in Spirit, and then discuss the issue calmly.

4. Whenever possible, we try to deal with the situation in camp. If someone is a clear and imminent danger to self or others, however, it is appropriate to turn them over to the police if no other solution can be arrived at to insure the safety of other gatherers; or if the person is mentally ill and is clearly a threat due to their disorientation, it is appropriate to turn them over to the local mental health system. Many people may question whether this is the best thing to do, and questioning is a good thing; but there comes a time when all other options for safety have been exhausted and our only resort is the system. Sad but true.

5. The purpose of Shanti Sena is not to determine guilt or innocence, or to mete out justice or punishment. If someone has been injured and wishes to press charges, they have the right to do so and to turn it over to the criminal justice system. It is not Shanti Sena’s place to decide that this should not be done. There may also be instances in which an injured person may not wish to press charges, but a Shanti Sena council determines that the perpetrator presents an ongoing threat to safety, and in that case might fall back on point #4.

6. There are times when someone just doesn’t get that their behavior is not acceptable, but it is not appropriate to turn them over to the system. Yet, we may not feel that they are safe to remain at the gathering. At that point, a Shanti Sena council may determine that the best course of action is to ask the person to leave the gathering. This option should never be taken lightly, and only in instances where safety cannot be insured by any other means. It should be carried out gently and respectfully, the person being escorted to the highway or to the bus station. The “banishment” stays in effect for that gathering only. There is no such thing as permanent exile from the gathering. All people are capable of change, and hopefull they will get the message the first time they are not allowed to stay.

Finally, I would like to say that by and large, I have seen this informal system work very well. Fortunately, we don’t have do take drastic action very often, having found more creative and effective ways of communicating and teaching people what is necessary to live healthy and safe in a community without rules or laws. It’s amazing, but we really do maintain functional, peaceful anarchy at the gatherings. Nothing short of a miracle, in fact. I guess we’re back to giving God/dess credit - with a little help from our friends, naturally! Call it voluntary compliance with common sense, temporary insanity, or whatever, but somehow, we do it.

In love and service,
Carla

> What is a Shanti Sena?
> Thanks,
> Kaya

A peace keeper or peace maker ..........it’s you,me and everybody....

Love,James

Howlin’,growlin’,prowlin’ http://www.cataholic.com/james
all you need is a strong heart and nerves of steel.....

From: Wandering Bear <wanderi...@juno.com>

> I was wondering is there a Shanti Sena traning camp?

I don’t know if there is a training camp or workshop - maybe Carla can enlighten us?

I participated in a couple of shanti sena situations in Oregon last summer, and there seemed to be a group of people that spend a lot of time doing that. This must be the clan Carla mentioned in another post.

Spaceman

Spaceman wrote:

> I don’t know if there is a training camp or workshop - maybe Carla can enlighten us?

There have been workshops from time to time, but they have not been well attended and don’t tend to attract the folks who are really interested in sticking with it over time.

If you want to get more involved, get involved! If you see a situation, respond to it, if only by standing by and watching and getting to know who’s who. Another excellent way is to be “on the front lines”: front gate, parking lot, welcome home. Drive a shuttle, hang out on the road near where some of the drinkers hang out (a lot of them are very good at Shanti Sena, believe it or not) and get to know them. You’ll be surprised at what good folks they are. They get a bad rap, but they are just people, and they are family.

When you identify someone who seems to do a lot of Shanti Sena, and you like the way that person operates, hang with them. Let them know you want to learn, and ask if there’s anything in particular they can think of that you can do that would be of service. Hang out where they hang out. Figure out where the Shanti Sena hot-spot is. Usually, there will be a few places in camp, most often where several of us old friends camp or hang out together, where a lot of the info and action coalesces. These spots are pretty accessible and grow organically every year from the concentration of energy around the people who like to do this stuff. We are not hiding from anyone. Last year, the Shanti Sena energy concentrated at Welcome Home, around Co-op, and at the back door. If you want to find us, ask folks at the gates if there is a place you can find Shanti Sena.

To the outside eye, it just looks like we are drinking coffee and socializing. But really we are working ; ) Come join us! We love the brave souls who can put up with us! (Some of us are a little crusty, but that is not a job requirement.) Don’t be shy. We only eat about one “outsider” a year.

Welcome home,
Carla

On Sat, 9 May 1998 09:27:44 -0600 “Spaceman” <spac...@primenet.com> writes:

> I don’t know if there is a training camp or workshop - maybe Carla can enlighten us?

Ive been part of an organization here in Oregon Called the Peaceworker. The have a Peace Warriors training program compleate with guide book. their address is 333 state St Salem Or 97301. They have a nice little store there completly dedicacted to peace stuff.

Their home page is at http://www.teleport.com/~opw
Their e-mail address is O...@teleport.com

Get in contact with them they have some great Peacewarrior training tools avalible.

Shanti Sena training camp?...This is it, I guess! Learn how to SMEAR names! Lie! Cheat! Twist! Dominate! Threaten! Once you’re the ‘baddest’ little Cyber-rainbow, you can look to Arizona! (‘Dignity Battalions’! / Jonestown?) Experts!

In a message dated 5/9/98 4:52:11 PM Pacific Daylight Time, night...@webtv.net writes:

Peace to You Brother,
Blessed Be!
Magick Fairy

ps. kill em with kindness

HiYaKaya wrote:

> What is a Shanti Sena?

The hearsay etymological root of “Shanti Sena” (hearsay because I haven’t been able to look it up) is from Sanskrit meaning “Warrior of Peace.”

This is not to be confused with pacifism. A Shanti Sena views Peace as a force which must be wielded. Shanti Sena is directly analogous to Ghandi’s coined term “Satyagraha.”

Shanti Senas are a bunch of God Lovers if you ask me! :-)

Sanity

Wandering Bear wrote:

> I was wondering is there a Shanti Sena traning camp?

I was walking up to C.A.L.M. in Vermont one day, and saw an Aikido Master very calmly making a man sit on the ground. Myself, having studied T’ai Chi Chuan for over twenty years, I stopped and sat off the trail about 30 yards from the incident to observe. The oldest book in the world, I Ching, cautions “the superior man weighs this and remains hidden.”

The Aikido Master was holding a military canteen cup with food in it in one hand, eating from it occasionally, and every time the man on the ground stood up he would take a step toward him and make a big circle with his free hand, and, miraculously, the man was again seated. No injury was being done to the man on the ground, so I kept my Peace and place.

I learned the man on the ground was a thief, and that those he had stolen from were being summoned so that a counsel could take place to determine what they wanted to do about it (call the cops?). “Aikido” is Japanese, literally “the Way of Peace.”

Studying the martial arts is not necessary to Shanti Sena, but it can help. I have also seen a young sister Shanti Sena, who didn’t look like she could whip a dog, freak out at violence she saw and scream “Shanti Sena!” over and over. The altercation resolved itself very quickly with no other outside influence I could see. God’s Grace is astounding......

Sanity

---Karin Zirk wrote:

> Depends on what gatherings you go to. At our last couple of regionals in Southern California, we've had a daily Shanti Sena council after dinner circle, right about dark. We've had experienced Shanti Sena folks share their knowledge. And we all talked about different problems, different solutions, and brain stormed.

These are all great ideas, but I believe that people should be encouraged to participate in non-violence and peacekeeping trainings if they plan to plug into Shanta Sena as their service. There are many people who give these trainings and either come to or would likely consider coming to the gathering to facilitate the trainings.

==
Be a revolutionary. Stop paying federal taxes.
Destroy the government and live free.

Guin

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Can somebody tell me what shanti sena means..and where it is derived from....is it a Native American term???

Thanks for anyone who can help

Peace and Love,
Lena

On Wed, May 13, 1998 at 04:53:44PM -0400, CHINACAT21 wrote:

> Can somebody tell me what shanti sena means..and where it is derived from....is it a Native American term???

It’s a Sanskrit term meaning “peace army”. Just did a search on the web, and came up with this, which was about a book:

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Gandhi Today: A Report on Mahatma Gandhi’s Successors

Based on Mark’s trip to India in 1978-79 to learn about Gandhi’s followers -- what they’ve done since Gandhi’s death, what they’re doing now. Subjects include Vinoba Bhave, Jayaprakash Narayan, Narayan Desai, Sarvodaya (“Welfare of All”), Bhoodan (“Land-Gift”), Gramdan (“Village-Gift”), Shanti Sena (“Peace Army”), Chipko (“Hug-the-Trees”), the People’s Court, peace brigades, and more. Includes nearly the full text of the book.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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hey sailor

what about the birth of shanti sena
i'm interested in that story :--}

jeffrey

In a message dated 05/15/1999 7:14:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time, stea...@aol.com writes:

> what about the birth of shanti sena
> i'm interested in that story :--}

LOL, a good tale indeed, but not for the telling on agr. Ask Barry to tell you when you see him at the national. ------- s

On Sat, 15 May 1999 X9...@aol.com wrote:

> LOL, a good tale indeed, but not for the telling on agr. Ask Barry to tell you when you see him at the national. ------- s

Hiya,

Why isn't the telling of the origins of Shanti Sena for agr? If it's a good story and important to Rainbow why can't we read it? What if we don't get to the Gathering and wouldn't know Barry if we did? Inquiring minds want to know.

Peace, love and flowers,

Twoina

In a message dated 05/20/1999 1:12:01 PM Pacific Daylight Time, p010...@pb.seflin.org writes:

> Why isn't the telling of the origins of Shanti Sena for agr?

LOL, some things just aren't met to be told on the Internet, hang around the family long enough and you'll meet Plunker, he'll be more than happy to tell you the hipstory of shanti sena. ------- s

Twoina Hager wrote:

> Why isn't the telling of the origins of Shanti Sena for agr? If it's a good story and important to Rainbow why can't we read it? What if we don't get to the Gathering and wouldn't know Barry if we did? Inquiring minds want to know.

Hi, Twoina,

Perhaps s. can't tell you the origins of Shanti Sena because he wasn't there.

As far as I know, there is no one story about the origins of Shanti Sena; there are dozens, perhaps hundreds of stories, and from those that I have heard, Shanti Sena evolved over a period of time. The need to maintain health, safety, and an operating community infrastructure have existed from the very beginning, and there have always been people who stepped up to the plate to handle these exigencies.

There are some great stories to be told about keeping the peace at the gatherings, some of them from the distant past, and some of them much more current. Certainly, in the wilder, younger days of the family there were some unique and memorable characters involved in the hard-core security aspect of peacekeeping, as well as some very dramatic events that they dealt with. But there is far more to Shanti Sena than doing security-type work (that is, responding to incidents where violence or the possibility of violence rears its ugly head).

I wasn't there in the beginning either, but by my first gathering in '79, Shanti Sena was well established, and *everyone* knew we were all Shanti Sena, with some folks having special skills in certain areas. But *everyone* was responsible for keeping the peace, and everyone knew it. Now it seems that people think Shanti Sena are the people with the radios.

If you want stories from the past, or at least one person's version of the past, Barry can be found most any night at the Hipstory telling. He loves to talk.

Love and Light,
Shanti Sena Sally

At 04:08 PM 5/20/99 , you wrote:

> Why isn't the telling of the origins of Shanti Sena for agr? If it's a good story and important to Rainbow why can't we read it?

Of course I can't speak for sailor on this one.. But I can say how I took this.

The story of the birth of Rainbow and Shanti Sena for that matter, is a story that Plunker (AKA Barry) loves to tell.

It is also a story that he is VERY good at telling. If you haven't heard Barry's hipstory at a gathering you have missed some excellent story telling.

while I am at it.. I think it was Missouri where Barry did that excellent hipstory at the main fire after dinner. I remember him in the smoke of the fire with us all listening to his every word.. He made mention of Garik and lo and behold from the smoke of the fire appeared Garik to speak a bit.. It was an amazing performance, and the best hipstory I have heard from him yet. Anyone else remember this one...

Hawker

P.S. Hey folks remember to switch to using gath...@conf.welcomehome.org, not gath...@cygnus.com for all AGR posts.
P.P.S. The 1998 Arizona Gathering CD MP3 music recordings can be found at ftp://ftp.xichron.com/xfer/Music_from_the_Campfires.html
Info on obtaining this CD can be found by e-mailing me at Hawker@Connriver.net
(Note CD on temporary hold till Mid March. As of 3/8/99 was 90% done re-mastering)

In a message dated 05/20/1999 2:41:58 PM Pacific Daylight Time, ca...@efn.org rites:

> Perhaps s. can't tell you the origins of Shanti Sena because he wasn't there.

Not at all, just isn't a story everyone needs to know, but it became pretty obvious in Utah in 75 or was it 74, the years all seem to run together anymore, that we had to find something for Crazy John, Mario, Badger, Horse and Freddie to do and yes by 79 the seeds were planted and the roots taking hold for an internal security system. Didn't happen all at once and probably never will totally evolve until we all realize that each individual MUST be responsible for their own behavior. ------ s

> Why isn't the telling of the origins of Shanti Sena for agr? If it's a good story and important to Rainbow why can't we read it?

One evening at the Missouri Natl up in bus village a car came down the road through the village at an alarming rate. Me and another cat shouted "Slow Down!" My associate added "Asshole!" The car did slow down. In fact it stopped abruptly a few yards past us. The passenger door opened and a guy got out with a knife. My bold name calling compadre muttered "oh shit..." and when I turned to look at him he was moving rapidly in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, guy with knife was approaching saying "What did you call me?" I was alone. I didn't really want to be alone when I told this guy with a knife that I hadn't called him anything...just asked that automotive travel be sedate with kids around, so I invited some friends by yelling "Shantisena!" Seems like seconds later, there was Plunker. I'd never met the dude, but was damn glad to at this moment in my life. 10 or 15 other folks had showed up too, and Barry walked over to this dude, put an arm around his shoulder and walked him off. Instant end of situation. No shouting, no waving of radios. Just put a brotherly arm about this guys shoulder and off they went. I'm glad Barry was in bus village that night.

I guess I should have hunted that other cat down and had a word with him about dishing it out and leaving me to take the rap for it...but I'm not a vengeful sort.

Laughing OwL

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Howdy,

in 1968, in June, outside boulder, colorado, in a mountain gathering, some 140 folks were gathered around fires in the night... up drove a truck with a couple of guys in it... they got out with a gun, shot it in the air.. everyone gathered round... fearful, afraid to take any action.. one of the guys, with the gun, pointed at a yong woman, and said we are taking this one...

no one moved, no one spoke up... then, one guy stepped forward and urged the people to stop these guys.. after all there were many and these were only two... even with a gun.. only so many bullets, in a pistol...

ONLY this one guy stepped forward.. then one guy with the gun, pistolwhipped this lone guy, and then each guy, in turn... took the woman into the brush and raped her while the other held the gun.. no one else moved or did a thing... except comments...

the guys with the gun drove away laughing... the guy laying pistolwhipped... a strong person before... now, literally beat down... his partner (woman who was raped) and him left that gathering and never attended another, as far as i know...

that guy was my friend, and so was his partner...

when i heard about it.. i realized something had to happen like the carnies with their “Hey, Rube!” where everyone comes to help...

so from then, first as the tactical love force (T.L.F.), then later in 1970, as the Shanti Sena (Peace Scenes - keep the scene peace) myself and others began this call for help, for folks to stand up, when trouble comes around.. and from then on, whenever in camps or gatherings, or in demonstrations or scenes on the street... or in personal life... the WORD, the WAY became... “everyone is shanti sena!”...

Sometimes it works, sometimes not... but most times, when a call for help or a call for “shanti sena” comes down.. folks get up and help, get up and do something...

but even now, in many gatherings.. when trouble starts... many folks become helpless, know not what to do... and mill about... and do not stand up, nor sometimes, even come to help.. perhaps it is part of the human condition.. to look to your own personal survival first...

it is hard to get up, it is hard to stand up...

and this extends to many aspects of gathering (and life).. for example... thousands of folks are stopped and harassed on the roads, on the way Home... and other folks drive by and do nothing... (and folks are harassed in the gatherings)

this is a hard impulse to overcome.. to stand up, when it may be inconvenient or even dangerous... and sometimes it is dangerous...

Right now, around the country and around the world, there is wars and rumours of war... a bad situation getting worse...

To me, the Ideal of the Rainbow has always been that in such days of terror and trouble, when the Earth and its people are in danger..

Some People, of every race and kind, would come together in a Unity of hearts and Minds.. and stand up and be there for the people of the Earth and the Earth itself...

These ones would be called the PeaceMakers (warriors) of the Rainbow...

Hopefully, when the time comes for you (or me), in a time of crisis.. like now... when things grow dark, at this time, or when??? those who will - will stand up and be together... will get up.. in the dark of night or the light of day and be Peace...

These ones will, in the darkest days of the Earth... come togather in Unity...

perhaps, the “Rainbow” will live up to its expectations... or perhaps the “Rainbow’ wil only muddle through... whichever...

my heart and mind goes out to those who are imperiled, are terrorized... whether in a plane or on the ground... my prayers are with them... I have been terrorized in my life... and beaten down... and no one was around...

And i pray for all of you... at that moment, when something happens... that you will have the courage, (or the fear so strong you do something)... i hope you will stand up, and do something... (like some folks did on the plane that crashed in Penn... apparently)

of course... there are thousands who come each year to the Gathering.. yet only a few are chosen out to be cited or harassed... and others.. back off or turn away... or leave these ones to “deal with their karma’ as some folks say...

IF things were ideal and folks were true.. why then.. when folks are cited or harassed...there would be thousands who would stand with them.. and when they are tried... they would not be alone, but thousands would show up at the courthouses all over this land.. and be there with them...even if it is inconvenient or dangerous... (at least they could help in other ways)

meanwhile... i pray for all those who do stand up and i pray for all those who do not stand up, when maybe their standing up would make a difference...

of course, if folks stood up.. there wouldn’t be a War on Drugs... nor an America that is hated in parts of the World... there would only be unity, and justice, and peace...

personal responsibility... so true... but it is so hard to make a move, when faced with such danger... praying for us all.. for strength and good hearts... and just us, or justus... selah...

barry, plunker, montana

~~~~Restore the Earth! Restore the People! ~~~~
<www.wildrockies.org/peacetribes>

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Because folks seem to be interested in hearing stories of how Shanti Sena deals with problems, I thought I’d offer the following example of how it can work to everyone’s satisfaction. The incident was moderately serious, yet somehow it all worked out.

At the Oregon Gathering last summer, I was camped for awhile during Seed Camp at Welcome Home. There weren’t too many folks there yet, and on this particular evening, most of them were hanging out quite a distance away in the kitchen. The few folks who were camped in my immediate area – all experienced Shanti Sena people – happened to not be around that night.

Bam Bam had just gotten in, and there was a righteous drum jam going on at the kitchen. I was hanging out in my tent enjoying the jam and only peripherally aware that at the camp behind me – which was at the edge of the riparian area we were keeping clear of camps and therefore in a pretty isolated area – a few folks were pretty noisy and sounding a bit agro. I wasn’t too concerned, because it was all words and did not seem to be a problem, it was a small group, and there hadn’t really been any alcohol energy in the Welcome Home area.

At one point, it sounded like the folks hanging out there were leaving, and I heard someone tromping down the hill right behind my tent in a really noisy way. My dog was startled and jumped up, barking at the "intruder." I heard cussing, more barking, a yelp, and then the guy really went off, yelling about how my dog had bitten him.

I left my tent to go mellow things out. The guy and the dog were behind my tent, she standing about a dozen feet from him barking, and he standing there swearing and threatening her life. While I did not believe Lacy had actually bitten him, I apologized anyway and put her on a leash. He bitched loudly about not being able to find all the dog food that he had just gone to town that day to get for his puppy. I offered to use my flashlight to help find it – seems he had several cans of dog food in a plastic bag, and when my dog jumped up to protect her camp, he had slung the whole bag at her. It had torn, and cans of food were all over the place. It looked like he had swung the bag as hard as he could.

Well, he was very drunk. And you know what, I’m one of the folks who works the front gate a lot. I like most of the A-campers, and for the most part we work with each other really well, with a lot of mutual respect. At times I have been mistaken for an A-camper or a drinker because I hang out with them at the gates, the road, and Bus Village. Most of the guys themselves think I am an ex-drinker (I never have cared for it much), which I consider a compliment. I also work with drunks a lot in my job, and know how to deal with them pretty well.

But this was not someone I knew, was not an A-camper at all, in fact. They are a pretty bonded clan, that’s why they camp together. In case folks don’t know, not all A-campers drink, and not everyone who abuses alcohol at the gathering is part of A-camp.

No matter what my efforts at making peace, though, this guy continued to rant and rave, making threats against me and my dog. I called for Shanti Sena and worked my way slowly back to the front of my tent, where I collected my other dog (who is pretty deaf and did not know what was going on). He mocked me for calling for Shanti Sena, saying he was Shanti Sena and he was going to cut both my dogs’ throats.

A very cool bro named TJ came to my call and sat in front of my tent as I went in and settled both my dogs down. Both of them were on leashes at this point, and lay down quietly at my side. I got my pepper spray out in case the guy decided to rush the tent. Both TJ and I spent some more time trying to de-escalate the guy, to no avail. Several times, we thought he was done with his tirade and was going to leave to go back to his camp, which was at Cowboy Hummingbird’s. But each time, he escalated again and kept on threatening. I noticed a few people standing by observing the scene, but no one else came to help, and really, it didn’t seem that extreme. It was just one guy yelling, after all.

Suddenly, he called me a fucking cunt and threw a can of dog food at me. It hit me in the shoulder hard. That’s when I got pissed off. I told my dogs to stay, and jumped up out of my tent, yelling at him to get out of my fucking camp. He seemed surprised, backed off, and settled down a bit. I shouted at him that I didn’t believe my dog had bitten him at all and demanded to see the bite. He said well, maybe she didn’t really bite him, she just got his pants leg. I told him to show me where the material was torn. When he couldn’t show any sign of a bite anywhere, I kept on yelling at him. (You think Snarla is intense, you should see me when I *really* go off.) I demanded to know his name and where he was camped. He said his name was "Skunk," and he was camped at Cowboy Hummingbird’s.

Other folks came running from the kitchen area then, including Bam Bam and Free Feather. Naturally, with an audience he was compelled to escalate again, and I didn’t help because by this time I was pretty out of control myself.

So the sisters in the tent near mine mellowed me out. One of them was a first-time gatherer and was a natural at Shanti Sena. Other folks were dealing with Skunk. He’d get almost mellowed out, then go off again. At one point he said he was sorry he hit me with the can, he was aiming at the dogs because they were trying to attack him (not true – they were lying down inside the tent, not moving or barking). But then he’d start shouting again that he was going to come back the next day and kill my dogs.

It took another half-hour before he finally calmed down and went off to his camp. I fell apart and cried on TJs shoulder for awhile, then slowly unwound and hung out with folks. Before I went to bed, I made sure that folks knew that I wanted to deal with the matter in the morning with a Shanti Sena Council; that I didn’t want to press charges, but that I wanted Skunk to leave camp. (The worst punishment, I feel, is banishment). I was aware that there might folks in camp who when they heard what happened would be tempted deal with Skunk on their own terms. I made sure people knew what I wanted: no vengeance.

To be continued ...

By next morning, most of the old Shanti Sena family had heard what had happened, and we set a time to go confront Skunk at Hummingbird’s camp with a Shanti Sena Council. One of my dearest brothers was really upset, and clearly wanted to take matters into his own hands. I sat him down and told him how I felt, that I wanted Skunk out of camp, but that I didn’t want him hurt in any way. He gave me his word that he would not touch Skunk, and shook my hand on it. I also made sure that my A-camp brothers knew what I wanted. About a dozen of us went together to Hummingbird’s, and talked to the rest of the folks camped there. Skunk wasn’t awake yet. Skunk’s partners (all of them FTRA – Freight Train Riders of America) listened to what was going on and agreed that Skunk was nearly impossible when he was drunk, but that he had been working really hard at Seed Camp, this was the first time he had gotten drunk, and that he was a really wonderful brother when he was sober. Then we woke him up.

We told him this was a Shanti Sena Council and that this was a serious matter and we needed to figure out what to do about it. He listened, apologised again, saying that he had been trying to hit my dogs. One of the sisters who was standing by the night before repeated to him what she had already told me – that he was looking directly at me when he threw the can, that it was obvious he was trying to hit me. He said he was sorry again, that he didn’t hold any anger and that he had no intention of hurting me or my dogs.

I believed him, and I told him so, but asked what was going to happen next time he got drunk. He obviously had no answer to that. By now it was obvious to me that what everyone had said about him was true, that he was a really sweet brother when he was sober, and I was feeling less insistent that he leave camp. But I was still concerned about my safety, and that of others, the next time he got drunk.

Other people spoke up, talking about the need for safety. Everyone sang their heart songs. It became more and more obvious that Skunk really loves the family and wanted to be part of the gathering. I said, well, how about moving to A-camp where he’d be with folks who could deal with it if he got out of line. He said he was really trying to stay sober, and that if he was at A-camp, it would be impossible for him not to drink.

So Free Feather said that in many tribes, if someone’s behavior has endangered someone, if that person can find four people to stand up for him and guarantee his good behaviour, the tribe considers that sufficient. Plunker asked if there were four people who would stand up for him, His FTRA family stood up for him, and I told them, here’s the deal.

Skunk can’t be in the main camp drinking. He can’t drink on the road, at the gates, or in bus village. If he wants to drink, he has to do it in A-camp, back in the woods where his agro bullshit would be kept under control. He agreed, and they agreed.

I said I was satisfied. Everyone else in the circle was also clearly satisfied, and most were really touched at the outcome. We all felt really good about how clear we all were about our limits, as well as about how we ended up with a win-win.

We all shared hugs, including Skunk. I met his puppy, and he made peace with my dogs. The bruise on my shoulder faded in a week or so, with no real damage done.

Everytime I saw Skunk after that, he was sober and shining, and we’d hug on the trail. When the permit issue heated up and it looked like we might end up being in a blockaded camp, he proudly told me that he had volunteered to run in supplies on his back over the ridges and through the woods if necessary. He was obviously proud to feel a part of the whole.

There’s a lot of irony to this story. Dog protects me from Skunk. That didn’t work, so I protect dog from Skunk. That didn’t work, so TJ protects me from Skunk, then a whole crowd of people protects Skunk from me. That works. I protect Skunk from possible mayhem from those that love me. That works. Shanti Sena council agreements protect entire camp from effects of drunkenness. Skunk is protected from himself. It all works, in the end.

Interesting that I, who pride myself on doing excellent Shanti Sena with drunks, had no success in doing so when I was at the center of the conflict myself. Interesting that this did not happen in A-camp, and that I saw A-camp as the proper place for someone to be when they are drinking because that is the safest place for them to be. Ironic that I believe this because I know that when someone gets out of line in A-camp, they get thumped. Interesting that I see this as being okay – much like the mutual combat of the Saturday night brawl in the redneck bar – as well as a reasonable self-policing mechanism by the drinkers themselves. Interesting that I see a thumping as being okay when it is an immediate consequence of someone’s actions but not okay when it is in vengeance for something that happened before.

WB may say that this story proves his point, but I think the opposite. How the incident was dealt with brought out the best in the Shanti Sena process, allowed the victim (me) to have the power to determine what would make me feel safe, and allowed Skunk to see the error of his ways, to feel valued and loved, and to stay at the gathering sober.

And a very important message was sent out: no violence, no vengeance. And even more importantly, we must work together, calmly and creatively and in love, to find a different way from mainstream society to handle our problems. Sadly, this is not always possible, but in this case we were fortunate enough to be able to work for what I think was the perfect solution.

What a creative solution for safety – his buddies guaranteeing his good behavior. I don’t think we’ve ever used that particular technique before in a Shanti Sena process, and I think it’s a good one. Of course, it takes agreement that someone has been out of line, and a committment on the part of those that love him most to follow through. The fact that we formalized it and set clear conditions helped. The four people included a sister, and they all physically stood up for him. It was very moving.

Does anyone think that any purpose would have been served by insisting that Skunk be removed from the Gathering? Does anyone think that any other kind of solution would have been more effective, more appropriate, or more in keeping with the spirit of love and healing at the gathering?

I was really proud to be a part of this Shanti Sena process. It was well worth the bruise. Do I have any after-effects? No permanent physical harm was done, but I do notice a bit of hyper-vigilance on my part at times. I don’t feel quite as safe when I am walking alone. I feel a little more vulnerable than I did before. Realizing that the can was only inches away from hitting my face was a pretty traumatic thought, as I could have been seriously hurt if that had happened.

What would I do differently to protect myself if I found myself in a similar situation? I would call earlier and more loudly for Shanti Sena, not assuming (arrogance on my part, I guess) that I could handle it myself. There’s safety in numbers, and there’s no shame in asking for help. I think this was my big mistake.

In any case, all’s well that ends well, and this one really did.

If anyone out there is interested in learning more about doing Shanti Sena on an intensive level (yes, we are all Shanti Sena, but some of us look at it as a way of life and immerse ourselves in it and work intensively with each other on a daily basis), it takes more than a radio. It takes lots and lots of hours working the gates, the road, being available to each other to talk about situations that are of concern to the health and safety of the community. It takes love and patience and a willingness to look at all sides of the question without prejudice. It takes a committment to use all the diplomatic skills you don’t have but want to learn. It takes being able to see past appearance and look into the heart of our brothers and sisters. It even takes the ability to deal with law enforcement in a loving and accepting way but without any illusions that they are there to help us.

If anyone is interested, there’s endless opportunity. Just start hanging out with those gnarly-looking folks at the gates, in the parking lot, at Welcome Home. If you are looking for sweetness and light twenty-four hours a day, don’t bother. If you are looking for the fashionable people, for the glitter hips, for the names in the main circle, don’t bother. If you are looking to avoid contacts with drunk or obnoxious people, don’t bother. If you want a full night’s sleep and a chance to eat regularly, don’t bother. If you want to be a goon who muscles people around, *please* don’t bother.

But if you want to serve your community, come find us. The rewards are incredible, and indescribable. We’re waiting for you, and we want to teach you and learn from you.

Love and light,
Car and Snar

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful experience.

Love-in-Light,
Sanity

Whew what a truely awe inspiring story thank you. God willing I will bethere at the front gate. I hope I can be of some use at Arizona

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that was such a good story,thank you for sharing it. im suprised tough,i had no idea there wasactually violence at gatherings. i was only able to visit the Oregon gathering for a week and saw none. a few tense moments but nothing out of control. im sort of having trouble imagining fights at a Gathering...strange image for me.

later,erik

On Mon, 23 Mar 1998, baisley wrote:

> that was such a good story,thank you for sharing it. im suprised tough,i had no idea there wasactually violence at gatherings. i was only able to visit the Oregon gathering for a week and saw none. a few tense moments but nothing out of control.

Yeah, I know what you mean. The entire scene seems so magical, so blessed, so protected, it seems impossible that anybody could/would ever hurt anyone else. And for the most part that is true. We have amazingly few incidents, which for a “village” of 12,000 to 22,000 people is nothing short of a miracle. Just shows to go you that, overall, whatever it is that we do to engender and preserve peace, works. (And lots of very good people work very hard to make sure it happens that way).

Love,
Carla

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