The War Healing Ministry at First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany offers an interfaith, spiritually-based supportive community addressing the wounds of war. We acknowledge the affects of war on our entire community.

The Community Talking Circle meets the second and fourth Sunday at 6PM and is open to everyone - veteran and non-veteran, church-goer or not -- committed to healing the wounds of war and military service. Each gathering is co-facilitated by a trained leader from FUUSA and a volunteer from Soldier's Heart, a veterans’ return and healing project based in Troy, NY. New participants are always welcome.

At a typical Community Talking Circle you might find a U.S. Marine Afghanistan Combat Veteran, a U.S. Army Vietnam Combat Veteran, a military spouse, family members of active duty military personnel, active duty service members, children of veterans, and civilians with no familial connection to the military but with a strong sense of social responsibility.

The Community Talking Circle honors Rev. Eric Law's "Respectful Communication Guidelines":

R = take RESPONSIBILITY for what you say and feel, without blaming others.

E = EMPATHETIC listening. Try to understand how the other person feels.

S = be SENSITIVE to differences in communication styles.

P = PONDER on what you hear and feel before you speak.

E = EXAMINE your own assumptions and perceptions.

C = keep CONFIDENTIAL what others have to say

T = TOLERATE ambiguity. We are not here to debate who is right or wrong.

The Community Talking Circle meets on the following dates in 2010 at 6 PM:

May 23

June 13 & 27,July 11 & 25

August 8 & 22,September 12 & 26

October 10 & 24,November 14 & 28,December 12 & 26

We hope to see you there!--

Paula Griffin

Program Manager

Soldier's Heart

500 Federal St. Suite 303

Troy, NY 12180

518-274-0501 X10

"Veterans are the light at the tip of the candle, illuminating the

way for the whole nation. If veterans can achieve awareness,

transformation, understanding, and peace, they can share

with the rest of society the realities of war. And they can teach

us how to make peace with ourselves and each other, so we

never have to use violence to resolve conflicts again".

-Thich Nhat Hahn