Forgiveness Discussion: The Gift of Our Wounds

Description

When white supremacist Wade Michael Page murdered six people and wounded four in a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin in 2012, Pardeep Kaleka was devastated. The temple leader, now dead, was his father. Meanwhile, Arno Michaelis, a former skinhead and founder of one of the largest racist skinhead organizations in the world, had spent years of his life committing terrible acts in the name of white power. When he heard about the attack, waves of guilt washing over him. He knew he had to take action and fight against the very crimes he used to commit.

After the Oak Creek tragedy, Arno and Pardeep worked together to start an organization called Serve 2 Unite, which works with students to create inclusive, compassionate and nonviolent climates in their schools and communities. Their story is one of triumph of love over hate, and of two men who breached a great divide to find compassion and forgiveness.

Video link: https://youtu.be/9x_kCGIPUP0

For this event, Arno and Pardeep will share their story and lead a discussion about forgiveness, trauma, and purpose. Admission is free; however, pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

This event is sponsored by The Ozaukee County NAACP. Additional supporters include Bridge the Divide and MATC.