“My healing is bound to yours. Alone no one can escape. Together we live to tell.”
Parker Palmer, Together We Live To Tell
In 2021, we (www.thegatehouse.org) were inspired by the Global Poem Initiative - DearVaccine. Their statement: "By articulating our most complex and emotional experiences in language, we harness the ability to transform a common experience into collective meaning." is directly aligned with what we at the Gatehouse are endeavoring to do here.
We are reaching out to people around the planet, inviting their voice, through their poetry, to be an integral element of our Gatehouse Global Poetry Movement. Throughout the twenty-four years history of The Gatehouse, a primary goal has always been to create processes that allows for people to move from isolation to inclusion and to create a collective meaning-making experience.
It is our hope that, with everyone’s contribution, this initiative of gathering poetry from around the world, people will no longer feel isolated. That they will feel an authentic connection as their words are linked with the words of other people from around the world. Through the courage of creating and sharing our poetry we are creating ways that nurture strength, personal and social transformation.
“No one wants to read poetry. You have to make it impossible for them to put the poem down--impossible for them to stop reading it, word after word. You have to keep them from closing the book.”
Muriel Rukeyser
So it is that we are reaching out to people around the planet, to make it impossible for people to stop reading, impossible for people to be silenced, and possible to be heard and seen. This experience is, in essence, creating a global quilt with the words, poems, that can provide comfort and collective engagement in the process of personal and global transformation.
So it is our very great hope that you would be willing to participate with us in a way that feels right for you.
Vision Statement
Lifting and uniting survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) out of isolation into a global healing community where transformation begins with our words.
Mission Statement
Empowering survivors of CSA from around the globe, connecting and healing collectively through poetry.
Objectives
- To invite collaboration from like-minded individuals, agencies organizations in creating the poetry process.
- To create a safe and inclusive global community, by acknowledging and fostering transformation from CSA trauma
- To create a dedicated website for The Gatehouse Global Poetry Movement to become a living archival repository of shared experiences of CSA survivor perseverance, resilience, and HOPE.
- To have poems from around the world read at various global platforms.
- To collaborate with people from around the world in generating creative responses to matters of CSA.
Meet the Founders
Arthur Lockhart, MEd.
Over the past 46 plus years Arthur has held the positions of: Professor, School of Social and Community Services, Chair of The School of Social and Community Services, Chair of The Board of Directors of The Gatehouse, Executive Director of The Gatehouse, Coordinator Advanced Justice Studies Certificate, Senior Development Manager-Ministry of Correctional Services
Arthur is a founding member of the charitable organizations: The Gatehouse.1998; (2005) Laser Eagles Art Guild; (2010) Annual International Transforming Trauma Into Triumph Conference; (2014) Canada Centre for Transformative Social Change; (2021) The Gatehouse Global Poetry Project.
Film Collaborations, Co-productions
- 2013 Illuminating Silence: Stories of people Transforming Trauma Into Triumph
- 2007 Into The Light: Documentary - Male Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
- 2005 Lazer Eagles: Documentary - Celebrating capacities of people labeled disabled
Arthur’s Published Works include
- 2022 Transformative Justice: Canadian Criminal Justice Association (CCJA)
- 2018 Why We Bully - A Transformative Response(CCJA)
- 2018 The Gatehouse (CCJA)
- 2007 Restorative Justice: Provincial School Resource Officer Training Manual. Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
- 2005 Restorative Justice -- Transforming Society. Inclusion Press
- 2004 Community Lost and Found: A conversation between two dreamers. Inclusion Press
- 2001 Restorative Justice: National Crime Prevention Centre of Canada
Arthur is the recipient of a number of awards for his work in the fields of education and social justice, including: Canada’s Top 50 Champions of Change, Order of Canada Nominee, Innovator of the Year Award, Paul Harris Fellow, Student Teacher Appreciation Awards, Community Builder Lifetime Achievement Award, City of Toronto Mayor’s Community Safety Award, Lakeshore Community Building Award of Merit, Youth Impact Award, Inaugural Purple Door Award, Humber College Inaugural Distinguished Community Service Award.
Carol Smith
Carol Smith serves on the board of directors of The Gatehouse. A survivor of childhood trauma herself, Carol is actively involved in contributing to this organization and most recently she has taken the role of co-chair together with Arthur Lockhart for the inspiring Gatehouse Global Poetry Movement.
Carol has been a Financial Advisor for over 18 years and specializes in offering investors an opportunity to participate in ethical or responsible investments. Carol is on the Board of Directors of the Responsible Investment Association of Canada (RIA), an organization dedicated to providing education and resources that advance the adaption of responsible investing in Canada. In addition, Carol was recently appointed as a board member of the CCTSC (Canadian Centre for Transformative Social change).
In her spare time, Carol enjoys music. She is currently learning to play the guitar and plays the tenor saxophone in her church band. She enjoys making natural soap and is the owner of an online all-natural soap store. Carol enjoys walking on the local trails in Mississauga and creating A.I. assisted digital art in her spare time.