Peace & Nonviolence Update
Nonviolent Peacemaking Training & Story About Techniques in Action Join us for Nonviolent Peacemaking Training July 10th . . . Concerned about the tenor of political discourse, challenging interactions in your workplace or home, violence in your community? Looking for ways to constructively respond? Join us July 10th from 9am-4pm for an interactive workshop to explore techniques for de-escalating situations and improving the chance for positive communication through role-playing and other methods.
Take one practical step toward a less violent community . . . This workshop will introduce techniques you can use when faced with a conflict that might turn nasty or violent. By defusing the immediate situation, you create a space which gives everyone time to understand the root of the conflict and to resolve it in a peaceful way.
The one-day workshop is filled with hands-on exercises and role plays that will introduce you to:
Basic nonviolent communication & conflict resolution methods How you can use these skills when you come across conflict in your daily life
How local and international peace teams use nonviolent strategies in larger conflicts Curriculum developed by Nonviolent Peaceforce North America. When: Saturday, July 10th Where: Peaslee Neighborhood Center (215 E 14th St)
Cost: $25– includes materials and lunch RSVP: Kristen Barker at 513.579.8547 or kri...@ijpc-cincinnati.org An example of Nonviolent Peacemaking Training in Action:
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Healthcare Forum . . . As the tenor of healthcare townhalls has disintegrated into violence in some cases, disruptive heckling, hate mongering & threats in other cases, I have been wondering what an effective constructive response might be. In September, three people trained in dialogue and nonviolent intervention agreed to join me in a attending Senator Sherrod Brown’s Health Care Town Hall at UC and exploring what might be possible by using our skills. We spread out and positioned ourselves among the 1200 others in the Great Hall.
A few minutes into the town hall the heckling began. Our experiences were interesting. Originally, there were six people in the row behind me shouting such things as “Obamacare is going to kill you” , “We have the best healthcare in the world” , “Liars”, “Tort Reform” , “I won’t pay for your healthcare” and so on. When the shouting became louder, more constant and distracting I made a decision that engaging them would probably be less distracting for the majority of people in the audience. I began turning around, periodically paraphrasing and periodically asking them questions such as “You sound really frightened about this healthcare reform possibility. What scares you . . .” The woman immediately behind me said things like ”You are so naïve”, “you don’t have a brain cell in your head”, “We don’t even breathe the same air. I can’t talk to you.” Others said angrily and insistently, “The show is in front. Turn around”.
I took a breath and kept at it. The mocking of me continued. Eventually, a man responded to my question about what he wanted to see in terms of our health care. When I paraphrased his answer, he said “Exactly.” His expression softened, he lowered his voice and stopped shouting. After a while similar conversations took place with three of the others. Finally, the only one shouting in the row behind me (but shouting remarkably loudly) was the woman directly behind me. I took to looking at her directly and lovingly. She really didn’t like this. She continued taunting me, making cracks about my intelligence, using patronizing voices with me, telling me in no uncertain terms that I should turn around, that she didn’t like it, that I was rude and stupid, etc. I kept repeating quietly that I’d be happy to turn around if she would promise to quit shouting. I kept telling her that I could hear the speakers better when I was looking at her. After about fifteen or twenty minutes, she said, “You won’t turn around? Fine. Are you happy now, I’m leaving.” She shouted her way out of the forum as she left. At the end, one of the former loud and angry detractors behind me, smiled, shook my hand, and wished me luck with my daughter.
The three others folks accompanying me reported similar experiences with hecklers in their vicinity. What then, might be possible with a much larger contingent of trained peace team members? Join us and lets find out!
By Kristen Barker |
