With Roxy Manning, Kathleen Macferran, Sarah Peyton, and Kathy Simon
Whole group meetings: Six Wednesdays, May 11 – June 15, 2022
90 minute sessions:
11am – 12:30pm Eastern; 8am – 9:30am Pacific
Action-focused small groups
90 minute session each week, times listed below by section
Empathy and action-focused peer-led groups
60 minute session each week; a variety of times will be offered for self-organized groups
Cost:
We offer a sliding scale:
300 – Scholarship rate
450 – Discounted rate
500 – Requested standard contribution
550 – Support trainer’s sustainability
600 – Support those with fewer resources to attend
So that we can prepare for the series and explore partnerships, we need to have a minimum of 50 people registered no later than April 11, 2022 to hold the series.
In this exciting new series, we will apply the skills and consciousness of Nonviolent Communication to social justice work, both learning and taking action together to create a society that works better for people and the planet.
Many of us are finding it so very difficult to engage in conversations across the divides that face us:
- How do we connect with our neighbor, who has a political lawn-sign that we oppose?
- What do we say to our family member whose attitude toward the Covid vaccine has made us feel less trustful and connected?
- How do we advocate against proposed laws that systematically disadvantaged communities from the global majority?
- Where do we get the courage to knock on doors or make phone calls supporting political causes we believe in, when we know we might be walking into a harsh greeting?
During our six whole-group sessions, we will practice facing engaging in hard-to-have conversations about politically-charged issues, with boldness and compassion. We will also work on taking care of ourselves, understanding our own reactions to conflict, and finding ways to face differences without bringing hardship to ourselves.
In addition to the whole group sessions, each participant will indicate their preference for one of four Action Groups, centered around the following topics and meeting at the times below (all are listed in Pacific time). We will try to assign each person to their first or second choice.
Climate Action, Tuesdays, 11:00am – 12:30pm
Electoral Politics and Voting Justice, Tuesdays, 3:30-5:00pm
Racial Justice, Wednesdays, 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Restorative Justice, Thursdays, 10:00 – 11:30am
In these sessions, one of the instructors will teach about these particular areas and offer support in engaging in action. For example, the climate justice group might use the meeting time to become more informed about climate-related issues and also to engage in organizing around these issues. The electoral politics group, as another example, might make calls or write letters related to the 2022 election.
In addition to the whole group and small group sessions, all participants are asked to meet an additional time each week in a peer-led gathering, to offer empathic support and to continue collaborating on specific actions.
Again, participation in this course includes three meetings each week for six weeks:
- Whole group session
- Action-related small groups around climate, restorative justice, electoral politics, or racial justice
- Peer-led empathy and collaboration session.
We believe that our time together will contribute to all of our capacity to contribute to creating a better world. We also are confident that this six-week period will give us all a sense of accomplishment to help overcome any helplessness we feel — we will have taken action together on things that matter deeply.
Excited to work with you!
Kathleen, Roxy, Sarah, and Kathy
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Thanks to Justin Essah and Unsplash for protest photo