A Response ...Our Charlottesville community was shaken by the presence of the white supremacist and white nationalist groups that descended here on the weekend of August 11 & 12, 2017, and by the violence it precipitated including the death of Heather Heyer.
The incident intensified the already present political divide and left many feeling anxious, fearful, shocked and angry ... feelings that have lingered long after the violence. A number of people have reached out to me, asking about the availability of Nonviolent Communication™ (NVC) training in the Charlottesville area. Inspired by these requests and desiring to support our community, I offer this webpage of local NVC resources and training. In my 17 years of experience in teaching and embracing Nonviolent Communication, I trust that it has the capacity to transform these intense emotions and empower people to show up with a presence and with skills that can shrink the divide among us ... to see and embrace the humanness in each other. I am fearful that those who are angry and who want to find a clear and powerful way to respond, will move toward violence ... because it may look like the only option that expresses power. I agree, If there are only two choices, violence or submission, then I too would choose violence rather than let go of values I hold dear. "Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him." NVC invites us to see that there are more choices ... and that there are more powerful choices than violence.
If it is even slightly possible that there are choices more powerful than violence, isn't it worth exploring? If there is an alternative, isn't the cost of violence--the loss of our humanity--too high? When we use violence to hold onto values we hold dear, aren't we trampling on other values we hold dear? I invite you to learn about these other choices ... to learn how to own your reactions, and by doing so, to empower yourself to see new choices ... choices where you can hold your values high while still caring deeply about the human beings in your midst--even those human beings you vehemently disagree with. Gregg Kendrick Certified Trainer for Nonviolent Communication (NVC) 35-year resident of Charlottesville November 8, 2017 We thank our Sponsors!
|
Community
|
Seeking NVC Workshop Organizers, Sponsors and TrainersInviting NVC workshop OrganizersIf you are inspired to bring NVC awareness and skills to our Charlottesville community, consider organizing one of the workshops listed on this webpage, either for public enrollment or for a group that you think would benefit.
As an Organizer, you would be responsible for providing a training room and a group of people interested in learning NVC. We will provide a trainer and learning materials for each participant. Inviting NVC workshop SponsorsIf you would like to support NVC awareness and skills in the Charlottesville area, we are seeking Sponsors to help us touch more people in our community. Sponsors would be willing to contribute any of the following;
Thank you for your support! Note: Your contributions are
not tax deductible at this time. Inviting NVC workshop TrainersIf you are an experienced NVC trainer in the Charlottesville area or would like to become an NVC trainer for these community workshops, let us know!
For those with the experience to already offer basic NVC workshops, contact us if you would like to be considered a trainer resource for the workshops listed on this webpage. If you would like to learn the skills to become an NVC trainer for these workshops, we invite you to engage in a combination of training and coaching to prepare you to be an NVC trainer resource. |
|
|
|
