Are you concerned and, like us, deeply worried about what’s happening in the world? Do you feel overwhelmed by how much needs to change, how little power it seems like we have and how challenging it is to work with others and find support around us?

Here’s some good news: you can start where you are!

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is best known as a tool to engage with conflict and improve interpersonal relationships. It is not usually taught as a practice of liberation from the legacy of patriarchy, war, capitalism, racism etc. We are putting on this second 4-part workshop, in part, in an effort to show that NVC can significantly empower efforts to overcome oppression if taught through a systems-lens. Like the first of the series in May (which focused on choice), this workshop will be an introduction to NVC anchored in a systemic frame. This time, our focus will be on restoring togetherness as we are aware how isolated many of us feel and/or how weary we have become to work with others due to the prevalence of conflict in grassroots projects or activist groups. This workshop may be of interest to activists and an opportunity for NVC practitioners to deepen their understanding of the systemic and political implications of NVC.

We intend to focus on:

• sharing NVC as a practice to restore togetherness and transform our default orientation towards individualism or “obedience-based” belonging. We boldly make the assumption that moving out of separation and into togetherness is an easily accessible step towards liberation.

• a theoretical framework to understand our socialisation and explore in which ways we have internalised patterns of separation or obedience;

• tools to retrieve and cultivate our capacity to restore togetherness.

Although this workshop will be a continuation of our previous one, everyone is welcome. We will hold this workshop with newcomers in mind. However, integration of this new angle on the systemic aspect of NVC would be facilitated by having attended the first workshop or watching some of the recordings (available below, on a gift economy).

Because integrating these principles and practices goes so much against the grain of how we normally function, our experience is that ongoing practice in community enhances the potency of learning. For this purpose, we are planning to extend an invitation to join a practice group in between sessions for those who would like that.

Sharing “NVC for Liberation” is a new programme of the Nonviolent Global Liberation (NGL) community. We are offering 3 series of workshops over several months focusing on choice (or power), togetherness and flow as part of our team's learning journey. We have plans to develop future offerings and build infrastructure for the programme (such as a website and more). We would enjoy everything running smoothly, but there may be a few glitches along the way such as delay in answering emails and other logistical issues.