Are you longing to bring deep compassion to our human condition and to yourself, especially as we are going through incredible challenges at individual, collective and planetary levels? Are you also longing to better understand why we often get stuck in conflict and what role our patterns of socialisation - rather than our individual or collective failings - play in that? Would you like to respond rather than react to situations of stress and conflict by learning simple practices that can re-establish ease, flow, empowerment and connection with self and others?

We are offering this 5-part basics course to share the foundational building blocks of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) taught through a systems-lens. NVC is best known as a tool to deepen self awareness, engage with conflict and improve interpersonal relationships. The systems or liberation lens enables us to understand how our individual patterns of thoughts, communication and behaviour have been shaped by what we call ‘patriarchal socialisation’. When we participate in the healing of patriarchal patterns within us, we liberate ourselves and become more resourced to contribute to actively building a world that works for all. 

This workshop is open to people who are brand new to Nonviolent Communication, and will also be of interest to those who have been on their NVC journey for some time. Based on feedback from participants in our previous NVC for Liberation series, we know that bringing the systemic lens to this rich practice adds a great deal of depth, meaning and potency to what NVC is about. 

We also want to highlight that in many activist circles, NVC is seen as a ‘tool’ that has little relevance to engaging with structures of oppression. We believe that adding the systemic dimension addresses many of these concerns, hence why we are hopeful that people involved in activism will also be called to join us. 

Some of the course deliverables:

• To better understand why we so often encounter situations of conflict and disconnection in our lives and beyond, and to bring compassion to our human condition;

• To respond to moments of intensity by naming what’s important to us and give space for the other to express what’s important to them 

• To recognise when we are in a state of disconnection and ‘dysregulation’ and remember simple practices that can re-establish ease, flow, empowerment and connection with self and others;

• To start naming patterns of socialisation that explain how we get stuck in situations of stress and conflict and transform emotions of guilt, shame or anger into grief and compassion;

• To recognise when we judge ourselves and others, and transform those negative thoughts into feelings, needs and simple requests to ourselves or others;

• When stuck in reactivity, to be able to step into vision and regain a sense of hope.

Integrating these principles and practices goes against the grain of how we are trained to function in our society. Our experience shows that ongoing practice within community enhances the potency of learning. We are planning on providing community support by extending an invitation to join practice groups and/or have a buddy between sessions.

What will we do with the information you share with us if you register into the course?

Google Group:

The email you register with will be added to the google group for this course. This serves multiple purposes: 

1. We use it to send you updates about the workshops

2. We use it to give you access to the shared folder which includes: course materials, etc.  

3. We use it to enable communication between course participants

Recording: 

This course will be recorded and recordings will be made available to all participants. If you choose not to be recorded, you can rename yourself with a nickname and turn off your camera. Session recordings and materials will be added to our NGL online library - when it has been created -  for anyone interested in this offering in the future.

Thank you for your interest in this workshop. We are very excited to be launching this series and eager to work with you if you decide to join us.

Register Here