Cohousing-L Mailing List: alternatives to violence

[Robyn Williams (pov]

Hi

I've been catching up with some threads, consensus and conflict stuff
mostly.  I whole-heartedly believe in participatory decision-making
processes, have practised and taught 'em for years now.  However, training
in a skill usually doesn't produce the paradigm shift people require to
really 'get it'.

Anyway, it reminded me to tell you all this:

About six months ago our community gathered to participate in an
Alternatives to Violence Project workshop, also called Peaceful Pathways.
It was originated by the Quakers and is a simple, safe, accessable and
enjoyable exploration of the building blocks to a nonviolent path.
http://www.avpusa.org/

Two of us persisted making the suggestion and eventually had most people on
board, sufficient to make it worth while as a community event.  By the time
the workshop was held everyone was supportive.  We arranged for our kids to
be off-site.  People who couldn't make it sent tokens of their presence
which we placed on an 'absent friends' table.  Throughout the workshop, the
sharing and exercises, we laughed heartedly together and shared time without
distraction.  We listen to each other without an agenda, no decisions to
make.

Although some people said that they didn't learn anything new, everyone had
a great weekend and felt it was worthwhile.  Three months later I invited
reflection and this time the evaluation strongly suggested an overall shift
in attitude, an heightened awareness of own behaviour and sensitivity to
others.  Since then, the older kids participated in a HIP (Help Incease the
Peace) workshop which is based on the AVP principles.  That proved to be an
interesting expose and a catalyst for our current growth spurt towards all
working together.

We're planning to do the advanced AVP which builds on the principles and the
autonomy of the participants.  Most of the kids are keen to do more and some
may go on to become co-facilitators of other HIP sessions in schools etc.
We're also looking forward to a combined session.

In the context of my work developing housing Co-operatives and consensus
training, I now highly recommend AVP as a pre-requistite to fuller
understanding.  Einstein said something like, 'you can't change the major
problems of the world by using the same paradigms that created the problems
in the first place'.

warmest regards
Robyn Williams
Pinakarri Community
Fremantle, Western Australia









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