Conflict transformation in non-formal education, community organizing and advocacy often runs against deeply entrenched divisions, stereotypes and unidimensional worldviews which prevent genuine connection and exchange of ideas and experiences, as well as their modification.

Unequipped with awareness and skills to recognize our own needs and wants, as well as communicate our lived experience honestly and effectively, we instead suppress ourselves and rely on manipulation, lies and moralizing to get others to do what we want. On both individual and political level, these tactics escalate violence and alienation instead of preventing conflict.

Knowledge about and awareness of social issues alone are not sufficient to mobilize support across political and ideological divides and lead to sustainable collective action. When we do not attend to the emotional pains underlying any given perspective, we lose the opportunity to transform suffering into constructive learning, authentic empathy and empowered agency.

In order to support our communities to transform conflict and find sustainable solutions to the problems they face, as social workers and community leaders we need to build our skills to facilitate individual and collective healing, and expand our capacity to connect, collaborate and sustain togetherness.

Program Goals

We invite you to join us in exploring and growing our power to turn conflict into connection through the courageous acts of vulnerable sharing and allowing ourselves to fully experience whatever is. We practice Radical Honesty with commitment to stay in contact, and maintain respectful acceptance of different experiences and realities.

In this intensive experiential program, we will use honest communication and somatic awareness practices in order to:

– Develop skills in telling the truth and being without filters

– Connect to ourselves and others in a deep, honest, and compassionate way

– Attune to our body senses and express whatever arises in the moment: excitement, attraction, anger, fear, etc.

– Experience being fully present and grounded in the moment

– Practice asking for what we want in a direct, non-manipulative way

– Expand our awareness and reclaim our energy, aliveness and sense of purpose

– Lead others towards emotional resilience, healing and solidarity.

Infopack