Basics for Deep Connection and Conflict Resolution:
NVC for BIPOC
Cultivate deep connections, practice self-expression, and live with more authentic kindness using NVC with a power & privilege awareness
*Note* This series is for our BIPOC/Global Majority community. If you are unsure if you are part of this community, please contact me. No one is being turned away for lack of funds.
What if compassion, understanding, a sense of possibility, and harmony were a part of your everyday experience? Do you want to experience an environment and relationships that actually care for power/privilege differences?
In this 8 week series, you will learn key skills and concepts to help you navigate your most meaningful and most challenging relationships. We will connect, practice skills, and have meaningful discussions that support us in various parts of our lives, including in our homes, our workplaces, and our broader communities. We are practicing to build loving relationships and de-escalate conflicts. You will get a chance to enjoy a welcoming & adaptive communal environment. After each of these 2-hour workshops, you will feel energized and empowered.
We'll be drawing on the practices and framework of nonviolent communication (NVC) and mindfulness for this series. Whether or not you have read about either or just want a supportive environment to improve your relationships, this is a great chance to learn invaluable skills. You will have a chance to practice with others who are building their foundations of NVC with a facilitator deeply invested in global social equity.
Attendees of past workshops have shared their increased confidence, ability, and success in engaging with meaningful and difficult conversations and relationships in their lives.
Class topics:*
* Class topics may change to meet various needs of participants during the series. All of the material & practices are beginner-friendly!
Past Participants Say
Additional Note from Idris
If you’ve heard me talk about Nonviolent Communication, you have a sense of how much I value this powerful approach to interpersonal relationships. I’ve found it has transformed my ability to care for myself while enhancing the quality of connections with people with whom I interact.
Recently, I have been deepening ways of sharing NVC that not only retain NVC's power to support connection, but also add awareness of power, privilege, and equity considerations that were unaddressed when I first learned NVC.
Over eight sessions, we’ll cover the fundamental concepts of Nonviolent Communication. And we’ll go further. We’ll learn about the ways in which some uses of Nonviolent Communication can inadvertently replicate larger societal structures that silence and disempower people from historically marginalized groups. While we explore the four steps of the basic model, we will include strategies to integrate awareness of power, privilege, and social inequities designed to decrease the likelihood that the model will perpetuate existing social inequities. We will look at ways to use Nonviolent Communication to lift up and discuss inequities when they exist, rather than contribute to silencing and erasure.
If you’re excited about learning Nonviolent Communication in a way that can support your desire to address larger systemic inequities in addition to supporting personal change, please join me! What will we explore in the class?
In this session & the following course, we plan to:
I’m thrilled to be offering this comprehensive approach to NVC that integrates the needs-based consciousness with a critical awareness of power and privilege.
About me:
Hi! My name is Idris Merchant. I have been facilitating, teaching individuals, and coaching leaders for over a decade. I have been focused on Nonviolent Communication with a power and privilege lens for the last 3 years, teaching over 70 workshops in 7 countries to hundreds of students. You can learn more about me and my work on other parts of this site.
Regarding Accessibility:
I am deeply committed to making these practices accessible to people who otherwise do not have an opportunity to benefit from them. You absolutely matter to me whether or not we get to work together or if this is the right class for you. I'm happy to support you in finding other resources if this feels inaccessible for any reason and whether or not you'd like to share why.
Important Note:
As a participant, you will be invited to provide feedback on the session. Please expect a lot of fluidity based on your and other participants' needs.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. We're wishing you well and hope to see you soon!
Once we have enough new students interested in this series, I'll launch another round of sessions.
So, share this and get your friends to sign up too!
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