Engaging Nonviolence: An Introduction

Six-week course with Anne Walter and Rivera Sun
Tuesdays January 21 - February 25, 2025
1-2:30pm Pacific / 2-3:30pm Mountain / 3-4:30pm Central / 4-5:30pm Eastern
$95, scholarships available.

Curious about nonviolence? Find out what it is and what it can do for you.

From practical skills to useful tools, this 6-week course explores how nonviolence can help you in personal relationships, conflicts in community, and social change. Nonviolence is a way of life, a set of principles, a collection of practices for navigating conflict, and a toolbox for making change. In this course, we will introduce and explore them all. Engaging Nonviolence is our introductory class in the Pace e Bene core course series, designed to lay the groundwork for a deeper understanding of nonviolence as a philosophy and practice.

Join Rivera Sun and Anne Walter for this series of participatory virtual sessions featuring stories, discussions, exercises, and reflections in large and small groups. You will leave feeling inspired and empowered to create change within yourself, foster healthy relationships, and contribute to a more just and peaceful world. This course offers a unique blend of theory and practice, providing you with the tools to navigate conflict effectively and integrate nonviolence into your everyday life.

What You’ll Gain:

●       Knowledge: Understand the foundational concepts of nonviolence, its historical roots, and its relevance today.

●       Useful Tools: Discover how nonviolence can be a powerful approach to personal growth, conflict in community, and social change.

●       A Supportive Community: Engage with like-minded participants who are committed to fostering peace and harmony.

Course Highlights: Engaging Nonviolence is open to individuals of all experience levels and will cover:

●       Session 1: Understanding Nonviolence; Unpacking Violence

●       Session 2: Exploring Nonviolence: Going Deeper

●       Session 3: Conflict & Community: Using Nonviolence In Our Lives

●       Session 4: Nonviolence, Emotions, & Inner Awareness

●       Session 5: Principles of Nonviolence: Gandhi, King, and Beyond!

●       Session 6: Moving Into Action For Personal & Social Change

Certification and Recognition: Upon completion of Engaging Nonviolence I, you will receive a certificate of participation and priority access to enroll in Level II & III. If you continue and complete all three levels in our program, you will earn the Certificate of Nonviolence Studies, which signifies your comprehensive understanding and dedication to the principles and practices of nonviolence.

*The three levels of Engaging Nonviolence are offered at least once a year, allowing you to progress at your own pace.

Requirements: Participants are encouraged (but not required) to purchase the Engaging Nonviolence Study Manual. It can be bought directly from Pace e Bene or on Amazon. The course will be held on Zoom. Participants must have internet access, and microphone and video on their computer. Each week, participants will be expected to complete weekly readings/viewings and come prepared for group discussions online.

Participants are strongly encouraged to invite friends and community members. Shared knowledge increases the power of active nonviolence in our communities!

Ready to explore the world of nonviolence? Join us and embark on a journey that could change your perspective—and your life.

Facilitators

Anne Walter has served in interfaith, social justice, and peace-focused ministry for over 35 years, seeking to be a bridge-builder between cultures, religious traditions, and communities. She co-founded CrossRoads Ministry, an inner-city retreat center for high school students, and Holy Hills Hermitage. Anne is the Director of Drepung Gomang Center for Engaging Compassion in Louisville, KY, a Certified Teacher of Compassion Cultivation Training©, and is committed to growing nonviolence practices toward a truly compassionate world.

Author/Activist Rivera Sun is the Editor of Nonviolence News, a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent movements, and the author of many books and novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection and The Way Between. She serves on the Advisory Board of World Beyond War and Backbone Campaign. Rivera helps coordinate Campaign Nonviolence Action Days and our Nonviolent Cities Project. www.riverasun.com

Scholarships

No one is ever turned away from our courses. If you need a scholarship, simply email: info@paceebene.org. We will ask if you would like to make a sliding scale donation or if you would like a full scholarship. Any answer is fine. No explanation needed. That's it! Please take us up on this offer if it is helpful for you. 

Artists On Nonviolence: A Talk with Pace e Bene’s Art Makers

1.5-hour virtual talk with Rosie Davila, Bianca Pointner, and Leah Cook
Saturday, December 14, 2024
12-1:30pm PT // 1-2:30pm MT // 2-3:30pm CT // 3-4:30pm ET
$35, scholarships available.

When Art Meets Nonviolence!

Join us for an inspiring event featuring three talented artists who have collaborated with Pace e Bene on numerous nonviolence-themed projects over the past five years. Rosie Davila, Bianca Pointner, and Leah Cook will share their art and process that they have used to make stunning graphics, illustrations, poster designs, coloring pages, and animations. The session will feature artist spotlights, thought-provoking discussions, and hands-on creative exercises designed to explore how art can impact our lives as a force for nonviolent change.

Together, we’ll dive into questions like:

• How does art shape the viewer’s perception of nonviolence?

• How can visual images build knowledge and skills for change? 

• What role do authenticity and self-compassion play in an artist’s creative process?

• How can each of us incorporate art into our own lives as a tool for nonviolence?

Hear directly from Pace e Bene’s Art & Media Coordinator Rosie Davila about the eye-catching illustrations for Action Days, her heart-moving animations of Veronica Pelicaric’s podcasts, and the ways the Nonviolence Means . . . Poster Series has helped communities nationwide redefine nonviolence.  M. K. Gandhi Institute’s Bianca Pointner will speak about the ways nonviolence was woven into both the creative process and the final designs used on household items to mainstream nonviolence. Community Artist Leah Cook will reveal the in-depth research behind the incredible artwork in the Nonviolent History Coloring Pages and how considerations of agency, power, and representation informed the imagery. Their stories and insights will highlight the deep connections between art, peace, and personal expression, inviting you to reflect and engage.

This Is For You If:

• You are passionate about peace and curious about the role art plays in nonviolence.

• You’re an artist or creative looking to deepen your understanding of how art can shape meaningful change.

• You’re interested in exploring self-compassion, authenticity, and resilience through creative practice.

• You enjoy connecting with others through creativity and reflection.

Whether you’re an artist, peacebuilder, or simply curious, this session will inspire you to create and share art that fosters nonviolence in your world, bringing art into your life as a source of self-expression, peace, and community connection.

Facilitators

Rosie Davila grew up on a flower farm in Kentucky, where her passion for peace and justice was shaped by the story of her great-great-grandfather Alberto, who was killed for his nonviolent resistance to war. Rosie holds a double major in Anthropology and Psychology from the University of Kentucky. Since 2020, she has served as the Art and Media Coordinator for Pace e Bene Campaign Nonviolence, hosting “Peace Out with Rosie,” a YouTube series on nonviolence. She is also the Communications and Development Coordinator for Franciscan Action Network. 

Bianca Pointner, born in Austria, earned a degree in Multimedia Art and Design from the University of Applied Sciences Salzburg in 2014 and continued her studies in Leipzig until 2017. After being introduced to Nonviolent Communication and Restorative Practices, she became a certified Transformational Coach in 2016. Bianca has facilitated community-based art and restorative projects in Germany and India and now works as the Director of Training and Education at the Gandhi Institute, focusing on conflict resolution, grief, anger, and nonviolence. She is passionate about merging art with nonviolent principles and exploring home and belonging in a biracial context

Leah Cook, an artist from Northern Maine, works across various mediums to explore culture and community. She holds a biology degree and spent nearly 20 years working in Maine’s local food system. Leah created The Acadian Coloring Book, a bilingual tribute to French Acadian culture. She served in the Peace Corps in Suriname and was a Community Artist-in-Residence in Granite Falls, MN, in 2022. Leah continues to explore the connections between people, place, and culture through her art. 

Scholarships

No one is ever turned away from our courses. If you need a scholarship, simply email info@paceebene.org. We will ask if you would like to make a sliding scale donation or if you would like a full scholarship. Any answer is fine. No explanation needed. That's it! Please take us up on this offer if it is helpful for you. 

Integrity: A Retreat on Principled Nonviolence

3-hour virtual retreat with Rivera Sun (includes a 30-minute break midway for stretching, refreshments, and relaxation)
Sunday, December 8, 2024
10am-1pm PT // 11am-2pm MT // 12-3pm CT // 1-4pm ET
$30, scholarships available.

Principled nonviolence is the heart of change. In this special retreat, join others to reflect, study, and apply the depth of principles that have guided nonviolent change agents throughout history. We will explore the examples of M.K. Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thich Nhat Hanh, Cesar Chavez, Jesus, Buddha, and many more.

What are principles of nonviolence? There are many:

1. Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people. 

2. Means are ends in the making. 

3. Be nonviolent in spirit as well as in thought, word, and deed.

4. Do what's right, even when it's not easy.

In this retreat, you will learn from various traditions and have the opportunity to express your own beliefs. We will unpack what these principles mean and explore how challenging it can be to live by them. Through participatory exercises, group discussions, and reflection time, this retreat will help you examine how these ideas might influence your life and choices.

Principled nonviolence offers ways to align our inner beliefs with our outer actions. It challenges our complacency and provides a sense of rooted purpose when seeking change. The more we connect with the principles of nonviolence, the more significant the shifts in our lives and the world become.

Whether we face personal challenges, conflicts with friends or family, or are involved in social change, a stronger sense of our principles can guide us through every step we take.

You will gain:

• An overview of principled nonviolence

• A chance to express your own principles

• Numerous stories and global examples

• A deepened understanding of how to apply these principles

• Insights into how they relate to both personal and social conflicts

• A sense of grounded connection to your integrity

Scholarships

No one is ever turned away from our courses. If you need a scholarship, simply email: info@paceebene.org. We will ask if you would like to make a sliding scale donation or if you would like a full scholarship. Any answer is fine. No explanation needed. That's it! Please take us up on this offer if it is helpful for you. 

Kit Miller, author of the newest Pace e Bene book Culture Shift: Nonviolence at Work, is coming to the West Coast! If you’re in the area, join us for this book reading at Canticle Farms. We hope to see you there!

Tending to the Movement: Gospel Nonviolence in Action

90-Minute Online Workshop with Dr. Jerry Maynard
Friday, November 1, 2024
11am-12:30pm PT // 12-1:30pm MT // 1-2:30pm CT // 2-3:30pm ET
$30, scholarships available.

How can we find strength and resilience in our faith during these uncertain times? Are you seeking ways to deepen your impact in the movement for justice? What practices can sustain our movements as we navigate the challenges ahead?

This workshop will focus on the practice of protest and movement chaplaincy as a gospel nonviolence approach to sustaining our movements both on the ground and at large. We will explore the spirituality of gospel nonviolence, providing practical steps to offer support in the field while fostering a deep connection to our mission. Together, we will examine how our shared experiences and faith can empower us to cultivate hope and resilience.

Participants will have the opportunity to plan for the world we wish to see in the post-election season and beyond, cultivating a vision for the next four years.

 What You Will Gain:

• A working knowledge of protest and movement chaplaincy, enabling you to engage meaningfully with your community.

• Practical tools to prepare for street demonstrations, ensuring you are well-equipped for action.

• Insights into spiritual approaches for sustaining movements, grounding your work in faith and purpose.

• Resources for ongoing formation that you can utilize in your houses of worship, organizing communities, and other spaces where you plan for a more just world.

• An opportunity to collaborate with others, planning and envisioning how we can cultivate the necessary power to birth a sustainable future for peace, people, and our planet.

Let us gather together to support each other with nerve and spirit!

Facilitator

Rev. Dr. Jerry Maynard (he/they) is The People's Priest; a spiritual renegade and social revolutionary. As a Two-Spirit Indigenous Person (Xochihua) Father Jerry strives to offer healing medicine at the intersections of church & society through pastoral care & public witness in Houston, TX. A respected leader in progressive christian and interfaith circles, Father Jerry has played crucial roles in grassroots efforts to foster radical inclusion and social justice. As a scholar and educator, Dr. Jerry has published books, essays, and articles that cover timely and timeless topics including postmodernism, protest chaplaincy queer hermeneutics, practical spirituality and much more.

Scholarships

No one is ever turned away from our courses. If you need a scholarship, simply email info@paceebene.org. We will ask if you would like to make a sliding scale donation or if you would like a full scholarship. Any answer is fine. No explanation needed. That's it! Please take us up on this offer if it is helpful for you. 

Culture Shift Book Celebration with Author Kit Miller

Saturday, October 26, 2024
9-10am PT / 10-11am MT / 11am-12pm CT / 12pm-1pm ET
Free to join—register below! 

Reading this book filled me with belief in a peaceful alternative future for our world, one that any one of us can help create through the 'small' everyday practices and choices that she guides us through."

Kıvanç Çubukçu

Join Pace e Bene in celebrating the release of Kit Miller’s new book Culture Shift: Nonviolence at Work! This book extends an invitation to start building a culture of nonviolence in the places where you spend the most time—with your family and religious groups, in roles where you volunteer and those where you work for pay. In these pages you will learn how to embrace everyday opportunities for leadership and help create environments that support and uplift all who work within them.

Event Highlights:

• Engage in lively discussions and share your thoughts on the book.

• Connect with like-minded individuals passionate about nonviolence.

• Take part in a short Q&A session with the author, Kit Miller.

For signing up and attending the event, receive a 10% discount on purchasing the book. The book will be available on September 10, so you have time to get your copy, dive in, and bring your thoughts to this special gathering.

Learn more and order yours here, and sign up below.

Meta Peace Team and Pax Christi USA are hosting this timely workshop on how to keep peace at polling places. Register on their site below.

Skills to Defuse Tensions at the Polls

We’re all aware that the run-up to the November presidential elections is becoming very tense.  As concerned citizens who are also committed to nonviolence, we will explore how to creatively and safely grapple with these potential conflicts: What does it mean to be "creatively nonviolent", how are these tools used, and how can good-hearted, well-intentioned individuals disagree yet still live in community together?  

Meta Peace Team and Pax Christi USA are teaming up to offer this practical skills workshop to help ensure a safer voting experience for everyone this Fall.  Our emphasis will be on recognizing potential threats before they erupt, utilizing effective de-escalation language & skills, and basic Bystander Intervention: 

• What do you do when you’re alone and you see someone being harassed?  

• What do you do when that 'someone being harassed' is YOU?

Participants will learn and gain practice in specific skills and tools that are useful both in conflict intervention situations and in daily life.

Yoga & Nonviolence: Moving Toward a State of Inner Peace

2-Hour Online Workshop with Lara Schaffler
Saturday, August 10, 2024
10am-12pm PT // 11am-1pm MT // 12-2pm CT // 1-3pm ET
$30, scholarships available

Yoga isn't just about physical poses; it's a holistic practice that touches every aspect of our being, that’s why it has a long-lasting connection to nonviolence. For thousands of years, yoga philosophy has addressed human health and behavior to (re)establish our natural state of integral well-being, encompassing the physical body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

In this engaging workshop, we'll dive deep into this historic connection and explore how we can apply these timeless principles in today's world. Through the enlightening lens of the polyvagal theory, we'll unravel the mysteries of the autonomic nervous system and uncover the keys to inner peace and understand how safety, co-regulation, and connection are essential to human health.

This workshop is designed for everyone, regardless of your familiarity with yoga. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or completely new to yoga, you'll find value in this inclusive and welcoming space. You will experience the power of gentle physical postures and breathing exercises that will support your journey towards nonviolence and self-regulation. You don't have to be a "yoga person" to enjoy these sessions; everyone can take a moment to cultivate greater peace, joy, and connection in their everyday lives.

In this workshop we will:

• Understand the Definition of Yoga and Its Connection to Nonviolence: Learn how yoga supports individual growth and betterment physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

• Explore the Definition of Violence: Gain a deeper understanding of what nonviolence entails.

• Learn Yoga's Principles to Address Violence: Discover how principles such as ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truthfulness), and svadhaya (self-study/discovery) can address violence towards oneself and society.

• Practice Gentle Physical Postures and Breathing Exercises: Enhance self-awareness, self-regulation, and empowerment through Yoga practices.

• Engage in Questions and Discussion: Participate in an interactive session for further clarification and discussion.

Join us and discover how a moment of mindfulness can transform your entire day. Embrace the opportunity to nourish your body, mind, and spirit through the wisdom of Yoga and Nonviolence. 

Facilitator

My name is Lara, and I am a dedicated yoga teacher and successful business owner of Evomina: World of Scent. Before returning to Austria, my journey took me all over the world, with my last big adventure being in Costa Rica. There, I earned my master's degree from the University for Peace, an international institution of higher education for peace and conflict studies where understanding, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence among peoples and nations are experienced. In this environment, I also taught yoga classes. Currently, I am focusing on my business with aromatherapy and unique fragrances. Additionally, I specialize in offering personalized 1:1 yoga sessions, sharing my expertise and passion for holistic well-being.

I deeply believe in the power of nonviolence and integrate its principles into my yoga practice, promoting peace and harmony both on and off the mat. My workshops are designed to help individuals cultivate inner peace and resilience through the combined practices of yoga and nonviolent communication. By merging these disciplines, I aim to foster a more compassionate and peaceful world, one breath at a time.

Conflict in the Comments 2.0

A 90-minute online conversation
Friday, July 26, 2024
9am PT // 10am MT // 11am CT // 12pm ET
Free, register below

Relationships are being created, nourished, and sometimes destroyed in online spaces. Are there ways to nourish authentic dialogue and conflict resolution when things get painful online? How can we deal with online hate and misinformation—or friends and relatives reposting such things—and get through heated arguments to meaningful communication?

Join Rivera Sun and Dominic Barter to explore these questions and emergent best practices for an online conversation, moderated by Erin Thompson.

These online skills can also translate into a toolbox that we can use in the street or around the dinner table to shift from fighting to opening hearts and minds.

Register Now!

Author/Activist Rivera Sun, is the Editor of Nonviolence News, a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent movements, and the author of many books and novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection and The Way Between. She is the Advancing Nonviolence Coordinator for Pace e Bene and has been a social media for social change coordinator for Campaign Nonviolence, Metta Center for Nonviolence, and others.

Dominic Barter is internationally recognized as a reference in the field of restorative responses to conflict, starting in the gang-controlled shantytown favelas of Rio de Janeiro. He has spent over 28 years developing empathetic social technologies of dialogue, including 10 years as a collaborator in Redes Cordiais, a Brazilian program for social media influencers, politicians and journalists.

Deep Gratitude to our Friends and Cosponsors at M. K. Gahndhi Institute.

Peace Begins at Home: How to Raise Children Who Become the Peacemakers of the World

90-Minute Online Workshop with Sarah Moore
Thursday, June 27, 2024
10-11:30am PT // 11am-12:30pm MT // 12-1:30pm CT // 1-2:30pm ET
$30, scholarships available

This workshop will empower parents and caregivers, and all adults who spend time with children, to begin (or continue) healing inner child wounds that are holding them back from embodying complete non-violence in all relationships (including relationships with themselves). Additionally, it will help them take that work forward into nurturing more peaceful relationships with all children in their lives. “Peace Begins at Home” refers not only to the literal homes in which we raise children, but also to our inner “homes”—our thoughts, our habits, and our emotional narratives. Participants will learn ways to release some of the cultural narratives and pain that hold them back from having the meaningful, ease-filled relationships they truly desire, and how to find more peace, joy, and connection in their daily lives.

By taking this course, you can learn:

• Actionable tools that help embody nonviolence in thought, word, and action as it relates to raising or working with children

• How to rewrite the scripts that you have about children and their behavior, and replace them with healthier perspectives

• How to eschew often long-held feelings of shame and guilt and feel more grace towards yourself, so you have more grace to pass along to children

• Ways to express your needs authentically, without placing blame or shame on children—while also addressing many long-held misconceptions about best parenting practices. 

Facilitator

Sarah R. Moore is the author of Peaceful Discipline and founder of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting. As a certified Master Trainer in conscious parenting and Chairperson of the Board for the American Society for the Positive Care of Children, she’s also a public speaker, parent coach, armchair neuroscientist, and most importantly, a Mama. Her work has been featured on NBC, CBS, and SiriusXM, and in countless international parenting magazines. With training in child development, trauma recovery, interpersonal neurobiology, improv comedy and play, her work supports parents and caregivers around the globe. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest & Threads.

The Assisi, Italy Peace & Justice Pilgrimage
June 23 - 30, 2024

Sponsored by the Franciscan Action Network and Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service

Led by Pace e Bene’s Dr. Ken Butigan and Friar Michael Lasky, OFM

Join Pace e Bene and Franciscan Action Network for a one-week pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy June 23 - June 30, 2024, to pray, study the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare, build community, and deepen your commitment to Gospel nonviolence. Together, we will walk in the footsteps of these peacemakers whose courageous nonviolence, compassion for others, kinship with creation, and work for peace and reconciliation have inspired people everywhere.

The Peace & Justice Pilgrimage to Assisi seeks applications for 30 pilgrims. Participants would be invited to make this journey not as a sight-seeing trip, but as a pilgrimage to learn how the examples of St. Francis and St. Clare can help us take another step on our own paths of spirituality and action. This trip then will be a retreat time of prayer, personal renewal, and invigorating discussion, a holy pilgrimage in the long tradition of Christian spirituality.

Discover more details and sign up to join the pilgrimage at the link below.

Peaceful Creativity: Unified Playfulness for Inner Transformation

2-Hour Online Workshop with Daniel Rudolph
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
9-11am PT // 10am-12pm MT // 11am-1pm CT // 12-2pm ET
$30, scholarships available

Embark on a transformative journey towards inner peace through the power of creativity and playfulness. The Peaceful Creativity workshop is designed to empower individuals to infuse their lives with a deeper sense of creativity, joy, and tranquility, thereby cultivating a greater sense of inner peace in their daily routines and relationships.

In this enriching workshop, participants will explore practical skills and perspectives that can be directly applied to their lives. Through embodied practice and reflection, attendees will uncover the transformative potential of creativity as a pathway to inner peace.

What you will get out of this workshop:

• Practical tools for incorporating playfulness into your daily life

• Opportunities for movement and stillness practices 

• Permission to slow down and be authentic, silly, creative and out of the ordinary

• Space to play, share, reflect with others in a meaningful way.

• Tangible practices to train creative, lateral, thinking.

Don't miss out on this chance to embark on a journey of self-discovery and inner transformation through the joy of play! Secure your spot today and get ready for a joy-filled adventure towards a more peaceful and fulfilling life.

Facilitator

Dan is the founder, and chief developer of Unified Playfulness.He has trained and learned from various renowned clown and playfulness teachers including; Avner Eisenberg, Anthony Trahair, Mery Miguez, Barnaby King, Moshe Cohen and many others. He has also spent 2.5 years living in a monastic setting, practicing and learning about meditation practices and mystical wisdom. His work integrates wisdom from both playfulness and mindfulness lineages and has a focus rooted in systems change. He regularly offers and facilitates online and in-person sessions with individuals and groups. For more information you can reach Dan here: danrudolph108@gmail.com

Engaging Nonviolence II: Inner Skills & Outer Practices For Interpersonal and Social Conflict

Co-Facilitated by Nina Koevoets & Rivera Sun
Wednesdays, March 6 – April 10, 2024
9-10:30am PT // 10-11:30am MT // 11am-12:30pm CT // 12-1:30pm ET
$95, scholarships available

In this new 6-week online course, you will explore the power of nonviolence in our relationships, communities, and daily lives. Engaging Nonviolence II explores skills for interpersonal conflicts, builds our inner awareness, and fosters our capacity to engage nonviolence in wider settings, such as interrupting harassment on the subway, or participating in nonviolent actions. 

When we learn nonviolent practices, we gain ways to communicate, problem-solve, and deal with the challenges we face. From friends and family to coworkers and community, this 6-week course offers practical, useful skills for a wide variety of interpersonal conflicts. We will look deeply into ourselves to find our potential—and barriers—around activating nonviolent power and each week will offer new opportunities to put what we’re learning into practice. With your fellow participants, you will have many chances to explore role plays, dive into exercises, and engage in group discussions. Pace e Bene trainings are fun, participatory, and always lively. 

Co-facilitated by Pace e Bene trainers Rivera Sun and Nina Koevoets (who coauthored the Engaging Nonviolence Study Guide), this 6-week course draws from many sessions of the book as well as integrates new knowledge. Purchasing the Engaging Nonviolence Study Guide is recommended, but not required. 

Engaging Nonviolence II is open to people of all experience levels. You do not need to have taken Engaging Nonviolence I (our introductory class) to take this course. 

We will look at:

• Session 1: Conflict & Identity

• Session 2: Inner Awareness & Nonviolence

• Session 3: Communicating Through Challenges 

• Session 4: Stepping Up, Stepping In

• Session 5: (Nonviolent) Power

• Session 6: Unleashing Our Potential

Facilitators

Nina Koevoets has been studying nonviolence and conflict resolution for more than a decade. Her master in Conflict Resolution did not include what regular people can do to build peace, so she sought answers elsewhere. She joined a training program with the Metta Center for Nonviolence in the USA and worked several months in India and Israel-Palestine. These experiences gave her new perspectives and ideas about the challenges and potential of nonviolent action. In 2015 she implemented her own training courses that included exercises from the Engage Study Program. As she became more familiar with the materials by facilitating several trainings and workshops the idea for a new Study Program became more clear and so this book came into existence.

Author/Activist Rivera Sun is the Editor of Nonviolence News, a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent movements, and the author of many books and novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection and The Way Between. She serves on the Advisory Board of World Beyond War and Backbone Campaign. Rivera helps coordinate Campaign Nonviolence Action Days and our Nonviolent Cities Project. www.riverasun.com

Register Below

Read For Peace! All-Ages Book Group on The Crown of Light 

Co-Facilitated by Savanna Holden & Rivera Sun
Tuesdays, February 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2024
4-5pm PT // 5-6pm MT // 6-7pm CT // 7-8pm ET
$60, scholarships available (Please ask! We want you to come.)
Intergenerational, open to ages 11 and up
Books must be purchased separately. Find them here or ebooks here.

Special Offer: Bring a younger or older friend for free. 

Build a culture of peace through peace literature and readers of all ages!

Bring your kids, grandparents, and friends of all ages to this lively, 4-week discussion group that explores an exciting fantasy novel about waging peace. Author Rivera Sun and youth facilitator Savanna Holden are co-facilitating a special intergenerational book club on The Crown of Light. 

The novel is a part of the award-winning Ari Ara Series and tells the story of a nonviolent Peace Force that halts violence and stops war in the border region between two feuding nations. Note: You do not need to have read the other books in the series. This story stands alone.

Readers age 11 and up will enjoy this book group. This story features a 14-year-old heroine and an intergenerational group of friends. 

With readers of all ages, this book group will have engaging conversations about the scenes of waging peace, the characters’ commitment to nonviolence, and the challenges they surmount. Discussion will be interspersed with real life examples, trainings in the skills the characters are learning, and some of the nonfiction stories that inspired the book. A great way to learn peace skills!

Stories of peace grow cultures of peace. 

Please bring an older/younger friend with you to this book group. Once you have registered, you can send us their email to ensure that they get the zoom link and invitation.

About the Book

In the jagged peaks of the Border Mountains, Ari Ara revives the ancient legend of the Peace Force, gathering friends and strangers to stop violence and prevent war. With the Way Between guiding their footsteps, they set out to wage peace. Before long, a rising threat makes them take drastic action.

Mysterious raiders are attacking villages, burning homes and terrifying families. Fingers point to the secretive Paika. For centuries, their clans have survived by double-crossing and backstabbing everyone else. But when young Finn Paikason is caught spying on the Peace Force, he swears the raiders are imposters. Ari Ara wants to believe him, but can she trust him? She can’t be certain – especially since this boy with storm-tossed eyes might be stealing her heart.

Stopping fights among villagers, thwarting bandit ambushes, and preventing battles across borders, Ari Ara and her friends seek the truth amidst a web of lies. Old enemies come back to haunt them. Friendships are strained to breaking. Tensions heighten between the two nations. When the Lost Heir is taken hostage, the Peace Force races to solve the mystery before the sparks of violence erupt into war.

Your heart will race along with the heroine’s in this exciting tale of waging peace.

Reviews

“The Crown of Light is a book that contains everything a great novel needs: a heroic female protagonist, colorful supporting characters, adventure, suspense, and most importantly, nonviolence used as a means to solve conflicts. I highly recommend the Ari Ara Series to educators and students!” —Robin Wildman, Nonviolent Schools Rhode Island

"I have been in youth work forty-five years, and I have never encountered a more important work than the Ari Ara series to share with young people and their advocates.” —Michael Harrington

“Ari Ara is the bedtime reading adventure for younger generations that completes my circle of peace literature.” —Patrick Hiller, father, bed-time story reader, Peace and Conflict Studies scholar

“The entire Ari Ara Series offers students a warm, exciting, and hopeful adventure, full of problem-solving, love of life, and worthy models of personal growth and peacemaking.” —Scott Springer, The Bay School, Maine

Making Magic Happen: Keeping It Lively

Two-hour training with Rivera Sun
Thursday December 7, 2023
4-6pm Pacific / 5-7pm Mountain / 6-8pm Central / 7-9pm Eastern
$30, scholarships available

Energize. Inspire. Engage. Keeping it lively in virtual trainings takes skill and creativity. In this two-hour webinar with Rivera Sun, explore how you can keep people awake, active, and ready for more. We’ll look at everything from how to structure your webinar to how to use breakout rooms skillfully. Along the way, you’ll get a closer look at how to make the chatbox useful (not distracting), how to vary discussion, Q & A, and slides, and how to use short videos to infuse a sense of fun and entertainment into your training. This course is useful for anyone interested in doing online presentations, whether that’s a formal webinar or an informal teach-in with a group of friends. Everyone is welcome from beginners to seasoned instructors. 

You will learn:

• How to plan a fun and lively course

• How to use participatory exercises

• How tech can engage (without getting complicated)

• How to use music, photos, art, poetry to liven things up

• How, when, and why to use breakout rooms

• And more … 

Pace e Bene trainers have facilitated dozens of courses and trained thousands of people online. Our course participants appreciate our personable, heart-centered approach. We emphasize participatory learning and use tech to tap into group knowledge and wisdom. From meditations to games to immersive exercises to role plays, we have skills to share with you about how to lead trainings with joy, laughter, soulfulness, humanness and professionality. Our approach to technology is to keep it simple and seamless, prioritizing human connection and deep learning. On top of this, we are fearless and playful in trying new things with virtual tech, leading to some of the most enjoyable and meaningful courses in nonviolence available online.

Sign up for all four of the Making Magic Happen Trainings here. 

We are gearing up to do a Train the Trainers Intensive with our Engaging Nonviolence Curriculum in February-March 2024. Interested? Let us know here.

Course Fee: $30. Scholarships are available for anyone who cannot afford to attend. Email Erin at info@paceebene.org to request a scholarship. If you can pay the full fee, consider adding a higher amount for the scholarship fund to increase accessibility for others to participate. 

A Mindful and Nonviolent Holiday Season

with Piero Falci
One 90-minute session on Zoom
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
1-2:30 pm Pacific / 2-3:30 pm Mountain / 3-4:30 pm Central / 4-5:30 pm Eastern
$30, scholarships available

Let’s be honest. Although the end-of-the-year holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, uncomfortable family gatherings, awkward office parties, crowded malls, airports, streets and parking lots, and other similarly unpleasant situations can make it the most stressful time of year.

Spending time with family members and friends who hold different personal, political, and cultural views can be very challenging and demand a lot of restraint in order to avoid the emergence of explosive arguments.

Although you might not be able to eliminate family dysfunction or shopping and travel stress, mindfulness tools can help you cope with these stressors more wisely.

Join us for a conversation with Piero Falci, Mindfulness Meditation and Mindful Living teacher, and the author of A Better Life in a Better World: Can Mindfulness Save Us from Ourselves? on how to apply nonviolence and mindfulness techniques in order to experience the minimum amount of stress and the maximum amount of joy during this season.

Fee: $30. Scholarships are available for anyone who cannot afford to attend. Email Erin at info@paceebene.org to request a scholarship. If you can pay the full fee, consider adding a higher amount for the scholarship fund to increase accessibility for others to participate. 

Engaging Nonviolence: An Online Community Course

Six-week course with Rivera Sun and Ken Butigan
Mondays November 6 - December 11, 2023
2-3:30pm Pacific / 3-4:30pm Mountain / 4-5:30pm Central / 5-6:30pm Eastern
$95, scholarships available

Join Rivera Sun and Ken Butigan in this 6-week series exploring transformational nonviolence for personal growth, healthy relationships, and a more just and peaceful world. Together, we’ll plumb the power of nonviolence as a way of life, a set of principles, a collection of practices for navigating conflict, and a toolbox for making change.

Pace e Bene has trained tens of thousands of people in exploring nonviolence. This Community Course is an introduction to principled and strategic nonviolence using Pace e Bene's Engaging Nonviolence Manual, and will familiarize participants with the overall contents of the Engaging Nonviolence study program. 

Participants will connect with up to 50 people who share their interests in discovering the many dimensions of the nonviolent life. It will be an opportunity to build community while tapping the power of nonviolence for transforming our daily lives and changing our society. And as an online series, you’ll engage with this exciting field from the comfort of your own home.

The Engaging Nonviolence course is designed to be accessible, fun, friendly, and fearless. Join us!

Cost: $95 USD. Need a scholarship? Just let us know. Our Solidarity Scholarships are open to everyone without hassle or fuss. Email us at info@paceebene.org

Note: Having a copy of Engaging Nonviolence is recommended but not required for participation in this course. All necessary course materials will be provided during lessons.

A Mindful and Nonviolent Holiday Season

with Piero Falci
One 90-minute session on Zoom
Tuesday October 24, 2023
1-2:30 pm Pacific / 2-3:30 pm Mountain / 3-4:30 pm Central / 4-5:30 pm Eastern
$30, scholarships available

Let’s be honest. Although the end-of-the-year holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, uncomfortable family gatherings, awkward office parties, crowded malls, airports, streets and parking lots, and other similarly unpleasant situations can make it the most stressful time of year.

Spending time with family members and friends who hold different personal, political, and cultural views can be very challenging and demand a lot of restraint in order to avoid the emergence of explosive arguments.

Although you might not be able to eliminate family dysfunction or shopping and travel stress, mindfulness tools can help you cope with these stressors more wisely.

Join us for a conversation with Piero Falci, Mindfulness Meditation and Mindful Living teacher, and the author of A Better Life in a Better World: Can Mindfulness Save Us from Ourselves? on how to apply nonviolence and mindfulness techniques in order to experience the minimum amount of stress and the maximum amount of joy during this season.

Fee: $30. Scholarships are available for anyone who cannot afford to attend. Email Erin at info@paceebene.org to request a scholarship. If you can pay the full fee, consider adding a higher amount for the scholarship fund to increase accessibility for others to participate. 

Making Magic Happen: Simple & Seamless Tech For Online Trainings

Two-hour training with Rivera Sun
Thursday October 19, 2023
4-6pm Pacific / 5-7pm Mountain / 6-8pm Central / 7-9pm Eastern
$30, scholarships available

The secret to wonderful online trainings is to keep tech simple . . . and do it well. In this two-hour course, facilitator Rivera Sun will guide you through the best tips and tricks to making facilitating online courses seamless and smooth. Whether you’re interested in facilitating nonviolence (Pace e Bene’s superpower) or something else, this fun and friendly training will help you keep your students engaged and lively. (And help you stay calm and relaxed.) You’ll learn not only the technological how-to’s, but also the “soft skills” of facilitating tech with grace and ease. We’ll also share what to do if tech glitches—because it happens. This course is for people who want to facilitate online meetings, webinars, courses, or discussion groups and are looking to skill-up their abilities. It is useful if you’ve never facilitated a webinar and if you’ve facilitated dozens. 

You will learn:

• Zoom basics—and how to use them seamlessly 

• How to make people feel comfortable using tech 

• The art of using breakout rooms—set up, preparing participants, guidelines, time length, and debriefing

• How to balance presentation, slides, video, breakout rooms & discussion

• How to use the chatbox as a tool, not a distraction

• How to stay centered and not get flustered over tech

• Some ways to be inclusive of many learning styles and abilities

• And much more!

Pace e Bene trainers have facilitated dozens of courses and trained thousands of people online. Our course participants appreciate our personable, heart-centered approach. We emphasize participatory learning and use tech to tap into group knowledge and wisdom. From meditations to games to immersive exercises to role plays, we have skills to share with you about how to lead trainings with joy, laughter, soulfulness, humanness, and professionality. Our approach to technology is to keep it simple and seamless, prioritizing human connection and deep learning. On top of this, we are fearless and playful in trying new things with virtual tech, leading to some of the most enjoyable and meaningful courses in nonviolence available online.

Here’s what course participants say about Rivera Sun’s ease with tech and facilitation:

“Your style of facilitation on zoom was effective and efficient and creative.”

“The way the course was facilitated was brilliant.”

“You made it look so easy! It was seamless.”

“Best online group facilitation of zoom I’ve ever experienced!”

These skills are meant to be shared. Join us—and bring some friends. 

Sign up for all four of the Making Magic Happen Trainings here. 

We are gearing up to do a Train the Trainers Intensive with our Engaging Nonviolence Curriculum in February-March 2024. Interested? Let us know here.

Course Fee: $30. Scholarships are available for anyone who cannot afford to attend. Email Erin at info@paceebene.org to request a scholarship. If you can pay the full fee, consider adding a higher amount for the scholarship fund to increase accessibility for others to participate. 

Making Magic Happen Series

Four-part Series with Rivera Sun
Thursdays October 19, November 9, December 7, and January 11
4-6pm Pacific / 5-7pm Mountain / 6-8pm Central / 7-9pm Eastern
$85, scholarships available

With many trainings happening online, facilitating nonviolence (or anything) has gained new challenges. In this webinar series, trainer Rivera Sun will share how to make tech seamless and virtual trainings magical. This series will be interactive and participatory. It will be both philosophical and practical, offering outer skills like adaptations for Zoom and also look at the inner work of facilitation. Rivera Sun will offer best practices from training hundreds of people online throughout the pandemic and onward.

You can register for individual sessions, linked below, or sign-up for all 4 sessions at the bottom of this page—and get a 25% off discount!

• Simple & Seamless Tech For Online Trainings (October 19, 2023)

• Heart & Spirit in Online Courses (November 9, 2023)

• Keeping It Lively (December 7, 2023)

• Troubleshooting 101 (January 11, 2024)

These sessions are recommended for all Engaging Nonviolence facilitators, nonviolence trainers shifting to online webinars, educators on any subject, and others who hope to gain more skills at facilitating online.

Pace e Bene trainers have facilitated dozens of courses and trained thousands of people online. Our course participants appreciate our personable, heart-centered approach. We emphasize participatory learning and use tech to tap into group knowledge and wisdom. From meditations to games to immersive exercises to role plays, we have skills to share with you about how to lead trainings with joy, laughter, soulfulness, humanness and professionality. Our approach to technology is to keep it simple and seamless, prioritizing human connection and deep learning. On top of this, we are fearless and playful in trying new things with virtual tech, leading to some of the most enjoyable and meaningful courses in nonviolence available online.

Course Fee: $85. Scholarships are available for anyone who cannot afford to attend. Email Erin at info@paceebene.org to request a scholarship. If you can pay the full fee, consider adding a higher amount for the scholarship fund to increase accessibility for others to participate. 

Signing up after the series has started? You can still sign up for the full series and we will send you a recording of the sessions you missed.

Resist Through Redirection: Choose Your Own Adventure

with Chrissy Kirchhoefer
Saturday, September 23, 2023
9-10:30am PT // 10-11:30am MT // 11am-12:30pm CT // 12-1:30pm ET
Free, register below

You don’t support global militarism, but do your dollars? If you protest the government’s involvement in wars and military actions, and you advocate for peace and nonviolence, have you considered how your taxes might be working against you? In this workshop, you’ll get the chance to learn about your role in financing the war machine and what you can do about it.

Join National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (www.nwtrcc.org) outreach director Chrissy Kirchhoefer and members of Pace e Bene's War Tax Resistance Affinity Group for an engaging overview of the many options available for interrupting the smooth flow of resources into war and the resulting devastation to life, human and non human. Bring your questions, concerns, skepticism and friends—all are welcome!

About the Tax Resistance Affinity Group

If you want to end the war then instead of sending guns, send books. Instead of sending tanks, send pens. Instead of sending soldiers, send teachers. —Malala Yousafzai

What else is possible to do with the thousands of dollars we give to war each year, via our federal taxes? Could tax resistance serve as a vehicle for reparations for both domestic and foreign policy that has caused and causes harm? We meet monthly online to learn about historic and current forms of tax resistance, and related topics based on interest. Group members will support one another to discern how/whether to engage in tax resistance. If interested in joining the group, let the coordinators know here.

Mindful and Nonviolent Communication

With Piero Falci
4 week course, 1.5 hour sessions
Tuesdays, August 8-29, 2023
1-2:30 pm Pacific / 2-3:30 pm Mountain / 3-4:30 pm Central / 4-5:30 pm Eastern
Fee: $65, scholarships available 

Join Piero Falci for a 4-part, experiential workshop where we will explore the elements of mindful communication as a nonviolence practice. In a participatory setting, you will learn to bring more awareness to your conversations with attentive listening and thoughtful speaking. Take your nonviolence practice to the next level through focusing on how you use words, speech, and dialogue with friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers.

Communication is a rich and complex activity. Most people can speak and listen, but not everyone is capable of communicating skillfully. Research has shown that one of the most important elements for mental, emotional, and physical health is a nourishing social network. Having a group of good friends is an incredibly powerful medicine. Healthy relationships are fundamentally important for our health, and communication has a huge impact on our relationships. Good, clear, efficient communication is the most fundamental element for preserving and improving relationships. Unskilled communications, on the other hand, create tensions that may become difficult to dissipate. 

This special 4-part workshop is presented as part of Pace e Bene’s mission to provide nonviolence training for nonviolence toward self, toward all others, and toward the world, through nonviolent thought, word, and deed. This course will be offered twice in 2023. Learn more about facilitator Piero Falci here. 

Cost: $65. If you are in need of a scholarship, just let us know. No one will be turned away. Email us at info@paceebene.org

Gender Justice and Nonviolence 

Online workshop with Rev. Jerry Maynard and Rev. Lauren Grubaugh-Thomas
Thursday, July 27, 2023
5-6:30pm Pacific / 6-7:30pm Mountain / 7-8:30pm Central / 8-9:30pm Eastern
Fee: $35, scholarships available

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. held that nonviolence is "a way of life for courageous people." This "way of life" includes all of who we are and who we are becoming, including our beautiful and diverse gender identities and expressions. As more and more people are targeted in our society because of their gender, faithful and strategic nonviolence is needed. Our trainers, Rev. Lauren Grubaugh-Thomas and Rev. Jerry Monroe Maynard, will lead us in exploring nonviolence as a powerful lens for gender justice in our churches, social circles, and global human family. You'll come away with practical tools rooted in proven strategies and informed by lived experiences. 

Fee: $35. Scholarships are available for anyone who cannot afford to attend. Email Erin at info@paceebene.org to request a scholarship. If you can pay the full fee, consider adding a higher amount for the scholarship fund to increase accessibility for others to participate. 

Facilitators

The Rev. Lauren Grubaugh Thomas (she/her) is a nurturer of faithful dissidents in Littleton, Colorado. She empowers communities to embrace the sacred art of nonviolent social change through her local church ministry, chaplaincy, and community organizing. A certified Kaleidoscope Institute dialogue Facilitator, she holds a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Christian Ethics from Fuller Theological Seminary.

As a Two-Spirit Person (Xochihua) Father Jerry strives to offer healing medicine at the intersections of church & society through protest, praise, and community organizing in Houston, TX. For several years, Father Jerry has provided training in-person & online with different nonviolence/peace organizations—including Pace e Bene/Campaign Nonviolence—offering an integrated approach to faith-based social action. 

Father Jerry holds a Doctorate of New Theology from The New Theology School where they serve as The Berrigan Brothers Professor of Social Justice specializing in contextual & constructive theologies with areas of focus including gospel nonviolence, queer religious experiences, anti-oppression & peace studies. Father Jerry also holds a Master’s Degree in Contextual Ministry from Northwind Theological Seminary with a concentration in Postmodern Ministry & Leadership with master-level certifications as a Coach & Trainer. 

For more, click here.

A World of Change: Summer Film & Discussion Series

Online Series with Ken Butigan
Thursdays, July 27 - August 31, 2023
3-4:30pm PT / 4-5:30pm MT / 5-6:30pm CT / 6-7:30 ET
$65, scholarships available

Films. Friends. Fantastic stories. Fascinating conversations. Join Pace e Bene’s six-week summer film series featuring A Force More Powerful on the power of nonviolent action in South Africa, Poland, Chile, India, Denmark, and the US. In each of these six sessions, we will watch one of the incredible 30-minute documentary video segments on a classic nonviolent struggle for change. Then, Pace e Bene's Ken Butigan will share further insights, reflecting on the struggle's many lessons for building a more just and peaceful world today. In a fun, engaging, and participatory way, this course offers you a dive deep into the power of nonviolence to unleash social change. In groups discussions and breakout rooms, we will explore each example in depth. This six-week program will illuminate the steps for effective social transformation—and what it takes to change the world.

What YOU will gain:

• Inspiration and empowering stories

• Useful and applicable understanding of how nonviolent change occurs

• Community and connection

• Enlivening conversations

• Tools you can apply to your situation

• Knowledge you can use from local issues to global change

Highlights of the Film:

• Historic footage of the Salt March in India

• A look at the Nashville sit-ins' trainings and role plays

• The escalating power of Poland's Solidarity strike

• How pots-and-pans banging broke through fear of Chile's dictatorship

• The power of timing in organizing a successful boycott in South Africa

• Staggeringly courageous Danish resistance under Nazi occupation

A Force More Powerful is a documentary series available through the International Center for Nonviolent Conflict.

Pace e Bene’s Ken Butigan has been an organizer in a series of movements for social change, including campaigns addressing homelessness, nuclear weapons, freedom for East Timor, and US wars in Central America and Iraq.

From Conflict To Community: Transforming Conflicts Without Authorities

4 Week Book Group on Zoom
facilitated by Rivera Sun w/ Author Q&A with Gwen Olton on July 31
Mondays, July 10-31
4-5:30pm PT // 5-6:30pm MT // 6-7:30pm CT // 7-8:30pm ET
$65, scholarships available

You need to purchase the book separately. See below on how to find it.

A perfect book discussion group for the movement to build a culture of active nonviolence! You will find volumes to talk about in this 4-week book group on Gwen Olton’s compelling book From Conflict To Community: Transforming Conflicts Without Authorities. Facilitated by Pace e Bene staff member Rivera Sun, each week will connect a set of chapters to our personal experiences and situations. On the last week, Author Gwen Olton will join us for a Q&A session. 

In divisive and contentious times like these, building our ability to handle conflict is essential. From family disputes to incidents in the streets, we need strengths and skills for sorting out the heated moments that are cropping up everywhere. From Conflict To Community is a book that helps us see our nonviolent capacity to deal with a wide range of challenges. It also directly invites us to do so without reliance on the police or other authorities. (An approach that aligns with many aspects of social justice work and our vision of a nonviolent culture.) 

Bring a friend. Get your book. And get ready for a powerful 4-week discussion group! 

About the Book

Conflict is everywhere: our living rooms, our streets, our community organizations, and every corner of the internet. But few of us have the training to successfully intervene or resolve these conflicts. In these pages, professional peacemaker Gwendolyn Olton shows you how to use your existing skills and intuition to transform a wide variety of conflicts from insurmountable impasses to working relationships where everyone's needs are met. The result is a practical, kind, realistic guidebook for anyone who's found themselves in a conflict (their own or someone else's) and wondered, How did we get here and what can I do to make it better!? 

The book is broken up into three sections: learn the basics of conflicts, help others work out their conflicts, and finally, resolve and heal the conflicts in your own life. Filled with real life examples and thought-provoking scenarios, Olton offers a variety of conflict analysis and conversation tools that you can use to navigate the most challenging interpersonal dynamics, and to better understand yourself and others along the way—all without calling HR or the cops.

Where to get From Conflict to Community: Transforming Conflicts Without Authorities:

• From the publisher, Microcosm: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/27976# 

• (If the paperback is out of stock, try one of the options below.)

• From Bookshop.org which supports indie bookstores: https://bookshop.org/p/books/from-conflict-to-community-transforming-conflicts-without-authorities-gwendolyn-olton/18085434?ean=9781648410581 

• One of Gwen Olton’s favorite bookstores - Burning Books in Buffalo, NY: https://burningbooks.com/products/from-conflict-to-community-transforming-conflicts-without-authorities 

• Or your favorite local indie bookshops!

About the Author

Gwendolyn Olton brings her unique background in mental health nursing and conflict transformation to her work as the Interim Director of the MK Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in Rochester, NY. She is a lifelong learner of communication models and group processes that help transform conflicts to leverage for more systemic and liberatory change. She is an Appreciative Inquiry facilitator, member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, restorative process facilitator, transformative mediator, and an Apprentice Provider with the Nonviolent Global Liberation Community. Gwen studied philosophy (as well as geological sciences) at the University of Rochester, nursing at St. John Fisher College, and obtained a master's in peace and conflict resolution from Arcadia University.

Nurturing Nonviolence Drop-In Class: Using a Needs Lens for Sustainable Practices in our Home

Online Workshop with Sarah Kmon
Monday, June 26th, 2023
4:30-6pm Pacific / 5:30-7pm Mountain / 6:30-8pm Central / 7:30-9pm Eastern
$20, scholarships available

Back by popular demand! Sarah Kmon's Nurturing Nonviolence At Home Series will now be offered as drop-in classes.

We will begin the journey of moving from shame to mattering, from helplessness to choice, from scarcity to flow, from separation to togetherness through the lens of needs. Building trust and connection through Nonviolent Communication.

Space is limited. If you plan to watch the recording and not attend live, please let us know at info@paceebene.org after you sign up below so we can keep registration open for as many people as possible.

About the Nurturing Nonviolence Series:

Do you want to:

Deepen (or begin) a practice of nonviolence at home?

• Move from a punitive to a restorative model in your household?

• Speak your truth to your family with the care that they want to receive?

• Remove punishments but don’t know what to do instead?

• Know how to support your children’s squabbles instead of refereeing?

Then these drop-in sessions are for you. Each week, Sarah Kmon will facilitate a participatory, small group opportunity to learn and practice around a different theme. The sessions help people like you take a deep dive into nonviolence at home—a home-revolution, where we learn to place needs at the center of the family system. These workshops are intended for parents or caregivers for children.

The Power of Listening Circles For Racial Healing

Online Workshop with Camille Bennett from Project Say Something
Saturday, June 24, 2023
9-11am PT / 10am-12pm MT / 11am-1pm CT / 12-2pm ET
Free, Suggested Donation: $30

Listening Circles play a vital role in racial reconciliation. Listening Circles offer allies and directly impacted communities the opportunity to openly share their experiences and perspectives without judgment. Our session will begin with the exploration of the historical background of talk/listening circles and drumming circles and why Indigenous and African  cultures created them. 

Our interactive session will explore the power of grounding, mindfulness practices, how to set boundaries, how to create a safe space and how to develop guiding principles for listening circles. Together we will explore the  facilitation of listening circles through practice and active engagement. Our session will end with a brief Q&A session. 

This training will prepare you to participate in the call-to-action for holding Racial Healing Circles during the Campaign Nonviolence Action Days, Sept 21-Oct 2. Project Say Something is a cosponsor of this call-to-action. Racial healing circles provide space for people to come together, share stories, and listen deeply to one another, fostering better understanding and empathy across races. You can increase your impact by inviting power holders from local offices, institutions, and businesses. Take it deeper by reaching out to people who are not usually at the table. If you are planning to hold a racial healing circle during Campaign Nonviolence Action Days, let us know here.

Your suggested donation of $30 for this session will help Pace e Bene pay Camille Bennett for her knowledge and expertise. Everyone is welcome, however. If you are able, please contribute a little extra for the Solidarity Scholarship Fund.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, her global perspective stems from living on the  island of St. Maarten. Camille is the Founder and Executive Director of Project Say Something, a nonprofit organization with a mission to confront anti-Black systems and ideologies, promote reproductive justice, and fight against patriarchal violence using education, community empowerment and advocacy.  After the State of AL passed a bill targeting her and the organization, Bennett founded Project Say Something Direct Action, a c4 organization that focuses on the eradication of anti-Black policies in AL and co-founded Alabama Moves a statewide coalition created to stop Anti-riot legislation and protect protestors on the frontlines of Black liberation.

A 32-year resident of Alabama, Camille and her husband Taurus are Founders and Directors of Focus-Scope Child Enrichment Centers. The centers focus on holistic child development o Black and brown children. Camille has also been the Chief facilitator of Living Spirit: Center for Spiritual Oneness since 2012. Her centers focus on reproductive justice, empowering marginalized communities, and cultural competency. Project Say Something, initially a local grassroots effort, mobilized regionally and nationally through coalition building, sustained protests, and advocacy for the political power and humanization of Black Alabamians.

Earning a National Championship in public speaking from The University of Alabama in 1999, Camille continues to lift her voice empowering local, national and international communities to advocate for racial justice. Camille is the wife of Taurus Bennett and mother of Christian (21), Morgan (17).

Nurturing Nonviolence Drop-In Class: Deepening our Self-Responsibility

Online Workshop with Sarah Kmon
Monday, June 19th, 2023
4:30-6pm Pacific / 5:30-7pm Mountain / 6:30-8pm Central / 7:30-9pm Eastern
$20, scholarships available

Back by popular demand! Sarah Kmon's Nurturing Nonviolence At Home Series will now be offered as drop-in classes.

A follow up to our Self-Responsibility is Sexy class, yet useful if this is a new concept to explore. Self-responsibility gives us freedom to enter conversations without charge, to ask for what we want, and be grounded and maintain presence.

Space is limited. If you plan to watch the recording and not attend live, please let us know at info@paceebene.org after you sign up below so we can keep registration open for as many people as possible.

About the Nurturing Nonviolence Series:

Do you want to:

Deepen (or begin) a practice of nonviolence at home?

• Move from a punitive to a restorative model in your household?

• Speak your truth to your family with the care that they want to receive?

• Remove punishments but don’t know what to do instead?

• Know how to support your children’s squabbles instead of refereeing?

Then these drop-in sessions are for you. Each week, Sarah Kmon will facilitate a participatory, small group opportunity to learn and practice around a different theme. The sessions help people like you take a deep dive into nonviolence at home—a home-revolution, where we learn to place needs at the center of the family system. These workshops are intended for parents or caregivers for children.

Nurturing Nonviolence Drop-In Class: Limit Setting From the Heart, part 2

Online Workshop with Sarah Kmon
Monday, June 12th, 2023
4:30-6pm Pacific / 5:30-7pm Mountain / 6:30-8pm Central / 7:30-9pm Eastern
$20, scholarships available

Back by popular demand! Sarah Kmon's Nurturing Nonviolence At Home Series will now be offered as drop-in classes.

Deepen (or begin, if you haven't been here before) your practice of connecting with and communicating the limits of your capacity and willingness while holding everyone's needs. Explore nuance and the role of sensitive observation.

Space is limited. If you plan to watch the recording and not attend live, please let us know at info@paceebene.org after you sign up below so we can keep registration open for as many people as possible.

About the Nurturing Nonviolence Series:

Do you want to:

Deepen (or begin) a practice of nonviolence at home?

• Move from a punitive to a restorative model in your household?

• Speak your truth to your family with the care that they want to receive?

• Remove punishments but don’t know what to do instead?

• Know how to support your children’s squabbles instead of refereeing?

Then these drop-in sessions are for you. Each week, Sarah Kmon will facilitate a participatory, small group opportunity to learn and practice around a different theme. The sessions help people like you take a deep dive into nonviolence at home—a home-revolution, where we learn to place needs at the center of the family system. These workshops are intended for parents or caregivers for children.

Power In Protest: Preparing For Street Demonstrations

Online Workshop with Rev. Jerry Maynard
Thursday, July 6th
2-4pm Pacific /3-5pm Mountain /4-6pm Central /5-7pm Eastern
Fee: $30, scholarships available

Contrary to popular belief, protesting is not simply about creating pretty signs, marching down a street, and singing "feel good" songs. Various strategies, tactics, and tools have been developed over the decades to aid in the work of global transformation. In this training, organizers and activists will learn how they can empower themselves in preparation for public demonstrations within their local communities. 

Since we live in a time of ongoing, global health crises, we will also share information with you on "best practices" to aid in keeping yourself healthy while doing the work of justice. 

This training will be facilitated by nonviolence educator, peace activist, and long-time friend of Pace e Bene, Rev. Dr. Jerry Maynard (he/they). You can check out their bio below. 

Fee: $30. If you are in need of a scholarship, just let us know. No one will be turned away. Email us at info@paceebene.org

As a Two-Spirit Person (Xochihua) Father Jerry strives to offer healing medicine at the intersections of church & society through protest, praise, and community organizing in Houston, TX. For several years, Father Jerry has provided training in-person & online with different nonviolence/peace organizations—including Pace e Bene/Campaign Nonviolence—offering an integrated approach to faith-based social action. 

Father Jerry holds a Doctorate of New Theology from The New Theology School where they serve as The Berrigan Brothers Professor of Social Justice specializing in contextual & constructive theologies with areas of focus including gospel nonviolence, queer religious experiences, anti-oppression & peace studies. Father Jerry also holds a Master’s Degree in Contextual Ministry from Northwind Theological Seminary with a concentration in Postmodern Ministry & Leadership with master-level certifications as a Coach & Trainer. 

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