Meta Peace Team (MPT) and the Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice (ICPJ) have co-created this half-day nonviolence & Peace Team training to prepare & organize ourselves to respond to animosity and hatred with non-violence, de-escalation, empathy, and love.

The training is a proactive response to increasing threats and violence against Black, Brown, Indigenous, Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Palestinian, and queer communities, with a recognition of the potential for further escalation as elections approach.

This training will help us prepare our Peace Teams for Ypsi Pride, June 7th, when we are providing community support.

Who should attend this training?

Those Interested in Joining Peace Teams:
Participants who wish to actively engage in peace-waging efforts in response to rising threats and violence.

Individuals Wanting to Deepen De-escalation Skills:
Those who are uncertain about joining peace teams but are interested in enhancing their skills to de-escalate animosity and violence, both within communities and during protests.

Experienced Activists Seeking to Connect with Others:
Individuals who have previous experience in nonviolence and de-escalation but are looking to refresh their skills, connect with new activists, and re-activate their commitment to peace efforts.

What to expect?

We will provide materials with the training and help you prepare with readings and reflection prompts.
Guidance to ground ourselves, reflect upon and understand our own emotional and physical being, needs, and capacities.
Discussion of power and bias in relation to offering community support and in our work to build trusting teams.
Skill-building will include nonviolent communication, de-escalation techniques, and empathy-building strategies.
We will offer practice space to experiment with and reinforce learnings.
This training is also geared toward building our community and trust with one another so that we can strengthen the network of peace-wagers.

Supporting others through de-escalation requires an open-heart and willingness to cultivate compassion, understanding, and empathy. De-escalation work involves recognizing and addressing our own inner challenges, personal histories and traumas, personal biases, emotions, and reaction patterns.

We seek to create a brave space, where participants feel encouraged to step out of their comfort zones, share openly, and engage in challenging conversations. A space that acknowledges discomfort but encourages personal and collective growth.

What is the cost for this training?
The training is free. We try to make our offerings free and accessible to all. We always accept donations.

Will there be child care?
We will not be organizing child care for this training. However, if you would like to attend a training like this and require child care, please email Eleanore@ICPJ.org so that we can arrange care at one of our future trainings.

If you have other questions or concerns, please call 734.663.1870 or email Info@ICPJ.org.

Nonviolence & Peace Team Training