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? Introduce ourselves, explain ground rules, get agreement re media, etc. Agenda review.
10 Active listening - explanation, then debrief role play in pairs using active listening - feelings, how did it go, etc.
30 Nonviolence discussion - begin with debriefing the role play - what worked, what didn't? When has nonviolence worked in your experience? What is violence, nonviolence? Bring out history of NV, philosophy, definitions: NV, Civil Disobedience, Direct Action. Many ways to interpret nonviolence.
10-15 Types of Power: An analysis of power: power-over (domination or control), power from within (creative power, empowerment), power together (collective power) and power with (influence or status.) In reality, this was the exercise we tended to cut when time got short. I think the definitions are useful and important (they come out of my own writings) but I donít think weíve yet figured out how to make them work in this context. One time we had people call out examples of power and wrote them up in columns and then labeled them. Another attempt was to have people mill around, thinking about examples in their lives of each kind of power, then freeze into a body sculpture position that exemplified each.
20-30 Spectograms: The ends of the room are identified as two poles in a spectrum of
opinions around an issue. Participants are asked to place themselves according
to where they fit on the spectrum, and then we ask someone from each end and
from the middle to explain their position. Topics included nonviolence as a
tactic/nonviolence as a way of life, and property destruction is
violent/destroying property is nonviolent. You can also designate the other two
sides of the room as representing the poles of effective/ineffective, to create a
gridóthis works well with very specific issues, for example: assassinationóis
it violent/effective? Violent/ineffective? What about breaking windows?
Guerilla gardening, etc.
This process was great for sparking discussion and bringing out
differences in a non-judgmental framework.
5-10 Nonviolence Guidelinesópresent the guidelines for the action and get agreement.
10 Grounding and centering - breathing from the belly, feeling energetic connection to the earth, staying calm in crisis. Being able to move while grounded, hold wide attention and still stay present. Creating an image or gesture to help instantly ground
30 Hassle lines: Blockaders and delegates, blockaders and a worker at the bank, blockaders and cops, etc. After each, debrief on what worked, what didn't. Bring out useful tools of nonviolence: non-threatening body language, eye contact, staying grounded, staying human, humor, etc.
10 Active and Passive resistance: Quick demonstrations and discussions of walking with police, going limp, self protection against clubs, horses, etc. Puppy piling, U and O shaped protective circles.
5 Structure of the action: affinity groups, clusters, spokescouncils, working groups, etc.
20 Consensus process:
10 Consensus rap: Why consensus? Roles, procedure
10 Either short decision (send out for a pizza) or procedure walk through/quasi role play
30 Blockade Role Play - similar scenario to beginning, this time with police, arrests, possible provocateurs. (15-20 minutes for role play, 10 for debriefing.)
15 Affinity Groups - roles in the affinity groups, jail and support, form affinity groups for those who don't have them.
10 Evaluation/closing
Total time 4 hours, no breaks
Whatís missing - we didn't touch on jail or legal issues as those were dealt with in another training. However, some of us are questioning the wisdom of that as many people donít get to the second training, and at least in DC people were not prepared for the level of repression and intimidation they faced in jail.