Program SummaryInspired by Gregg Kendrick's friendship with Walter Armstrong, who learned Nonviolent Communicationsm (NVC) within a prison environment, the NVC Program at FCCW began in February 2006 with an initial group of 31 inmates. Nine of those women completed the 17-session course in September. A new course began in October 2006 with a group of 40 women.Our program is modeled on the Freedom Project based in Seattle, WA which brings teachings of Nonviolent Communication into prison settings and to former prisoners who are returning to the community. Nonviolent Communication (NVC), developed by Marshall Rosenberg, is a tool which strengthens our ability to inspire compassion from others and respond compassionately to others and ourselves. Our dream is that our program become an inspiration and model for NVC programs in prisons throughout Virginia.We would like our program to expand to include participants in all facets of the judicial and law enforcement system of Virginia. People involved in the NVC Program at FCCWProgram Coordinator & Facilitator: Barbara StraussVolunteers: Contacts at FCCW: Shawn Strubbe A copy of the book, Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg, has been provided free of charge to each participant in the program by the Freedom Project, Seattle, Washington. Sponsored by the CharlottesvilleCenter for Compassionate Communication, a non-profit project of Basileia LLC Overview of the NVC Basics Program at FCCW17 Sessions, Tuesdays 1:30-3pm (3 weeks per month)
Intention of the NVC Basics Program at FCCWTrainings in concrete skills of nonviolence leading to reconciliation with ourselves, our loved ones, and the community. Our work addresses the healing of relationships ruptured by violence and the forging of community founded on genuine safety through connection. NVC guides us to reframe how we express ourselves, how we hear others and resolve conflicts by focusing our consciousness on what we are observing, feeling, needing, and requesting. It provides a roadmap for thinking, speaking and hearing words in a way that leads us home to our humanity. It anchors us in internal freedom to speak and act from our core values rather than reacting to external stimuli. When we know how to be still and pause with attention, we are able to touch what is alive in ourselves and then speak and listen in NVC’s heart-centered way. The trainings emphasize cultivating a quality of presence that allows us to free ourselves from our learned habits and mental prisons. Who we are inviting to attend Those who are genuinely seeking another way--beyond anger, beyond blame, beyond retaliation or submission--to relate to other people and themselves. We offer no certificates or other rewards for participating in this program. The only benefits are to co-create an environment during these sessions where compassion thrives and to learn the skills to create that quality of environment in your own life. |
NVC Program at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women (FCCW) |