REDUCE VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY:
ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE PROJECT
Mini-Workshop - 7-9 pm
Thursday, September 22 HAS BEEN POSTPONED
We hope to reschedule the workshop in the next few weeks. If you are i
nterested in attending, or hearing about future workshops?
Violence in the community, home, school, and in the workplace are major concerns in today's society. Abuse and violence cross geographical and cultural boundaries and social and economic strata. It is common among all socio-economic groups, rich and poor, young and middle-aged, city dwellers and rural folk. It is a universal phenomenon.
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) is an international volunteer program that is dedicated to reducing interpersonal violence in our society. The first workshop was held in Greenhaven Prison in New York State in 1975. Today AVP workshops are held in 33 states and in 45 countries. AVP offers conflict resolution workshops in prisons, the community, or the classroom.
An AVP workshop can help you to:
* understand why conflict happens
* manage strong feelings such as anger and fear
* deal more effectively with risk and danger
* build good relationships with other people
* communicate well in difficult situations
* recognize your skills and learn new ones
* be true to yourself while respecting other people
AVP has shown it works well with all types of groups in a variety of settings. AVP and AVP facilitators have received the US President's "1000 Points of Light Award," the "Order of Australia," the "International Association of Correctional Training Personnel's 2004 Award of Excellence," the "Delaware Center for Justice's 2011 Exemplar of Justice Award," the "2012 Delaware Governor's Outstanding Volunteer Program Award,' nomination for the "Presidential Citizens Metal," been featured on NPR, in the New York Times and Atlantic Monthly.
AVP is an 18 - 20 hour program, usually over a three day period with both the facilitators and the participants being volunteers. A series of AVP workshops may be offered: Basic, Advanced, and also workshops that address specific topics such as anger management, family relations, racism, and gender issues. To become an AVP facilitator, a person participates in the Basic, Advanced and then the Training for Facilitators workshops. They then apprentice as a co-facilitator in actual workshops. AVP topic workshops are available for people who have completed AVP Basic and Advanced workshops. AVP workshops are designed to promote personal growth; they are not a substitute for therapy.
More information about AVP can be found at www.avpusa.org or
www.avpma.org.
Katie Green is the AVP contact for the Worcester Area and NCCI-Gardner. She may be reached at 774-364-0468 or
[email protected]
