The Alternatives to Violence Project WA Inc. is a non-religious, not-for-profit organisation which has run workshops in Perth since 1994.

This is an international program based on over 30 years of experience that conducts workshops for members of all communities to help participants discover new and creative ways of responding to conflict situations and build community.  Participants find strengths and skills within themselves that will enable them to deal with future conflict or potentially violent situations in a more positive manner.

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The Basic Workshop covers themes such as:  affirmation, communication, co-operation, and community building, trust and conflict resolution. Discussions and exercises and exercises address methods of harm prevention of self and others whether it is physical or emotional.

All who have completed a basic course are invited to participate in an Advanced level. At this workshop, the participants choose, by consensus, the topic which they want the second day of the program to develop.  Some common themes explored are:  Fear, anger, communication stereotyping, power and powerlessness and forgiveness. There is then a third course in which people can train to become facilitators.

 Richard Denning, who will be coming to Perth to from Brisbane present the workshop spoke to OUTinPerth about the philosophy behind the program.

‘It’s a pretty organic program…one of our philosophies is that we’re all teachers and we’re all learners. The people who come along are very diverse, there are people who are victims of violence, people who have been the perpetrators of violence, people who just want to learn more and people who want to be facilitators… it’s a facilitative model it’s not about teaching it’s about people sharing their experiences.

‘I initially came to AVP through a course I studied and university; I studied peace and conflict studies. I decided I was quite interesting in becoming a facilitator. I guess I approached it with the idea of becoming a facilitator but I’ve learned so much about myself along the way. I’ve learned about my own capacity for violence and expanded my own capacity for violence.’

One thing Denning highlights that he’s learned through the program is identifying behaviours we have, that while not violent – are also not positive solutions,

‘things like being passive aggressive, and using manipulation and beginning to understand that those are also quite violent things.. They are hard things to un-learn, it’s hard to break a lifetime of habit.’

The workshop specifically for the LGBTIQ community is on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 July 2012 from 9 am – 5.30 pm each day. To find out more information visit www.outinperth or email Elizabeth Brennan at ebrennan@people.net.au or call 9243 3946