AVP USA Community Facilitation Model

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Introduction

Revised January 29, 2020

Three ongoing goals of the Education Committee are growth, continuous improvement, and expansion of nonviolence training to multiple diverse communities.  The Education Committee intends to sustain the core of AVP training, support its continuous improvement, and at the same time encourage AVP training that is more inclusive and responsive to the needs of diverse communities in the US and across the world. 

In this light, the Education Committee has focused on developing a more inclusive organizational structure that could embrace and define various differences in our AVP-USA community. Our proposal is a model that resembles a target with a set of five (5) concentric circles, that is, concentric community circles with training goals that differ from the AVP core. The Committee defined the five AVP community circles as follows.

Circle One: AVP Methodology/Pedagogy

Circle One is the heart and core of transformative learning in AVP training.  It  is the center of what we do in nonviolence training. Grounded in the belief in the transformative power of experiential training and learning processes, active group participation, and creative-fun processes, we support and guide participants in making meaningful connections with others. AVP posits learning as a personal journey supported by group-based interactions. Equally fundamental to AVP training processes is our value for collective development and collective ownership.  Facilitators and learners interact and learn together non-hierarchically.  AVP principles, pedagogy, and methods are defined and documented in publications developed by the Education Best Practices Team and AVP written manuals and internet sites.  Circle One embraces AVP Core Values (AVP-trained teams, shared power and leadership, alternatives, inclusiveness, good within everyone, journey of personal exploration, experiential learning, community, personal nonviolence, consensus, safety, accessibility and consistency, mutual respect, and transforming power),  philosophy, principles, and processes that distinguish AVP from other forms of training and learning.

Circle Two: AVP Standard Workshops

Circle Two defines the AVP Standard Workshops required for AVP certification in nonviolence training: Basic, Advanced, and Training for Facilitators workshops.  Manuals produced for these workshops are collectively developed and collectively owned.  Each of these workshops is a full 18-22 hours of training delivered by a team of AVP certified facilitators, within an AVP recognized group.  These Standard Workshops have been road-tested in a variety of group-based contexts—evolving originally in prison environments and eventually expanding into diverse communities, schools, and workplace settings.  AVP Standard Workshop processes are consistent and replicable.  Grounded in AVP Methodology, as defined in Circle One, AVP Standard Workshops are defined and documented through Education Best Practices and collective evaluation processes.  Circle Two defines the unique values and foci that AVP Standard Workshops can offer clients and partners. These include the following elements: affirmation, communication, community and community building, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, consensus, cooperation, effective listening, reflection, trust, and Transforming Power.  

Circle Three: AVP Variations

Circle Three defines variations in AVP-related Community Training workshops.  AVP variations workshops are delivered by a team of AVP-certified facilitators in AVP recognized groups, using AVP principles and methods. The workshop activities are collectively developed and collectively owned by AVP.  These workshops vary in content, and workshop themes are predetermined to represent the interests of the focus group. Variations offer a variety of formats and time commitments; for example, fewer hours, short “taster” sessions, one day sessions and other time configurations. There are two categories of Variations: a) support workshops/continuing learning sessions that support the delivery of AVP core values and methodology but do not replace Standard workshops, and b) pre-determined stand-alone workshops on topics such as empathy or trauma resilience. 

Circle Four:  AVP Informed Adaptations

Circle Four describes informed adaptations workshops. These workshops are not standard AVP workshops although they may be closely related.   Some Adaptations workshops—although planned and facilitated by an AVP-trained facilitator—may or may not fully follow AVP principles and methods, as defined in Circle Models One, Two and Three.  Adaptations workshops may refer to AVP principles but should not be called “AVP workshops”.  Moreover, Adaptations are not sponsored by AVP and are not collectively produced or owned by AVP.

Adaptations may become part of more professionally based training. Some examples of Adaptations have included work youth at risk, veterans, peer support for people recovering from mental illness, de-escalating violent situations, and/or people traumatized by war.   In these adaptations, the expectation is that there is a mutually beneficial associate relationship with interested organizations that have adapted AVP to meet the specific needs of particular target groups, communities, or contexts.

Adaptations often provide opportunities for employment and ways to keep facilitators involved in AVP.  Adaptations are still part of the AVP community and can make that connection but are not officially called “AVP workshops”.

Circle Five: AVP Influenced Workshops

Circle Five describes AVP influenced workshops.  They are presented by organizations or individuals who are interested in AVP activities but use activities or exercises based on, AVP pedagogy and methodology but may use these out of context.  Participants, teachers, trainers, and other  facilitators are influenced by AVP rather than transformed by AVP processes, e.g. schools where the teachers have been trained to do circle learning but not trained as AVP facilitators; a homeless shelter where an AVP facilitator has shared some AVP materials and elements of AVP processes. AVP influenced organizations are encouraged to acknowledge the influence of AVP and contributions of AVP to their respective program but should not call themselves an “AVP workshop”.

Concluding Considerations

This community circles model allows AVP to maintain its role as a center of excellence in individualized experiential learning and curriculum development. The model supports our intent to avoid the problems of program drift and dilution while at the same time encourage its application in the wider world. It also allows other organizations and programs to acknowledge the influence and contributions of AVP to their respective programs.

Using this model, AVP (as defined in Circles One, Two, and Three) is not confined to a group of unpaid volunteers who have completed the series of three workshops. This model embraces the various ways AVP has been utilized already across the United States and around the world. This programmatic model is less economically discriminatory in that AVP facilitators can be either voluntary or paid stipends or facilitate as part of their work assignment.