User:Becha/NVC/IIT-Slovenia-2022

<- Becha <- /NVC

International Intensive Training in Nonviolent Communication

IIT NVC

Kranjska Gora,  22 April - 01 May 2022

https://www.cnvc.org/2022-Slovenia-IIT

What

9-day in-person residential retreat: International Intensive Training in Nonviolent Communication, the Language of Life

“discover skills that will help you improve the quality of your relationships, deepen your inner peace, and increase your contribution to the world.” 

Who

• an international group of about 50-60 people from different countries, cultural backgrounds, professions and walks of life who are willing to co-create a safe space where we will explore vulnerability, gain communication skills, deepen our consciousness, and foster change, personal and community-oriented, over an extended period of time. 
• held by a group of 2 skilled organisers and 
• 4  Certified Trainers : Liv Larsson (Sweden), Dmitriy Kopina, Ph.D. (Slovenia), Frank Gaschler, (Germany); Anniken Poulsson Beer (Norway): 

Structure

• - trainers offered 4 “teaching” sessions every day: two in the morning, two in the afternoon
• - plus 2 Community Meetings sessions: at the beginning of each day (after breakfast at 9:00 am) and at the end of the day (before supper)
• - plus “Home Group experience” -  group of 4 or 5 people who met daily.
• - plus evening sessions & early morning sessions, offered by participants 
• - plus 2-3 celebrations & sharing evenings 

Covid

There were MANY Covid policies and protocols: masking, proof of vaccination, and optional testing ; the first 3 days were Covid-free, and after that, several people got sick … & had to stay in room-isolation; by the end of the retreat, some already recovered, and others had to be picked up by family. No one was seriously ill. 

Feedback

I enjoyed the most: DEEP CONNECTIONS! I enjoyed being surrounded with people who are "into" NVC - and "into" other ways of being deeply connected: with themselves, with each other, and with the world. I feel like I have found my tribe! 

Second most enjoyable was: a space where feelings and emotions are allowed, permitted, and even welcomed. I like to call it "embodiment" -- I was experiencing emotions with my body, and others were PRESENT for me. I appreciate the practices & exercises that created a structure for enabling this to happen. 

And the third -- very important -- was cognitive learning. There was SO MUCH content! My thinking brain was very happy (but also quite overwhelmed). 

Finally, the beauty of the location & the surroundings was amazing, and contributed to my wellbeing & appreciation of beauty, and connection with nature. 

What I enjoyed the LEAST was a separation from "real life": I resented the fact that we were "served" the food, that there were "servants" cleaning our rooms... This created a hierarchy & power differentials that we were trying to overcome through NVC!!  (and made it quite expensive) 

I would love to participate in -- and help organise -- another, different form of "intensive training" that is BOTH more embodied into the community, AND less intensive, AND less luxurious! 

NCC related

This was a continuation of my NVC education: I did a “mediator training” in 2019. I am grateful to my managers and HR for approving the expenses & the time it took for this training. 

My plans for using these skills at work:

• contribute to the Trusted Contact role (already at RIPE84!) 
• contribute to the Code of Conduct team (in the future) 
• organise “Empathy Hour” for staff, once we establish office work again
• organise “Basics of NVC” training for staff, in Q4, with L&D 

Hackers Communities Related

• Empathy Hour at MCH20222
• Bits & Baume Conference , October 2022, Berlin -> "Forum": RIPE, Tea & Empathy
  • https://fahrplan22.bits-und-baeume.org/bitsundbaeume/talk/8WUASF/