Let’s create a world where all people thrive.
Where all people matter.
Where everyone is valued.
And no one is overlooked.
Let’s use compassion to create a more just world.
Each and every one of us was born into multiple systems.
We live in a world full of them.
Systems of race, color, faith, gender, wealth, education, politics, social etiquette, class, family, health… The list goes on.
These systems give us a roadmap of how to live our lives. They shape our views on pretty much everything.
If we fit neatly into these systems, we often don’t even notice they exist. They just are, and we live within them.
But our systems have flaws.
They don’t work for all people.
People aren’t treated equally.
And when a person doesn’t fit into the system, they soon notice.
You can help create a world where all people have the chance to thrive.
Regardless of the systems you are a part of, when you become aware of the way those systems operate - and why - you can make a difference.
Let’s create social change.
| 🌿 Create effective change without creating enemies | 🌿 Connect with those whose actions you disagree with |
| 🌿 Show up in supportive service of those who are impacted by injustices | 🌿Engage with people from the other side of the issue, in calm conversation |
| 🌿 Channel your strong, passionate beliefs, compassionately | 🌿 Use Nonviolent Communication to contribute to meaningful social change |
Imagine a world where all people matter
🌿 Equity and racial justice
🌿 LGBTQ+ equity
🌿 Gender equity
🌿 Parenting
🌿 Education
🌿 Healthcare
🌿 Climate activism
🌿 Decolonization
🌿 Immigrant rights
🌿 Animal rights activism
🌿 Restorative justice
🌿 Rights of incarcerated people
Where would you like to create change?
Get the skills to create social change
Learn and integrate. Sessions will balance theory and practice on a number of nuanced topics to give you increased confidence in creating social change for your mission. You’ll walk away with knowledge of steps to consider and how to tailor them to your mission. You’ll take part in big and small group discussions to take your thinking a level deeper. And you’ll get time to practice the theory with role-plays. In between sessions, you’ll have material to look at to further deepen your learning. | |
Build a network. Create community. Get support. The systems we live in are designed to be self-sustaining. It can feel lonely when we start to push against them in our vision of change. By working in small groups with people on similar missions, you can open a world of shared reality, possibility and inspiration. | Engage in collective thinking. You’ll leverage this unique opportunity to gather with like-minded people and get more ideas for your mission, by discussing it with others on the course. All in the context of nonviolence. |
Practice. Social change doesn't happen without critical - and often challenging - conversations. You’ll prepare and practice these, looking at the situation from all angles, from the safe space of this online group. | Create new, inclusive systems. Learn how to be truly inclusive as you create lasting change that serves everyone. You’ll learn how to identify the divisive, binary ways of thinking that don’t serve your mission and avoid perpetuating harm as you step forwards. |
Get ready to make change happen. There are common steps behind all social change, regardless of the specific topic. We’ll discuss in detail the steps you need to take to create the change you seek. | Leverage what’s already going on. You’ll learn how to find people who are already walking alongside you on a similar mission path. We’ll discuss how to create effective dialogues that will encourage doors to open for your mission. |
This course could be a great choice for you if…
✔️ You’re curious about the idea of Beloved Community and using compassion to create a world that works for everybody
✔️ You’re ready to re-think the systems you use day-to-day
✔️ You’re aware of the weight of different systems that exist in your life
✔️ You are not okay with some people having to bear the costs of our societal systems in order for others to thrive (these costs may not be financial — they often involve exclusion of certain groups)
✔️ You cherish humanity and believe there’s a way to reach people - even when they are doing things you don’t agree with - and help them to voluntarily change paths
✔️ You’re open to the idea that no-one is past redemption
✔️ You have an area of social change you’re keen to delve into
✔️ You’re committed to putting a little time and energy into your mission each week
✔️ You’re ready to have an impact on the world
While some personal healing may occur, unlike some other courses offered by the NVC Academy, personal healing is not the focus of this course. This course is about creating systems that work for everyone.
Meet Your Trainer, Roxy Manning
 | Roxy has a wealth of lived experience navigating systems that weren’t designed for her. Inspired by others, she’s worked to change these systems and spent decades integrating different concepts in a way that’s both supportive to her communities and welcomed by them. Roxy has combined her lived experiences as a female, queer, Black, Caribbean immigrant to the USA, and as a parent, with her passion for equity and justice, her professional role as a psychologist, and her extensive experience of Nonviolent Communication. Together these merge into a powerful toolkit for creating social change. |
Sometimes social change efforts focus on big, media-covered, large-scale events. But it doesn’t have to be. Roxy’s seen and experienced the social change that can happen in small but very impactful ways. She’s been a part of small social change initiatives that have gone on to support people for years after she was originally involved.
Roxy is passionate about empowering others to compassionately create the long-lasting changes they seek in the world. One of the many ways Roxy supports social change is to teach others how to do it.
Important Notes.
This course does not require any prior knowledge of Nonviolent Communication. You’ll be taught using a combination of approaches including Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and the concept of Beloved Community. And while the course will draw on core principles of NVC - you’ll learn to listen to what’s important to someone by learning enough to empathize effectively with them - it is not an introduction to NVC. Any NVC skill level is welcome, from complete beginner, to seasoned enthusiast.
This course has run before under a different title (NVC for Social Change: Responding to Systemic Issues with Compassion). While some of the teaching elements may be the same, if you attended before, we warmly invite you back for this 2024 live course to enrich your previous experience, expand your community of passion-driven individuals, engage in collective thinking, and strengthen the fire in your belly for the cause that’s close to your heart.
Beloved Community is the notion of a community where all people are cared for, living in the absence of poverty, hunger, and hate. The term was popularized by the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during his lifetime of activism.
