Tools for Peace: A webinar series
PROJECT DURATION
#1 The first 3 steps to decolonise your life by Dr Anita Venanzi
The #1 Webinar: The first 3 Steps to Decolonise Your Life is presented by Dr Anita Venanzi (she/her or they/them), a part-time researcher, university lecturer and consultant, and a full time artivist obsessed with all things solidarity galore (https://noprofitideas.org/). With a foot in Hong Kong and one in Rome, this social media absentee has a randomly curated website, and a pro-active participant attitude, for example in CCIVS’ Decolonise project (https://ccivs.org/Decolonise/).
In this first webinar, Dr Anita Venanzi invites us to take a closer look at privileges, disadvantages, resources and constraints that shape our experiences and from there create a common language, new alliances and a shared vision of justice and peace.
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
If you want to know more about what Anita referred, relied or mentioned, we have some extra readings for you.
- Link to Decolonise! IVS project where you will find other tools, news and resources including the Organizational Self-Assessment Tool available here
- Anzaldùa, Gloria “Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza” – BOOK free version
- Quijano, Anibal. Coloniality of power and Eurocentrism in Latin America. International sociology, 2000, 15.2: 215-232 – ARTICLE Download pdf here
- Crenshaw, Kimberle. “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory, and Antiracist Politics [1989].” – ARTICLE Download pdf here
- Organizational and individual privilege checks: TOOL
- Edward, Saïd “Orientalism” (1978) – BOOK free version
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
#2 Discover your Peacebuilding Superpower by Taylor O’Connor
The #2 Webinar: Discover your Peacebuilding Superpower is presented by Taylor O’Connor. Taylor is the founder of Everyday Peacebuilding and a certified ‘peace nerd’ obsessed about exploring creative ways to build peace. On the professional side, Taylor worked for years as a peacebuilding consultant with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and UN agencies. He spent his free time researching and documenting thousands of ways people around the world build peace. He’s building a global community of peacebuilders from all over the world and he supports them to launch collaborative projects for peace. He created Everyday Peacebuilding to support idealists from all walks of life to find creative ways to build peace. He develops peacebuilding training and learning resources, and creates spaces for peacebuilders to connect with one another.
In this second webinar, you will discover how to use your unique talents and abilities to make change on any social issue you care about, for a more peaceful and just world. Get ready to use our framework, mapping 100+ different types of peacebuilders, to identify your unique talents for building peace – your peacebuilding superpower!
If you want to explore this topic a bit more in depth, we have some extra references for you.
- Everyday Peacebuilding website – https://everydaypeacebuilding.com/
- Direct download link for the Peacebuilding Superpower handout (which are pages from the How to Build Peace eCourse workbook): https://bit.ly/PBsuperpowerHandout
- How to Build Peace FREE eCourse – https://bit.ly/HowToBuildPeace
- Everyday Peacebuilding email newsletter subscription: https://everydaypeacebuilding.com/newsletter/
#3 Non-violent communication as a tool for systemic transformation by Timo and Laura
In this #3 Webinar, Timo and Laura will be talking about Non-violent communication as a tool for systemic change. Laura (she/they) is a Barcelona-based facilitator and political organiser. Laura organises the queer ecology and degrowth festival “metamorfosis”. She also uses practices such as non-violent communication in their daily activism and processes of transformative justice. Timo (he/him) is a Barcelona-based political organiser and facilitator with “Degrowth in Action”. His non-formal education centres on systems of oppression, global justice, degrowth, ecological-social transformation and non-violent communication. Timo is also involved in organising transformative justice processes. With their collective “Degrowth in Action” they work on topics such as capitalism, oppression, queer liberation and international solidarity.
Feelings, needs and empathy are deeply political. In this webinar, we will learn how the framework of non-violent communication (NVC) can be used as a powerful tool for transforming conflict, to generate more empathy and for more resilient activism. We will go through the basics and also touch upon the role of power and privilege in NVC.
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
#4 Transformative Justice: A tool to transform oppressive systems by Timo and Laura
In this #4 Webinar, we meet again with with Timo and Laura to explore Transformative Justice. You can learn a bit more about them just above and even watch their first webinar on nonviolent communication.
Transformative Justice (TJ) has its roots in Indigenous and Black feminist communities. Rather than punishing harmful behavior, TJ recognizes that individuals shaped by a violent system are likely to perpetuate it. By centering empathy and accountability, TJ aims to transform both individual harm and systemic injustice. The webinar will teach the basics and focus on practice.
#5 Peace in Progress: 7 Steps to Conflict De-escalation by Iolanda and Adrian
In this webinar we explore effective strategies for youth workers and professionals in peace-building. Learn the essential 7 steps to de-escalate conflicts, foster understanding, and mitigate mental health impacts in affected communities, promoting harmony and resilience.
Adrian Claudiu Frandeș has a degree in Clinical Psychology and expertise in Ericksonian Hypnosis, NLP, and Systemic Psychotherapy. Throughout his career Adrian was deeply involved in coaching vulnerable youths by providing psychological counseling to asylum seekers, refugees, migrants, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community across Spain, Romania and the UK. Over the years he has designed and facilitated many workshops from a systemic psychotherapeutic perspective.
Iolanda Vasile is an experienced researcher and instructional designer in social sciences, with a focus on gender mainstreaming and south-south relations. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Postcolonial studies, she focuses on women´s representations in the Angolan war for independence. With extensive experience in project management and education, Iolanda has worked internationally, initiating and implementing curriculum programs on critical topics, including education, human rights, women’s rights, racial discrimination, and the marginalization of social groups.
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
If you want to know more about what Iolanda and Adrian referred, relied or mentioned, we have some extra readings for you.
- Websites & Online Resources
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
- Health Care in Danger – De-Escalating Violence in Health-Care Settings: Trainers Manual
- Mental Health & Psychosocial Support – Resources for frontline workers.
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- Psychological First Aid Guide – Essential for crisis situations.
- mhGAP Humanitarian Intervention Guide – Mental health in emergencies.
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- Mental Health & Psychosocial Support – Tools for refugee settings.
- The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT)
- Trauma-Informed Care – For survivors of war and torture.
- Frontline Club / Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma
- Covering Violence & Trauma – Resources for journalists in conflict zones.
- The MHPSS Network
- mhpss.net – Repository of guides, research, and tools.
- Books & Guides
“The Body Keeps the Score” – Bessel van der Kolk (Trauma & recovery).
- “On Killing” – Dave Grossman (Psychology of violence, useful for understanding aggression).
- “Trauma Stewardship” – Laura van Dernoot Lipsky (For burnout prevention in aid workers).
- “Managing Stress in Humanitarian Workers” – Antares Foundation (Practical guide).
- “Conflict Resolution for Humanitarian Agencies” – Koenraad Van Brabant (Field-focused strategies).
- “The Little Book of Conflict Transformation” – John Paul Lederach (Concise de-escalation framework).
- Practical Manuals & Toolkits
- “Psychological First Aid: Field Operations Guide” – National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
- “IASC Guidelines on Mental Health & Psychosocial Support” – Inter-Agency Standing Committee.
- “HEAT Training Manual
- ” (Hostile Environments Awareness Training) – Hosted by RedR UK.
- “Remote Trauma Support” – Antares Foundation.
- Articles & Research Papers
- “Mental Health in Conflict Settings” – The Lancet (2019).
- “Vicarious Trauma: A guide for journalists and newsrooms to recognise vicarious trauma and mitigate against it” – Mind NGO UK
- Burnout in Social and Humanitarian Work: Research and Recommendations – Child Protection Hub for South East Europ
#1 The first 3 steps to decolonise your life by Dr Anita Venanzi
The #1 Webinar: The first 3 Steps to Decolonise Your Life is presented by Dr Anita Venanzi (she/her or they/them), a part-time researcher, university lecturer and consultant, and a full time artivist obsessed with all things solidarity galore (https://noprofitideas.org/). With a foot in Hong Kong and one in Rome, this social media absentee has a randomly curated website, and a pro-active participant attitude, for example in CCIVS’ Decolonise project (https://ccivs.org/Decolonise/).
In this first webinar, Dr Anita Venanzi invites us to take a closer look at privileges, disadvantages, resources and constraints that shape our experiences and from there create a common language, new alliances and a shared vision of justice and peace.
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
If you want to know more about what Anita referred, relied or mentioned, we have some extra readings for you.
- Link to Decolonise! IVS project where you will find other tools, news and resources including the Organizational Self-Assessment Tool available here
- Anzaldùa, Gloria “Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza” – BOOK free version
- Quijano, Anibal. Coloniality of power and Eurocentrism in Latin America. International sociology, 2000, 15.2: 215-232 – ARTICLE Download pdf here
- Crenshaw, Kimberle. “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory, and Antiracist Politics [1989].” – ARTICLE Download pdf here
- Organizational and individual privilege checks: TOOL
- Edward, Saïd “Orientalism” (1978) – BOOK free version
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
#2 Discover your Peacebuilding Superpower by Taylor O’Connor
The #2 Webinar: Discover your Peacebuilding Superpower is presented by Taylor O’Connor. Taylor is the founder of Everyday Peacebuilding and a certified ‘peace nerd’ obsessed about exploring creative ways to build peace. On the professional side, Taylor worked for years as a peacebuilding consultant with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and UN agencies. He spent his free time researching and documenting thousands of ways people around the world build peace. He’s building a global community of peacebuilders from all over the world and he supports them to launch collaborative projects for peace. He created Everyday Peacebuilding to support idealists from all walks of life to find creative ways to build peace. He develops peacebuilding training and learning resources, and creates spaces for peacebuilders to connect with one another.
In this second webinar, you will discover how to use your unique talents and abilities to make change on any social issue you care about, for a more peaceful and just world. Get ready to use our framework, mapping 100+ different types of peacebuilders, to identify your unique talents for building peace – your peacebuilding superpower!
If you want to explore this topic a bit more in depth, we have some extra references for you.
- Everyday Peacebuilding website – https://everydaypeacebuilding.com/
- Direct download link for the Peacebuilding Superpower handout (which are pages from the How to Build Peace eCourse workbook): https://bit.ly/PBsuperpowerHandout
- How to Build Peace FREE eCourse – https://bit.ly/HowToBuildPeace
- Everyday Peacebuilding email newsletter subscription: https://everydaypeacebuilding.com/newsletter/
#3 Non-violent communication as a tool for systemic transformation by Timo and Laura
In this #3 Webinar, Timo and Laura will be talking about Non-violent communication as a tool for systemic change. Laura (she/they) is a Barcelona-based facilitator and political organiser. Laura organises the queer ecology and degrowth festival “metamorfosis”. She also uses practices such as non-violent communication in their daily activism and processes of transformative justice. Timo (he/him) is a Barcelona-based political organiser and facilitator with “Degrowth in Action”. His non-formal education centres on systems of oppression, global justice, degrowth, ecological-social transformation and non-violent communication. Timo is also involved in organising transformative justice processes. With their collective “Degrowth in Action” they work on topics such as capitalism, oppression, queer liberation and international solidarity.
Feelings, needs and empathy are deeply political. In this webinar, we will learn how the framework of non-violent communication (NVC) can be used as a powerful tool for transforming conflict, to generate more empathy and for more resilient activism. We will go through the basics and also touch upon the role of power and privilege in NVC.
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
#4 Transformative Justice: A tool to transform oppressive systems by Timo and Laura
In this #4 Webinar, we meet again with with Timo and Laura to explore Transformative Justice. You can learn a bit more about them just above and even watch their first webinar on nonviolent communication.
Transformative Justice (TJ) has its roots in Indigenous and Black feminist communities. Rather than punishing harmful behavior, TJ recognizes that individuals shaped by a violent system are likely to perpetuate it. By centering empathy and accountability, TJ aims to transform both individual harm and systemic injustice. The webinar will teach the basics and focus on practice.
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
#5 Peace in Progress: 7 Steps to Conflict De-escalation by Iolanda and Adrian
In this webinar we explore effective strategies for youth workers and professionals in peace-building. Learn the essential 7 steps to de-escalate conflicts, foster understanding, and mitigate mental health impacts in affected communities, promoting harmony and resilience.
Adrian Claudiu Frandeș has a degree in Clinical Psychology and expertise in Ericksonian Hypnosis, NLP, and Systemic Psychotherapy. Throughout his career Adrian was deeply involved in coaching vulnerable youths by providing psychological counseling to asylum seekers, refugees, migrants, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community across Spain, Romania and the UK. Over the years he has designed and facilitated many workshops from a systemic psychotherapeutic perspective.
Iolanda Vasile is an experienced researcher and instructional designer in social sciences, with a focus on gender mainstreaming and south-south relations. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Postcolonial studies, she focuses on women´s representations in the Angolan war for independence. With extensive experience in project management and education, Iolanda has worked internationally, initiating and implementing curriculum programs on critical topics, including education, human rights, women’s rights, racial discrimination, and the marginalization of social groups.
If you want to know more about what Iolanda and Adrian referred, relied or mentioned, we have some extra readings for you.
- Websites & Online Resources
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
- Health Care in Danger – De-Escalating Violence in Health-Care Settings: Trainers Manual
- Mental Health & Psychosocial Support – Resources for frontline workers.
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- Psychological First Aid Guide – Essential for crisis situations.
- mhGAP Humanitarian Intervention Guide – Mental health in emergencies.
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- Mental Health & Psychosocial Support – Tools for refugee settings.
- The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT)
- Trauma-Informed Care – For survivors of war and torture.
- Frontline Club / Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma
- Covering Violence & Trauma – Resources for journalists in conflict zones.
- The MHPSS Network
- mhpss.net – Repository of guides, research, and tools.
- Books & Guides
“The Body Keeps the Score” – Bessel van der Kolk (Trauma & recovery).
- “On Killing” – Dave Grossman (Psychology of violence, useful for understanding aggression).
- “Trauma Stewardship” – Laura van Dernoot Lipsky (For burnout prevention in aid workers).
- “Managing Stress in Humanitarian Workers” – Antares Foundation (Practical guide).
- “Conflict Resolution for Humanitarian Agencies” – Koenraad Van Brabant (Field-focused strategies).
- “The Little Book of Conflict Transformation” – John Paul Lederach (Concise de-escalation framework).
- Practical Manuals & Toolkits
- “Psychological First Aid: Field Operations Guide” – National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
- “IASC Guidelines on Mental Health & Psychosocial Support” – Inter-Agency Standing Committee.
- “HEAT Training Manual
- ” (Hostile Environments Awareness Training) – Hosted by RedR UK.
- “Remote Trauma Support” – Antares Foundation.
- Articles & Research Papers
- “Mental Health in Conflict Settings” – The Lancet (2019).
- “Vicarious Trauma: A guide for journalists and newsrooms to recognise vicarious trauma and mitigate against it” – Mind NGO UK
- Burnout in Social and Humanitarian Work: Research and Recommendations – Child Protection Hub for South East Europe
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
#6 Shinrin Yoku – How forest bathing can help us to get new energy in our everyday life with Loretta
In this last webinar, Loretta will introduce us to “Shinrin Yoku.” First, in a theoretical way and as an effective method to slow down, relax and practice mindfulness in nature, together we will look at its history and the theory behind it. In a second part, we will discover simple exercises to practice mindfulness and to slow down in daily life (even if you don’t have time to go to nature).
Shinrin-yoku (Japanese term: 森林浴, 森林 (shinrin, “forest”) + 浴 (yoku, “bath or bathing “), also known as forest bathing, is a practice or process of relaxation where you spend time in a forest or natural space, focusing on all senses in order to connect with nature.
Loretta Scherler is living in Bern with her two small children, partner and cat. Loretta has been working in communication and project coordination for SCI Switzerland for 10 years. Her specialty is holding non-formal workshops about interculturality, prejudices, stereotypes, discrimination, privileges, gender and intersectionality. Loretta has discovered Shinrin Yoku during the pandemic and signed up for a training course to become a Shinrin Yoku Health trainer in 2021. Since June 2022, Loretta has been working as a freelance trainer with her colleague Sandra and together they founded “Shinrin Yoku Bern” where they offer regular Shinrin Yoku courses: https://www.shinrinyoku-bern.ch/
The Webinar:
The Knowledge Pills:
#6 Shinrin Yoku – How forest bathing can help us to get new energy in our everyday life with Loretta
In this last webinar, Loretta will introduce us to “Shinrin Yoku.” First, in a theoretical way and as an effective method to slow down, relax and practice mindfulness in nature, together we will look at its history and the theory behind it. In a second part, we will discover simple exercises to practice mindfulness and to slow down in daily life (even if you don’t have time to go to nature).
Shinrin-yoku (Japanese term: 森林浴, 森林 (shinrin, “forest”) + 浴 (yoku, “bath or bathing “), also known as forest bathing, is a practice or process of relaxation where you spend time in a forest or natural space, focusing on all senses in order to connect with nature.
Loretta Scherler is living in Bern with her two small children, partner and cat. Loretta has been working in communication and project coordination for SCI Switzerland for 10 years. Her specialty is holding non-formal workshops about interculturality, prejudices, stereotypes, discrimination, privileges, gender and intersectionality. Loretta has discovered Shinrin Yoku during the pandemic and signed up for a training course to become a Shinrin Yoku Health trainer in 2021. Since June 2022, Loretta has been working as a freelance trainer with her colleague Sandra and together they founded “Shinrin Yoku Bern” where they offer regular Shinrin Yoku courses: https://www.shinrinyoku-bern.ch/
The Donor
Tools for Peace is co-funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe and the CERV Programme of the European Union.
