Tools

While third-party nonviolent intervention and other peace team work is becoming more common, it's still a challenge: how to explain our work to others? Internationally, the framing of peacebuilding, peacemaking and peacekeeping is widely used. This tool helps fieldworkers relate that framework to their actual work in the field.

Participants practice expanding their vision and paying attention to what's around them. It's a quick skill development tool.

Three applications of nonviolent action: social change, social defense, third-party nonviolent intervention. How are they different? How does TPNI differ from the other types -- and how does that different show up in the field? This exercise addresses those questions.

How to help participants handle their anxiety about entering a violent confrontation? This tool is designed to walk participants through a series of increasing challenges to help them gain confidence in working in violent settings, to stay more aware in the midst of physical conflict.

What to do when confronted with a crowd ready to riot or an imminent police invasion? Well, if you're alone or only in a small group: get allies! In this exercise participants get to practice enlisting allies rapidly through quick glances and trying different techniques.

Here's a new tool designed by Training for Change that's being picked up around the world. It's goal: To give participants an insight into Third Party Nonviolent Intervention through participation in a scenario based on a real-life situation -- and still be lively! (Has been used in groups ranging from middle-school to college students to professional peace team organizations.)

In nonviolent action there are three applications: social change, social defense and third-party nonviolent intervention. Different movements may utilize different techniques depending on which of these applications they use. In this interactive teaching tool, we make use of "relay races" to assist participants to better understand these applications. Great for introduction to nonviolence, or a strategic planning workshop!

Use role-plays in your training? This skills arena gives participants maximum practice and feedback repeatedly.

This drill teaches security skills/concepts, cultural sensitivity, information and threat analysis, and decision-making. It's an energetic tool as the team gathers information to uncover whether it's becoming a target by the government in this extended role-play.

A major way to reduce burnout is to prepare people for the stresses, especially the stress of returning home after work away from home. This is a way to visualize issues of stress/trauma in the field and dealing with re-entry -- and with gummy bears! It is used for groups internationally, but can be adapted to most any setting where stress is a factor.

Looking for some role-play ideas for teaching accompaniment or intervention for unarmed bodyguards? Here are some ideas we collected for our training manual

Activists know to act. But they may not create the space to reflect. Reflection without action is impotent; but action without reflection is aimless. This tool gives participants a structured way to review “what they have been up to” – it’s a great intro to sessions on strategy, a simple tool, and a great way to catch themes carrying a group. Place this tool early in a strategy workshop to get a diagnostic read on the issues and struggles in the group.