Upcoming Workshops:

Click here for a full list of upcoming workshops


We have facilitators in every state and territory except Tasmania and NT. You can find out about planned workshops in your area below, or contact the nearest member of the steering committee to discuss the workshops and how we can support you – either by facilitating a program for your community or just providing some advice on how to do it yourselves.

Full Workshops

The primary activity of Pace e Bene Australia is to facilitate the Engage, From Violence to Wholeness and Travelling with the Turtle workshops around Australia. These typically run for 10-12 weeknight sessions, or 3-4 days (eg. consecutive Saturdays).

Shorter Workshops: From 1 Hour to 1 Day

We also provide shorter and introductory workshops on nonviolence. These might be short seminars or half or day-long workshops

Examples of some of the shorter workshops we can run with your group:

“We Were Warriors: Introduction to Nonviolent Action”

Time: 60-90 minutes

In this workshop, we will examine nonviolent action as both a moral and an effective means of social change, using a powerful documentary on the US civil rights movement as a basis for further discussion.

Nonviolence: Deepening the Journey

Time: 90-120 minutes

Some of us have some experience with the spirituality and practice of active nonviolence. This workshop is for those who wish to continue the journey towards nonviolence, not an introduction to the basic themes. Using a variety of exercises, participants will be invited to explore the difficult questions and challenges we face as we struggle to be peacemaking change agents, as well as offer wisdom from their own experiences. What are the limits of nonviolent action? Can we really put ourselves in the shoes of our enemies? How do we overcome the obstacles that keep us from prophetic nonviolent action?

Nonviolent Direct Action: Introductory Half-Day Workshop

Time: 4 hours

Many of us have experiences of activism that left us alienated, disheartened and angry. We want to make a difference to the world but we’re not sure how. In this introductory workshop, we explore nonviolent action as both a moral and an effective means of social change, using a variety of resources, stories from ordinary activists and a nonviolent action role-play. Includes discussion of different roles at actions, affinity groups and what getting arrested in a nonviolent civil disobedience action is actually like.

Nonviolent Direct Action: All Day Workshop

Time: 7.5 hours

Many of us have experiences of activism that left us alienated, disheartened and angry. We want to make a difference to the world but we’re not sure how. In this workshop, we explore nonviolent action as both a moral and an effective means of social change, using a variety of resources, stories and role-plays. We will consider the prophetic and strategic role of nonviolent action, talk about fears and consequences, consider the place of nonviolent action in larger campaigns, look at the different roles people play in actions and go through the process of ‘getting arrested’ in a nonviolent civil disobedience action so people understand what that involves. We will finish will a nonviolent action role-play to give people a chance to try it all out.

Christian Nonviolent Action Half-Day Workshop

Time: 4 hours

“Jesus gave us the message, Gandhi gave us the method”, said Martin Luther King Jr, who himself helped lead one of the most inspiring nonviolent campaigns for human liberation in the 20th Century. In this workshop, we explore Christian nonviolent action. Using a range of resources, videos and stories, we will consider nonviolent action as both a strategic form of struggle and a deeply faithful way of life.

 


What people are saying about us:

NONVIOLENT PEACEMAKING RETREAT : “This is going to change everything in my life.”

NONVIOLENT PEACEMAKING RETREAT: “I hadn’t expected to come away thinking about conflict inside organisations and networks in which I am involved and how that conflict could be more constructive and helpful rather than being a difficulty… starting to work through this will be really important.”

ENGAGE FACILITATOR TRAINING: “Thank you for a thorough hands-on approach to nonviolence and the Pace e Bene experience. I am blessed to have been able to be part of the time. I still ponder and reflect on the insights over the weekend. I am attempting to spread the insight to many colleagues I encounter.”

ENGAGE FACILITATOR TRAINING: “It was one the most powerful, positive, actively peace-making experiences I have had in a very long time.”

ENGAGE FACILITATOR TRAINING: “The co-learning included everyone present and was uplifting and exciting. This was one of the best outcomes for me as I realise that for the program to be available to everyone it must be flexible enough to cater for everyone. Therefore the importance of learning from each other through dialogue, shared experiences and in the discomfort zone gives the process meaning and richness that would otherwise not be present. I met and spoke frankly and openly with people who I was unlikely to meet in any other way, without fear, with little reservation, and was rewarded enormously.”

ENGAGE FACILITATOR TRAINING: “I learnt heaps both as a facilitator (useful in any adult ed setting) & as a new person to the nonviolent way of Jesus. Overall a brilliant weekend, I was kept in my discomfort zone most of the weekend & was only alarmed a little on the Wednesday night at some comments made by participants. By the end of the time together I felt closer to those 2 than I could have ever expected on the Wednesday.”