On 20.-22.03.2014, 42 peer eduators from our Action Group Tshepanang gathered for their traditional workshop at the Guest Farm outside Mahikeng. The main topic for this workshop was “Nonviolent Communication” according to the famous book written by Marshall Rosenberg.
The South African Society is often referred to as a violent society. On a daily basis we hear of violent service delivery protests in the townships and of strikes that turn violent as well as of various forms of domestic violence. Even in the schools incidents of violence have increased sharply.
The peer educators were aware that in most cases the physical violent is preceded by a break down in the communication. That’s why they listened with great interest to the basic elements of non-violent communication: Observation without evaluation, becoming aware and expressing our feelings and accepting responsibility for our feelings.
During the exercises in small groups we realized how used we are to speak by using generalizations that always contain an element of judgment. It also became clear to us how often we make only the others responsible for our feelings without acknowledging that our feeling are often rooted in our own unmet needs.
It was wonderful that even at this workshop there was time for a celebration. The seven new members who had survived their first three month of teaching in schools received their Golf Shirts with the Tshepanang Logo and those Peer Educators who excelled in their teaching were awarded presents. The highlight of the night was the celebration of the Diploma in Adult Education and Training that had been awarded to Thelma Monageng. She has been the fourth member of Tshepanang who has managed to receive a diploma. In her highly emotional thanksgiving speech she said: “What I am today I am through Tshepanang. I will never abandon to work for Tshepanang until I die”.
How to communicate nonviolently in a violent society