Aims
By means of this training, the participating members of Iraqi communities and organizations, who work towards building a democratic society that would ensure respect for its citizens’ rights and freedoms, will be introduced to the principles and methods of nonviolent action.
Promoting nonviolence doesn’t mean to support a peace processes which simply stops direct violence. This would not meet the inspirations of citizens who want to realize social and political justice. That which threatens peace among men and human communities is not conflict – the very tissue of our history – but the ideology which makes us believe that violence is the only way of solving conflicts. Nonviolent action is the way we propose, since it has the power to heal communities devastated by war, rebuild social links, so that a new empowered society starts to develop within the fight. It entails new forms of dialogue within the movement, and with the counterpart. And it can be learnt.
During this training, the participants will be introduced to the basis of the nonviolent philosophy, according to which it is possible to build a peace culture. In addition, by using historical examples of nonviolent resistance, they will be introduced to the principles of the nonviolent strategy, which allows for a constructive transformation of conflicts towards a more just reality.
This training session will combine both theoretical explanations on philosophy and strategy and practical training exercises concerning nonviolent approaches, studies of nonviolent struggle, case studies from specific witnesses and real situations of the Iraqi society. The training will also include small groups workshops.
Participants will be provided with documentation on nonviolence in Arabic.
Session chiefs
ß Chief: Jean-Marie Muller (France)
ß Trainers: Ogarit Younan (Lebanon), Jean Daoud (Lebanon), Ziad Medoukh (Palestine-Gaza), Saif Abukeshek (Palestine-West Bank)
ß Coordinators: Martina Pignatti (Italy), Marti Olivella (Spain-Catalonia), Belen Vicens (Spain-Catalonia)
Schedule
The following schedule is not to be considered as fixed and strict. On the contrary, it serves as an indication of the activities that will take place in the training. For this reason, in order to better account for the interests of every single participant, the schedule will be updated daily based on the consensus of all participants.
Proposed timetable:
ß 9am-11am 1st session
ß 11am–11:30am Break.
ß 11:30am–1:30pm 2nd session
ß 1:30pm–3pm Lunch and rest.
ß 3pm–5pm 3rd session
ß 5pm–6pm Break.
ß 6pm–7:30pm (Videos or Drama atelier: first option)
ß 7:30pm–9pm Dinner and rest.
ß 9pm–11pm (Videos or Drama atelier: alternative option)
January 4 - Introduction
ß Introduction to the general topic of the session (Jean-Marie). Introduction of trainers and coordinators. Introduction of the participants. It is impossible to predict how much time this would last, however, it is important that it takes as long as needed so that every participant has the chance to express his/her interests according to his/her point of view and experience. This very first meeting should allow for a trusting environment and goodwill among the participants, and collect their expectations on the course.
ß To understand better the participants backgorund, we’ll try to answer questions like: How have they been trained to manage conflicts? What is their idea of nonviolence? Through practical exercises we’ll evaluate how much we know ourselves when we must react to violence. (Ogarit and Jean)
ß Lecture on the origins of nonviolence in the Arab world. Experiences from nonviolent resistance in Lebanon. (Ogarit)
January 5 – Gandhi and Badshah Khan
ß DVD about Gandhi. Presentation on Gandhi’s thoughts and actions (Jean-Marie)
ß Presentation of Badshah Khan (Ogarit)
ß The method of nonviolent action: what we know, what we admire, what we don’t know, what we refuse. Elaboration of nonviolent methodology of conflict resolution through practical expercises. (Ogarit and Jean)
January 6 – Nonviolent resisistance in Palestine
ß The Palestinian civil resistance from the first and second intifada. How nonviolent action takes places in the context of an extreme situation. (Saif)
ß Living nonviolence in Gaza. Facts, events, experiences. (Ziad)
Free afternoon
Social dinner, with Iraqi music
January 7 – Philosophy of nonviolence
ß Philosophical approach to nonviolence. Conceptual clarification to differentiate conflict from aggressiveness, struggle, force and violence, as commonly named. How to deconstruct the ideology of violence and to construct a culture of nonviolence. (Jean-Marie)
ß Theater and/or games (Jean and Saif)
ß Techniques of relaxation and concentration (Jean)
January 8 – Building a campaign
ß Presentation of the strategy and the methods for nonviolent action. The different phases of a nonviolent resistance campaign. (Jean-Marie)
ß Role play (Saif)
ß DVD and discussion on nonviolent resistance in Poland through the Solidarnosc trade union. (Jean-Marie)
January 9 – Nonviolent action in Iraq
ß Study of conflict situations in the Iraqi context. How to create a nonviolent resolution of these conflicts.
ß Discussion on the possibility of organizing a network of nonviolent activists in Iraq.
ß Evaluation of the session by each participant.
Evening party.
A discussion will follow each presentation. The debates could possibly be divided into small groups depending on what the participants agree. It is best to leave it for the participants to decide on this issue.
Other DVD’s could also be played (Martin Luther King and US civil rights movement, anti-apartheid movement in south Africa, resistance to Nazism in Denmark, actions by International Solidarity Movement in Israel and Palestine).
I would recommend to avoid fixed times for each presentation. The timetable should be discussed with the participants.
An evaluation will take place every evening.
The training has been jointly organized by: Al-Mesalla (Iraq), Studies Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (Iraq), Nova - Centro para la Innovación Social (Spain), MAN - Mouvement pour une Alternative Non-violente (France), Centro Gandhi (Italy), Un ponte per… (Italy)
