Building Momentum: Participation & People Power

How do we get more than 5 people to show up at our protests, actions, and social justice events? Join trainers Henry Cervantes & Rivera Sun for a 6-week virtual course on how to build momentum and participation. Over the six sessions, you’ll learn to think differently about how to mobilize people power, go beyond the choir (or usual suspects) and collaborate with both unlikely and unexpected partner groups. Participants will have lots of time to ask questions, troubleshoot their efforts, and discuss strategies with fellow participants and the facilitators. Each week, you will receive an assignment that is designed to support you in becoming a stronger organizer for change.

 6 Wednesdays March 1 - April 5th, 7-8:30pm Eastern
$80, scholarships available

https://paceebene.org/events/2023/1/3/building-momentum-participation-amp-people-power

Writing Peace Course

SOLD OUT! In this 6-week course with award-winning author Rivera Sun, you will explore how to write about peace. We’ll work on best practices for writing about peace and antiwar themes in op-eds and editorials, articles and blogs, and even social posts. We’ll also get creative, exploring story and poetry, looking at novels and fictional portrayals of peace. Writers of all experiences (even none!) welcome. A benefit for World BEYOND War.

 6 Tuesdays from 7-8:30pm ET
February 7 to March 14, 2023
$85 Standard / $35 Discounted for Scholarships

Online through Zoom

https://worldbeyondwar.org/writingpeace/

Strategy For Nonviolent Action

Join Rivera Sun for a 2-hour webinar that introduces strategy and planning for nonviolent action. This webinar is fun, friendly, and open to people of all experience levels. ItYou’ll learn the guiding principles of how to make change with nonviolent action, how to think strategically, and how to design powerful campaigns for change. From local campaigns to national issues, you can apply these ideas and tools to every issue you care about.

February 15, 2023 6-8 pm EST
$25, scholarships available

https://paceebene.org/events/2023/2/15/strategy-for-nonviolent-action

Writing Peace Course (Second Offering)

In this 6-week course with award-winning author Rivera Sun, you will explore how to write about peace. We’ll work on best practices for writing about peace and antiwar themes in op-eds and editorials, articles and blogs, and even social posts. We’ll also get creative, exploring story and poetry, looking at novels and fictional portrayals of peace. Writers of all experiences (even none!) welcome. A benefit for World BEYOND War. Please note: This is the second offering of the Writing Peace Course; the first offering in February 2023 is sold out. 

 6 Tuesdays from 7-8:30pm ET
July 11 to Aug 15, 2023
$85 Standard / $35 Discounted for Scholarships

Online through Zoom

https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/writing-peace-course-2

From Conflict To Community: Transforming Conflicts Without Authorities

4 Week Book Group on Zoom
facilitated by Rivera Sun w/ Author Q&A with Gwen Olton on July 31
Mondays, July 10-31
4-5:30pm PT // 5-6:30pm MT // 6-7:30pm CT // 7-8:30pm ET
$65, scholarships available

A perfect book discussion group for the movement to build a culture of active nonviolence! You will find volumes to talk about in this 4-week book group on Gwen Olton’s compelling book From Conflict To Community: Transforming Conflicts Without Authorities. Facilitated by Pace e Bene staff member Rivera Sun, each week will connect a set of chapters to our personal experiences and situations. On the last week, Author Gwen Olton will join us for a Q&A session. 

July 10, 2023 4 Tuesdays July 10-31, from 7-8:30pm ET
$65

https://paceebene.org/events/2023/5/9/from-conflict-to-community-transforming-conflicts-without-authorities

Narratives Of Nonviolence: The Stories We Tell

Author/Activist Rivera Sun will join Portland State University and Professor Tom Hastings’ special events to offer a virtual talk about the importance of sharing stories of both everyday and extraordinary acts of nonviolence. Drawing from her experience as the editor of Nonviolence News, she will comment on the myths and misperceptions that surround nonviolent change – and how people around the world are proving that nonviolent action is powerful, practical, effective, and successful. She will also explore how our society frames heroism in terms of violence or (rarely) nonviolence, and why such narratives matter deeply to human existence in these times of vast change. Lastly, looking at the historic and contemporary canon of examples of nonviolent struggle, Rivera will invite the group to consider what might happen culturally if our folktales and popular entertainment embraced nonviolence as a central theme of what we pass on through story. (July 18 – Free.) 

 July 18 4-5:30pm ET // 1-2:30pm PT
Free

Virtual

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1RuZT-tb1ZJKHjMvnmBq0aDTS4KNP0iiL0bslkLeW3HfXgA/viewform?usp=send_form

Making Magic Happen: Seamless & Simple Virtual Trainings


 Monthly, starting Oct 19, Thursdays 7-9pm ET
$85, scholarships available

With many trainings happening online, facilitating nonviolence (or anything) has gained new challenges. In this webinar series, trainer Rivera Sun will share how to make tech seamless and virtual trainings magical. This series will be interactive and participatory. It will be both philosophical and practical, offering outer skills like adaptations for Zoom and also look at the inner work of facilitation. Rivera Sun will offer best practices from training hundreds of people online throughout the pandemic and onward.

https://paceebene.org/events/2023/10/26/making-magic-happen-series

Love Resists: Nonviolence & Sacred Activism

Co-facilitated by renowned activists and trainers Rev. Dr. Jerry Maynard and Rivera Sun, these four 1.5hr sessions will cover living resistance and movement history (both general and 2SLGBTQIA+), strategies for making change, an introduction to nonviolence as a transformative power, the spiritual strength – from any tradition – that can support us, and much more. 

 Thursdays, April 4, 11, 18, 25 from 8-9:30pm ET
$60 CAN

Online

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/love-resists-nonviolence-sacred-activism-tickets-819330257857

#NoWar2023: Nonviolent Resistance To Militarism

Rivera Sun will offer a nonviolent action training as part of #NoWar2023 from Sept 22-24. During three days of virtual panels, training, and discussion sessions, #NoWar2023 will make the case for the efficacy of nonviolent resistance as a tool for conflict resolution, highlighting case studies from around the world of unarmed civilian based defense against invasions, occupations, and dictatorships.

 Sept 22-24, all day
Sliding scale

Virtual

https://worldbeyondwar.org/nowar2023/

Engaging Nonviolence: An Online Community Course

Join Rivera Sun and Ken Butigan from Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service in this 6-week series exploring transformational nonviolence for personal growth, healthy relationships, and a more just and peaceful world. Together, we’ll plumb the power of nonviolence as a way of life, a set of principles, a collection of practices for navigating conflict, and a toolbox for making change. Pace e Bene has trained tens of thousands of people in exploring nonviolence. 

 Mondays, Nov 6-Dec 11 from 5-6:30pm ET
$95, scholarships available

Virtual

https://paceebene.org/events/2023/11/6/engaging-nonviolence-an-online-community-course

Engaging Nonviolence II: Inner Skills & Outer Practices For Interpersonal and Social Conflict

In this new 6-week online course, you will explore the power of nonviolence in our relationships, communities, and daily lives. Engaging Nonviolence II explores skills for interpersonal conflicts, builds our inner awareness, and fosters our capacity to engage nonviolence in wider settings, such as interrupting harassment on the subway, or participating in nonviolent actions.  When we learn nonviolent practices, we gain ways to communicate, problem-solve, and deal with the challenges we face. From friends and family to coworkers and community, this 6-week course offers practical, useful skills for a wide variety of interpersonal conflicts. Co-facilitated by Pace e Bene trainers Rivera Sun and Nina Koevoets.

 6 Wednesdays, March 6 – April 10 from 12-1:30pm ET
$95 USD

Online

https://paceebene.org/events/2024/2/21/engaging-nonviolence-ii-inner-skills-amp-outer-practices-for-interpersonal-and-social-conflict

Peacemaker Conversation: Rivera Sun and Cory Lockhart

Join us for a conversation between local nonviolence educator, Cory Lockhart, and Rivera Sun – and be inspired by applied nonviolence and empowerment toward peace. Register HERE: https://dgcec.wildapricot.org/event-5422775 for this FREE event to get the Zoom link:  DrepungGomangUSA.org

September 23, 2023 12 – 12:45pm ET
Free

Virtual

https://dgcec.wildapricot.org/event-5422775

People-Power Peace: When Civil Society Stops War

On Nov 8th from 1-2:30pm PT (4-5:30pm ET), Author/Activist Rivera Sun will join Portland State University and Professor Tom Hastings to offer a virtual talk on how everyday people have stopped war. Contrary to common view, wars are not always won or prevented by military or even diplomacy. Sometimes, determined and passionate societies halt them – or keep them from breaking out in the first place. This talk will be interactive, with lots of time for Q&A. Rivera will share stories from around the world, some better known – like the Women of Liberia Mass Action For Peace – others less well known, but equally powerful. She will also lift up moments amidst broader struggles where nonviolent action kept armed factions from descending into civil war. RSVP to this free event:  https://forms.gle/TxFbnmxJvbcccJd39 

November 8, 2023 1-2:30pm PT (4-5:30pm ET)
FREE

Virtual

https://forms.gle/TxFbnmxJvbcccJd39

Swarms & Flocks, Phase Shifts & Tipping Points—Living Systems For Changing Systems

From the grace of swarming bees to the strategy of flocks of birds, we can glean knowledge that can help us work with our communities to unleash powerful, transformative change. This workshop with Rivera Sun is about learning from living systems and applying the wisdom to our efforts toward social justice.

April 19, 2023 7-9pm ET
$25, scholarships available

Online

https://paceebene.org/events/2023/4/19/swarms-amp-flocks-phase-shifts-amp-tipping-pointsliving-systems-for-changing-systems

Writing Nonviolence II: Personal Stories & Memoir

From saving spiders to eating a vegetarian diet to protesting against nuclear weapons, we all have nonviolence stories to share. This 6-week course will explore how you can express your experiences in writing. We will look at personal stories, creative essays, and memoir for people of all ages.

 6 Tuesdays, 7-8:30pm ET, May 16 - June 20, 2023
$80, scholarships available

Online

https://paceebene.org/events/2023/3/3/writing-nonviolence-ii-personal-stories-amp-memoirnbsp

Winds of Change Book Group w/ Rivera Sun

Author Rivera Sun joined the Co-Intelligence Institute for a special, 4-session virtual book group on her novel Winds of Change, a wild tale of resistance and resilience. This book discussion group offers us a chance to use fiction to reflect upon reality, imagineering a path toward a broader definition of democracy for ourselves and our world. A benefit for the Co-Intelligence Institute’s Wise Democracy Project