At Rising for Life, we invite you to join us on a transformative journey of building deep connections and compassionate, fierce leadership.

Together, we will envision a life where relationships—both personal and systemic—are at the core of everything we do, working to shape a world grounded in the spirit of nonviolence.

This convention is designed to inspire and empower action, both within yourself and in the world around you. It's an opportunity to connect deeply with others who share a similar vision for growth and change.

This journey will also serve to strengthen our networks and communities, fostering a profound sense of home and belonging. We will cultivate the capacity to stand firmly in nonviolent action and develop the skills needed to take agency, self-organize, and contribute to meaningful change grounded in the principles of nonviolence.

How do we effectively contribute to meaningful, impactful action from a place of nonviolence?

How do we cultivate a lived understanding of the power of nonviolence? 

Exploring the intersections between individual and systemic transformation. 

Here are some of the core themes we will explore during the pre-planned sessions:

Finding and Refinding Meaning and Clear Vision
Envisioning and repositioning our stance toward action in these days, mapping the horizon of where we are. Choosing vision in times of great shifts. Rediscovering meaning in times of massive loss and fear.
How can “I”/“We” matter in these rapidly shifting and overwhelming times?

Personal Growth and Transformation
How does the bigger picture live inside of us? Where is violence living inside me? How does systemic violence affect my personal relationships?
Nurturing our personal relationships as resources of resilience, joy, safety, and meaning. Cultivating personal power and resilience.

Sangha: Sacred Community Creating True Home and Belonging as Leadership
Creating and nurturing a strong community of non-violence, compassion, and spiritual resilience, may be the only way to navigate these times. Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that when we have a true home in the community, we can rest and rejuvenate when things are overwhelming,  knowing we are spiritually supported to hold strong to the vision and practice of nonviolence. In his words, our next leadership will come from this form of mutual support. 
When we have a solid network of emotional and practical support, especially when things get hard or when we wish to accomplish big goals, we can find hope and resilience in the sacred community. But how do we come to have these?

A major theme running throughout the convention will be the nourishment of intentional community.  We will both engage in nurturing our own sacred connection as individuals and as a collective in this 8-day residential process. As well as learn together about the "meta" and skills needed to continue strengthening local communities of nonviolence around you when you go back to your geographic home.

Transforming Enemy Images While Still Calling Out Harm
 Where does justice sit on the spectrum between intention and impact? Critical thinking vs. judgment in Nonviolent Communication (NVC). The pitfalls of NVC regarding privilege and systemic power dynamics. The term "self-determination" and how it relates to needs and privilege.

Self-Empathy and Fierce Compassion
Why is practicing and diving deep into self-empathy such a crucial act? Why is it an absolute must when we want to engage in change-making of any kind  (personal, interpersonal, and specifically systemic)?

Organizing and Taking Action
How do we cultivate a lived understanding of the power of nonviolence? We will draw comprehensive lessons from history that are useful today, in the context of nonviolent action and resistance around the world—understanding nonviolent movements at different scales (from neighborhood to global).
 Together we will explore tools of civil resistance: strategies, planning, and mobilization. Coalition building and nonviolent mobilization. Resistance techniques and strategic planning tools. Digital peacebuilding tools. Project management tools for nonviolent social change. The “bone development” of nonviolent action plans for long-term capacity. How do we effectively contribute to meaningful, impactful action from a place of nonviolence? The intersection between individual action and systemic growth. Using your specific privilege and or gifts to inspire and create change. 

Mourning
Making time and space to mourn together the calamities and atrocities of recent events, the fear, and the loss. Creating space for pain, together. Personal meaning-making in the face of grief. How can we find resilience, courage, and hope in these times?

 Grieving as a skill, in ritual and another process, grieving in the community. 

Protective Use of Force
Opening a conversation about what nonviolence is and what violence is. The use of power and its role in protecting what is dear to us, while not causing more harm. How can both be held?

A Unique Part of Our Training: The "It's Alive" Sessions

As part of the Rising for Life schedule, we are excited to introduce the “It’s Alive” sessions
—an essential and integral component of the training. 

In addition to the “content” sessions our lead trainers will be offering, we are inviting the
participants to bring forth challenges that are alive for them and enjoy the rare
opportunity to explore live conflicts—whether personal, relational, or systemic—in a safe and guided environment.

In our experience, live conflicts and real-life questions often emerge in a residential setting.  However, there is frequently a tension or lack of space in the schedule to address them and fully follow “what is alive” and even burning, due to all the promised content. To address this, we are building dedicated time into the schedule in advance. Every day, we will have both “Content” sessions and “It’s Alive” sessions, where we dive deep into a
process that comes from you, the participants. 

Facilitated by our lead trainers and supported by a team of assistants, this unique concept is designed to deepen the practice of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) by addressing real-time challenges and fostering personal and collective transformation.