AVP (NSW) - Broadmeadow

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The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) offers small group workshops  helping people transform conflict and develop nonviolent relationships. Using a variety of interactive activities, listening to each other and self-reflection, the workshops promote individual and community growth. We believe there is a power for peace and good in everyone, and that this power can help transform violence.

Learn more about AVP in NSW here. The workshops are free, but a donation will help us expand our work. We offer workshops in Sydney, Newcastle and online.

The Sydney workshops are held at on weekends (all day Saturday and Sunday) at Auburn, Castle Hill and Lurnea (near Liverpool). There is usually at least one workshop a month. The Newcastle workshops are held weekly (on a Wednesday afternoon in Hamilton North or a Thursday morning in Broadmeadow) and you can start any week. Once you complete 9 (Thursday) or 10 (Wendesday) sessions, you receive a Basic certificate. The online workshops are held a few times a year around a weekend. 

Our Sydney and Online workshops are listed here and our Newcastle workshops are listed here.

The Basic workshop can help you to:

• manage strong feelings such as anger and fear
• deal more effectively with risk and danger
• build good relationships with other people
• communicate well in difficult situations
• recognize the skills you already have and learn new ones
• be true to yourself while respecting others
• understand why conflict happens

The Advanced workshop can help you learn to make group decisions by consensus and then explore one or more topics (chosen by the group) in more depth. Common topics include fear, anger, communication, stereotyping, power and powerlessness, and forgiveness.

If you want to keep exploring nonviolence you can repeat any of the workshops (each workshop is different) or apply to do the Training for Facilitation workshop where you will learn skills needed to facilitate an AVP workshop.

AVP believes that:

• There is good in everyone (Everybody has strengths, everybody is of value and AVP is a non-judgemental space)
• We are all teachers and learners (The facilitators don’t have all the answers and are there to learn as well)
• We learn by getting involved (The workshops are interactive and experiential)
• We are all volunteers (AVP is run by volunteers and your involvement in a workshop is voluntary. - you have the right to pass during the workshop)
• It isn’t therapy, but there can be healing (The workshops are not therapy and we aren’t trying to “fix” anybody. But sometimes people find that exploring issues in a supportive environment can be part of a healing process)
• It isn’t religious but it can be spiritual (While there is no religious affiliation or content, some people find there is a spiritual aspect to the workshops)
• Learning can be fun (although we explore some pretty heavy topics, there is also a lot of humour, laughter and fun)

You can download our latest flyer here and find out more about AVP internationally here.

he Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) offers small group workshops  helping people transform conflict and develop nonviolent relationships. Using a variety of interactive activities, listening to each other and self-reflection, the workshops promote individual and community growth. We believe there is a power for peace and good in everyone, and that this power can help transform violence.

There are three main levels of AVP workshops, each of which usually goes for 18-20 hours:

The Basic workshop which can help you to:

• manage strong feelings such as anger and fear
• deal more effectively with risk and danger
• build good relationships with other people
• communicate well in difficult situations
• recognize the skills you already have and learn new ones
• be true to yourself while respecting others
• understand why conflict happens

The Advanced workshop which can help you learn to make group decisions by consensus and then explore one or more topics (chosen by the group) in more depth. Common topics include fear, anger, communication, stereotyping, power and powerlessness, and forgiveness.

If you want to keep exploring nonviolence you can repeat any of the workshops (each workshop is different) or apply to do the Training for Facilitation workshop where you will learn skills needed to facilitate an AVP workshop.