On June 5, peacebuilders from across Virginia will gather to discuss and practice how to hold space for peace during contentious community events.
An Unarmed Civilian Protection training is being convened by the Virginia Trust Network, a program of Resolution Virginia that was begun in late 2020 as a response to violence in communities across the state.
The Virginia Trust Network is made up of people who have an interest in the non-violent resolution of disputes and have experience in (or the desire to learn) how to de-escalate violent or potentially violent situations.
Some network members have worked in high-conflict areas the world-over and are using their talents in Virginia. The Network also contains facilitators skilled at bringing stakeholders together to discuss violence-prevention in communities.
Virginia’s Trust Network is divided into the following five regions and currently recruiting members:
- Northern Virginia
- the Shenandoah Valley
- Richmond/Central Virginia
- “The 757”/Tidewater
- Southwest Virginia.
Resolution Virginia’s Executive Director, Christine Poulson, can be contacted at [email protected]. for more information about the Virginia Trust Network or the June 5 Unarmed Civilian Protection training. The training will be conducted by Dr. Eli McCarthy and the D.C. Peace Team and paid for by Virginia Tech’s Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention.