Michelle Hennessy – News Writer
Nonviolence training, where people learn how to deal with violence in communities through non-violent measures, will be offered at Southern for the first time in March.
“This training is coming here to Southern and that’s very exciting,” said director of the Connecticut Center for Nonviolence, Victoria Christgau. “This training starts here on February 28th, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and March 1st, 9 to 4 p.m. If you have family or friends in New Haven, everyone is welcome to come here to Southern.”
Christgau said the initial two day course is 16 hours, with the complete course and certification being up to 80 hours of training.
“The two day course is a precursor,” said Christgau, “you learn the six principles and it gives you a taste of what is to come.”
Despite being Caucasian, Christgau said her ethnicity and gender have never got in the way of her passion to fight for Civil Rights in a non-violent way. Her interest in the movement came when she was seven and, since then, has worked with Martin Luther King’s contemporary, Bernard LaFayette Jr., Ph.D, who has acted as her mentor.
“It was a black led movement, but there were white men and women involved too,” said Christgau. “Many people have had to swallow hard to even listen to me but I have never let it be a barrier.”
The aim of the center is to train students to become leaders who then teach communities how to lower violence in their neighbourhood.
“We are hoping to get teachers to set up Nonviolence Clubs in their schools, then we will support those clubs,” said Christgau. “Our hope is to get college students training High School students, and High School students training Middle School.”
Youth Trainer Mahogany Foster said through the training she received at the center, she was able to use what she learnt to make a change in her life.
“Growing up in inner cities, we see a lot of violence and we absorb it like a sponge,” said Foster, “but when I learned the six steps I really found that I could apply it to my own life.”
Weaver High School student Rafael Santiago, who is also part of the center agreed that the training is something everyone can benefit from.
“This training is not easy stuff, it takes a lot of time but it gives young people the chance to experience something they have never experienced before,” said Santiago. “All you see is violence and killing, we get tired of seeing this every single day because for young people who are growing up in a tough community, it affects us and our lives.”
Professional writing student Samantha Schwind said a nonviolent approach to tackling social problems in neighborhoods was what drew her to the information event in the Student Center last week.
“Peace is an important thing to strive for in life, and it’s not something that’s taught in classrooms like it should be,” said Schwind. “So I really wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and see what I can learn from it.
According to Connecticut Against Gun Violence, America is one of the world’s most developed countries, statistically, it’s also one of the most violent. Christgau said something has to be done to tackle crime as far too many young people are falling into violence.
“It’s time. There’s far too much violence and far too much addiction and we are just tired of it — we are completely tired of it,” said Christgau. “Human beings are so magnificent and so capable that now it’s time.”
