De-escalation in Fiery Times
Conditions over the past several years have inflamed the right wing, Christian nationalists, conspiracy theories, violence, and division. The right is emboldened and potential for disruption of our public events, demonstrations, or peaceful existence as marginalized people is high.
We are all impacted in a variety of different and related ways by this crisis. Many of us are doing our work while processing our own personal and community traumas, and that impacts our defenses against the right’s divide-and-conquer tactics. Moments that require deescalation are not generally low-key interactions; they can surface our own trauma, activate our autonomic stress responses, and impact people very differently depending on things like race, gender, dis/ability, immigration status, religion, etc.
De-escalation is one tool among many, a tactic we can use to protect our events (and those of our allies) and each other. In this training, we’ll talk about how to build trust and resilience in groups to handle escalated situations; when de-escalation is called for (versus other tactics); how to de-escalate in a way that is consistent with our values; different strategies for what de-escalation can look like in practice, and more.
“Roan provided real responses to the hypotheticals posed and gave us practical takeaway points. A lot of trainings do a lot of talking around actual answers; with some of the tools we spoke about today, I feel empowered to engage in de-escalation.”
“Talking about our experiences and expectations when dealing with de-escalation in a political setting was so helpful. I really feel like I learned a lot about myself and co-workers in a short time.”
“This will be useful for me not just at [our upcoming event] but also in my daily life as a public librarian. Thank you!”
Participant Testimonials
for De-escalation in Fiery Times
F.A.Q.
Who is this training for?
This de-escalation training is for any social justice oriented group that may experience disruptions or volatile situations in the course of their work—at events, in the streets, or anywhere else they may encounter escalated conflict. I will ask you some questions about your work before the training in order to tailor the content to be most effective for your specific circumstances.
How long is this training? Who can participate?
This training is 2 hours long, and typically takes place on Zoom. I invite member organizations to participate with all or as many members as possible. I invite workplaces to participate as a full staff; staff and board; or together with coalitions or partner organizations. The training makes space for a range of participation styles; although no individual will be put on the spot to share, my trainings are always better when there is robust group engagement.
Does the training have captioning or interpretation? What about other access needs?
Automatic Zoom captioning available will be available, and I can arrange live CART captioning and interpretation by request. Please let me know if there are any other access needs we can attend to.
How much does the training cost?
The training is billed on a sliding scale, at my half-day rate.
Can we record the training?
You can request to record the training for internal use; it will be available to view online for members of your organization for 30 days.
How do I book this training? What if I have more questions?
To book the training, express interest, or if you have any questions, please fill out this contact form and I will get back to you within a couple business days.