Conflict is so often the cause of things not working out the way we want. Yet, conflict is also an inevitable part of working with others. Even with groups that agree on their mission and have the most well-meaning members, conflict will happen. But, conflict doesn’t have to end relationships. It can be dealt with and become transformative. Navigating tension, disagreement, and hurt is not about avoiding or eliminating conflict but about learning how to move through it in generative ways. Building up our conflict skills is necessary if we are to build community projects and collectives that are resilient and make disagreements transformative.

In this 4-part class, you will learn and practice several conflict tools for internal, interpersonal, and systemic conflict including nonviolent communication (NVC), empathy languages, and relational accountability.

What if you had the tools to not just imagine a better world, but to actually start building it right now? What if the dream you have for your community is the seed of transformation needed to foster real and lasting change? All over the world, people are refusing to wait for governments, corporations, or fragile economies to help them meet their needs. Instead, they’re creating their own stability in the face of inflation, political turmoil, and constant disruption. How? By building community self-reliance projects that meet real needs without relying on money or the larger economy. Think: thriving urban gardens, timebanks where skills are exchanged instead of dollars, Buy-Nothing groups, and neighborhood swaps. These aren’t quick fixes, but stepping stones toward community thriving, resilience, and sustainability. That’s what Visionary Organizing Lab’s Community Self-Reliance (CSR) School is all about.