The
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP)
P.O. Box 9898, Reno, NV 89507 U.S.A., (775) 345-1515
Nevada Coordinator: Donna Murphy-Sharp (donna@unr.edu)
AVP’s
Vision and Mission
Statement
The Alternatives to
Violence Project (AVP) is working towards creating a non-violent
society. Our
goal is to reduce the level of violence by introducing people to ways
of
resolving conflict that reduces their need to resort to violence as a
solution
to conflict. Our process draws on the life experiences of participants
as a
learning resource to seek constructive positive outcomes to conflicts.
Our
mission is to empower
people to lead non-violent lives through affirmation, respect for all,
community building, cooperation and trust. We do our training where
violence is
found: in our prisons, in our schools, and in our communities.
See
the Review
Report On AVP Workshops at Nevada State Prison,
October 2002 - January 2007.
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AVP/Nevada’s
2008 Prison
Workshop Schedule
We have now scheduled four workshops at the Lovelock Correctional Center for this year. The dates are April 11 - 13, June 20 - 22, Sept. 12 - 14, Nov. 14 - 16.
At this point, we have only scheduled these as Basic
workshops. Depending on the numbers there, we may change one of these
to an Advanced later this year. It takes a little while for a critical
mass to develop - or at least it did at NSP. These will be our first workshops at Lovelock for
inmates. There was a workshop for staff in 1999, but we have not been
back since. Something of a reunion of sorts.
The
following workshops
are scheduled for the Nevada State Prison (NSP) in Carson City,
NV:
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January
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March
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May
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July
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August
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October
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December
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25-27
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14-16
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16-18
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18-20
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15-17
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17-19
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13-14 (2 Days)
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B
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B
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A
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B or T4F
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B
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B or A
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TF
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A= Advanced Workshop; B= Basic Workshop; T4F=Training for Facilitators; TF= Advanced Training for Facilitators (a
Sat-Sun workshop).
You can
participate in
these workshops at NSP as a volunteer participant.
AVP Nevada also facilitates community
workshops. When we have scheduled a community workshop, we will post
the dates
and location on this website.
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How AVP Began
The Alternatives to
Violence Project (AVP) began in 1975. An inmate group at Green Haven
Prison in New
York was engaged in
work with youth gangs and teenagers at risk. They sought assistance
from the
Quaker Project on Community Conflict to develop a non-violent training
program.
AVP was born from that original partnership of inmates and Quakers.
AVP
is now a national and
international program with training workshops in more than 40 states
and 20
countries. Within the US,
AVP is organized as a multicultural, educational non-profit program.
AVP is an
all-volunteer community service program. There are no paid staff or
paid
facilitators.
AVP/Nevada
AVP Nevada had several workshops prior to the first prison
workshop for inmates at Nevada State Prison.
In 1998 a Basic community workshop was held in Reno.
In July 1999, the first prison workshop for staff was held at Lovelock Correctional Center. In October 2000, a training for Facilitators
was held at the Reno Friends. Facilitators and individuals trained at that
workshop are the core of the current field of facilitators in Nevada.
Workshops for inmates at Nevada
State prison began in August,
2001 and have been held continuously to the present.
Workshops are scheduled to begin in April, 2008 for inmates
at Lovelock Correctional Center and are being negotiated to start holding
workshops at Warm Springs Correctional Center in Carson City.
California AVP: AVP/California
is actively launching prison programs in towns throughout California,
and their website gives contacts for a dozen or more. See http://www.AVPCalifornia.org.
Mid-Missouri AVP: Mid-Missouri AVP maintains a website including many articles about AVP. See http://avp.missouri.org.
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What
is the AVP Program?
AVP is an experiential
workshop program, helping people change their lives. It is a prison
program,
and a community program. It is about personal growth and change. It is
a
program for everyone.
AVP offers 3-day (21
hour) workshops. There are three workshop levels:
- Basic
Workshop. The Basic
Workshop concentrates on primary conflict resolution skills.
Step-by-step
exercises focus on: affirmation, communication, trust and cooperation,
community building, and creative conflict resolution.
- Advance Workshops.
Advance Workshops provide for a deeper look at aspects of violence,
such as
stereotyping, power, fear, anger, and forgiveness. They build on the
collective
group experience in communication, cooperation and problem solving.
- Training for Facilitators
(T4F) Workshop. The T4F workshop focuses on team building,
and leadership
skills, including group processing skills, team leadership methods, and
hands-on experience in presenting and facilitating AVP exercises.
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How You Can Get Involved
You
can get involved with
AVP in several ways, including:
- Participating in workshops,
- Becoming
an AVP facilitator,
- Organizing
a community workshop, and
- Contributing
funds to the AVP program.
How to Contact or Donate to AVP
If
you would like to
participate in AVP, or help with the AVP program, please contact us at:
AVP/Nevada
P.O.Box 9898
Reno, NV
89507
(775) 345-1515
The
Reno Friends Meeting
currently maintains a financial account for AVP/Nevada. If you wish to
make a
contribution to AVP, please make out your donation to:
Reno Friends Meeting/AVP
c/o Reno
Friends Meeting
497
Highland Avenue
Reno,
NV 89512-2219
National
AVP
To learn more about AVP,
please visit the AVP/USA website: www.avpusa.org.
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