Healing of Memories
"Healing means, first of all, the creation of empty but friendly space where those who suffer can tell their story to someone who can listen with real attention." ~ Henri Nouwen
Since 2009, the PEACE Centre provides Healing of Memories workshops in Namibia. The goal here is not to heal only traumatized people by apartheid and organized violence, but also to give psychological support to people who suffered from other traumatic experiences like rape or domestic violence.
Healing of Memories Workshops were created by the Institute of Healing of Memories to heal the psychological, emotional and spiritual wounds of persons who suffered from apartheid and their consequences in South Africa. The Healing of Memories workshops offer a safe space to people to meet and feel welcome, be listened to, be understood, and feel comfortable sharing sensitive and painful. The objectives of the workshops are to accompany the healing process and to further the participants' journey towards peace, reconciliation and forgiveness.
Each workshop takes place over three days, starting on the evening of the first day and ending in the afternoon of the third day. Each workshop is an individual and collective journey of exploring the effects of the apartheid years. The emphasis is on dealing with these issues at an emotional, psychological and spiritual level, rather than an intellectual level.
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP)
In response to the growth of domestic violence, street-crimes, and the spread of HIV through sexual abuse in Namibia, in 2005 the PEACE Centre in Windhoek introduced an experiential learning process to teach Namibians about a new approach in conflict-resolution, dealing with anger and other violent feelings, and problem-solving. Tested first in the USA and more recently in South Africa, this was something completely new for Namibia. In its first year, this approach -- called the "Alternatives to Violence Project" (AVP) -- trained 60 Namibians in all walks of life. The feedback was electric, and many more workshops could have been filled, if only the resources had been available. Within eight months, a core group of successful trainees also went on to become facilitators of future AVP interventions, although this "Trainer of Trainers" approach is still in its beginning stages. Further adaptations, scaling-up, and integration of the techniques are being planned, after which the PEACE Centre hopes that AVP can become a wholly Namibian project for application throughout Namibia's prisons, schools, with out-of-school youth, and beyond.
AVP's mission is to empower people to lead positive, productive individual and community lives through affirmation, communication, respect for all, community building, cooperation, and trust. It is dedicated to teaching the same peace building techniques and skills used by Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.
The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) originated in the United States in the 70's; its impetus was prison violence and the desire of some prisoners to examine the roots of violence in their own lives and to try and find alternative, more constructive ways of approaching problems and conflicts. AVP has been used since in Europe and elsewhere, including South Africa, in schools, prisons, work places and other group situations to good effect to empower individuals to deal with conflict in creative ways and without violence. The AVP conflict resolution philosophy and techniques are inclusive in the sense that secular as well as religious organizations find these meaningful and useful.
AVP workshops present pre-emptive conflict transformation skills that enable individuals to build successful interpersonal relationships and interactions, gain insights into themselves, and find new and positive approaches to their lives. They provide experiences of respect for oneself and others; of speaking truth and listening with an open mind; of co-operation, leadership, and the benefits of diversity.
