Bio:

Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation trainers Victoria Christgau and John Levi Lewis:

Bio:Victoria Christgau is the founder and Executive Director of the Connecticut Center for Nonviolence (CTCN).   An advanced, Kingian Nonviolence Trainer and Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism Teaching and Performing Artist. Victoria has been a Peace/Arts Educator for over 27 years.  Founder/Director of the Peace is Possible Chorus and of the 20^th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Commemoration of Litchfield County. She works closely with civil rights legend, Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr. former executive staff member for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and currently Honorary Board Chair of CTCN.  She and CTCN has received the Hartford Courant’s Tapestry Diversity Award, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s Community Partnership Award and the CT State Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission’s Community Service Award. Victoria has presented nonviolence workshops, trainings and residencies at schools, colleges and numerous other venues and the nation.

Bio John Levi Lewis: Pastor, Trainer, Director of Outreach for CT Center for Nonviolence. He hosts the Inspirational Hour Television Talk Show, CTV. In 2009, he birthed Life Center Ministry in New Haven, CT.  Lewis was the Executive Director of the H O.S.T.S Association – Help Our Society To Survive from 1984 – 1994 under the leadership of Mr. John Ghoreyeb. The H.O.S.T.S. Program was one of the most sought-after programs in the New England area and has since merged with Youth Continuum.  Lewis serves as a member of the Ambassador’s Program with retired, US State Attorney Rev. Kieth King. Currently, he is affiliated with the Christian Community Commission, The Brotherhood Leadership Summit and the We Care Tour. He is also certified as a Fatherhood Facilitator with the national Fatherhood Initiative Program. He is organizing trainings with multiple stake-holders across the city including the New Haven and Yale New Haven Police Departments.

Programs:

Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation

Kingian Nonviolence is based on the philosophy and methodology taught and practiced by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It provides the knowledge, skills and motivation necessary for people to pursue direct, peaceful strategies for solving personal, community and societal conflicts. This presentation includes an analysis of the Six Principles of Nonviolence the “Will” and the Six Steps of Nonviolence the “Skill” as powerful tools for addressing violence in all its forms to build a more just and inclusive society. This can be formatted as a lecture or interactive, experiential, seminar varying in length, from 2 hours, 4-6 hours, as a 2-Day Core Introduction (16 hours) or as a long-term 50 hour certification course.

Police and Community Engagement through Kingian Nonviolence

The CT Center for Nonviolence has been working with Police Departments, to train their recruits and upper command staff in Kingian Nonviolence. In this work, community members and Law Enforcement personnel experience a shared learning environment to build a culture of nonviolence across lines of difference.

The Beloved Community Is the Framework for the Future – Follow Your Calling

Institutionalizing Kingian Nonviolence has been a mission of the Connecticut Center for Nonviolence (CTCN) since its inception in 2007. In this dynamic presentation, the Founder and Executive Director of CTCN, Victoria Christgau and the Director of Outreach, Pastor John Levi Lewis, share the remarkable story of how the Kingian Nonviolence training, moved from the kitchen table to the board rooms of both large and small organizations, schools, colleges and universities, supporting communities that want to combat racism and violence in all its forms.

Some partners include: The Hartford Symphony Orchestra, City Music Program, The YMCA of Greater Hartford, the New Haven Police Department, Yale University, Central CT State University and more.