An orientation Programme on “Nonviolence Communication and Nonviolence Conflict Resolution” was organized by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti for officials of Special Unit for women and children of Delhi Police from June 19-20, 2018 in Police Training School, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi. The aim of the program was to build a framework of mediation in solving the conflicts without using coercive methods and violence and also help police officials to develop the friendly linkages with/between the citizens. About 50 Police Officers took part in the training programme.
Along with Dr. Vedabhyas Kundu (Program Officer, GSDS) two eminent resource persons viz. Shri Kumar Amitabh (Senior Journalist and Filmmaker) and Ms. Shweta Rashmi (Journalist, Working for Women and Children) contributed to achieve the overarching goal of enhancement of Police-Public partnerships and to integrate Gandhian techniques in policing.
The programme started by outlining the aims and objectives of the orientation programme by Dr. Vedabhyas Kundu (Program Officer, GSDS). While speaking on the benefits of the programme, he added that as police play a role of mediator to solve the conflicts between the two groups or individual, this program could help them to deal with the situation without using coercive methods and violence.
Thus making their job easier and safer and thereby help them to develop friendly linkage with /between the citizens. He also shared experiences of similar programme organized by GSDS amongst Home Guards and Police Forces in different parts of the country. He added that this programme will help to integrate Gandhian techniques of nonviolent conflict resolution and nonviolent communication in actual policing duties and draw attention towards the soul of programme i.e. to empower communities to actively engage with the police and to initiate joint police-community interventions using nonviolent techniques for crime prevention and safe neighborhood.
Sessions which were jointly taken by resource persons included:
- Understanding of different perspectives on Peace, Nonviolence and Conflict; Critical understanding of everyday conflicts and resolution techniques and conflict Mapping;
- An introduction to Nonviolent Conflict Resolution approaches, Negotiation, Mediation, and Nonviolent Communication;
- Integrating nonviolent communication and dialogues in community policing and enhancing Police Image.
Further HEALTH formula for effective policing and good police-public relations was elaborated which speaks about H=Honesty, E=Empathy, A=Acceptance, L=LISTENING, T=TRUST and H=HEART.
Group exercises were carried on with participants to analyze the cases studies taken in different context.
With the understanding that if we just act in each moment, with composure and mindfulness, each minute of our life is a work of art and it is just that we have to be aware of the motivation behind our action, the intention behind our words and the needs and experiences of other people, the programme ended with the promise note of making life more beautiful for others.
