What do a lawyers, an organic farmer, a teacher, and a deacon have in common? They have all participated in seminars organized by gewaltfrei handeln e. V. (Nonviolent Action) and apply the skills they have learned and the principle of nonviolence in their professions, their volunteer work, and their personal lives.

The roots of gewaltfrei handeln date back to the early 1990s. Under its former name, “Oekumenischer Dienst – Schalomdiakonat” (Ecumenical Service – Shalom Diaconate), the association was co-founded by the schwelle Foundation to train people for peace services at home and abroad. This initiative has developed into a close partnership spanning more than thirty years, which continues to this day.

Since 1994, gewaltfrei handeln has been training people for peace work – in churches, society, and internationally. It is based on the conviction that conflicts can be resolved without violence and that social change can be achieved peacefully.

The work focuses on multi-year basic and advanced courses as well as seminars and workshops. Here, participants acquire knowledge and skills in civil conflict management, mediation, theories of conflict and peace, and a spirituality of non-violence. The focus is not only on techniques, but also on attitude: on the willingness to reflect on one's own role in conflicts and to open up paths to de-escalation.

The educational offerings of gewaltfrei handeln also include workshops on current social issues, e.g., diversity, the logic of peace, appreciative dialogue in highly polarized situations, and training in action and argumentation for nonviolent responses to misanthropic, racist, and right-wing extremist slogans.

Many graduates of gewaltfrei handeln bring their experiences to their professional and voluntary contexts – in church communities, schools, social movements, international peace services, or community projects. In this way, gewaltfrei handeln contributes to making non-violence visible as an attitude in the church and society.

In addition to offering training courses, the association supports and connects people who are involved in peace work and provides impetus in the church and society through publications, events, and public contributions.

“We clearly reject passivity and are equally determined to reject violence as a means of struggle. We replace it with the power of truth, justice, and love.” This quote from Hildegard Goss-Mayr aptly describes the attitude of gewaltfrei handeln to this day.