In the aftermath of the American Civic Association, Binghamton residents will learn how to use words to prevent people from committing violent acts at the sixth annual New York Intensive Residential Training in Nonviolent Communication. The event will be held at Mountainview College at Binghamton University from June 20 to 27.

“We want to teach people how to bring understanding between themselves to avoid violence through physical and verbal contact,” said Jane Connor, a co-organizer of the program.

The training event holds an special significance for the community of Binghamton, which was shocked on the morning of April 3, when Jiverly Wong killed 13 people at the American Civic Association on Front Street.

For this reason, the conference, which normally costs over $1,000 to attend, is only $50 for Binghamton residents.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a process developed by American psychologist Marshall Rosenberg, is an internationally-taught method of creating compassion between two or more people.

At the beginning of the week, attendees of all skill levels will choose the nonviolent communication-related topics to be discussed by the conference’s credentialed trainers.

Last year, over 80 topics were covered, ranging from nonviolent parenting to how to say “no” in a difficult situation.

Participants will also meet in empathy groups to share thoughts and discuss topics, such as NVC in schools, over meals with other interested individuals.

“Building a community through immersion offers a different way of learning,” Connor said.

One featured event is a walk on the Empathy Labyrinth, designed by comedian and NVC trainer Marc Weiner.

During the Labyrinth, a person walks along a circle of cards representing different feelings and needs and asks him- or herself what emotions they feel after reading each card.

Connor said that two of the questions individuals may come across include: “What is happening that’s upsetting me?” and “What would I like to be happy?”

“It’s a meditative walk with cards to help you identify parts of your experiences,” Connor said. “Many people find it extremely helpful.”

According to Roxanne Manning, a NVC trainer and program co-organizer, many people can get confused over the definition of violence.

“Some of it is just things we say to ourselves,” she said. “Putting yourself down [emotionally] is a form of violence.”

Also new at this year’s training is a children’s program, where children can choose a curriculum similar to that of the adults while learning with others their age.

According to Manning, the children’s program gives the kids the opportunity to see what it is like to live in a world of nonviolent communication.

Outside of the NVC training, three free events are scheduled for the public.

“We want to support the community, so we hope it will work out,” Connor said.

Visit 2009.newyorkintensive.com for information on sign ups.