The UN’s International Day of Peace is on September 21, 2012, and New York nonprofit the Center for Collaborative Communication [CCC] is sharing a week of peace-building workshops leading up to the day.

CCC’s Founder and lead trainer Dian Killian explains, “If our intention is to ‘be the change we want to see in the world’ as Gandhi suggests any interaction-focused education we do makes a huge difference because it affects how we act towards others. Whether we hope to see global political change or effect local cultural shifts towards interdependence-aware peace, we can learn to act in ways that shift domination to collaboration. That’s what I teach.”

These workshops are on various topics from integrating a yogic ahisma mindset, dealing with testy clients, or having hard political conversations. The core message and skills taught remain the same: in order to get along with others in any setting, we have to talk with one another, not over or at each other. Even better – you can learn to collaborate and build with others using the decades-old internationally renowned system at the core of these workshops. The best part? It only takes four steps to practice it.

NYC’s Center for Collaborative Communication is offering this week of workshops in alignment with other local and global campaigns for peace, including WE the World’s 11 Days of Global Unity Campaign. The following five events are offered in NYC between Sept 17 and Sept. 27, 2012, and start at just $5.

Would you like to learn how peace on earth can begin with you? See you in class!

Introductory Strategies for Difficult Political Conversations

Monday Sept 17, 2012, 7-9pm

Bluestockings Bookstore, 172 Allen Street, NY, NY

Presenter: Dian Killian and Shana Deane of the Center for Collaborative Communication http://www.ccc-nvc.org

Would you like new ways to speak effectively with those with different political views, addressing issues of equality and social change? Join Dian Killian, PhD, author, activist, and founder and lead trainer of the Center for Collaborative Communication, as she shares effective strategies you can use to shift power in the midst of conflict to focus on shared values.

No pre-registration: $5/PWYC, http://www.bluestockings.com/events

Kick Butt Conflict Resolution

Tuesday Sept 18, 2012, 7-9:30pm

LifeLabs, Actors Theater Workshop, 145 West 28th St. 3rd floor.

Presenter: Dian Killian of the Center for Collaborative Communication http://www.ccc-nvc.org

How good are you when you are under pressure, feel offended/ unheard, or notice that a conversation is taking a turn for the worse? In this 2.5 hour professional training you’ll be introduced to a 4-step system for staying calm, figuring out what the other person really wants: to handling difficult, annoying, or defensive people with grace and skill.

Register: $40, http://www.lifelabsnewyork.com/conflict_resolution.html

Introduction to Communicating With Difficult People

Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, 7pm.

92nd Street Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd St., New York, NY

Presenter: Dian Killian of the Center for Collaborative Communication http://www.ccc-nvc.org

Have you ever reached an impasse with colleagues, clients, a family member or person on the street? In this interactive session participants learn the basics of navigating challenging conversations via a four-step communication model that transforms critical communication barriers into peace-building opportunities for clarity, collaboration, and action.

Register: $25, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/CommunicatingW/DifficultPeople-1.aspx

How To Stay Calm Under Fire

Thursday Sept 20, 2012. 6:30-8:30pm

Integral Yoga, 227 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011

Presenter: Dian Killian of the Center for Collaborative Communication http://www.ccc-nvc.org

In living a yogic lifestyle we aim to practice ahimsa (non-violence) by choosing our words with mindfulness, and communicating with loving kindness and compassion. In this short workshop learn how to use words to build your practice in and out of class to connect compassionately with others and discover your inner resources for mindful presence in challenging situations.

Register: $25, https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/home.asp?studioid=8633

Hearing Others and Ourselves Class

Thursdays,  September 27 – Nov 1, 6:30-9pm

Recession Arts, 9 Clinton St., New York, NY

Presenter: Shana Deane of the Center for Collaborative Communication http://www.ccc-nvc.org

Through this proven and popular tri-level immersion program you can learn all the core skills of NVC plus intermediate and advanced practices, such as expressing and responding to anger, translating self-judgment to self-understanding and skillful interruption and pacing of conversations

Register here: $345, http://www.regonline.com/f1_fall2012