“Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me ‘round …” — classic line from a civil rights anthem
Truly, we are built for times like this … and beyond! No matter the chaos, the pathos, the unethical mudslinging and awfulness of those running the show in D.C. (and elsewhere), we are here to say, and here to stay. Gone (hopefully forever) are the days of polite and quiet acquiescence and tolerance of those bent on destroying our democracy. Even if we cannot speak truth to power, we can decisively actively bystand against harassment and degradation.
Most of us haven’t been trained in a methodology that enables our agency against the strength and might of wrongheadedness. At the outset, we may lack confidence, even competence, in knowing how to do what our instincts tell us to do when we see another human being having emotional or physical harm done to them. But, like anything and nearly everything else, we can learn. And the teaching and training that allows for this learning is coming to Greenfield over the next three months, and it’s well worth making a fuss over, here and now.
If you’ve never heard of a local organization (formerly based in nearby Orange) called Quabbin Mediation and its mainstay program, Training Active Bystanders, it’s time. TAB’s mission is … to empower individuals to intervene safely in harmful situations, reducing violence and promoting community safety through teaching skills for recognizing, analyzing, and interrupting harm while supporting targets of harassment.
Daily, we’ve been bombarded via news media, conversations with friends, perhaps streetside observations, and more with the verbal garbage and physical intimidation perpetuated against anyone not fitting the new “U.S. Government Code” of being “same as” those in charge. This is no longer even in question. What questions remain are more about how we, the people, will react, respond, take action, and stand up, stand out against the heinous proclamations of a would-be king and failed human being. Standing by is no longer a legitimate “action” as it is rooted in benign passivity at best. However, we can learn and practice active bystanding through the unique, hands-on training and support offered through Quabbin Mediation’s program, Training Active Bystanders.
As a local advisor to the two co-executive directors of the TAB Program, I am writing this from a personal perspective rather than attempting to represent this organization. I have pushed long and hard to have Greenfield and Franklin County serve as major hubs of this national community-based service program. Starting this week, we will host a series of trainings for any and all ages 16 and up. Some will be free of charge, and others will have a fee attached — the goal is to fill the seats and rooms with as many folks as are able to direct themselves “in.” These workshops are for everyone, as we all have what it takes to minimize and negate the violent actions and words of others in order to create a safe shield within our communities. We are taught safety, common sense, and protection for all (including ourselves as active bystanders) before any actions are taken, any words uttered. This matters most of all.
Here’s a brief list of what’s coming to us in Greenfield and Franklin County between now and mid-April:
Free intro: Fundamentals of Training Active Bystanders (2.5 hours — Greenfield Public Library): Thursday, Feb. 19, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or Friday, March 6: 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Certification Training (10 hours — Greenfield Community College Main Campus, $100 for community members, free to GCC and all other students): Friday, April 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday, April 17, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Both are part of one training.)
For sure, there will be more as this is simply and profoundly a “getting started’ salvo for our community and county. The intention here is to involve and engage as many high school and college students along with community residents, workers, and allies as possible. We cannot any longer afford to allow ICE and national politics to go their own ways and have at it with those of us who feel they are without power, strength, and voice. TAB’s work aims to bring confidence and competence, along with skills and knowledge, as to how and when to intercede in harm-doing in the day-to-day.
To learn is visionary. To act is immediate. Active engagement and active bystanding are decisions for each one of us to make, to stand up to and stand up for those who do not have firm footing and/or who’ve had the ground knocked out from underneath themselves. These trainings are designed to be experiential community-building at its finest and strongest. TAB has held in-person and Zoom trainings for high schoolers, middle schoolers, undergrad and graduate students, athletes, and adults all over the U.S. and in countries such as Canada, Great Britain, and elsewhere.
What we’re doing is not (any longer) future-based protection — it is building safety in the here-and-now for each and all of us, whether we are directly personally impacted or not. “None of us are free until all are free” (attributed to the U.S. civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer). What TAB and other like-minded local and national organizations are doing is taking a leap in the right direction to help us steer the arc of humanity towards liberation and equality. Join us, and better yet, come with a friend/colleague/community or family member. Be part of the Freedom, Liberation, and Safety for All Movement going forward. We need you, and you (may) need us!
Daniel Cantor Yalowitz, Ed.D., writes a regular column for the Recorder. He in an intercultural and developmental psychologist in private practice in Greenfield. His most recent book, “Creating the Intercultural Field: Legacies from the Pioneers,” was released in mid-January through Palgrave MacMillan Publishers. Former chair of the Greenfield Human Rights Commission, Dr. Yalowitz writes about issues focused on human and civil rights, human values, and his ongoing commitment to create a better world for us all. Reach out to him at danielcyalowitz@gmail.com.