We are Marie Romeijn and Pia Deppermann, two art and design students at the free university of Bolzano.

The aim of the workshop is to explore “language”, in order to shed light on the issue of ‘care’ in our very basic means of communication. The workshop will begin with a presentation of already existing ways to use non-violent language. This will be followed by a co-creative process in which we will redesign the words we are using to grasp our world. Let us break free from categories and dive into an inclusive and sensitive vocabulary.

Language is a tool to make sense of our world, to communicate our vision, to visualize our perception. At the same time, it can become a tool to exclude parts of the world, to allow only certain visions, to force a particular perception.

Language can not only report violence or call for violence, it can itself be a form of violence. Verbal violence is any form of hurtful language that leads to people and groups being degraded, stigmatized or excluded in their social position. It is important to listen to those affected when they draw attention to e.g. racist, sexist language, as well as to be attentive in your own language. Only in this way, a fundamentally inclusive, non-violent and peaceful world can be thought:

By changing how we are talking, what we are talking about and to whom we give a stage to talk, we can be more inclusive.

How is language affecting our way of thinking?

How to be aware of violent language?

Tools to communicate in a non-violent way.

Recommended media:
  •  Book: Sprache und Sein Kübra Gümü şay (Only in german)