In September I’m returning to Australia, for the third time. This time only to give presentations and workshops about violence and learning! (and a little sight-seeing in that spectacular country too I hope.) I am looking forward to talking with educators, students, and others, in many parts of the country. I’m excited!

And I am ready to begin the conversation now! To make connections and explore issues of violence and learning from Canada to Australia (and in other parts of the world too) I am starting here in virtual space, with Linno Rhodes, an Australian educator and researcher who is also exploring in this area and will be visiting North America in April. We really hope, wherever you are located, that you will join us in thinking through the ways violence, trauma, and neglect, can shape our experiences of learning and change. Perhaps you can draw in your colleagues, family, and friends to join the discussion too?

Here, as I prepare for my trip to Australia, and Linno for her trip to North America, we plan to talk about some of the underpinning theories and newest insights that are inspiring us. The latest research in neuroscience—such as patterns the brain develops to respond to difficult conditions, and the complexity of attachment. We will look at how these patterns of brain development can play out in learning situations, and look at the challenges they present to forming rich learning relationships and fertile ground for learning.

We will talk too about what we mean by violence, and why we speak about trauma and neglect, as well as why we name violence broadly. We plan too, to make sure we include ourselves in and invite you to as well. Violence is not something that happens to “them,” the other, but to too many of “us” too—whoever we are. We will work hard at avoiding “othering” or seeing people as “poor souls,” and instead will explore how to include us all into the picture of strengths and weaknesses, challenge and possibility. Oh, and woven through it all we will be talking about change: change of systems, of ways of understanding learning difficulties, as well as changing relationships, and individuals. We hope to inspire you with the varied possibilities of transformation!

We have just over a month before Linno leaves for North America and six months before I leave for Australia, so we’re diving in now to begin this conversation. I am excited to be returning to Australia after twenty years! Then I had just completed my first big research study in this area. In the intervening years, I have been continuing to read, research, teach and create materials to understand deeply how violence, trauma and neglect impact learning and the capacity to change. I have worked with educators, counsellors, and administrators, in large and small, formal and informal organizations and institutions, as well as adult education students, as we all seek to minimize the negative impacts and grow the possibilities for transformation.

I focus particularly on how “we” as educators, administrators, counsellors and other supporters, as well as learners and students ourselves, can discover ways to ensure that these impacts are not negative, don’t block learning, or steal the joy in learning, but instead can be incorporated into our beings to strengthen our capacity as creative learners, teachers and allies!

On this trip, I dream of speaking to people who already know some of the ideas I think are key, so that together we can push our understanding further, deeper, create a solid ground for teaching and learning, for change in their setting. I hope we can work together to create the best possible environment to support learning for all, whatever the conditions that formed early approaches to learning! I hope to meet others already exploring in this area too, to learn as well as teach! I’m hoping this blog may help us to begin exploring together so that we can have much richer, fuller conversations when we meet in person. I don’t want it to be just a brief connection, I hope together we can grow a network of support to address these challenging issues.

I’m excited too that I have already connected with Linno Rhodes who is also compelled by these difficult issues. Linno is co-president of VALBEC (Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council). VALBEC is hosting the ACAL Conference, (The Australian Council for Adult Literacy). They have invited me to be a keynote speaker, as they think about Learning in Diverse Communities and recognize that people in all communities have experiences of violence and trauma. Linno is also the International Skills Fellowship Recipient for 2017-2018 which gives her the opportunity to travel to North America in April, to deepen her exploration of issues of learning and violence.

Linno is based in Melbourne, where I will begin my trip, and will be including Toronto, where I am based, in her North American tour. So, we can continue our conversation in person, on two continents, as well as online. We are both drawn to dig in to explore new research that can offer us insights, and bridge between the latest theories and our daily practices as educators and students in classrooms, and informal places of learning.

Finally, it is time! I’ve wondered about writing a blog for years, a little intimidated by the idea that once started I must keep going at a regular pace—or so “they” tell me! But, I’m ready now to build momentum, grow a network, this year along with Linno and you too, if you will join us here!