Vashon’s Showing Up for Racial Justice group will offer active bystander training next weekend with the goal of teaching peaceful intervention techniques.

The training, slated to take place Sunday, May 21, will focus on positive interventions aimed at enhancing attendees’ understanding of how to intervene in ways that feel safe and doable. Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) founder and islander Janie Starr said it will provide skills to prevent and reduce power-based violence.

“This training will introduce participants to proactive ways to be a supportive presence in racially or otherwise-socially difficult circumstances,” she said.

The training will take four hours and will be guided by Reverend Terri Stewart, who has been involved with issues such as mass incarceration and poverty, incarceration and the LGBTQIAP community, gender inequality, privilege and racism, and peacemaking circles and juvenile justice.

SURJ is relatively new and was created by Starr earlier this year. It is part of the nationwide network of groups with the goal to end white supremacy through collective liberation and acknowledge and address systemic and individual racism on Vashon and beyond.

“Through community organizing, mobilizing and education, SURJ moves white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice with passion and accountability,” Starr said. “We envision a society where we struggle together with love, for justice, human dignity and a sustainable world.”

Active bystander training

The training will take place from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 21 at the Vashon Library.

Pre-Registration is required as attendance is limited to 40 people. To register, visit tinyurl.com/mcxc8bu.

The event is free, but a hat will be passed around to gather donations to help offset costs.