De-Escalating Bullying Through Training to Handle Volatile Situations

Tensions and threats of violence are on the rise in the coalfields. As residents win more victories and speak out about mountaintop removal, the opposition has become more hostile and vocal.

Increased threats have left some residents afraid to leave their homes unattended, and activists face a greater likelihood of encountering angry opposition at meetings, events and rallies. To help people deal with potentially volatile situations, OVEC hosted a non-violence/de-escalation training session on June 29 in Charleston, WV.

Nadine Bloch, an activist with Oil Change International, and Andrew Miller, with Amazon Watch, facilitated the training. Twenty people attended, including several OVEC staff, board, and members, along with folks from Coal River Mountain Watch, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, the Sierra Club, and West Virginia native Kathy Mattea.

As part of the training, participants identified upcoming events that could be potential flash points and brainstormed ways of heading off violence.

Both Bloch and Miller want to continue working with OVEC on the issue of mountaintop removal. After the training, they suggested several ways in which they could be of assistance, including the possibility of hosting an awareness/fund-raising event in Washington, D.C., when OVEC representatives are there.