Meet our Community - Hala Abdelnour

 Hala Abdelnour, CEO and Founder of the Institute of non-violenceSince 2003 I’ve been actively working to address systemic racism in various forums, including via my consultancy Global Echo. I work with organisations to implement more justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) across their structures.In 2020, I founded the Institute of non-violence (IoNV).  We work with governments and not-for-profits to better apply an intersectional feminist framework to family and domestic violence response. IoNV specialises in safely engaging individuals who use family violence behaviours across society broadly, and within culturally diverse and LGBTIQ+ communities.Through this space I’ve been able to bring together my skills and experience of working with diverse groups, including newly arrived migrants and refugees, incarcerated clients, substance abuse, problematic gambling and family violence. I also reflect on my own migration journey as a child, my early experiences of growing up in a war zone, and my adult experiences of travelling to many countries, teaching English in Europe, and working in hospitality and corporate settings in the Middle East.My core passion is about bringing people together through shared understanding and interpersonal connections. I believe our stories are powerful conduits to bridging the gaps we create through fear, insecurity and ignorance …I graduated from the GC Adv Dip in Group Facilitation in 2015. Soon after completing the program, I started working across Victoria as a Men’s Behaviour Change facilitator. The course provided a refresher of skills I’d accumulated along the way, taught me new things and connected me to a range of like-minded and extremely talented individuals; some of whom have become friends and colleagues.One of the core skills I took out of the program that has enhanced my practice significantly, is the power of context and framing – really bringing your audience into the process and being clear and transparent about the intended journey you’re embarking upon as a group. I’ve also really valued the impact the course has had on my personal life and relationships.I’m very excited to have had the opportunity to partner with Groupwork Centre more recently. In 2021 I was invited to be the presenter of GC’s inaugural podcast, Facilitate This! It was such a pleasure to work with a team of professionals who place so much value and care in presenting a useful and highly professional product.I’m also super excited to partner with Groupwork Centre and Anne Love this year to deliver a pilot training program that IoNV has developed. “Leap into Yourself” is a specialised facilitation training for service providers who respond to Family and Domestic Violence. It is an intensive 2-day pilot training that encompasses niche family violence content (intersectional feminism, coercive control, collusion and collaborative practice); facilitation skills; reflective practice and self-awareness; as well as mindfulness practice.Registrations will be open soon and information will be available via IoNV and GC social media channels. Contact info@ionv.com.au for more information or register for the training via Humanitix .You can follow our work on your preferred social media:LinkedInInstagramFacebookYouTube