To begin the change process and move towards a ViolenceFree Environment, SWIVL provides a unique approach that focuses on three overlapping Dimensions: Personal, Social, and Political.  Each dimension plays a critical role in creating a progressive culture and independent climate for all individuals.  Because each dimension is closely linked, change initiatives to create a ViolenceFree environment must take into consideration how they interact and operate together.  Therefore, in order to create a ViolenceFree environment you must have an Independent Personal Dimension, Assertive Social Dimension, and Democratic Political Dimension.  SWIVL provides education, training, and mentoring on each of the three dimensions.

Personal Dimension - Political and social dimensions flow from the personal dimension.  The personal dimension is a composite of values, beliefs, and attitudes and act as a filter for how individuals interpret their world around them. From a constructivist perspective, individuals assemble their knowledge - it is not transmitted to them. People learn from their experiencing objects, other people, events, activities, and processes.  These experiences are filtered through our personal dimension: what we already know and believe.  

Personal Passive Dimension - The personal passive dimension creates the emotional and social context that leads to controlling relationships and an authoritarian political dimension.  A key to passive thinking is that individuals do not see a connection or causal relationship between their actions and the environment. Passive thinkers strive to please others, but neglect their own needs.  A major danger with passive thinking is that it can be perceived as submissive, indecisive, and helpless.  Maintaining a passive personal dimension can result in errors of judgment and misguided decision-making.  Many policy leaders believe that a passive approach will result in a more egalitarian environment and less violence.  History has shown, however, that a passive personal dimension only encourages and reinforces more controlling and antidemocratic outcomes.  Making matters worse, individuals, organizations, and nations, frustrated with passive approaches often turn to aggressive behaviors resulting in violent outcomes.

Personal Dependent Dimension - The personal dependent dimension creates the emotional and social context that leads to a bureaucratic framework and representative political dimension.  Dependency thinkers tend to be less self-reliant and seek out other individuals and groups for emotional and/or physical support.  Maintaining a dependency personal dimension can result in a cynical downward spiral where rules and regulations replace personal self-reliance and accountability to get things done. The bureaucratic social dimension reinforces the view that people cannot act on their own behalf and that they require a representative or proxy to make decisions for them.  The dependent personal dimension is grounded in the belief that only through a highly regulated bureaucratic model can individuals be successful.  The danger to this scenario is that as personal needs go unmet; individuals become increasingly frustrated with the representative structure. As a result, they begin to reframe the political dimension as a search for heroes and villains in an environment that has less order and stability and an increasing amount of violence.  

Personal independent Dimension - The personal independent dimension creates the emotional and social context that leads to assertive relationships and a democratic political dimension. Independent thinking creates a state of self-confidence and self-reliance where individuals are more likely to be internally driven. Independent Individuals tend not to blame other people or groups for their condition.  Independent individuals, through their assertive relationships, represent their own views and opinions.  Assertive individuals do not practice passive or dependent behaviors, and are much more likely to rely on their own talents and strengths in representing themselves.  Given the technological advances in our social, economic, and political environment, independent individuals will increasingly seek out opportunities to express their feelings, preferences, and honest emotions directly through a political democratic dimension. Through a democratic dimension, mutually shared respect, support, and trust are increased resulting in an environment that is more ViolenceFree.