Spring Update: We Are Resilient Together

To everyone in our ESD Community,

The ESD Global team is thinking of you, your families, and communities in this time of uncertainty for everyone and fear and loss for many. Many ESD instructors experienced recent cancelations of ESD classes and are shifting classes online. The impact of this global pandemic is dramatic on our personal, professional, and social lives. Our commitment to support our collective health and wellbeing guides our response to the COVID-19 crisis. The Empowerment Self-Defense skills we teach are a tremendous resource and source of resilience for instructors and community members, some of whom face increased levels of violence as they shelter in place.

It is hard to believe only 5 weeks ago more than 60 of us, from 24 countries, were together in Jerusalem at El HaLev participating in 3 different concurrent instructor-trainings, including the first Co-Ed Children’s Instructor Training and a Master Instructor Training as well and the first Violence Prevention Education Conference. Even though we cannot meet right now for in-person-trainings our goal remains the same: we will continue to train, support and engage hundreds of ESD instructors so that they can learn to teach ESD in their communities in new and innovative ways and continue to provide these life saving skills. Last month saw the launch of a new weekly webinar series on How to Teach ESD Online, which sprang forth with creativity and received an enthusiastic response from 85 attendees from 6 continents. This month we will launch a new Spanish language series of webinars created by and for ESD Global instructors in Latin America.

Our staff is using this time to refine and develop our systems and programs so we are prepared to meet the ever growing need for Empowerment Self-Defense instructors around the globe. Members of the 2019 Men’s Incubator are collaborating with El HaLev and ESD Global staff to develop the curriculum for the first Men’s Level 1 ESD Instructor Training. We are developing an Online ESD Library to provide resources for instructors.

You are part of this strong, creative, resilient community. We are in this together and together we will weather this crisis, support each other, and accomplish our mission to establish Empowerment Self-Defense as the key violence prevention strategy for women and vulnerable populations and attain our vision of a world where people can live safe, violence-free lives. Our hearts are full of gratitude for your support teaching webinars, working on committees, sharing your ideas, and giving generously to make programs possible.

With Thanks,

Yudit Sidikman Ellen Krause-Grosman

Founder & President Executive Director