About Verene

Who I Am

I am deeply concerned about the state of our planet, our relationships, our politics, our communities and our organisations. I am contributing the best I can, with skills and insights learnt along the way, to nurture group and organisational cultures where collaboration is the norm and where the concept of nonviolence finds practical applications.  I am French, grew up in Africa, settled in Scotland 20 years ago and am married to writer and activist Alastair McIntosh. 

I love learning. I thrive on helping people 'walk home', find clarity and empowerment, and put in place personal and organisational strategies to nurture collaborative, nonviolent ways of living and working.

Some projects I have worked on over the years:

  • Teaching on and co-ordinating a master's degree in Human Ecology at the University of Strathclyde;
  • Tutoring on the Training for Transformation diploma course in South Africa;
  • Working alongside Black and Ethnic Minority communities in Scotland to explore the meaning of empowerment;
  • Teaching eco-feminism in the community;
  • Co-organising field visits for a group of planners from the province of Papua in Indonesia to learn about grassroots empowerment;
  • Facilitating conversations about the future of health and social care provision in Govan;
  • Participating in the creation of a global organisation for the Nonviolent Communication community entirely built on principles of collaboration and self-management.

Present projects involve:

  • Helping teams from the Church of Scotland's most deprived parishes to work well together and nurture spaces that are kind, collaborative and 'hospitable to the soul';
  • Co-designing an apprenticeship programme with my mentor Miki Kashtan to equip practitioners around the world with skills and tools to nurture cultures of collaboration;
  • Coaching individuals on topics such as delivering conflict resolution trainings in West Africa, playing a collaborative leadership role to tackle xenophobia in England, and transitioning a Scotland-based third sector organisation towards self-management.
  • Sharing the principles and practices of Nonviolent Communication in organisations and through public training;
  • Teaching Biodanza as a practice of liberation to role-model the importance of working with body, expression and emotions on the path towards a nonviolent future.

As much as participating to a nonviolent future is core to who I am, a great deal of my time is spent on deepening my inner life (through silent meditation, yoga, dance, writing and contact with nature). I believe that showing up in a relaxed, present, creative and playful way is a political act. It creates alignment with life itself and counterbalances the paradigm of control and separation that rules our present world. Whilst I am inspired by many currents of thoughts and practice, Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is the core organising principle of my life and work. I am a CNVC Certified Trainer and a qualified Biodanza teacher. Other communities I belong to include the Glasgow Quakers, NVC Scotland and UK and the Galgael Trust in Govan.

Why Work With Me

People work with me because they long for change. They know they want to contribute meaningfully but often lack some tools and guidance to make it a reality. Many are also frustrated by how hard it is to create buy-in around them and work collaboratively with others. Through our work together, people find a renewed purpose, deeper understanding of self and others, practices to transform life-alienating patterns and practical tools for collaboration. 

I bring a relaxed presence, compassion and skilfulness. I have a clear understanding of what makes most inner habits and organisational structures so crippling to the soul. Based on feedback I have received over the years, I seem to be good at conveying intellectual concepts and inspiring principles, taking people on learning journeys and facilitating spaces for transformative conversations. Perhaps most importantly, I am committed to walking my talk and am open to feedback that contribute to my own growth and learning. I also deeply trust the wisdom that lives in me.

What I contribute to personal, organisational and wider societal challenges is, I believe, both practical and visionary.

What People Say

"Your session on leadership was a very different way of approaching the subject and I felt the participants really responded to it. The way you held us as a group and as individuals, challenged us, gently, and encouraged us to exploring new ideas and ways of thinking was very powerful. Your gift for facilitating is very impressive!" 

Alison Goring – Project Manager – Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union, Scotland.

"Verene worked with us over two years to introduce collaborative leadership skills to local government in Indonesia. Her contribution opened new doors for people who had been traumatised by an authoritarian bureaucratic culture. Her teaching and mentoring equipped them with a deeper appreciation of the needs underpinning their own and other people’s behaviour within their organisation. They found ways to better express and accommodate these needs in their daily work, as well as better accept themselves and the people around them" 
Adrian Wells, Director – Seventy Three consultancy, Indonesia and UK.

"Thoughtful and thought provoking, Verene has a wonderful ability to get people to push their boundaries of trust, empathy and communication in human interactions. Verene has a deep insight into human thinking and behaviour and, in my experience, one of the very few people who can model it through her own person and facilitation. Spending time with her has always been a joyful and learning time for me." 
Noel Matthias, Director – Wevolution and formally Ministries Support Officer for the Church of Scotland’s Priority Area Parishes.

"Verene supported me to improve my communication when facing a very tricky situation with a Managing Board I was part of. She helped me "step out of my shoes" (my role), see the larger picture and understand how my organization's structure was affecting the interrelationships of people and how problems were stemming from that. I learnt to care for myself as well as the organisation. This is a gift I carry with me now." 
Nati Beltran, Respectful Education Leader, Spain.