I was shocked, saddened and really worried at what I saw in the videos of the recent riots happening all over the UK.

They raised a lot of questions in my mind:, how do we put a stop to them in the short term, and keep people safe but also - why are they happening? I thought we lived in a tolerant society, where people from different faiths, cultures and ethnicities were reasonably well integrated and included in our communities.

How should we respond to people who are being violent, destructive and racist?

And is it possible that way we usually respond to these incidents might be creating the conditions that make them more likely to happen again?

I discussed all of these questions with my dear friend Emma, a teacher of Non-Violent Communication on our latest podcast, as part of a wider discussion about polarisation.

We look at the events through the lens of one social media post from someone who was in favour of the protests and one that was violently condemning them, attempting to understand what both sides are caring for in this conflict through the lens of Nonviolent Communication.

We discuss:

• The importance of humanising those with whom we fundamentally disagree and how not listening can create the conditions for future violence
• Whether fighting against opposing views is always the best approach, questioning whether it might actually worsen the divide
• How the deeply ingrained concept of good versus evil shapes our language and actions
• Whether force can be used with empathy and compassion
• What’s driving the anger behind violent protests
• The implications of labelling others as "terrorists" and how such language can foster more conflict
• The consequences of using dehumanising language and how it might mirror the very violence we're protesting against, potentially escalating tensions further.

You can watch the video above or listen on Spotify.