Apply by 5pm, Monday May 13th 2019.
Are you interested in examining race, power, privilege and oppression? Do you want to co-create a space where we can explore these challenging topics in a way that honours the pain that is tied up in this and is compassionate to each of us as human beings?
In a world full of oppression – white supremacy, Islamophobia, cisheteropatriarchy, classism, ableism – exploring power and privilege can be paralysing when these concepts are tied up with guilt and shame.
However, if we are to create a world without oppression – in the groups we work in now and in our dream communities of the future – we need to explore these topics in an honest and frank way that acknowledges our position in this society, and allows us to work for a better one.
If you want to explore these complicated questions, join us this June as Resist + Renew host a weekend course on Exploring Collective Liberation.
In this space we want to explore, discuss and experiment with ideas, with the recognition that this is life-long work, not a quick fix to address ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ issues.
Given our current context of increased racism and division following the Brexit vote in the UK, the rise of the far right worldwide and an ‘activist movement’ that is predominantly white, we will be exploring how we can be actively anti-racist and work towards collective liberation. We aim to carry out the weekend in a way that welcomes all identities, recognises that everyone is on spectrums of privilege and oppression and holds space for people to express what it’s like to have these experiences.
Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone who is involved in groups working for social justice – whether that’s in grassroots organisations or in a paid role at a charity or NGO – and who wants to examine how both we and the wider structures of the world need to change.
Is this course for white people?
Absolutely! Racism and white supremacy can’t be overcome without white people working on this too. We recognise that coming to terms with privilege and power can be uncomfortable, but we ask that people embrace this vulnerability as an opportunity to learn.
Is this course for Black people and people of colour?
Yes – we very much welcome Black people and people of colour. We believe it’s important that the voices of those most affected by racism are given space. However, we also recognise that this can result in marginalised people doing ‘all the work’ of ‘teaching’ people about oppression. Therefore, we are committed to using a variety of tools and approaches to reduce the likelihood of this happening.
Where is the course being held?
The course is going to be run in the Lambourne End Outdoor Centre. We chose this venue as it is both in the countryside, and will allow us to some space from busy city life, but also easily accessible from London.
This venue is wheelchair accessible and has gender neutral toilets
Cost of the weekend
We want this to be an accessible space, so we have a sliding scale for the course. We recognise that some people can pay more either from their own income or through the institutions that they work in.
Grassroots campaigner: £25 to £125
NGO: £125 to £500 (if your organisation can pay for your place).
The above are suggested sliding scale contributions. No one will be turned away for lack of funds: please email us if you are unable to pay this. We can also offer travel bursaries for attendees.
What people said about Exploring Collective Liberation 2018
‘The whole flow and the structure of the course worked really well. I felt challenged and uncomfortable at times but the order in which we did things helped me work through it. I also appreciated intense sessions matched by ample breaks and reflection time.
‘There was an emphasis on collective involvement at all points which felt exciting and made me invest deeply in the workshop. The way you invited us to reflect on ways in which we may fail or fall down felt very deep but non-judgemental, which was amazing – revelatory!’
‘I really enjoyed the theatrical aspects, it took me out of my comfort zone and really helped the learning process.’
You can read about ECL 2018 here. We will be developing the content for this year’s course based on feedback from participants and our own reflection process.
Who are the facilitators?
Karen Larbi is a trainer, facilitator, consultant, and mental health advocate. She is the founder of POC In Nature, an online space for people of colour to explore the healing power of nature, and the Co-Founder of Black Woman Heal United Kingdom, an online support group for women of African descent. Karen is interested in activist self-care, healing justice, alternative spiritualities, and intersectional, trauma-informed approaches to mental health.
Brought to organising through the climate justice movement, Rowan Kinchin has worked with activist legal support organisation Green and Black Cross for many years. Rowan built that legal knowledge into Sisters Uncut to help the fight against cuts to domestic violence services, and spent the past two years coordinating a network of campaigners against one of the world’s biggest arms fairs. Rowan has been a facilitator for over a decade. They love making comics and being outdoors.
Josh Virasami is an artist, writer and political organiser whose work intersects across political struggles. He has been involved in various movements including Occupy and Black Lives Matter. As well as spending time studying and travelling abroad to learn and understand more about radical political traditions, for example in Balochistan, Kurdistan and Mauritius where his family hails from, he uses writing, film and music to educate, agitate and organise toward social change. Joshua has been facilitating for five years, and works as a facilitator at campaign bootcamp.
Ali Tamlit became involved in direct action campaigns through anti-aviation with Plane Stupid. He’s a member of End Deportations and believes it’s vital that environmental campaigns are linked to migrant justice and other struggles because of the many interconnections between oppressions. He has been facilitating workshops and meetings for 6 years and began when he was part of a self-organised study group.
Registration
If you are interested in joining us, please fill in this form by 5pm on Monday May 13th.
If you have any questions, email us at [email protected]
We look forward to hearing from you!
Resist + Renew
www.resist-renew.com