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Free collaborative community organising course, apply now

in Webinar

We have 20 free places for Transition Groups (2 people from each group), if interested please apply by 07/12/20

The Context

The ways in which the social, economic and ecological crises show up for people day to day is not the same, for some people in movements like Black Lives Matter, surviving racism and police brutality is the most urgent thing. For others it’s surviving poverty and coping with economic disadvantage. For some, it’s many of these things all at once….We are all facing the same urgent things that are not working systemically, it’s just that we experience this ‘system crisis’ in different ways. In order for Transition to be successful within a community then we need to recognise that we are all experiencing our community in a different way and we need to understand this in order to develop communities that are inclusive and socially just. Transition is very much about having an holistic overview of the challenges that our communities face and this can only be achieved through engaging in collaborative community organising which will ultimately benefit us all.   

 

The Course: Engaging with Power and Difference in Collaborative Community Organising

Sessions: 4 day long sessions + 8 evening sessions

 

Day long sessions

Dates: Saturdays 16th January, 30th January, 13th February, 6th March       

Times: 10.00am – 4:30pm (with breaks)

 

Community of practice sessions

Dates: Wednesday 17th March, 31st March, 14th April, 28th April, 26th May, 30th June, 28th July, 25th August. 

Times: 7.00pm- 9.30pm 

Location: Online

Application deadline: 07/12/20

We’ll let you know if you have a place by  16/12/20

This course offers an approach to community engagement that puts connection first, builds relationships and understanding of the lived experiences of community members, and develops collaborative projects/initiatives based upon the different lived experiences and needs of the wider community, bringing together a social justice focus alongside an environmental focus. 

The course aims to support you to deepen your awareness and understanding of the lived experiences of a greater diversity of people in your local communities; to understand how you and your Transition group can speak more directly to their immediate needs. 

This course is for you, if you:

  • are an active member of a Transition group 
  • have some awareness of power, privilege and oppression and how it plays out in your group/community, and are either already working to bring this lens to your approach to working in your community, or are ready to start doing that. 
  • are able to apply for the course together with one other person from your group
  • are ready and willing to share your learning from the course with your group, making it more likely that the group as a whole can effectively utilise this collaborative approach to engage with your community. 
  • are able to commit to practice with your group/within your community, between the sessions.

This course is an introduction to key ideas and approaches, all of which will require further practice, you will not learn everything there is to know about this approach in such a short course, but you will get a really good introduction to the key thinking behind it. The course consists of 4 daylong sessions, with preparation/practice in between followed by 8 community of practice sessions over the following 6 months, where you can share successes and get support with questions/challenges you are facing in applying this approach in your groups and communities. The online sessions will be varied, with a mix of teaching inputs, and time given to working with and learning from others in the group through interactive and participatory tools, discussion and reflection spaces and plenty of breaks. We will also share resources to support you to deepen your understanding and practice after the course.

 

The areas that we’ll explore include…

  • Applying a systemic power and difference lens to community engagement
  • Building connections and relationships in your communities
  • Developing collaborative projects in your communities that meet the needs of the community and do not reproduce inequalities and marginalisation
  • Facilitation skills and other tools/skills to support this approach to collaborative organising
  • Developing systems/ways of working that apply the principles of collaborative organising
  • Taking this approach to collaborative organising back to your group

 

Our Asks of Participants

  • Participate in all 4 online sessions. The course is not a drop-in, and we ask you to commit to attending all sessions.
    • Day long sessions
    • Dates: Saturdays 16th January, 30th January, 13th February, 6th March       
    • Times: 10.00am – 4:30pm (with breaks)
  • Engage with the Community of practice sessions
    • Dates: Wednesday 17th March, 31st March, 14th April, 28th April, 26th     May, 30th June, 28th July, 25th August. 
    • Times: 7.00pm- 9.30pm 
  • Be prepared to do 1-2 hrs of preparation/practice between sessions and to participate in the community of practice sessions that follow these sessions. Like most things, the more you put in, the more you gain. Therefore we ask you to try out the ideas you are learning about, in your group/community, so you can share your learning on what’s working and what’s not with the group and get further support.
  • Apply with one other person from your group, as we believe this will support you to use and apply what you’ve learned more effectively in your group/community. You will both need to submit an application form, which will ask you to name your partner.
  • Fill in the application form with as much relevant information about your passion and commitment to working with a wider diversity of people as you can, to help secure your place! 

 

Applying for a Place

In our commitment to engaging with structural inequality, we will prioritise applications from people whose experiences are marginalised by our society. 

Please complete the application here 

The deadline for applications is 07/12/20

Contact Us

Please contact us if you have any questions about the course contact kathryn@navigate.org.uk, or any concerns about your participation or your application please contact michaelthomas@transitionnetwork.org.

We look forward to hearing from you!