Digging Deeper for a Better World – Understanding the Mess We Are In Through the Lens of Patriarchy- Workshop by Verene Nicolas

Workshop Description

The confusion that many of us feel about what we could do to avert climate chaos and bring about justice in the world may be worsened by our difficulty to understand what has led us humans to take such a disastrous trajectory.

In this class, we will explore the bold idea that looking at our predicament through the lens of patriarchy, and in particular at the way patriarchal thinking, habits and systems affect us, will take us deeper into understanding human nature as distinct from the behaviour we see around us. It will also help us clarify our thinking as to what can be done and energise our individual and collective action.

This one-day course will be a taster for a longer course that is in development.

Who is it for?

This workshop is for anyone who feels deeply shaken by the coronavirus crisis, the climate emergency and other world issues and wants to explore what may be at the root of these crises. Whilst excavating the roots, our underlying question will be: how can we better work together to tackle what’s unfolding in front of our eyes? We hope this course may open up a brand new perspective for people who have been active in bringing about change in communities and elsewhere.

It will be specially beneficial for anyone who has somewhat lost hope in human nature and as a result feels a bit bewildered as to where to engage their time and energy. The course will highly interactive and designed with a diverse audience in mind.

Learning outcomes will include:

• Recognising narratives, belief systems and values that underlie most of our current dysfunctional patterns (societal as well as interpersonal and personal)

• Engaging with a definition and the reality of patriarchy to bring new understanding as to what we are up against

• Developing more systemic awareness and applying it to imagine how change can happen

• Understanding that patriarchy has left a legacy in us as individuals and that collective liberation is intimately connected to individual change. we will therefore explore how to engage with our own patterns of disempowerment or resentment and create more self-awareness, agency, and compassion

• Becoming better equipped to engage effectively in activist movements

About Verene Nicolas

http://verenenicolas.org/

My purpose:

To support people who are engaged in large-scale change to integrate nonviolence in their lives and work, and increase individual and collective leadership capacity.

Why I am attracted to and qualified to do this work:

I have years of experience facilitating groups, delivering trainings and coaching individuals. I love teaching and hosting transformative learning spaces. It’s core to my vocation

I have worked alongside people from marginalised communities and lived in a poor neighbourhood for many years. This gives me lived access to concrete rather than aspirational principles

I am part of a team creating a global and self-managed organisation whose aim is to foster collaborative leadership and applied nonviolence. I therefore have intimate familiarity with the obstacles that exist on the path of creating collaborative organisations, as well as a blueprint and a set of tools and principles to bring about this reality

My work is anchored in a broad set of skills, approaches, and practices that offers versatility in matching resources to needs

I am committed to maintaining a conscious relationship with my privilege and inviting others to do the same in support of everyone’s liberation

I am deeply committed to nonviolence. This fuels my capacity to learn and share the art of collaborative leadership

Covid Protocols

This event is strictly limited to 12 participants and will have a protocol in place to minimise risk of transmission of Covid-19. Full information on this will be distributed to participants upon registration. For now, you can read the venue's protocols for participants at this link:

Protocols For Covid-19 Security

In the event of local lockdown or another change in circumstance, provision is in place for an online alternative to the live event, details of which will be distributed if this occurs. This will occur at the same date and time as the live event.

Fee structure:

£50- Solidarity

This rate is for those with access to organisational training budgets, sufficient income, or who wish to financially support the course and our work. It's also a rate in solidarity with those who are participating who are not able to make a financial contribution.

£30- Waged

This rate is for those on an average income or above who are in the position to cover approximately the full per-person delivery cost of the course.

£15- Concessions

This rate is for those on a below-average income who are in the position to make a contribution which will cover around half the per-person delivery cost of the course.

FREE or pay what you can

This rate is for those who, for any reason whatsoever, are not in the position to make contributions at the above rates. Any financial contribution is valued- if you sincerely cannot at this time, this is not a barrier to your participation.