Framing Social Justice

This workshop provides an overview of different tools for understanding systems of oppression and conceptualizing visions for liberation. Participants practice applying various models to their lived experience. Depending on the group’s goals, this workshop can focus on a specific topic or strategy (e.g. racism, socioeconomic class, cross-group coalition building) or take a broader approach. It can be adapted to be appropriate for groups of any age & experience level.

Archaeology of Oppression – Uncovering our Unconscious Learnings

This workshop uses reflection, discussion and expressive arts activities to explore early learnings, assumptions and unconscious biases about social groups. The facilitators create a supportive and blame-free environment where participants can discover how oppression sneaks into their thought processes. Participants leave the workshop empowered with a set of tools to interrogate their assumptions and take responsibility for their beliefs. Depending on the group’s goals, this workshop can focus on a specific topic (e.g. race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class) or take a broader approach. It can be adapted to be appropriate for groups of any age & experience level.

Communicating Across Difference (An Introduction to Dialogic Communication Techniques)

One of the most powerful ways to learn about social justice issues is simply to talk with each other openly in a diverse group. Of course, that’s not always as simple as it sounds. Differences in communication style among individuals and across cultures can make already-loaded topics even more difficult to talk about. This workshop introduces simple communication strategies that anyone to use to listen and speak more effectively about hot button issues. Participants begin using the new techniques right away as the facilitator leads them in a dialogue about a real issue that is salient for that group.