Regenerative Space for BIPOC Organisers and Activists

Those of us involved in social change face enormous challenges. Daily we meet injustice, loss, and suffering in the world around us, as well as in our personal lives and our own experiences of systemic racial injustice. We also meet our own responses, our fears, frustrations and anger. How can we best work with these responses creatively? Where can we find the personal resources and skills that could make our action more effective and sustainable? How can we take care of ourselves and our own needs as BIPOC activists? And what collective tools might we use to enable our groups, organisations, and networks to better embody our values and our marginalised perspectives?

We use the term regenerative intentionally, aiming not just for sustainability but for transformation – drawing inspiration from permaculture and ecological thinking, where systems are designed to renew and revitalise themselves over time. Our organising spaces can be life-affirming – places where we flourish as individuals and collectives, and where we embody the justice and care that we are inspired to realise in the world.

This course draws on holistic and participatory approaches, including popular education, ecological and systems thinking, and reflective practices. It will bring together BIPOC activists from across Europe to share experiences, deepen their practice, and strengthen transnational networks of solidarity and support.

What are the aims of the course?

• To explore methods of working effectively with the personal and inner dimension of activism, helping us take better care of ourselves, equipping us to avoid burnout and to better empower ourselves for action. Including exploration of the traumas we are carrying, personally, collectively and intergenerationally, and how these contribute to the burnout we are experiencing.
• To create a vibrant and supportive temporary community of BIPOC activists, as a safer space for deep reflection, analysis, and the sharing of experience of the personal and interpersonal dimensions of our work – finding nourishment and inspiration from each other and nature.

So, the workshop will help participants to:

• Gain an increased awareness of the importance of self-care and be better equipped to incorporate it into your life.
• Learn ways of developing greater personal balance, clarity, inspiration, and resilience – including the use of reflective and contemplative practices.
• Reflect deeply on your own personal history of activism, identifying patterns and tendencies, and inherited traumas, identifying patterns and tendencies, and explore ways of skilfully transforming these where needed.
• Identify and draw upon the sources of nourishment and inspiration that support your engagement and help you realise your potential as an organiser and empowered agent for social change.

Who is it aimed at?

Anyone identifying as a BIPOC activist or organiser. We embrace a broad definition of activism, including: Resistance – action preventing further damage to ecosystems and social justice; Renewal – action focused on developing and creating alternatives for healthier societies and communities; and Building Resilience – action supporting increased resilience in communities to weather the uncertain times ahead.

The main spoken language on the course will be English.

This training is offered in the solidarity economy. You do not need to contribute financially to attend. Contact us if you need a travel bursary – we might be able to offer it.