This workshop offers a range of tools, collective and personal, which can make our activism more effective and sustainable. These methods can help us avoid burnout and stay in it for the long haul, adding continuity to our movement building. They can be used to ensure the collective and organisational dimensions of our activism exemplify the values we’re struggling for. A ‘regenerative’ approach goes beyond sustainability to explore how we can organise in ways that actually renew or revitalise our own resources and those of our groups – this can help us stay inspired, nourished, & more creative in our tactical approach.

Those of us involved in social change face enormous challenges. Daily we meet injustice, loss, and suffering in the world around us. We also meet our own responses, our fears, frustrations and anger. How can we best work with these responses creatively to achieve our goals? Where can we find the personal resources and skills that could make our action more effective and sustainable? And what collective tools can we use to enable our groups, organisations, and networks to better embody our values?

We use the term ‘regenerative’ because we don’t want things to just be sustainable. As in the world of permaculture, we want systems to regenerate through processes that restore, renew or revitalise their own sources of energy and materials. Our organising and activism can be a context within which we can thrive, where we create a shared context that enables us to flourish as we support others to do so. Our organising can embody a life-affirming vision and exemplify the values of social justice that we are inspired to realise in the world.

The course explores these issues using holistic and participatory methods – drawing on popular education, ecological and systems thinking, as well as reflective practices. It will bring together activists from across Central – Eastern Europe, to share practice and strengthen networks.

The course content will be specifically designed to meet the needs and challenges of organisers coming from Central-Eastern Europe. The training team will consist of trainers from CEE.

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.
• To offer tools which support more skilful inter-personal work in our groups and networks , and enable ways of organising which exemplify the values we want to realise in the world.
• To create a vibrant and supportive temporary community of activists from Central-Eastern Europe, as a safe space for deep reflection, analysis, and the sharing of experience of the personal and inter-personal dimensions of our work – finding nourishment and inspiration from each other and nature.

So, the workshop will help participants to:

1.1 Gain an increased awareness of the importance of self and collective care, and be better equipped to incorporate it in your life.

1.2 Learn ways of developing greater personal balance, clarity, inspiration, and resilience – including the use of reflective and contemplative practices.

1.3 Explore issues and techniques relevant to managing your energy, fears, frustrations, despair, and despondency – and become better able to avoid emotional hardening and cynicism.

2.1 Increase your understanding of group-work skills, including communication skills and ways of working with conflict, to transform energy depleting situations.

2.2 Gain experience of methods of organising and community building that can express the values we are working for and increase personal and group capacity.

2.3 Examine issues around empowerment, leadership, understanding power dynamics and collective processes.

3.1 Reflect on your own personal history of activism, identifying patterns and tendencies, and find ways of skilfully transforming these where needed.

3.2 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 involved in socially engaged action addressing ecological, political and social justice issues, coming from Central-Eastern Europe. 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.

This course grows out of our experience of running the Sustaining Resistance course on sustainable activism since 2010.