Sustainable Activism Weekend Workshop

Where? Claverham, near Bristol
Cost? Sliding scale of £15 – £100
When? Fri 19 (pm) – Sunday 21 June 2015

Why?
When we think of mounting inequalities, eco-systemic collapse, runaway climate change, and the rise of the Right – the problems we face can seem insurmountable. No matter what we do, it never seems to be enough. Change seems to require such immense effort that no rest is permitted. The result is paradoxical: an activist culture of burn out, disillusionment and high drop out rates.

If this resonates with you, if you have felt or feel on the edge of burn-out and want to develop skills to avoid it, join us for a nourishing weekend of personal and collective reflection on effective activism and personal sustainability.

What?
This two-day residential training was borne out of ‘Sustaining Resistance: Empowering Renewal’ a 10 day residential training developed and delivered at Ecodharma in the Catalunyan Pyrenees.

The introductory training applies ecological/systems thinking and holistic-participatory learning to the practice of activism and the building of social movements. It offers both a space of reflection and practical methods for engaging in the inner work that underpins effective activism for social and ecological justice. Themes that will be explored include:

• Building group dynamics that support sustainable activism
• Avoiding disillusionment/staying inspired
• What is ‘enough’ and how to manage it
• Self care and how to integrate it into our daily lives

Facilitators?
Nate Eisenstadt and Claire Milne, both of whom are co-facilitators of Sustaining Resistance at Ecodharma

More info / apply?
Please email claire[at]ecodharma.com to request a (short) application form.

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Sustaining Resistance, Empowering Renewal: Tools for Effective and Sustainable Activism

A 12 day residential workshop in rural Devon
11th – 22nd May 2015

This workshop offers personal and collective tools to help make our activism more effective. Theworkshop aims to help us stay inspired, nourished, empowered and creative. It offers space to reflect and analyse, helping us to stay involved for the long haul, create personal sustainability and bring continuity to our groups and movements. It aims to explore ways of working which keep our groups sustainable and effective in the struggle against social and economic injustice and ecological destruction.

The workshop provides an opportunity to get away from our busy lives and take stock, taking time to reflect on our activist experiences and history and to identify and draw upon sources of nourishment, inspiration, creativity and resilience, and develop skills that can help us make changes that will support personal sustainability and wellbeing. It also provides an opportunity to develop skills for organising and working in groups that will help avoid a burnout culture in our groups and networks. The workshop venue, on the edge of Dartmoor, provides ideal conditions for this reflection and renewal.

The course is offered by the ecodharma collective and Seeds for Change. Places are limited.

Application deadline 27th March 2015.

For more information and an application form please call 01865 403 134 or email kathryn@seedsforchange.org.uk

Sustaining Resistance, 2013

Tools for Effective-Sustainable Activism,12-20 October 2013, Catalan Pyrenees

!! Deadline to apply for fully funded places, including travel: 20 April 2013 !!

This residential training, hosted in a wild part of the Catalan Pyrenees, offers personal and collective tools to make our activism more effective.

Sustaining Resistance helps us:

• stay in it for the long haul, creating personal and group sustainability and adding continuity to our movement building.
• ensure the collective dimensions of our activism exemplify the values we are struggling for.
• stay inspired, nourished, empowered, & strategically creative.

The training applies ecological/systems thinking, radical analysis and holistic-participatory learning to the practice of activism and the building of social movements. It offers practical methods for engaging in the inner work that underpins effective social engagement. It will also bring together activists from across Europe to share practice and strengthen networks.

This 9 day residential training in a wild and remote part of the Catalan Pyrenees in Spain will also give you the opportunity to experience life in a land-based community based on simplicity, low-impact living and being close to the land.

For more information visit www.ecodharma.com/courses-events

Costs
Fully funded places: You may be eligible for a fully funded place on this course (including travel) –please email claire@ecodharma.com by 20 April to ask for information about this.

Dana economy: Needs based – for those who are unable to receive grant funding we are able to explore reduced and bursaried places based on a dana economy – for more information please visit www.ecodharma.com/booking-information/the-dana-economy

Full price: 717 Euros plus food, accommodation and local pick up (this amount represents full cost recovery, i.e. how much it actually costs to deliver the course and is only for those eligible for funding or with others means to meet these costs).

To apply for a place based on the dana economy or at full price, please email susres@ecodharma.com by end of June for an application form.

Sustaining Resistance, Empowering Renewal

Tools for Effective Sustainable Activism
9 day workshop in the Catalan Pyrenees

10th to 18th November 2012

This workshop, hosted in a wild part of the Catalan Pyrenees, offers personal and collective tools to make our activism more effective. They can help us stay in it for the long haul, creating personal sustainability and adding continuity to our movement building. They can also ensure the collective dimensions of our activism exemplify the values we struggle for. They can help us stay inspired, nourished, empowered and strategically creative.

The workshop applies ecological/systems thinking, radical analysis and holistic-participatory learning to the practice of activism and the building of social movements. It offers practical methods for engaging in the inner work that underpins effective social engagement. It will also bring together activists from across Europe to share practice and strengthen networks. Funding is available for some participants, but places are limited.

More information and application form

Sustaining Resistance

This just in…. If you go along, why not let us know how it goes?