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FLOURISHING TOGETHER – Cycle 4
November 11, 2021 - April 1, 2022
Free
The story so far
Flourishing Together was born out of a determination to put anti-racism at the centre of our work of supporting individual, group, and system transformation. We are proud of what has been achieved so far, with the support of ODN(E) and NTL Europe.
Flourishing Together has enabled multiple conversations to take place which would have been impossible 18 months ago. Many of us have grown in confidence and competence to disrupt racism in ourselves, our relationships and our client systems.
Across organisations globally, awareness has been raised. But how much has changed? While many organisations have made commitments, the majority has yet to attempt the difficult shift from performative awareness to critical self-examination to active transformation. We are far from irreversible change.
Yes, there has been progress. But there has also been inertia, denial, and vociferous institutional and political pushback. Even among those committed to racial justice, it’s hard to maintain energy and focus. The risk is that corporate fashion moves on with the news cycle and real change eludes us.
The next chapter
Because the work is far from over, Flourishing Together is continuing for a fourth cycle. We know from early data gathered in an ODN(E) survey that for many of us, anti-racism is central to our work, but our competence lags behind our commitment. Please do complete the survey if you haven’t already and let us know your views (it takes only a couple of minutes).
In Cycle 4 we want to go deeper in our anti-racism fluency. This round of sessions:
- are still explicitly focused on anti-racism and associated intersections.
- are open to all, so please share details with colleagues or clients you think could benefit.
- And as in previous cycles, you are welcome to attend multiple sessions to get multiple perspectives and continue to deepen your thinking and practice.
We want to facilitate honest, brave and generative conversations, founded on unconditional mutual respect, and an implicit commitment to bring all of who we are. These are spaces for reflection, learning, dialogue, deep listening and inquiry, without blame or shame. Facilitation will offer both challenge and support, in service of us separately and together exploring our vulnerability and growing in our anti racist knowing, doing and being.
We focus on conversation, because “things we cannot talk about we cannot change”. But we want these conversation to lead to ripples of change in ourselves, our relationships and our systems, in service of racial justice.
What’s different for Cycle 4?
Until now, FT offerings have been free to attend. But recognising this as work that matters and should be valued, for the first time, we invite attendees of FT sessions to make a financial contribution, in line with their ability to pay. All money raised will be used for bursaries to support under-represented groups to attend the NTL Global OD Certificate Programme https://ntl-od.uk, which starts its 15th iteration in May 2022.
Open conversation spaces in Cycle 4
Responding to the energy in the system, we will offer one open conversation space each month for:
- People of Colour (CS1) – to share coping strategies, our contributions within the communities and organisations we are a part of and stories of what is working to support anti racism.
- White people (CS2) – to do our own work of noticing, naming and disrupting the ways that whiteness is normalised and made normative.
- OD practitioners (CS3) – how we support client systems to begin or deepen their anti-racism work and how we integrate anti-racism into our everyday practice.
Sessions are offered as below. All times are GMT. No booking is required.
| 11.00 – 12.30 | 13.00 – 14.30 | 15.00 – 16.30 | |
| Thurs 11th Nov | CS2 (white)
Julie Beedon, Michael Ciszewski |
CS3 (OD)
Michael Ciszewski, Julian Walker |
|
| Mond 22nd Nov | CS1 (PoC)
Shelly Hossain |
||
| Weds 8th Dec | CS1 (PoC)
Shelly Hossain |
||
| Thurs 9th Dec | CS2 (white)
Jess Taylor, Julian Walker |
CS3 (OD)
Julian Walker |
|
| Thurs 13th Jan | CS3 (OD)
Julie Beedon, Sarah Bond |
CS2 (white)
Jess Taylor, Julian Walker |
|
| Fri
28th Jan |
CS1 (PoC)
Shelly Hossain (1.30-3pm) |
||
| Thurs 10th Feb | CS1 (PoC)
Shelly Hossain, Satwant Kaur |
CS2 (white)
Julie Beedon, Julian Walker |
CS3 (OD)
Jess Taylor, Michael Ciszewski |
Please log on a couple of minutes before the advertised time, so sessions can start promptly.
| CS 1, for people of colour | Zoom link |
| Mond 22nd November 11.00 – 12.30 | For zoom link please email: info@odneurope.org.uk |
| Weds 8th December 15.00 – 16.30 | |
| Fri 28th January 13.30 – 15.00 | |
| Thurs 10th February 11.00 – 12.30 |
| CS 2, for white people | Zoom link |
| Thurs 11th November 13.00 – 14.30 | For zoom link please email: info@odneurope.org.uk |
| Thurs 9th December 11.00 – 12.30 | |
| Thurs 13th January 15.00 – 16.30 | |
| Thurs 10th February 13.00 – 14.30 |
| CS 3, for OD practitioners | Zoom link |
| Thurs 11th November 15.00 – 16.30 | For zoom link please email: info@odneurope.org.uk |
| Thurs 9th December 13.00 – 14.30 | |
| Thurs 13th January 11.00 – 12.30 | |
| Thurs 10th February 15.00 – 16.30 |
New offerings for Cycle 4
To go deeper into the work, we are offering mini programmes for groups of committed individuals to pursue particular inquiries:
| Title | Focus | Dates /times |
| Men of African and Asian heritage – 4 sessions
Hosted by Ian Phillips, Abdul Choudhury and Peter Phillips |
Surfacing intra-personal, inter-personal and inter-sectional awareness and relationships through lens of “race”. Intent to grow awareness, challenge mindsets and encourage behavior change one conversation at a time. | 1. 19th Nov – 2.30pm to 4pm
2. Action Inquiry (in own time) 3. 14th Jan 2022 – 2.30 to 4pm 4. 4th Feb 2022
Please register before 19th Nov |
|
White men’s group – 6 sessions
Hosted by Michael Ciszewski and Peter Norlin |
We want to create a quiet, private gathering place to tell our own, personal stories, and then to be witnesses to each other as we all talk, listen, and learn together.
We start from the premise that, as white men, many of us are struggling right now. Externally and internally. Part of this struggle comes from our reluctance to see ourselves as an identity group. If we are going to be full-bodied allies in the fight against racism, we need to acknowledge this. And, to be heard and seen at this group level, we have to first be heard and seen in our confusion, defensiveness, frustration, and shame at the individual level. |
We will meet on Thursday afternoons from 4:30-6:00 pm on the following dates:
1. 18th November 2. 9th December 3. 6th January 4. 27th January 5. 17th February 6. 10th March
We ask that you please commit to the full slate of sessions.
Please register by 15th Nov |
| Practitioner action learning | Action learning set/s for DEI practitioners and others who are actively engaged in anti-racism work, for mutual support, challenge and learning.
|
First session: March 14th 13.00 – 14.30
Subsequent dates to be determined by the group, approx. one per month for 6 sessions in total. |
Once you have registered for these sessions, hosts will send you zoom details for each.
Webinar – Addressing Racism Without Blaming or Condoning (2nd February 2022 1pm-5pm)
Racism is a complex set of ideas and dynamic in which polarization and resistance to change are both evident. Polarity thinking offers a way to explore these using an AND mindset which brings justice and mercy and allows for pride and critical thinking. This webinar, hosted by Julie Beedon and Cliff Kayser, is for anyone interested in exploring how AND thinking can support more productive conversations about racism.
*Please Note: Once you have registered for a ticket, a booking confirmation will be emailed to you with the necessary links and information.
