An excellent toolbox of facilitations from Resist and Renew - helping social movement groups to hang together, in tough times
From Resist + Renew
As we have constantly stressed here at A/UK, cultivating good practice in relationships and your inner life is a necessary foundation for a more flourishing, balanced and participative society/community.
It’s striking that the more recent climate and youth movements are as thoughtful about their process and self-cultivation as they are their tactics and strategy (see the way that Trust The People operates, coming out of XR’s democratic innovation, as it supports citizen development).
We have highlighted Resist and Renew before (we have also followed them through their travails (and victories) as part of the Stanstead 15). But their main purpose is as radical educators and facilitators for movements and civil society (Ali Tamlit’s work with SF and speculative facilitation is particularly exciting).
So we’re delighted to find, and bring to you, their transcribed podcast series Toolbox - where R & R are steadily working through the facilitation techniques that work for them in their practice. Even if you use these already, their enthusiasm and engagement will refresh their importance for you, as way to hold groups together in our social movements.
We’ve pulled it all together on this page, with their often helpful show notes and graphics - but if you want to subscribe to Resist and Renew directly, please visit here.
Episode one: What Is Facilitation?
We get our nerd on with an overview of facilitation, and why it’s important.
‘There is no such thing as no design, just bad design. The same is true with facilitation’ – Sami
Other facilitation collectives:
Some facilitation resources:
Online facilitation tips (R+R mutual aid session video)
Doing virtual trainings: top tips; a sample online meeting agenda
For the nerds who really want detail: a 50 page online facilitation guide; a 40 page general facilitation guide.
Original episode page (with full transcript)
EPISODE TWO: CHECK-INS
We get our nerd on about “check-ins” as a facilitation tool: what they are, when they’re useful, and their limitations.
‘Notice what intention you have when you’re trying to do a check in, and bring that intention as much as you can into the way that you hold the space.’ – Katherine
Find “Check-in” on Seeds for Change’s tools page.
Original episode page (with full transcript)
EPISODE THREE: FISHBOWLS
WE get into “fishbowls” as a facilitation tool: what they are, when they’re useful, and their limitations.
‘That’s a key component – you go into it expecting to listen 80% of the time.’ – Ali
Show notes, links
Find “Fish bowl” on Seeds for Change’s tools page. See Training For Change’s tool description for an example of how to use fishbowls in practice.
Original episode page (with full transcript)
EPISODE FOUR: HAND SIGNALS
WE get into using hand signals (“agreed gestures or shapes that people make with their hands, to communicate in a non-verbal way”) as a facilitation tool: what ones are useful in facilitation, when they’re useful, and their limitations.
‘Know why you want to use them, be really clear on what they’re for, and keep it kind of simple.’ – Ali
Show notes, links
The perenially-useful Seeds for Change have a PDF that covers a lot of the hand signals you may see in meetings.
Original episode page (with full transcript)
Episode Five: Conflict Icebergs
Our icebreaker ship explores conflict icebergs as a model: what it highlights, and what it hides.
‘All models are wrong, but some are useful’ – George Box
Show notes, links
The perenially-useful Seeds for Change have a PDF on navigating conflict in groups.
Original episode page (with full transcript)
EPISODE SIX: SPECTRUM LINES
We lay down some spectrum lines: what they bring, issues and benefits.
‘What’s really valuable about them is their way of drawing out and making visible polarity’ – Sami
Show notes, links
The perenially-useful Seeds for Change have a description of spectrum lines on their tools page.
Training For Change have a video 10 Ways to Use A Spectogram Online. (“spectrogram” is another term for “spectrum line”), which includes a how-to guide for making your own spectrum line slides in Google Slides.
Original episode page (with full transcript)
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