Evolving the Work that Reconnects: Training for Trainers

18th – 23rd September 2018,  Brussels, Belgium
A residential Training for Trainers in ‘connection-work’ (verbindingswerk), exploring the Work that Reconnects, integrating an anti-oppression framing and marginalized perspectives, whilst building your facilitation skills and confidence

Labo invites you to a training for trainers in ‘connection-work’ (verbindingswerk) from 18th – 23rd September in Brussels, Belgium. During this 5 day residential training we will explore how we can adapt and apply the ‘Work that Reconnects’ in our work for social and environmental justice.

The Work that Reconnects is a form of group work that uses experience-based activities. It supports us to come back into relationship with ourselves, each other and the world around us. This can motivate and empower us to reclaim our lives, our communities, and our planet from corporate and colonial rule. The Work that Reconnects is open-source and has its roots in the teachings and experiential methods of Joanna Macy. For more information click here.
Goals of the training

• explore the background to the Work that Reconnects and the frameworks and traditions that it draws on.
  
• explore ways to adapt the work to integrate an anti-oppression framing and analysis, and embrace marginalized perspectives
  
• explore ways to make the work safer and more relevant for a greater diversity of participants
  
• build skills and confidence to facilitate the work and to design sessions for different contexts, including shorter workshops and workshops in an urban environment.
  

The facilitators
Kathryn Tulip is a trainer and facilitator with Navigate Cooperative, a UK-based training collective. Navigate supports groups and organisations to be effective and resilient in their work for social and environmental justice. She has been facilitating and adapting the Work that Reconnects for more than 10 years.
Gee is a trainer and programme director at Ulex Project, a residential training centre in Catalonia. Ulex offers trainings that build social movement capacity for social justice and ecological integrity.  Gee has designed several training programmes in areas such as sustainable activism, wilderness immersion and nature connection work.
Who is this training for?
This training is aimed at trainers or facilitators with basic experience in facilitating experiential learning spaces. We welcome trainers who feel like they are still learning and finding their own style and the training will include time and space to practice, experiment and receive feedback. English will be the main shared language, but we expect most of the participants to be non-native English speakers.
Practical info
The training will take place in Brussels, giving us a chance to practice using these tools in a busy, urban environment. We invite everyone to arrive on the evening of the 18th of September, when we will have dinner around 19:00. We will finish the training at 16.00 on the afternoon of the 23rd. We ask participants to make a commitment to be there for the whole of the training. Because of our experiential approach, it is not possible to come late or leave early.
The training will be residential, meaning that we will sleep and eat together in the venue where we host the training. We might have sessions in the evenings, depending on the training design, the energy of the participants and the group’s momentum. If you really need to go home in the evenings, please let us know. Please be aware that this workshop can bring up emotions and personal issues. There will be breaks throughout each day and we will create space for processing and reflection.
The costs for food and accommodation are 135 euros per person. We recommend a sliding scale donation from 75 euro to 250 euro, depending on your financial situation. The costs for the training are 230 euros per person. We ask for a donation to cover these costs, depending on what you feel able to give. If you are able to contribute more, please do, so that people who cannot afford it can participate as well. We are able to offer 3 bursary places for people facing economic obstacles, so if you feel you are unable to contribute financially, please let us know. Unfortunately we cannot cover travel costs.
Applications
To apply for the training, please complete this application form and email to verbinding@labovzw.be by 27th July. We will get in touch with everyone who applied the following week. We particularly encourage applications from trainers who feel they face challenges in accessing training spaces due to social, personal or economic reasons. If you have any needs around accessibility, please let us know!