One way we support effective community action is by organising, designing and facilitating workshops. We do this primarily in two ways: (1) tCA-initiated workshops that are open to everyone; and (2) in-house with organisations to address specific challenges or priorities.
We have facilitated workshops with literally hundreds of groups, organisations and networks, representing most social movements: human rights activists, environmentalists, indigenous activists, queers, disability advocates, unionists and union educators, feminists, people working for economic justice… Click here for a list of organisations we’ve worked with since 2005.
What’s happening now?
Check out our calendar to see what workshops tCA or other organisations are organising in the coming months.
What workshop themes do we offer?
Becoming an effective change agent or creating an effective community organisation requires continual learning and a very wide range of skills, understandings and capacities. Activist educators have theorised about what and how effective activists learn. We prioritise topics and forms of activist education that appear most important to our partners and the social movements we most frequently support. We aim to complement rather than duplicate education, training and facilitation opportunities that are available in the Asia Pacific region.
We tailor workshops to the unique needs of social movement organisations. For some of the themes we regularly work around follow these links:
community organising: mobilising for change
Community organising builds power in workplaces and communities by facilitating effective grassroots participation. In the USA and UK, this approach has built the power among networks and alliances of active and informed communities. Community organising differs from advocacy, service delivery and community development in important ways. Unlike advocacy, it tends to be informed by a…
facilitation
This experiential workshop helps participants facilitate meetings that address both the task and maintenance dimensions of group life – meetings that achieve results and build groups that are sustainable and enjoyable. Participants develop a shared understanding of various facilitation styles and when to implement them. Resource materials are provided for future reference. objectives reflect on…
learning organisations and evaluation
Saul Alinksy noted that some of the most effective organisers and activists use campaigns and social movements as learning opportunities. This workshop explores opportunities and strategies to more consciously capture learnings we acquire through social action, and identify the barriers that impede organisational learning. Participants reflect on how their organisations learn and what additional mechanisms…
movement action plan
U.S. activist-educator Bill Moyer conceived Movement Action Plan (MAP) to explain and explore the stages and advocacy roles evident in successful social movements. The model’s apparent simplicity may hold the key to its appeal and practical application to activists who seek to analyse, plan and enhance their campaigns. This workshop introduces the key components of…
nonviolent direct action (NvDA) and civil disobedience
Violence is often viewed as the ultimate revolutionary means: the gun-wielding guerrilla, the brick- throwing student and the militant terrorist are all common images of the struggle against authority. This workshop unpacks that assumption and explores how to respond to injustice that is neither timidity nor resorting to the same violent methods of those we…
scenario based campaigning workshop
This workshop throws participants into a realistic campaign scenario where they build alliances, identify and lobby decision-makers, convene public meetings, issue media releases and develop strategy on the run. New trigger events keep coming, forcing players to react, organise and strategise. The scenario is interspersed by debriefings to analyse tactics and their results. The role-play…
social movement educate the educator ed2
Activist education is conducted by and with activists, is openly interested in the processes of change, and utilises educational methods that bring about change toward social justice. Activist education builds a sense of personal agency in the learning environment. We use the expression ‘activist education’ to describe our work. This has implications not just for…
Strategising for change
This workshop introduces a suite of practical tools for developing and evaluating campaign strategy. Workshop participants apply these tools to real-life problems to develop realistic strategies and tactics. The tools are suitable for both small grassroots groups and larger professional advocacy organisations. Many of those who have participated in the SfC workshop say that it…
sustaining activism
Activist energy is a precious resource. Activism can be incredibly stressful and emotionally demanding, and many activists keep ‘running on empty’ without taking the time to replenish their reserves. Resulting burn-out harms the individual as well as the campaigns and organisations they are part of. This workshop encourages activists to prioritise their own health and…
theories of change
Our campaigns for a better world take place in a context, and reflect social and political realities and trends. This workshop challenges participants to ask critical ‘big picture’ questions about change, and engages them in reflection and dialogue. The workshop is inspired by Greg Speeter’s urging that “social change agents need to have some sort…
working in groups
Successful campaigns depend on effective groups that are characterised by cooperation, respectful relationships, clear communication, and effective decision-making processes. Often people in social change groups and organisations are so preoccupied with the change they want to achieve in the world, and the tasks they have to complete, that there is little investment in setting up…
‘How to’ guides for campaigners, organisers and activist educators.
