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Sustaining Resistance, Empowering Renewal: Tools for Effective and Sustainable Activism (Devon: June 2014))

 A notice from our friends at Seeds for Change...


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

A 9 day residential workshop in rural Devon, 17th-26th June 2014

 

This workshop offers personal and collective tools to make our activism more effective. It offers space to reflect and analyse, helping us to stay in it for the long haul, create personal sustainability and bring continuity to our movement building. The workshop aims to help us stay inspired, nourished, empowered and creative. It aims to help ensure the collective dimensions of our activism exemplify the values we struggle for.

The workshop will use ecological/systems thinking, radical analysis and participatory learning methods to help explore our activism and how we can create strong social movements. It offers practical methods for engaging in the inner work that underpins effective social change work. The workshop venue, on the edge of Dartmoor, provides ideal conditions for reflection, healing and renewal.

The course is offered by the ecodharma collective (www.ecodharma.com) and Seeds for Change (www.seedsforchange.org.uk).
Bursaries may be available. Places are limited.

Application deadline: 3rd March 2014. For more information or an application form please call 01865 403 134 or email:  Kathryn [AT] seedsforchange.org.uk

What We Got Up To In 2013: Islamic Ecology ~ Permaculture ~ Facilitation

Peace all, 

Over the past few weeks, we've been worming away, developing the fertility of the soil (both literally and metaphorically!), preparing it to receive seeds as the world moves into the next solar cycle. 

We will share our news, events, collaborations and courses as developments manifest, God willing, in 2014. Please stay tuned. We ask you to support us as you are able, participate where you can, raise ideas for collaborations, and keep us in your prayers.

We also would like to share with you some of what took place for WIN over 2013. Below is a summary (with links) to read and share. 

ISLAM & PERMACULTURE 

In 2010, we designed and delivered probably the first Islam & Permaculture Course anywhere in the world. 

This year (2013), WIN Reps ran several more Permaculture courses and workshops (in Brighton, Surrey and London) including one on Islam, Sufism & the Permaculture Approach at the London Permaculture Festival which drew well over 60 people>> Click here to read a short summary. 


VIDEO: INTERCONNECTEDNESS & RELATIONSHIP: BASIS FOR AN ISLAMIC ECOLOGY

WIN Reps spoke at the Inclusive Mosque Initiative on the above topic. You can watch the Youtube video here 


GM FOOD & ISLAM ON THE WEB 

We launched a comprehensive Islam & GM Food web-section (which took us quite a few months work!), with a clear statement as to WIN's position on GM Food! 



NON-VIOLENCE & ISLAM: POST WOOLWICH: WIN STATEMENT

We were deeply disturbed by the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby. We reflected on this and put out a public statement, drawing on the wider context and our exploration of non-violence over the years - including in the Islam tradition, particularly the life of Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Badshah Khan - 'Non-violent soldier of Islam'):  'THE ESSENTIAL NEED FOR AN ISLAMIC NON-VIOLENCE'S >>> http://tinyurl.com/p43adre

PERMACULTURE BLOG POSTS ON WIN Blog: 

Islam & Permaculture, by WIN Rep, Shumaisa Khan 

9 Months No-Dig Permaculture in Small Growing Space

  

Why No Digging?: Nature as a Teacher  

Permaculture: Growing Food in a Small Space 

All Permaculture-related Blog Posts>>  http://wisdominnature.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/permaculture

PERMACULTURE PLOT WORK DAYS

We held two work days at our no-dig permaculture plot. A Big thank you again to those who helped.

 
DEEPENING FACILITATION: FEEDBACK FROM 'FACILITATING CHANGE' WEEK IN WALES

WIN Rep Muzammal Hussain reported on the "challenging, yet exhilarating" 'Facilitating Change' week in rural Wales for grassroot facilitators from the UK and Europe.  Read the full post 

CONSENSUS-DECISION-MAKING AT HOME: a piece by WIN Rep, Elizabeth Lymer>> http://tinyurl.com/jvzt6tg

G8: HUNGER SOLUTIONS: AWAY FROM CORPORATE CONTROL, TOWARDS FOOD SOVEREIGNTY>> 

In the leadup to the G8 we put out a statement about world hunger, power, and corporate control>>   http://tinyurl.com/mulxakd

ALSO!>>  
WIN facilitated a participative 'Ecology and Faith' forum in Bath: WHO CARES? HOW CAN FAITH HELP OR HINDER A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD?  Some photos

We also switched our elist from the more corporate Yahoo to the grassroots Riseup! And finally set up a PayPal account to give more options for you to donate dosh to WIN to support our work on Islamic ecology, permaculture & facilitation>> http://www.wisdominnature.org.uk/Finance/donate.htm#account

That's all for now!

Wishing you a wonderful end of year.

'til 2014....

  

Diversity & Oppression in Grassroots Organising (Buckinghamshire & Leeds)

Weekend workshops from Seeds for Change 

15th - 17th November (Buckinghamshire, 25mins from London)
28th Feb - 2nd March (Leeds)

"If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time; but if you are here because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." Lila Watson

Social movements in Britain have long talked about being inclusive, anti-oppressive, diverse and non-hierarchical. However, many people who would be part of a strong and diverse movement are currently marginalised, while others aren't yet aware of how their behaviour can exclude others.

Seeds for Change is running two residential, weekend workshops in beautiful locations to explore power with grassroots organisers in the UK. Throughout the weekend, participants will explore questions regarding their own use of power: How we might exclude others or be excluded, and how we can use our power to strengthen the social movements we are part of. It is for people involved in groups working for social change: it is both for those who don't feel totally welcome in the groups they are part of, as well as those who do.

There are limited spaces on the workshop, and we expect it to fill up fast, so please email us oxford [AT] seedsforchange.org.uk (replace [AT] with @ ) asking for an application form asap. The weekend costs £50, which covers food and accommodation. We have some full bursaries and some part bursaries, so please don't let cost put you off – email us and we'll do what we can to make it possible for you to come.

There are two workshop dates, one in the North, one in the South.

In the South...
6pm Friday 15^th – 3pm Sunday 17^th November 2013, Buckinghamshire. 25 minutes on the train from London

In the North...
6pm Friday 28^th February – 4pm Sunday 2^nd March 2014, Leeds


We look forward to hearing from you,

Hannah, Kathryn and Richard

-- 
01865 403134
www.seedsforchange.org.uk 

London Permaculture Festival 2013: Our stall & workshop experience...

...A really fulfilling day at the London Permaculture festival yesterday, with many good conversations and connections around the stall. 

The workshop we facilitated titled Islam, Sufism & the Permaculture Approach was more popular than expected, with well over 60 people participating. 

After a short introduction, I invited the participants to introduce themselves to each other in pairs; we then had some zhikr with light percussion followed by a short period of silence; and we then explored relations between the self/individual, the community, nature, the economy, and the Divine all from an Islamic perspective. The photos is of the flipchart which captures key ideas shared by the group.


We then reflected together on the key emphasis/qualities of Sufism in relation to Islam (a BIG question!). 

We then considered how the permaculture ethics (earth care, people care and fair shares) as well as several permaculture principles and a Permaculture placement tool relate to Islam & Sufism

The participants comprised a good handful of Muslims dotted around the room amongst people of diverse beliefs. The diversity helped draw out a number of key themes that enriched the sharing. There were wonderful contributions, and much learning for all of us. 

Gratitude to all who attended, and to the organisers of the wonderful festival.

We look forward to further collaborations with at least some of the wonderful people we connected with...

Islam, Sufism & the Permaculture Approach: @ LondonPermacultureFestival: Sun 14th July 2013

Wisdom In Nature invites you to:

ISLAM, SUFISM & THE PERMACULTURE APPROACH

A workshop at the London Permaculture Festival

Date: Sunday 14th July 2013

Time: Workshop: 3pm-3.50pm; London Permaculture Festival: 11am-7pm

Venue: Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent's Park Rd, Camden , London, NW1 7AY. Getting there/Map: Click here 

Much could be said about the relationship between these three perspectives. This short workshop will be but a little dip! While we may adapt according to numbers of people and our sense of what is needed, the intended theme will be: 'Relationship', and how this is at the heart of Islam, Sufism and Permaculture. We hope to also include some Sufi chanting (optional participation), and sharing.

Workshop Facilitators: Shumaisa Khan (WIN) & Muzammal Hussain (WIN)

Also a chance to find out more about the work of Wisdom In Nature and ways of collaborating.

Cost:  £5 / £4 concs (u18's free) entrance to the Permaculture Festival: No additional cost for the Workshop!

 

Web: www.wisdominnature.org.uk ;

Twitter: www.twitter.com/wisdominnature  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/wisdominnature; Facebook event page: http://tinyurl.com/kylc69b

About Permaculture: Permaculture is as a practical system for sustainable living, based on observing principles and patterns in nature. Rather than seeing living systems as disconnected parts, permaculture helps us to see them as a whole and aims to maximise the relationships between things. Permaculture has empowered people worldwide to develop projects that work with nature, rather than against it.

WIN will also have a stall at the festival. Come speak with us!

About the London Permaculture Festival:

The London Permaculture Festival  is a non-profit grassroots event and is one of the largest permaculture events in the country.

With Workshops, Storytelling, Music, Kids Dome & more.

Topics include: Islam, Sufism & Permaculture; Introduction to Permaculture; Surviving climate change; Our own body ecology and health; Systems, Patterns and Principles in Permaculture Design; Sustainability and parenting; Multi-stakeholder co-ops and community share issues; How to grow food in containers; Create a worm composter; Keeping chickens; Natural beekeeping; Growing plants from seed; and others...

Festival Website/More info: http://www.londonpermaculturefestival.com

Process Focus – Relationships in Allah's Interconnected Creation

In the first of a series of reflections upon process-centred ecological and community activism for SISTERS Magazine, Elizabeth reflected upon relationship-building with Suratul Fatiha

Have We not made the earth (as a place) to draw together? (The Qur'an 77:25)

Suratul Fatiha And Facilitating The Creation Of A Group Mind

Usually when you meet with other people, do you feel aware of the diverse interconnections between individuals and groups that Allah SWT has created within His interconnected ecology? Is space made for creativity and compassion to flourish?

When WIN come together for meetings and workshops, we open and close our gatherings with recitation of Suratul Fatiha followed by space for du'a, dhikr, reflection and focusing during a few moments of silence.

Allah the Exalted had said: I have divided the prayer into two halves between me and my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks. When the servant says: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe, Allah the Most High says: my servant has praised me. And when he (the servant) says: The Most Compassionate, the Merciful, Allah the Most High says: my servant has lauded me. (Excerpt about Suratul Fatiha from Muslim Book 4, Hadith 775)

When we pray to Allah SWT with Suratul Fatiha, we have a dialogue with Allah SWT which facilitates a deep connection between Him and our self, one of surrender to Him SWT.

And when he (the worshipper) says: Thee do we worship and of Thee do we ask help, He (Allah) says: This is between me and my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks for.
(Another excerpt about the special dialogue with Allah SWT that Suratul Fatiha facilitates, as reported in Muslim Book 4, Hadith 775)

When we pray in congregation we make a relationship between ourselves and Allah SWT on a personal and a community level. And the connection feels more powerful, don't you find?

Alhamdulillah, at WIN we have found that by beginning and ending group meetings with reciting Suratul Fatiha, we integrate a group surrender to Allah SWT, and we become mindful of interacting with each other with the gifts of compassion and mercy from The Most Compassionate, the Merciful, with whom we have connected.

We also use facilitation tools like adhering to 'ground rules' that include listening with compassion to each other to maintain a trusting environment. In this environment we feel at ease to offer all ideas without fear of judgement by others. The sharing and bouncing of ideas leads to developing a sense of group mind from which ideas emerge that are better for our purpose than any of the individual ones we had. This creativity could not be achieved without taking care to design and sustain both the group's relationship of group surrender to Allah SWT and the relationships between ourselves through using facilitation tools.

By putting in place processes that make more and more space for compassionate relationships, aren't we slowly bringing about the transformation of the social and wider ecology as well insha Allah?

Suggested introductory reading about permaculture:

'The Permaculture Way' by Graham Bell

'Permaculture: A Beginners Guide' by Graham Burnett

This article was published in SISTERS Magazine in April 2013 http://www.sisters-magazine.com

WIN at 'Ecology & Faith' Participative Forum: Bath: Thur 27th June 2013

WHO CARES? HOW CAN FAITH HELP OR HINDER A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD?

A Participative Forum on Ecology & Faith

A NUS-funded Religions & Beliefs Forum event 

Date: Thursday 27 June 2013
Time: 6:45pm - 9.30pm
Venue: Friends' Meeting House (Downstairs section), York Street, Bath. BA1 1NG.

Muzammal Hussain, of Wisdom In Nature (see www.wisdominnature.org.uk) will lead an Ecology & Faith participative forum, to engage all in interacting with the diverse amount of themes that 'ecology' incorporates. The workshop will aim to explore how far faith groups/communities, and Faith in general, can help or hinder a more sustainable world.
 
Paul Reid-Bowen, senior lecturer in the Study of Religions and Philosophy and Ethics at Bath Spa University, will lead a talk on the world ecological crisis, setting out the basic problems in the world and the immensity of the task that the world community has for responding to the situation.

All are invited to this conference, irrespective of faith/non-faith background. It is planned also for representatives from all faith communities in and around Bath to attend.

It is a free event, but a donation bucket will go around the room to cover costs for hiring the room.

Please invite friends, share this event, and print/share the poster freely.

Facebook page for event: https://www.facebook.com/events/464442226978388/

Deepening Facilitation: Report Back on 'Facilitating Change' Week in Wales

 

A Photo from a previous visit to a nearby area in Wales

 

We the People, We the material 

It's been about a month since I returned from a challenging, yet exhilarating week in rural Wales. There were about 25 of us - most of us were from the UK, and some from other parts of Europe. When people come together, I am excited about the possibilities that exist, and the extent to which those possibilities are tapped depends, in part, on how the group is facilitated. 

At this gathering, called 'Facilitating Change' we had come to explore deeper, more inclusive ways to facilitate groups. It felt like a landmark event, whose ripples are yet to be widely felt. It was organised by Seeds for Change, Rhizome, and Tripod. 

Everyone participating had some experience in facilitating groups. Some participants also had experience in training others to facilitate. However, perhaps the most profound difference between this gathering and other facilitation training I have been on, was not the level of experience of participants - even though the level here was high - but that at this gathering we focussed almost entirely on the relationships between our selves: WE were the material! - living together, eating together, facilitating together, reflecting on our and each other's patterns, and participating together - for a whole week.

The Magnifying Glass: Mainstream, Margins, and more..

 

A central focus during this rich time we spent together was reflecting on mainstreams and margins within groups, focussing not on groups out there, but on our group that had gathered for the week. What are the mainstream values, attitudes and behaviours, for example, in our group? And which values, attitudes, and behaviours are being marginalised... perhaps unconsciously? 

Related to this, we explored rank, power and privilege, developing awareness of our own rank in the group, how we used our power, or allowed others to step into theirs. I am speaking here from my own understanding.

There was no set formula, and a range of approaches were used to experientially explore the concepts: from 'Process Work', to 'Forum theatre', to Joanna Macy's 'The Work that Reconnects', to the various methods more commonly used in the tool-kit of grassroot facilitators, whether small group work, paired work or exercises within the larger group. Some sessions hit the mark more than others. But each offered much learning. The variety made it both interesting, and for me, very effective.

  

Participants become the facilitators
 

The sessions on the first day-and-a-half were facilitated by the organisers. Thereafter, much of the facilitation was passed to us, the participants, and we would facilitate in pairs. After the previous session had ended, there would be space for some feedback to the pair who had facilitated it. The group as a whole would then consider where we are at now: "What is the diagnosis?", What is emerging right now? And what is being silenced? 

These kinds of questions would help inform us, and in particular the next pair, stimulating us to reflect on what approaches and exercises might further the group now. The next pair were chosen by picking two names from an envelope - this was a time when I think we all felt quite anxious - in particular because the pair would then have just half an hour, or so, to prepare their session!

Diving Deeper into the Process

Whether you were facilitating, or participating, the week was challenging! The process was 'alive' throughout - our attention was frequently directed towards considering where the group was at in any given time, and what was needed to take the group (i.e us!) further. 

Conflict was drawn out. Not all significant conflict. Differences were acknowledged. Not all significant differences either - we were far from 100% successful  - but the important thing for me was that it became more ok to express within the group things that would usually be more difficult - not that it became easy either! 

One helpful approach used at least a couple of times after something especially difficult had happened, was some kind of re-enactment - a few people playing different roles, helping to bring up different themes or emotions that had been acutely felt, even if not expressed. This often carried with it a quality of humour, which softened the tension, and made communication easier. It was wonderful to witness this, and for me, this helped to bridge differences and draw me closer to other participants. 


The week also created a context that supported greater awareness of my own pain and patterns, helped strip away some of my social mask - and related to that - deepened my relationship with others. Out of this experience, I am more aware how easy it can be for action groups to just travel on the surface, going through the motions. I want to dive deeper. I want to glide underwater, into the unknown, and experience the depths, the richness that is there. And I want to support others to be able to do the same.

While there was plenty of time spent in the company of one another, whether during formal sessions or during the evening, I felt it important to have some time alone. My spiritual practises that I immersed myself into several times a day were really helpful to me, helping to reduce some of the mental noise and process some of the emotions that were arising. 

I also felt that a few more exercises of a meditative or contemplative nature within the formal workshops would have been really helpful. There were certainly strong emotions that arose for many of us, and practises that expanded the 'inner container' that held 'emotional content' would, I think, have really helped our individual and collective processing of that content.

The Question of Resistance

So, was nobody in the group resisting the process? The answer is that there was plenty of resistance. Particularly at the beginning. We were being pushed to go deeper, to be real, to stop being polite that would otherwise hold us back from talking about the difficult stuff. This resistance tried to defend its ground, but eventually - after some pain - things began to open up.   

There were also the later stages of the week. In retrospect, I sense that I became a little complacent during these even though I never stopped journeying. However, I have wondered if I could have voiced a little more that I was feeling within, during the later stages, and which might thus add fuel for more growth. Or maybe I intuitively felt there was enough already being processed: too much fuel can also smother a fire. I'll be reflecting more on this.

Some Personal Insights

Some personal insights that became more real for me during the week were as follows:

-Within a groups, it can be fine to ditch the agenda (or to be prepared to).
-The fastest journey is not necessarily the seemingly shortest route.
-Emotions hold wisdom, and wisdom informs.

-------------


For anyone who is interested, below is some of the pre-gathering reading that went round.... 

 

"We wanted to give you a bit of background, to give you a an idea where this project has come from and to help you get into a state of mind which will help us have a productive week together. Hopefully you'll get a wee bit of time away from your busy lives, while travelling if not before, to reflect on why you were attracted to come to this event, your hopes and expectations…

This was a project that was dreamed up a few years ago that we've been working hard on ever since. It came out of noticing that despite the great increase in the use of facilitation in the grassroots social change and campaigning scenes in the UK, in part through the Training for Action trainings in advance of the Scottish G8 and through the Camp for Climate Action, we still participate in some really bad meetings! So despite this increased capacity, both of facilitators formal and informal, and of general meeting skills, what happened? Why are meetings sometimes drawn out and overly painful? How come facilitators from time to time fail to support fairness and creativity in our processes?

Well, this set us thinking (when we say us, we mean a loose set of experienced activist-facilitators from different places). Was the problem that we'd focussed too much on certain skills without allowing our intuition to develop? Are there secrets out there in different cultures and approaches that we've 'missed? What are the attitudes or understandings that are lacking, or is it something else? What is the place of values in all this? Are there values behind good facilitation? Is good facilitation about helping a group uncover their values and work to them?

We're sure you've got more questions too, and some answers. And it's in this spirit that we're all getting together. It is not just about learning new tools and exercises, though I'm sure we'll all learn some along the way, maybe even develop new ones. Its about working out how we can develop the state of mind and express the values that underpin our practice as intuitive facilitators. It's a chance for all the great people who are taking part to bang our heads together, to think, to dream, to feel, and to see what we come up with and where we get to; and wherever we do get to, it'll be a start. Hopefully together we will advance how grassroots facilitation is practiced, for ourselves, for other facilitators, and for all we work with."

Ameen,

Love, Muzammal
---

WIN's workshops: click here

The Challenges of Lessening Hierarchy: WIN Changes its Structure

One of the challenges for any group that strives to work without or with a minimal concentration of power is, how it can ensure accountability when there is no 'leader' or 'supervisor' for members to report to, and thus the absence of the typical structure prevalent in most organisations.

Another challenge is, how the group will make its key decisions, when there is no one person who will make the final decision for the group, and when we want to value all views including those of minorities (and which thus rules out majority voting).

As WIN is a group that  has always strived to minimise hierarchy, developing workable mechanisms for accountability and effective processes for inclusive group decision making were important challenges we had to face. 


An attempt at a horizontal structure: Adaptation needed

With regards to accountability, due to considerably varying levels of commitment and attendance - especially in the early stages of the group forming - and with a quite limited degree of face to face contact amongst members, we found that an entirely horizontal structure was not working for us. Not everyone was committed to completing their agreed tasks and not everyone was committed to exploring this, making it harder to talk about and thus resolve. We thus decided to open up two roles: A 'Chair' role, and a 'Support to Chair' role. 

Accountability

Those in these roles would have primary responsibility to help guide issues or conflict within the group to a point of resolution. While useful, the challenge was then as to how the Chair and Support could themselves be held accountable to their responsibilities within their respective roles as such, and otherwise.  We created somewhat of a framework for this by lessening their power: the Chair and Support could not dictate to the group (although they could through consulting between themselves make quickly needed minor decisions not significantly affecting the group), and were only to be in their role in certain situations. We also ensured a regular space at our review meetings for members of the group to raise anything that might be troubling them. Facilitation at these meetings would, to varying extents, be shared by several individuals. 

We thus had an approach that whilst not perfect, was certainly  workable, and did to a reasonable extent serve the group well, indeed much better than the original vague structure. 


Group Decision Making

In terms of group-decision-making, as we were not going to use majority voting and did not want anyone to 'dictate', we had to work hard with faith and patience, and we were pushed to be more creative. Through facilitation training, research and group experience, we developed a form of consensus-decision-making that drew on qualities of spaciousness and reflection ensuring a foundation for rich and creative decision-making for WIN. 

I was surprised with the results: meetings in which we used this approach typically left us feeling incredibly liberated and empowered. It felt like a real democracy, and to me is in accordance with core Islamic principles. Ultimately, religion, must be liberating if it is authentic.


The Horizontal wish remains

Although I was Chair of the group, and was satisfied that the above setup was appropriate for our group at the time, I ideally wished for the group to be in a situation in which we could let go of the need for its Chair and Support role and work more as a co-op type structure.

Over recent months, triggered by my wish to step down as Chair, we had several discussions within the group as to what action or structural changes we make within the group. After much deliberation, and with courage, the group has now decided that we are letting go of these roles. So, we now have no 'Chair' and no 'Support to Chair' roles for WIN, thus reducing hierarchy within the group.


The Fruits of Dialogue

I was both surprised and relived that we came to this decision, and am grateful to my fellow WIN Reps, Elizabeth and Shumaisa for recognising the individual and collective responsibilities needed for our new set-up. While we need to give time to consider how our new structure functions best, I am also grateful that we continue to have strong self-examining qualities, and that while we strive to act in the world, which we are a part of, with some success we also work on ourselves to mirror the world we want to live in. 

Cheers both!

Running Great Workshops (Oxford) 21-23 Sep 2012

A great opportunity from our friends at Seeds for Change. Note the deadline (Sun 19th Aug).

-----------

 

RUNNING GREAT WORKSHOPS, OXFORD

 
Fri 21- Sun 23rd September 2012
Oxford

Friday 21st (7-10pm) Saturday 22nd (10-6pm) Sunday 23rd (10-4pm)

Learning from each another is a building block of successful social movements. By sharing our skills and knowledge we make our groups stronger and healthier.

This weekend course will help you develop the skills and confidence to design and facilitate engaging, participatory and fun workshops. From guerilla gardening to writing a press release, from mass catering to working in affinity groups, if you have a skill that social movements need, come to this workshop to learn how to share it. If you're a grassroots activist and you'd like to run workshops to help others learn, this is for you.

 

In the workshop you will get the chance to:

* develop skills and confidence to facilitate good learning
* understand how people learn and design a workshop plan
* prepare and facilitate a short workshop session and receive constructive feedback from other participants & the workshop facilitators.

 

 The workshop is free for grassroots activists. If you're coming from a funded organisation, places cost from £125. Food will be vegan and will cost £20 for the weekend, if you can afford it. We can provide crash space for those who need it.

Places are limited to a maximum of 16 participants. There is an application process and the deadline for applications is Sunday 19th August.

 If you want to find out more or for an application form please contact  oxford AT seedsforchange.org.uk  or call 01865 403134. Please forward the email onto your contacts.

Hannah, Richard & Kathryn
Seeds for Change Oxford
01865 403134
www.seedsforchange.org.uk

Empowering Communities: The Possibility of Decision Making as a Spiritual Experience

Consensus-decision-making is a process, which through experience, I have developed much faith in.  It's a level of faith which not everyone carries, and indeed some people carry a degree of scepticism, while a few demonstrate a clear aversion to it! The latter, I have found is often due to a misunderstanding about what consensus is (not everything named 'consensus' is 'consensus'!) coupled with an aversion to trying it out with the necessary commitment. 
 

A workshop I delivered a few days ago on consensus-decision-making at a monthly meeting of the Soteria network Brighton group - a group that I am a part of -  was attended by a range of people that held a variety of opinions about the extent to which consensus can work. Comments at the start revealed this, for instance, something like, "I expect it takes a painfully long time", to "dictatorship is best" to " I think it can have something positive to offer". 

My challenge on this occasion was in a number of ways an uphill one. It seemed that nobody in the group of about fifteen had been through a formal consensus process before - and although I had managed to secure an-hour-and-a-half for the workshop, a realistic time-frame in which to take a group through consensus, is at least half a day. 

My co-facilitator for the first part of the workshop, which consisted of an ultra-fast outline of what consensus is, was fellow Soteria member, Yasmin, who I had taken through a more detailed exploration a week earlier. For the latter four-fifths, I was on my own.

After consensus was introduced by the two of us, I facilitated the group through an experience of the consensus process, with the aim of answering a purposeful question - an exercise in its own right - which the group was to make a decision on. The process went smoothly at times and was a struggle at other times - as would be expected particularly given that it was a first for the group - but the result was in some ways better than expected given the challenges.  

The group came close to reaching consensus - we nailed it down to several statements which would have needed time to prioritise and make minor amendments to. Consensus would have been the next natural step. The result from this angle, was a positive one (although at the time I was a little disappointed we didn't quite get there). 

Although, almost all of the group had also given the process a good shot and no doubt gained something from it, whether they use consensus decision making or not will be a choice the group will soon make for itself. Either way, elements of the exercise point to underlying principles and attitudes that can be used to help equalise power and draw out deeper wisdom in a group, even if the formal process is not taken up.

For myself, with time to reflect, I have pinpointed potential ways of improving the workshop. Allowing more spaciousness and time to explore the issues along with a couple more breaks; A co-facilitator (for a group this size, it's a task to capture all ideas onto a flip chart and being present at the same time); Some small group work; And perhaps inviting those who felt they could commit to the process to attempt the exercise, with others quietly observing, on this first occasion, as a way of gently breaking the ice. 

Consensus does take time. It requires of us patience (sabr) and a commitment to the process. "As along as it takes" was a refreshing comment I heard in a subgroup at Occupy LSX. My own experience is that, when combined with a quality of spaciousness and trust, even though consensus is not for all decisions, it is nonetheless a process that can empower a group beyond any other decision making process I have come across. Indeed, the experience can, I believe, be a spiritual one, as we move out of "I"-ness into something more whole.

In the Islamic tradition, decision making through mutual consultation is given its due importance:

"Far better and more lasting is what God will give to those who believe and trust in their Lord; who shun great sins and gross indecencies…..; conduct their affairs by mutual consultation…" (Qur' an: 42:19)

Within many communities, including Muslim ones, there is effort to be made in developing our capacities to engage more fully, more compassionately, in deciding on things that affect us, together - letting go of the "I", and building real communities. I too have a need to nurture this capacity within myself. I am also aware and grateful, that in our present day context, there are movements and people I can learn from. Indeed we have one another, and within a reality of a Higher Presence. In our present day context thus, whilst we might sense dis-ease, we may through contemplative engagement also discover the remedy. 

© Muzammal Hussain

WIN's Second Core Strand: 'Deep Democracy'

The Deep Democracy strand comprises an intention to move:
Away from concentration of power amongst the rich and privileged;
towards more equalisation of power that honours diversity, draws out consensus and empowers all.

Democracy: Beyond the Superficial

Deep democracy aims to draw out the diverse voices and tap into the wisdom each brings. The protests of various social movements around the world are indicative of the failure of  superficial forms of democracy; the phrase “we are the 99 percent” is a voice representing the masses of people whose lives are exploited at the hands of the 1 percent.   

The concentration of power in the hands of a few leads to marginalization of voices that undermines the wholeness of individuals, communities, and ultimately, our world. Greater wisdom emerges when people actively listen to each other.   Putting the time into processes conducive to deeper dialogue often also saves time in the long run that may otherwise have to be spent on resolving conflicts and undoing damage to people and ecosystems.    

Can Process be Sacred?  

The Qur' an states:

"Far better and more lasting is what God will give to those who believe and trust in their Lord; who shun great sins and gross indecencies…..; conduct their affairs by mutual consultation…" (Qur' an: 42:19)

Read full piece>>

Strength in Diversity

At Wisdom In Nature, we have found that it is only when the walls that separate us can be softened, is it possible to begin real dialogue. This process of softening has the potential to be taken even further, reaching a place from where it can become easier to look at the world from another's viewpoint. When this process deepens within our group's meetings, a 'group mind', begins to form. Our personal awareness moves into something much bigger, something more open. The experience is not imaginary, but is palpable. One newcomer attending one of our review meetings described his experience, that the process "seems to have a mind of its own" - elaborating to mean that the answers naturally arrive. 

Contributions emerging from this place bring with them a quality of inclusivity and carry a deeper truth; and through meetings we can feel energised rather than depleted! We begin to value one another as our collective wisdom is enriched by the presence of each person.  Diversity becomes a strength that we naturally welcome.

In terms of specifics, at WIN, we use basic ground rules, or a group agreement, that welcomes deep listening and a diversity of viewpoints as a start. In addition we include a variety of ways to support this further. For example, after we have settled a little, we join together for a couple of minutes silence - as a means of letting go of some of the mental baggage we have each brought in! At key meetings we can also bring in active exercises. These can be as simple as asking a question or two, "What are the qualities that bring us to the group?", or "How do we see the state of the world?”, to give a couple of examples. By opening this up to allow for all ideas including seemingly conflicting ones, and ensuring each is acknowledged and noted e.g. visibly on a flip chart, it makes it easier for each person to step into other shoes. The process of developing a group mind is under way.

Whilst we aim to be conscious of issues around rank, power and privilege, we have found that the cultivation of a group mind brings with it somewhat of a natural antidote to such inequalities. In our experience, it is not uncommon, for example, for an individual with considerable 'religious' knowledge to hold more power in the group. Yet, when a group mind begins to form, trust and humility begin to manifest, allowing power to become more equalised and those that feel marginalised to feel more included.

Nonetheless, we still place value on and consider ways of actively reflecting on the rank and privileges that we hold. For example, we will take turns at facilitating meetings. Also, as part of our 'Islamic Community Food Project' in Tower Hamlets, in which we attempted to integrate social organising with connecting to the land, we used an exercise that involved throwing the following statement to the group: "It is selfish for the middle class to think about the food they eat when millions of people are starving".

Participants were then asked to position themselves in the room according to how much or how little they believed the statement to be true. The different voices were then drawn out and participants were also free to move should their perspective shift. I must confess that although we are keen to draw more people from less privileged background into WIN, we have not had as much success as we would have liked. However, in small ways we experience some fruits of our work in the area of rank and privilege. One example follows from the exercise just described. As one participant wrote on a blog post:

"We had workshops – wonderful, free, organic workshops – in the afternoon which challenged our perceptions and called for us to really look at how responsible we were when it came to food. I realised that my middle classed upbringing and lifestyle gave me the freedom to make choices – to be fair-trade; organic etc. Yet, I still was unable to really take action. Since then I have ventured baby steps into home gardening. My balcony now supports coriander; chives; and basil. I look at them tenderly and consistently, like an overzealous new mother, hoping that they might survive the spring chill and that my sabr (patience) and taqwa (God Consciousness) will generate nourishment: physical and, spiritual."

An edited version of this article appeared in a booklet produced by The Transition Network titled:

7 Ingredients for a Just, Fair and Inclusive Transition  (the article is on page 12) 

Gathering Momentum with the ICFP...

Our next gathering of the Islamic Community Food Project (i.e. ICFP!) is due on May 8th. So, let's take a look at of some of the ideas that are brewing..!

Firstly, we've been brainstorming ways of keeping the creativity and energy going between the gatherings at Spitalfields. We went through a facilitated exercise a couple of weeks ago and captured ideas that were shared on this very topic. See flip chart, below. To enlarge, simply click on the photo...



We'll develop this further and have already started to act on it as a team.


Participants in the project are also excited about jointly organising a potential action in July, in the form of a stimulating, fun, open event on the theme of the project. At the May gathering we will carry this forward and ask ourselves, what would we like to see at this July event? And what can we each offer?

The outline so far centres on: a campfire, picnic, workshops, talks. These, and other ideas raised, were caught on this next flip chart:


So, the next step will be the next gathering, where we will share more ideas, get organised and make the imagined real! The date for this is Sunday 8th May 2011, and it will be at Spitalfields City farm. We'll be putting a post up about this very soon. Stay tuned, and come join in if you want to be part of this movement for organised social change...!

An Islamic Ecological Activism: Uniting the Strands

Inter-connectedness

A core quality of an authentic spiritual tradition is that it offers practices and guidance for its followers that can reveal holistic solutions to the challenges of the time. I believe that this is true of Islam, yet I also believe that there is much work to be done to uncover the essence of the tradition, such that will allow its beauty and relevance to be known in the challenging times we find ourselves in.

In my own life, I find myself in a process of re-evaluating and gathering the different strands that represent my own core values and the different facets of my existence. Whilst one of these strands is the spiritual, however hard I look I can find no separation between this and other strands that represent me - my relationships with others, my means of gaining income, the passions to which I give my time, and so on. Neither can I separate these aspects of me from the wider community and political landscape. Life is just too interconnected.

This process of gathering is also reflected in my journey of initiating and co-participating within the UK’s first local Islamic ecological activist group.

Whilst my journey into initiating Wisdom In Nature arose in part out of my noticing the need for more ‘environmental’ awareness, more fundamentally it emerged out of sensing more intimately that we live in an inter-connected world - that humanity is not separate from nature, but is a part of it. My increasing appreciation of the latter has strong resonance with my deepening appreciation of the Islamic concept of tawhid, of Oneness or Unity. Ultimately everything arises from a single source, and to attempt to engage in life’s challenges by compartmentalising them - albeit convenient and with some limited use - cannot lead to real, long-term solutions and would go against the true nature of things.

This interconnectedness is increasingly self-evident in a world in which communication can travel wide and far so rapidly, and in which we have developed powerful, albeit questionable, technologies, both at the macro and the micro level, which very quickly can have profound far-reaching consequences - from the genetic modification (GM) of food, to advertising and nuclear technologies for instance. Thus, any awareness that inter-connectedness is a fundamental truth of existence is being amplified by the state of the world today.

To me, ecological activism - which is the activism that I strive to participate in - is activism that is guided by an awareness of this interconnectedness. It includes the so-called ‘environmental’ but is not limited to it.  With the principle of tawhid being such a core concept in Islam, activism that is Islamic must also, I believe, be ecological. We must act in a way that honours the relationship between the different strands of existence however much our cultural norms might choose to differentiate between them.

The name to reflect the reality

Hence, whilst I concede that Wisdom In Nature was initially called the ‘London Islamic Network for the Environment’ (LINE), the word ‘environment’ - which can imply separate-ness, as well as a competing of issues rather than their integration with respect to the natural order – was amongst the main factors that led us to re-evaluate and change that name. Indeed, the ecological challenges we face and the potential solutions are, in one sense, not bound by the environment but are in us. We have caused the problem, and thus it is our consciousness and patterns that must be transformed. It is for us to become the solution.

Consequently the word ‘nature’ in our new name, Wisdom In Nature, refers in part to our innate nature, or as in the Qur’an, to the fitrah. By living according to the fitrah or our natural disposition - which necessitates inner work and getting to grips with the nafs or ego and its disguised compulsions – we can with more ease live in harmony with the wider creation, or the ‘environment’.

Simultaneously, the laws and principles in nature can offer insights and inspiration that can move us to wholesome solutions in tune with the principles in creation that creatively nurture life. The Qur’an continually guides us to witness and observe the natural world which it refers to as ayat or ‘signs’ that when reflected on with receptivity can simultaneously draw us closer to God, and open us to reconnect to the fitrah.

In addition, having had Islam in our name easily led to assumptions about who we are and what we do. If we are an Islamic group, what does that really mean? Are all ‘Islamic’ groups very similar, or are they more diverse than we might like to think? We were also aware that we were sometimes wrongly considered a ‘Muslim’ only group by those somewhat over-enthusiastic to compartmentalise, yet we enjoy and are grateful to have the presence of participants that do not call themselves Muslim. The process, thus, of defining and re-articulating what we call ourselves was helpful in re-establishing what we are really about, what we understood to be the core values of Islam, rather than simply slotting the term into a name.

The means and the end

Whilst the grassroots and activist nature of the group can be seen in what we do, less visibly yet more importantly it is intrinsic to our process – i.e. how we do things. Rather than being led from the top-down, we lean strongly to using consensus-based, bottom-up processes that draw out the diverse voices, creativity, and wisdom of the group. We might also consciously bring in awareness around gender, power relations, privilege and class for example, helping to build cohesiveness and community as we move forward with our ecological work.

We used these kinds of processes within the numerous meetings we had to complete our colour photo-booklet ‘Islam & Climate Change ~ A Call to Heal’. This took considerable time, but we gained a strong sense of ownership that helped take it to completion. None of our members were, or wanted to be paid (that includes myself!), to complete the project, and with minimal funds in our account we still beat the odds to finish it. The end-product clearly reflects the value we hold dear and the care that has gone into it.

Another aspect of our grassroots ethos is that we do not accept donations from government or corporations. Indeed our day-to-day funding comes entirely from donations from individuals. Whilst we need and are actively inviting more individuals to donate regularly, we remain true to our principles, despite there being the attractions of numerous external sources to whom we could go.

Thus, we have discovered ourselves to be a group that in its understanding of the term ecological, aims to weave together the different strands of activism - the inner, social, process, economic and ‘environmental’, within a common value system. Rather than simply campaigning for people to recycle more for instance, valuable though that is, we work to link issues and look deeper into them 

Opening the potential

There is a huge potential waiting to be born out of joining together theological knowledge and spiritual maturity with practical work to connect to the land and awareness of grassroots organising and social change. This is a potent combination that draws together the desire for social change within a world view of compassion and love. Separating the spiritual from the outer and the active is an illusion, and this is touched on in Surat Al-Ma ‘un, Chapter 107, in the Qur ‘an.

Our intention with Wisdom In Nature is to continue working within this integrated framework, a natural extension of which is to support, where we are able, the development of local initiatives that feel comfortable working in a similar way. Our community food project with Spitalfields City farm is an early example of this effort.

With our main geographical focus being in London and more recently in Brighton, as we draw more willing volunteers as well as funding from individuals, we look forward to collaborations and a growing contribution to an ecological activism as we further our work in these locations.

In whatever way you can, we invite you to join in.

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This is a version of an article that was originally published on the Muslim Institute website.