The London Social Forum announces
Emotional Intelligence
for Activists
A Workshop on Facilitation and Chairing of Meetings

This workshop will provide participants with practical skills and will also address the emotional aspect of facilitating meetings. We will share information and experience on overseeing meetings and facilitating groups, including information about the typical ways that everyone involved can be attacked, especially those who take responsibility for tasks, such as chairing meetings. We want to work towards the creation of a different culture and climate, one that cherishes people who become visible and take on responsibilities and helps us to appreciate and support one another. We will use organic processes to work through related emotions, using experiential exercises to address topics such as fear, lack of confidence, feeling isolated, concerns about making "mistakes" and learning how to "sit in the fire" when difficult or intense emotions are present in collective situations. We will also investigate the ideological differences involved in the ESF organising process and how to negotiate these when leading meetings.

One key purpose of this workshop is to empower people to volunteer to chair meetings of the ESF organising process, meetings of the Co-ordinating Committee, the Organising Committee, and all the various working groups as well as unofficially allied groups working to build up the ESF process. Additionally, participants will work together collectively to develop some written document, particularly in regards to the nature of "consensus"; such a document can then be circulated following on from the meeting and can be used as a basis for larger, ongoing discussions about "process" within ESF organising efforts.

The workshop will be led by Masana De Souza and Laura Sullivan.
Masana has over 15 years‚ experience in mediation and facilitation work within workplaces, organisations and community groups, locally, nationally and internationally. Laura has over 15 years‚ experience in counselling and in facilitating groups for women, men, and activists and has participated extensively in the national academic labour movement in the US. Their work centers on the elimination of all forms of oppression, and seeks to empower people to believe in themselves, to connect deeply and authentically with one another, and to retain a sense of humour in the process of changing the world.

Presently, two such workshops are planned,
with more to come if there is interest.
Dates of workshops (one-day, repeated):
Wednesday, 14 April 2004 6-10pm
Tuesday, 11 May 2004 6-10pm

VENUE: London Action Resource Centre (LARC), 62 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, London E1 1ES (between Whitechapel and Aldgate East tube stations). Phone: 020 7377 9088. Please bring food to share.

So that we have an idea of the numbers of people to expect at each workshop, please RSVP if you plan to attend, noting which of the two dates you are choosing.
RSVP to Laura Sullivan at Laura Sullivan or Masana De Souza at London Social Forum information: londonsocialforum.org