Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Anti-racism and Civic Courage Training (ACCT) is a transnational project focusing on the decrease of discrimination, including multi-dimensional discrimination and racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance. The partners also aim at combating discrimination, hate crime & hate speech across the EU.
For more information:
Funded by the European
Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and
do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European
Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor
EACEA can be held responsible for them.
https://www.acctforchange.eu/train-the-trainers-a-transformative-experience-in-berlin/
My name is Bikalpa and
I originally come from Nepal but am currently living in Copenhagen, Denmark.
This month, from January 10th to 13th, I had
the opportunity to participate in Train the
Trainers workshop in Berlin, Germany, to learn how to facilitate the Anti-Racism
and Civic Courage Training (ACCT). This event brought together a
diverse group of individuals from the ACCT project partners
organizations from five EU countries. I
was participating on behalf of Crossing Borders (Denmark) along
with my colleagues Andrew (USA/Italy),
Maryam (Lebanon/Denmark) and Margaret (Egypt).
In the ‘Train the Trainers’ event, we dove headfirst into the
ACCT Curriculum, a dynamic guide designed to fight discrimination and bolster
civic courage. The aim? To turn us into skilled facilitators, ready to adapt
these powerful anti-racism tools to our local communities.
Our days flew by while participating in engaging non-formal
learning methods – think interactive games, group activities, and lively
discussions that knit us into a tight-knit community, all committed to
dismantling racism. It was more than just learning; it was experiencing the
complex layers of racism, from ingrained prejudices to breaking down the works
of systemic oppression.
But it wasn’t all about recognizing the problem. A big part of
our journey was understanding civic courage – the guts to stand up against
injustice. We delved into the importance of raising our voices, having tough
conversations, and championing equality and inclusivity. This training wasn’t
just about acquiring skills; it was about sparking a change in us and,
hopefully, in our communities
Here I will be sharing some highlight of each day and some
activities that we conducted during the workshop:
Day 1
Suna, from Perspekt Initiative, welcomed all the participants
and kicked off the workshop with introductions as soon as everyone arrived.
Later, participants collaborated to establish workshop guidelines, among the
workshop guidelines was to use ‘I’ in a personal perspective, so I am using ‘I’
while giving my opinion in this blog post.
After setting up the guidelines, we dove into the workshop
activities, starting with the “Crossing the Lines” method. This was followed by
other engaging methods like “Exploring Intention and Effect,” “Reality Show,”
and the “Dice Game.” These activities allowed us to explore and discuss
different situations related to discrimination, shedding light on individual,
structural, and institutional forms of bias. The games were eye-opening,
emphasizing that discrimination can occur unintentionally, making it crucial to
be mindful of the impact of our words and actions on others. I truly enjoyed
participating in each game. Additionally, we worked in groups to deepen our
understanding of anti-racism concepts and definitions.
Day 2
The weather in Berlin was colder than the previous day as we
arrived at the training venue. With over 20 participants from different
countries, we kicked off the day with introductions once again, given the
challenge of remembering everyone’s names. Following some energizing exercises,
we delved into the workshop with an introduction to a concept called “Theatre
of the Oppressed.” Methods like “Columbian Hypnosis,” “Forum Theatre,” and
other energizer activities encouraged us to discuss situations where we had
experienced acts of discrimination. While presenting each group also chose one
situation to turn into a play, reflecting and re-enacting our experiences to
overcome negativity and explore alternative actions. The presentation occurred
twice: once without intervention and a second time with viewers having the
chance to and replace characters, giving a new twist to the situation. This
allowed disempowering situations to transform into empowerment and healing,
making it a day of valuable learning about power, control, discrimination,
racism on different sector and ways to overcome it.
Day 3
Our Airbnb in Berlin was a 20-minute walk from the workshop
venue. The streets were slippery due to the cold and light rain. We started Day
3 with a short energizer and began the workshop with the “Railway Reflections”
method. This was followed by other methods such as “Stop Rumours,” “Civic
Courage Styles,” and “Digital Civic Courage Styles.” The activities on Day 3
focused on encouraging reflection on underlying prejudices and implicit bias
while promoting anti-racist interventions. We also discussed in group about
rumours, fake news, and stereotypes, learning strategies to dismantle them. The
third day of workshop introduced us to various civic courage styles. The
trainers also encouraged us to take the first step against racism and
discrimination within our networks, as a sample awareness post all the
participant organization created a post and published in their respective
organization’s social media page.
The Site Visit
Our ACCT training
continued with a site visit to the office of the Association for
Anti-Discrimination and Educational Work (Bund für
Antidiskriminierungs- und Bildungsarbeit), This non-profit organization has been
dedicated to providing counseling and training in anti-discrimination and
anti-racism since 1996, offering support to those affected by discrimination on
various grounds.
Led by the Director and Counsellor, we engaged in a profound and
informative session that shed light on the complex realities of discrimination
in Germany and beyond. They emphasized the importance of recognizing
racism as a complex issue intertwined with social power structures and its
intersection with other forms of discrimination. Their presentation highlighted
the organization’s efforts to overcome exclusion, discrimination, and
counteract all forms of racism. They shared their strategies for empowering
individuals to challenge discriminatory practices and advocate for equal
opportunities.
It was a fruitful experience, filled with insights from
experienced activists who have been providing counselling to individuals facing
discrimination based on racist attributions, religion, language, gender,
identity, sexual orientation, class, age, disability, and more in Berlin
for more than 20 years.
The Train the Trainers Anti-Racism and Civic Courage Training in
Berlin was an invaluable opportunity that provided me with a deeper
understanding of racism and its pervasive impact on individuals, communities,
and societies. It equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and tools to become a
more effective anti-racist advocate, committed to fostering a more just and
inclusive world.
I am confident that the skills and knowledge I have acquired
from this training will enable me to facilitate similar trainings in my
community, empowering others to join me in this collective effort for social
justice.
By Bikalpa Bibash Basaula
Funded by the
European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s)
only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European
Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor
EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the European
Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and
do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European
Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor
EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Visions for a More Inclusive Society
https://www.acctforchange.eu/announcing-the-winners-of-the-acct-poster-campaign/
We
are thrilled to announce the winners of the ACCT (Anti-Racism & Civic
Courage Training) poster competition. Launched earlier this year, the campaign
sought to encourage public engagement in the fight against racism, xenophobia,
and discrimination in communities across the European Union.
About
the Campaign
The
ACCT project is a collaboration between six partner organizations across
Europe, committed to reducing hate speech, discrimination, and hate crimes in
both urban and rural areas. The poster competition was an integral part of our
awareness-raising campaign and was aimed at inviting people from all walks of
life to share their vision of an equitable society. The campaign will reach
600,000 people both online and offline through various media channels,
including social media, newsletters, print media, and a visual campaign on
public transportation in Denmark & Germany.
We
are immensely grateful for the overwhelming response we received: more than 50
entries from 7 different countries! Each poster was a testament to the talent
and social commitment of our participants.
Introducing
the Winners
Anna
Michalik
Location: Originally from Łososina
Górna, Poland; currently resides in Kraków.
Social
Media: Facebook, Instagram:
michalik__anna, Twitter: @AnnaMichalik18
About
the Poster: “I
wanted to show that skin color does not change anything.”
Dominika Czaja
Location: Torun, Poland.
Social
Media:
Instagram: dominikaczaja.portfolio, Facebook: Dominika Czaja Fotografia
About
the Poster: “Every
person deserves equal treatment. I hope that my posters will make you see that
each of us is the same and deserves happiness.”
Lucía Escudero García
Location:
Zalea, Pizarra, province of Malaga, Spain.
Social
Media:
Instagram: _luciaescudero12
About
the Poster: “I
want to emphasize the value of empathy for those who suffer any form of
discrimination, focusing on racism. I dream of an inclusive society, and I know
it’s possible if we all want
to be a part of it.”
What’s Next?
The
winning posters will be an essential part of the ACCT Awareness Campaign,
reaching audiences through various platforms, including a visual campaign on
public transportation in Denmark & Germany. They will also be available for
download on the ACCT website.
We
would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone who participated and
helped make this competition a success. Stay tuned for more initiatives from
ACCT as we continue to strive for a world free from discrimination and
hate.
Congratulations
to the winners, and thank you for being part of this important journey towards
a more inclusive society!
Funded by the European
Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and
do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European
Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor
EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Това беше въпросът, който събра за четири дни представителите на осем граждански организации от България, Германия, Дания, Испания и Полша между 31 октомври и 5-ти ноември, 2023 г., във възникналия през Средновековието град Люблин, наситен с драматична история, а днес голям регионален административен, икономически и образователен център в Източна Полша, близо до границата с Украина.
Общото в профила на осемте граждански организации дошли
за пилотното обучение и семинар в Люблин в рамките на проекта АССТ (Anti-racism & Civic Courage Training) бe интересът и работата им в областта на социалното включване и
интеграцията на уязвими малцинства и имигранти.
Фокусът на двугодишния проект е върху дългосрочното намаляване
на дискриминацията, включително на многоизмерната дискриминация и расизма, ксенофобията и други форми
на нетолерантност в Европа. Споделена
кауза на партньорите по този проект е и борбата с
дискриминацията, престъпленията от омраза и речта на омраза в целия ЕС. Водещи партньори са две
германски организации от Берлин и Хамбург – CRN и Perspect. Нашата страна бе представена от „Асоциацията за бежанци и мигранти в
България” (АБМ-Бължария/ARM-BG) и
правозащитното онлайн списание „Маргиналия”[1]. Дания, Полша и Испания бяха представени съответно от: Crossing Borders (Дания), Dla Ziemli (Полша), Imagina (Испания);
Целта на събитието бе да събере представители от различни
сфери на дейност в тази област, за които дискриминацията и расизма са
чувствителни теми, и да подложи на изпробване и обсъждане различните обучителни
модули, плод на практическа теренна
работа на осемте организации. Събрани от дългосрочното предизвикателство за
преподаване на антидискриминация и антирасизъм пред различни по състава си
аудитории и културно разнородни публики, участниците имаха възможност да
представят идеите и опита си от работа с различни образователни форми и
съдържания, които да бъдат включени в бъдещата обучителна програма по проекта ACCT.
Участниците в семинара – професионалисти от различни
области, студенти и активисти от държави като Германия, Дания, Испания, Полша и
България, имаха възможност да представят идеите си за различни образователни
модули, които да бъдат включени в бъдещата обучителна програма на ACCT.
Семинарът се състоя в рамките на четири
дни с различна програма, която даде възможност на участниците освен да се
включат в дейностите, и да ги оценят. Всеки модул беше оценен от всички
присъстващи след края му, като всички имаха възможност да дадат идеите си за
подобряване на системата на ACCT за обучителния проект.
Модулите в семинара бяха различни по същност и непознати
за останалите участници. Българската участничка в обученето-на-обучители в
Люблин, Таня Маринчешка от Асоциацията
за бежанци и мигранти в
България (ARM-BG) представи модула „Театър на онеправданите“ (Theater
of the Oppressed) по идеите на театроведа Аугусто Боал и
педагога Пауло Фрейре. Модулът включва два от обучителните елеметa на „Театър на онеправданите“ – Театър на образите
и Форум театър (Image & Forum Theatre), в които публиката е
активен участник в действието на „сцената“ или форума, на който се провежда
театъра, предлага и образно превъплъщава идеи за социална промяна чрез
алтернативи за разрешаване на социални конфликти.
Друг модул, който даде възможност на участниците да
„излязат от кожата си“ бе „Пътуването с влак“, в който всеки имаше възможност
да избере трима души, с които би искал да седне в купе във влак, и да обясни
избора си. Тези образователни модули бяха полезни както за методиката по
антидискриминационно обучение, така и за самите участници в този семинар за
неформално обучение, тъй като ни помогна да разберем повече за собствените си
възгледи, вредни дискриминационни практики и предразсъдъци.
Събитието нямаше да бъде така запомнящо се, ако не беше
топлото гостоприемство на домакините Ева и Елла от полската гражданска
организация „За Земята“, както и уюта и естетиката на офиса им в стария град.
Сътрудничките на офиса бяха бежанки. Извън рамката на тези кратки впечатления
остава тъжната история на града и съдбата на неговите малцинства и участници в
съпротивата по време на Втората световна война.
Срещата между бъдещите обучители по антидискриминация в
Люблин беше само начало на образоватиелната практика по проекта ACCT,
чиято цел е да помогне на толерантността в Европа и интеграцията на старите и
нови малцинства в различните европейски страни.
“Citizens are not those who live in
society, they are those who transform it”
Augusto Boal
What
is Forum Theater?
Forum Theatre is a form
of interactive theatre developed by the late Brazilian theatre director,
Augusto Boal, as part of his ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’. Forum Theatre empowers
the audience to actively explore different options for dealing with shared problems
and motivates them to make positive changes in their own lives.
In Forum Theatre, an
audience is shown a short play in which a central character (protagonist)
encounters an oppression or obstacle led by an oppressor (antagonist), which
s/he is unable to overcome. The theme of the piece will usually be something of
immediate relevance to the audience, often based on a shared life experience.
When the play has been performed, members of the audience can take to the stage
and replace the protagonist, acting out alternative paths and decisions. The
‘Joker’, a member of the Forum group, leads the discussion with the audience
and facilitates the interaction between audience and actors. The aim is not to
discover the ideal solution, but to encourage the audience to analyse the
situation and to try out strategies for countering oppression. The format
encourages a positive and thoughtful approach to social problems. The actors
explore the results of these choices with the audience, creating a kind of
theatrical debate in which experiences and ideas are rehearsed and shared, generating
solidarity and empowering them to generate social change.
Introduction to Forum Theatre Workshop
TIME: 2hrs
Following preparatory games are suggested only as examples. It’s
up to the FT practitioners to adapt them according to the concrete educational
context and needs
1. Head-to-Toe Physical Warm-Up
2. Glass Cobra
Objectives:
•
To help break down physical barriers;
•
To encourage co-operation and negotiation;
• To begin exploring sensory work.
Ask the group to stand in a circle. Invite
participants to place their hands on the shoulders of the person to their
right. Explain that, keeping their eyes closed, they should begin to explore
the shoulders, neck and back of the head of the person in front of them. Take
participants out of the circle, one by one, and place them randomly around the
room, still with their eyes closed. When all the participants have been placed
around the space, ask the group to re-form the original circle. Everybody must
feel their way through the space in silence; encountering each other carefully
until eventually, the circle is re-formed. Only then can the participants open
their eyes again.
3. Duels
Objectives:
• To start exploring
conflict, vulnerability and power.
Divide the group into pairs. Ask each pair to face one
another and place their hands on their own knees. They must ‘duel’ and try to
score points by touching the knees of their opponent (their weak spot). To do
this they will need to take their hands off their own knees, thus leaving
themselves vulnerable to ‘attack’. As the duels continue, build up the tension
and competitiveness by calling, “First person to 3 is the winner”, or, “Next
point wins”.
Variation:
Divide
the group into different pairs. Ask each pair to face one another, placing one
hand behind their back with the palm facing out, and turning their other hand
into a ‘sword’ with the index finger being the tip. They must ‘duel’ and try to
score points by touching the palm of their opponent (their weak spot) with the
tip of their sword. As the duels continue, build up the tension and
competitiveness by calling, “First person to 3 is the winner”, or “Next point
wins”.
Useful Questions for
Feedback
• How did it feel to win/lose?
• Did your partner overpower you?
• Did you get carried away with the
competitiveness?
• How did you celebrate winning?
***
4. Columbian Hypnosis
Objectives:
• To begin to explore Image Work;
•
To continue exploring emerging scenes, characters and relationships
•
To continue exploring the themes of power, control and manipulation;
•
To continue exploring the themes of power, control and manipulation in
discrimination.
Divide
the group into different pairs and ask participants to decide who is A and B.
Explain that A is the hypnotist, and begins by placing their hand a few
centimeters in front of B’s face. B must maintain this distance at all times
and react when A moves their hand. A should try to manipulate B into all sorts
of positions (without it becoming unsafe). The movement should be continuous
and not too repetitive. As the movements progress, they may start to move
through the space.
Ask each pair to swap over and let B
lead A.
Progression
• Invite half the participants to step
out and watch the rest of the group working, then swap over.
• Divide participants into groups of 3
or more to explore the impact of leading people whilst also being led yourself.
• Add music to the exercise.
Useful Questions for Feedback
•
What was it like being the hypnotist/being hypnotised?
•
What was it like having ‘power’ over your partner?
•
Did you get carried away with being the hypnotist at any time?
•
Did any stories or relationships emerge with your partner(s)? • Did any stories
or relationships emerge as you were watching others?
•
How did the emerging stories and relationships relate to issues of equality and
discrimination?
***
5. Image of the World
Objectives:
•
To explore Image Work;
•
To explore themes of Forum and Oppression;
•
To explore the themes of equality and discrimination as specific forms of
oppression;
•
To create a forum for debate with the audience when discussing the images.
Divide
participants into groups of 5/6 and ask one of these groups to volunteer to go first.
Invite this group to stand in a line and invite the rest of the participants to
form an audience in front of them. Ask each person in the volunteer group to
step forward, one by one, to strike a pose. These 5/6 individual poses will
form one overall image. Invite the audience to discuss the image.
Once each group has had
an opportunity to create an image, return to the first volunteer group. Repeat
the exercise, but this time give the group a word related to oppression or
discrimination and ask them to respond to this word when creating their image.
Give each group a different word to show and invite the audience to interpret
what they see. Begin by asking the group for broad interpretations of the
images and progress to more specific interpretations.
Examples
of image words: Conflict, Family, Defeat, Difference,
Minority, Outsider Struggle, Intervention, Support, Bravery, Pressure, Hope,
Oppression, Discrimination.
***
6. Bus Scenario
Objectives:
•
To explore the mechanics of Forum Theatre;
•
To practice interventions;
•
To encourage audience discussion;
•
To explore the role of the Joker;
•
To explore in detail the roles of the protagonist, antagonist and other actors
in the Forum piece;
•
To explore the objectives of the actor in the piece in relation to
interventions and how ‘difficult’ they make it for the people intervening;
•
To explore the concept of ‘Magic’. Explain to the group that you will set up an
improvised Forum piece. Set out a few rows of empty chairs that recreate the
lay-out of a bus.
Ask for 2 volunteers to take on the
roles of the antagonist (male) and the protagonist (female). Explain that you
will be the Joker and the rest of the group will be the audience. Inform the
group that the scene is the top floor of a late night bus.
Brief the 2 volunteers as follows, and
then ask them to improvise the scene:
• The bus is empty except for the
protagonist.
• The protagonist has no mobile phone.
• The antagonist enters and despite
all the empty seats, chooses to sit beside the protagonist. Once the volunteers
have established this scene, as Joker, ask the audience to assess the
situation.
Brief the volunteers that as the scene
develops, the antagonist will display inappropriate behaviour to the
protagonist (e.g., invasion of personal space, various forms of intimidation
and acting in a ‘creepy’ or offensive way), and ask them to improvise the
scene. To deepen the exploration of issues of equality and discrimination the
intimidation/ offensiveness can also be based around gender, race, sexuality,
social background etc. If the protagonist chooses to go out of the bus, the
Joker can set out the driver’s place of the bus and ask a member of the
audience to play the driver. If neutral characters, such as the driver, are
introduced, it is important to discuss how ‘difficult’ these actors can be in
relation to audience interventions. It is key for the group to understand that
there are no easy solutions to oppression/ discrimination, and that neutral
characters should make it difficult but not impossible for an audience member
to make a positive intervention.
Continue to assess the developing
situation with the audience. Depending on how the scene plays out, decide (as
the Joker) when the time is right to ask the audience to intervene and replace
the protagonist. Invite a member of the audience up to replace the protagonist
and ask them to continue improvising within the brief to improve the situation.
Continue to invite interventions from
the audience, discussing the impact of each intervention with the group, until
the audience consensus is that the situation has improved. If any of the
interventions are beyond the boundaries of reality (e.g., a person magically
produces a phone or something quite unrealistic happens), the Joker, or a
member of the audience, can call, “Magic”. If the rest of the audiences agree
that the intervention was ‘Magic’, the person intervening must find an
alternative approach.
7. Devising Forum
Objectives:
•
To devise a Forum Theatre piece;
•
To create a Forum Theatre experience;
•
To allow participants to experience the roles of actors and audience within a
larger Forum Theatre piece;
•
To explore the role of the Joker within a larger Forum Theatre piece.
Divide
the participants into groups of 5/6. Ask each group to choose a form of
oppression on the theme of equality that they have an interest in exploring.
While it is advised to encourage the group to identify their own experiences of
oppression as the source material for the devised Forum Theatre pieces, the
facilitator can also choose to provide the participants with scenarios that
specifically address inequality and oppression under the nine grounds of
discrimination.
Ask
the group to begin to devise a Forum piece. Check in with each group to answer
questions and ensure the groups are progressing with their task.
Allocate
a performance space and an audience space within the room where you are
working. Invite each group to present their Forum piece for the rest of the
group, who will serve as the audience. Take on the role of the Joker during the
Forum Theatre pieces.
Bibliography
Augusto
Boal and the Theater of the Oppressed
Video (Spanish): https://sites.dlib.nyu.edu/hidvl/k3j9kdf7
.
Videos (English):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sSLz5t7a5M&ab_channel=CrashCourse ;
Mecca Antonia Burns, 2007, Theater of the Oppressed. In Book: Interactive and Improvisational
Theatre: Applied Drama and Performance, Edit.: Adam Blatner
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285925110_Theatre_of_the_Oppressed
