Facilitator Development Program in the Work that Reconnects
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Holding Space for what Emerges in times of Great Changes | November 2023 - April 2024 | with Manon Danker and Lian Kasper
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“The biggest gift you can give is to be absolutely present, and when you’re worrying about whether you’re hopeful, or hopeless, or pessimistic, or optimistic, who cares? The main thing is that you’re showing up, that you’re here, and that you’re finding ever more capacity to love this world because it will not be healed without that.” Joanna Macy
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We invite emerging facilitators for a 6-month Facilitator Development Program designed to deepen the knowledge and skills needed in offering the Work that Reconnects (WTR). In this training we share our experiences, gifts and insights as facilitators. We deepen your understanding of this work and help build your confidence so we can explore together how we want to bring this strengthening work of our times into your communities and workplaces.
Facilitators
Manon Danker and Lian Kasper have extensive backgrounds in working with human/nature relations. In their work and personal journeys grew the wish to find tools to work with the reconnection of humans with all life forms. And in doing so finding ways to face the loss and grief resulting from losing that connection. Finding this work on their respective paths has helped to manifest their hope and vision for a different world, you could say the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible (C. Eisenstein).
In 2015 Manon Danker (https://elemental-journey.com/) has been fortunate to do the Facilitator Training in person with Joanna Macy. Since her training she gives workshops and immersive weekends regularly in the Netherlands. In 2018 Lian Kasper (https://www.kalapa.nu/) did her Facilitator Training in person with Chris Johnstone. She is deeply engaged in bringing this work to communities of higher education, both students and teachers. She facilitates a wide variation of programs. Now the time has come to help emerging facilitators and join our paths. This offering is born out of people asking us if we can step up and set up a training to help others further on their journeys with this work. We do this with the permission and blessings of Joanna Macy, Chris Johnstone and the Work that Reconnects Network.
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Prerequisites
Prerequisite for this program is that you have followed at least one, preferably more immersive 3-day WTR workshop(s) with one of us (or elsewhere) relatively recently. We find it important that you have experienced the impact of the work, and know what it means for you personally. It also gives you the chance to get to know the work better and to feel if the facilitator training is for you. It is important that you have had the chance to get to know your own grief around what is happening in the world. Although we will incorporate experiential exercises, the focus will be on becoming a facilitator and training yourself to pass the Work that Reconnects on in your own projects and communities. If you have not yet experienced the WTR or if you would like to refresh or deepen your understanding please sign up for one of the our upcoming courses through our respective websites.
Another prerequisite is that you read the books Active Hope and Coming Back to Life. You will need them throughout the Facilitators Training.
Last but not least, we ask you to be able to attend all weekends. This is for the benefit of the group dynamics and your own process in becoming a facilitator.
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Aspects to be aware of
It is important that you realize that the facilitators training asks of you to move quicker with pain. As it were widening your experience to be with pain in groups. This is different than in the shorter workshops. We will have strong and immersive moments and this asks of us to take good care of our heart, mind and body. You will also work with grounding and being present for unfolding, this has a certain pace. We practice how to be with process, sacred space and ritual.
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The weekends are intensive, this means that you need to be able to care for yourself so you can show up for all of us. At the same time there is space for all the woundedness that can come to the surface. The Work that Reconnects is a living journey in which we heal, learn and strengthen ourselves ongoingly.
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It is also important to realize that we are stepping into the program with different levels of experience. You start where you are. We learn from the gifts each of us brings.
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Structure
The format is three residential weekends over a period of 6 months. The weekends provide a mix of theory, practice, feedback and creativity. Practice and study groups will be organized in between. You will practice facilitation skills and co-creating with each other. You will have to take into account time for group work, study and tutorials, as well as preparation time, about 4 hours per week. The study groups will be largely self organized with feedback from Lian and Manon.
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Dates residential weekends:
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Weekend one: Starting the Journey 15 - 17 November 2024
Weekend two: Deepening the Journey 14 - 16 February 2025
Weekend three: Creating the Journey 11- 13 April 2025
We start Friday evening at 6.00 pm with a meal and evening session and finish by 4.30 pm on the Sunday afternoon.
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Application
Please apply via this link. Please note that your application does not guarantee your attendence, since we have a limited number of places (16 in total). We may have a waitinglist.
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Investment
The Investment for the 6-month program has a sliding scale between €1275,- and € 2475,- euro. All meals and simple dormitory style accommodation are included.
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Please be considerate of the investment you can make and whether you apply for support so this can be used to make this gathering accessible to a wider group of people. These spots depend on the availability of supporting payments. We have seen that employers are willing to cover the expenses for this training, so please check. We encourage you to also look for support in your personal environment to make participation possible. If you have abundant resources and want to donate to the bursary fund you are welcome to do this. In this time there are people who try to live in a different economical reality and people who devote their lives to transition. We want this place to be open for all walks of life.
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The Program
Weekend 1: Starting the Journey
Topics include: Frameworks of The Work that Reconnects. The Spiral, The Great Turning. Getting to know yourself as a facilitator. What does it mean to be a facilitator? Group dynamics and how to hold a safe space. Setting up practice groups. Designing small sessions to practice with.
The first weekend will include a shorter spiral journey, so that we all have the connecting experience of going through a deeply transformative process together.
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Weekend 2: Deepening the Journey
Topics include: Deep Ecology and Deep Time Work. Climate Justice. Sovereignty and Decolonization. Care and Self Care. Creating Ritual. Joy and Creativity. Group dynamics deepening. Open space for emerging themes and Q&A. Deepening workshop design.
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Weekend 3: Creating the Journey
Together you will present a Work that Reconnects Full Spiral. Topics Include: Full Spiral Journey given by the group. Feedback by Lian and Manon. Q & A session. Ending Ceremony. Thanks-giving and goodbyes.
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May you be inspired to join and we are delighted to welcome you to travel with us on this journey.
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For All Beings
With Gratitude,
Manon Danker
Lian Kasper
