Leading for Liberation: Ecosystems of Belonging

Learner Journey Resonance Question:

 What if we had shared rituals and practices that reminded us of the

 future world we so deeply desire?

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Do you stand for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging? Are you looking for a place to “practice what you preach?” A brave and nurturing space to make your own meaning and balance all of the life long learning, growth and complex change that comes with this ever-evolving stance to more truth and love?  

 

Well what you are seeking, seeks you! We know that moving from commitment to action ain’t easy. It can be hard to talk about oppression, no matter what side you find yourself on. However, focusing our attention on having these courageous conversations is needed to have a deeper understanding of the issues and how we can prevent further harm. An effective way to have these conversations is through a community that practices what it means to lead for liberation. Equity and Liberation are embodied and to embody a new way of being, becoming or belonging takes practice. It goes beyond words that you add to your mission statement, strategic plans or social media posts. It requires a life-long commitment to unlearning the oppressive paradigms that were passed down from generation to generation. Too often we ignore the historical, systemic and institutional factors that manifested our current reality. 

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It is in the way you hold space for yourself and for others, it is in the words you use in relation to the issues you are trying to bring solutions to, it is in your workplace culture 

 

This that require a deep commitment to vulnerability, humility and conscious action. 

 

You can’t find these genuine facets in mission statements or strategic plans. It is in the way you hold space, it is in the words you use,  It is about how you see yourself.

 

 If you are seeking a space to radically and critically think of the conscious plans of actions for the equity dilemmas that exist in your organization, then JVH Empower invites you to become a member of our 2022 Learning Journey,  Leading for Liberation: Ecosystems of Belonging.

 

The Ecosystems of Belonging Learning Journey is a virtual learning series of interconnected spaces for people daring to lead the way in bridging future realities of healing, justice and equality into the present. These radiant people are breaking free from current paradigms of command and control and are transcending ways of being rooted in perfectionism, imposter syndrome, urgency, power hoarding and individualism.  Too often dominant culture asks us to come in and give our best to our job, but asks us to leave our emotions at the door.  What we are being called to do in this current timeline is to learn how to embrace these fractals of ourselves and integrate them into the way we show up for others, for ourselves, for the planet. 

 

So what’s this Learning Journey about…

 

The Ecosystems of Belonging learning journey focuses on how to bring holistic change at the personal, community and systemic levels. The first part of the learning journey focuses on building your capacity to connect to your social and emotional capacity. We will then practice what it looks, sounds and feels like to integrate this unique emotional intelligence with your leadership style.

The attention given to this part of your leadership pedagogy allows you to intentionally explore the values, beliefs and behaviors you emulate as a leader in a brave and nurturing learning environment.  It also gives you the space and time to learn more about your unique expression and the regenerative practices that aid you in feeling resourced, balanced and grounded through any life experience.

 

Side bar: We invite you to expand on your definition of what a leader is. There are a multitude of ways to express leadership. You can be a leader in an organization, in your family, community, a program, most importantly, we want you to own that you are the leader of your life. This journey is for the leader within all of us. 

 

Part II: Evolve & Expand: August - September - October

The offerings in the second part of our learning journey help build your capacity to create with and for equity from the inside out. We will learn and experiment with how we weave equity, healing and justice into all the spaces, resources, structures and systems we create as we move deeper into our current reality of repair and renewal. 

 

Sidebar: Participation in the first phase of our learner journey is not required but strongly encouraged because it offers you space and time to release and renew mindsets, beliefs and actions that perpetuate oppressive realities. If these important facets of your identity spectrum go unchecked, then you risk unconsciously regenerating the oppressive ways of being and belonging that have manifested in our collective reality.

 

The Learner Experience:

Members of this learning community will be invited to engage in a journey of self-exploration, discovery, healing and conscious action in a community of like-hearted people practicing what it means to lead with and for equity, healing, and justice. This year’s learner experience will be filled with heart-full gatherings that include monthly Enlightenment Sessions (workshops), Guest Speakers, Focused Conversations Circles, Collective Care Circles and Empowerment Resources that fill you with the joy, vitality and hope needed in the journey to bridging and building a beloved community of belonging for our future descendants.

The Eco-Systems of Belonging Journey welcomes & supports the participation of LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, Youth and People with disabilities.

“The greatest consequence of oppression is not simply blocked opportunities, but the destruction of our ability to dream beyond the present conditions.” -Marcus L. Strother

The Learner Journey Purpose and Practice

This learner journey honors the precious practice of cultivating the Radical Imagination we each have that serves as a bridge to the values, visions and conscious actions we need to build future societies of equity, healing and justice. Alex Khasnabish describes this bridge to futuristic realities of liberation as follows, “At its most superficial, the radical imagination is the ability to imagine the world, life, and social institutions not as they are but as they might otherwise be. It is the courage and the intelligence to recognize that the world can and should be changed. Radical imagination is not just about dreaming of different futures. It’s about bringing those possibilities back from the future to work on the present, to inspire action and new forms of solidarity today.”

We honor this learner journey as a brave and nurturing space of purpose that allows us to learn, reflect and unite with others through joy, vitality and hope as we co-create solutions that will end racism, inequities and hate in all its forms.

We honor this learner journey as a form of practice that connects us all through the intersections of

• Healing Justice

• Aesthetic Force

• Belonging

• Radical Imagination

• Joy, Vitality & Hope

• Centered Accountability

Each offering of this journey is designed around a theme with spaces that are interconnected to the purpose and practice of co-creating empowered communities of belonging.

 

Path I: Self Discovery : April 2022 - June 2022

“There is cognitive dissonance caused by holding on to oppressive narratives given to us by larger Western Imperial culture stories and a task of liberation is learning to read the stories of self and others with complexity that may lead to editing and retelling of those stories.” -Daring Compassion: Movement Chaplaincy course

Theme: Release and Renew

Learner Journey Offerings:

• April: 

  • Enlightenment Session: Social Emotional Wellness and the Identity Spectrum

  • Collective Care Circle: Anchoring in Breathe

  • Community Meeting

• May:

  • Enlightenment Session: Regenerative Rituals: Social-Emotional Tools for Wholeness

  • Collective Care Circle: Anchoring in Affirmations

  • Bonus Workshop: Guest Teacher Gene 

    • Heart-Minded Protective Factors: Liberatory Coaching with Gene

  • Community Meeting

• June: 

  • Enlightenment Session: Heart-Minded Intersections: Leading from the Inside Out 

  • Collective Care Circle: Anchoring in Movement

  • Community Meeting: 

Path II:  Conscious Action: August 2022 - October 2022

Theme: Evolve & Expand

• August: 

  • Enlightenment Session: Ecosystems of Belonging: From Hero to Co-Creator

  • Collective Care Circle Anchoring In Meditation

  • Community Meeting:

• September: 

  • Enlightenment Session: The Power of Collective Healing in Social Change Work

  • Collective Care Circle: Guest Facilitator

  • Community Meeting:

• October: 

  • Enlightenment Session: Dream Spaces: Co-creation for Abundant Manifestation 

  • Collective Care Circle: Anchoring in Reflection & Meaning

  • Bonus Enlightenment Session: Guest Teacher

  • Community Meeting

Empowerment Tools for the Learning Journey:

Every journey needs tools and resources that remind us of our inner wisdom and regenerative power. JVH Empower has intentionally co-created the following empowerment tools for this year’s learning journey.

Empowerment Box:

• Release & Refresh

• Evolve & Expand

Monthly Empowerment Guidebook

• Each monthly guidebook contains empowerment practices and resources that deepen your understanding and connection to the theme and focus areas of our learner journey.