Experiential Workshop on Power and Inequity

  • Objective: To explore how people experience power in order to raise self-awareness. As part of the SII on Women's Empowerment, CARE Ecuador used this methods for both healing as well as to collect information through play resources.
  • Materials/Preparation: Resources may include appropriate clothing for exercises, floor-mats, but can extend as broad as our creativity and space permit.
  • Participants: This exercise has been done with CARE staff, partners as well as project participants.

Steps

For the SII on Women's Empowerment, the staff experiential workshop followed six key phases:

Phases

CARE Ecuador's Process
Opening: A presentation of the workday and theme, and the establishment of pacts made on attitudes, times and special recommendations. At this stage, facilitators should ensure a climate of trust and security within the group. The team reviewed the previous day’s experience and what they had learned.
Inclusion: This phase works toward creating a safe and comfortable space where participants feel like members of the group and space. Activities may engage movement or bodily expression in order to foster creativity. Music and Breathing Exercises: Participants were led in stretching, breathing and meditation exercises, first individually, then in pairs, and groups of four.
Confrontation: Participants utilize techniques to develop awareness about what is occurring in their lives personally, within their family or at work. At this stage, participants should question what they are going through at a personal level and express how they feel. As the process of self-awareness can be difficult, facilitators must be able to effectively and sensitively coach participants through this process. Leaving the Circle: Participants are asked to form a circle.  A blindfolded individual steps inside the circle while the others close in, with subtle firmness. Using different levels of energy, we then let her leave the circle. We get in touch with our personal life as women-men. We discuss the source of our power.

Chair Exercise with Partner: For five minutes, a person kneels and begs to be listened to. A second individual stands on the chair, exhibiting a non-responsive attitude. For five minutes, the participant is asked to pay attention to what he or she feels, if he or she gets tired.

  • Participants sit in pairs facing one another, looking each another in the eyes. We ask what they see in each other.
  • Assume an attitude of giving and receiving with our eyes, with our hearts.
  • Share a hug for five minutes, realizing that it is easier to give than to receive.
  • Share the experience in pairs.

 
Integration: In this phase participants share, make decisions and choose what, how, when and with whom to use their new awareness. Reflect: In groups of 3, discuss:

  • Identify these attitudes in participants’ work lives and interpersonal relations.
  • Is there a relationship between the experiences lived as a woman or a man in your personal history?
  • What feelings are evoked by what you see?
  • How does this influence your personal and professional life?
  • The changes you propose for the lives of others. How are these experienced by the men and women in your personal and professional life?
  • You like what you see. What do you want to do with this information?
  • Sharing some of your own awareness.
Expressing Feelings: Given the energy and emotions generated through confrontation and self-awareness, this phase allows participants to share their feelings in pairs, small groups and finally in plenary. Antonym Exercise

  • Place pieces of paper containing antonyms in the center: masculine-feminine, power-vulnerability, autonomy-dependency, exclusion-inclusion, individuality-collectivity, body-mind, control-confidence. In the center, write BEING HUMAN.
  • Ask participants to observe the papers on the floor. Then have them describe everything that there is in a human being. The words are all part of being human.
  • Talk about the changes you want for others, from the perspective of your life history.
  • We ask participants to take the most symbolic and share it with the others.
  • We end the session by standing with our eyes closed and then moving the hands. We then open our eyes and look for a partner to continue.
  • We close our eyes. We then began to search with our hands. We dance without taking our hand off the partner. We end by hugging.
Closing: A formal closing highlights the achievements of the workshop in relation to original objectives and expectations. Often exercises are brief and dynamic. Conclusion: Express thanks by circulating energy.

  • What I got from this: give participants evaluation sheets

Related Tools

View more tools related to:

 

Resources

  • CARE Ecuador (2007). Experiential Methodologies: a proposal for developing qualitative research. Women’s Empowerment Strategic Impact Inquiry, CARE.