Behind the Scenes of Extractives: Money, Power and Community Resistance Share This
+ Hrs
This is a course of six popular education exercises on ‘Investment chains in extractives projects.’ It was commissioned by the Extractives Working Group (EWG) of the Count Me In! (CMI) Consortium, a group of feminist funder and civil society organisations dedicated to joint work in support of feminist activism and women’s rights.The course is based on the contents of the research report ‘Behind the scenes of extractive industry: critical insights from Honduras, Indonesia and Zimbabwe’ by Salena Fay Tramel and Arif Naqvi.
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Checklist for Choosing an Issue
2-3 Hr
Through problem analysis, groups identify a variety of causes of a problem that can potentially be solved through political action. These are called “issues”, which is used as an easy description of the specific aspects of a problem that action and advocacy addresses. For example, the problem of gender violence needs to be broken down into narrower pieces such as domestic violence, workplace harassment, rape, etc. so we can focus our solutions.
Contextual Analysis
3-4 Hr
This activity can be used for many purposes: informing strategy, mapping power dynamics in our social and political landscape, and laying groundwork for risk assessment and planning.
Dealing with Gender Dynamics and Stereotypes in Conflicts: Analysis and Approaches
3 Hr+
Understanding how sexism and patriarchy works deeply on our psyches and affects the way we see and deal with conflicts is crucial to addressing them effectively. It helps us develop both our power and capacity as individuals and as groups to respond to them productively. This understanding also helps us tap into the kinds of self-care we need personally and the solidarity and support that we need in our organizations and movements to deal with conflicts and transform them.
Defining Power and its Sources
60–75 min
This activity is designed to introduce the concept of power by exploring people’s existing ideas of power, generating a common definition and beginning to think about different kinds and sources of power. This is a quick way to begin to explore participants’ views of power
Friends, Foes and Forces: A SWOT Analysis
3 Hr
A SWOT analysis enables a group to assess the internal and external factors that may hinder or facilitate your group’s advocacy strategy in order to refine your goals, objectives, and activities.
How Do We Negotiate?
45 Min
In approaching a conflict we often come up with a solution that we think is perfect without considering other options. We develop arguments to defend it and it becomes our position, often hard and fast. And yet when we work to solve conflicts, we limit ourselves if we analyze or deal with disputes only from the stance of fixed positions. When we hang onto a position and forget the deeper interests and needs we’re negotiating, we leave our central points out of the discussion and diminish our possibilities of achieving what we want. This constitutes one of the risks of only negotiating based on fixed positions. If, however, we negotiate based on the needs and interests of the people involved, we multiply the possible solutions because frequently there are several ways to meet everybody’s needs. When we build solutions collectively with the parties involved in the conflict, we often reach solutions that we hadn’t originally contemplated but that allow us to advance in our interests and positively transform the conflict. As women and movement activists, it is important for us to develop new ways of relating among ourselves that increase our collective power and collaboration rather than cause division and distrust. The problem is that in trying to defend our positions, we can end up undermining each other’s credibility and intelligence and dismissing people’s feelings and emotions. These are learned patterns of behavior that often surface in conflict, and in the case of women only affirm the cultural belief that we are conflictual and don’t stick together. For this reason, it is very important to reach agreements and develop processes that transform the ways we relate to one another.
How Do We Want to Exercise Leadership?
1 Hr 15Min
Having people review their visions of leadership can be a compelling way to help them critically reflect on power and gender as well as their own leadership styles and the need for changes in their approaches and in those of women leaders in general.
Mapping Power
Strategy planning demands an understanding of the political players who will care about, fight over, and be affected by your strategy. This information is needed to forge alliances and build support as well as guide opposition and assess risk. In this mapping process the group will look at: who is at the decision making table, what is on the table and who or what is “under the table”, in other words impacting and influencing the decisions.
Master's House: The House of Oppression
This is an entry level activity designed to help participants to start thinking about, and understanding patriarchy and the various systems of oppression by visually constructing them in a ‘Master’s House’.
Our Personal Approach to Conflict: Analysis and Reflection
1 Hr 30Min
Understanding and naming factors that influence how we see and deal with conflicts helps us more effectively respond to them. It develops both our personal power and capacity as individuals and as a group.
Patterns of Power
90 Min-2Hr
This activity engages a group in acting out familiar power dynamics in different aspects of life to better “see” them and to explore what changes would make them equitable and just.
Power Analysis for Strategy
This activity builds on the power analysis introduced in Understanding Power Over to enable a group to apply the power framework to specific organizing issues in their context both to understand the dynamics of power over they are up against and think through strategies for change.
Power and Powerlessness
1 Hr
This activity is designed to begin a discussion of power by exploring people’s experiences of power and powerlessness. It serves as an introduction to “power over”, or oppressive power, and the sources of our own power to transform our lives and make change.
Power Flower: Our Intersecting Identities
1 Hr 45Min
Every one of us has multiple, nuanced identities that help form our lives. Just as our own identities are complex so too are those of the women we work with. Gender, race, ethnicity, age, education, among others intersect and interact to shape who we are and what challenges and contradictions we confront. As an introduction to a broader analysis of power, the Power Flower promotes a fuller understanding of intersectionality that helps us become more integrated and sensitive human beings and more effective leaders and activists.
Sources of Transforming Power
50-60 Min
This activity explores participants’ sources of personal and shared sources of power and introduces a JASS framework of inclusive and transformative forms of power (power to, within, with and for) as distinct from power over.
Spider Web
Examining the story of a woman who is caught in a web of interconnected forces and power dynamics that keep her oppressed, helps participants name the ways that different forms of power affect their lives and community participation. This realization provides a basis for developing strategies that get at root causes and promote both solidarity and a readiness to act in the face of these dynamics.
The House of Multiple Oppressions
6-8 Hr
The House of Multiple Oppressions is an advanced and more in-depth version of The Master’s House activity. It encourages analysis and dialogue among participants regarding what patriarchy is and how it works, and how it intersects with other systems of domination and discrimination.
Understanding "Power Over": An Introduction to Power Analysis
1-2.5 Hr
This activity explores different forms of power – formal (visible), shadow (hidden) and invisible power - and how they are exercised to gain and maintain power over others. Participants gain insight into the complexities of power and the need for a range of strategies to successfully respond to “power over.” This activity creates the framework for Power Analysis for Strategy.
Using "The Onion" as a Tool of Analysis
Overcoming conflict in complex and ever changing circumstances presents considerable challenges to the people and groups involved, whether they are part of organizations, movements or alliances. The “Onion” framework illustrates certain key elements at play in conflicts and helps us analyze them so they can inform our strategies. This tool also is useful for organizations and alliances in sorting out internal differences and conflicts to strengthen their work together. We strongly recommend beginning with the “How Do We Negotiate?” activity in preparation for The Onion.