CertificationTraining Series for Active Participants in development policy organizations and initiatives, as well as for anyone committed to global justice. We especially invite BIPoC, activists from migrant self-help organizations, and people in the diaspora.
Sign up by February 21
, 2024!
“This training is exactly what we need in the North-South context” (Original quote from the 2023 series)
Not only because of its colonial history Project work with African “partners” is structured on a highly unequal basis. Funding and guidelines come from Germany, and people from Germany are often deployed to partner countries even though they lack knowledge of local structures. But even in direct collaboration on the ground or in teams here in Germany, racism and other power dynamics are (unconsciously) reproduced. Addressing this reproduction is a comprehensive process. It begins with self-empowerment against these conditions on the Black/People of Color side and self-reflection on the white side.
The voices of migrant and diaspora actors are indispensable to critical discourses on the decolonization of partnership work. We therefore aim to create a space in which the current dominant narratives on the decolonization of partnership work are put to the test. Migrant and diaspora actors play a special role in partnership work with African countries, in part due to their personal experiences. We aim to do justice to this role in our program by occasionally working in safe spaces.
In the long term, the general structures (finances, travel, evaluation, etc.) within which the projects take place must change (we have described this in detail in our brochure *The Fairy Tale of Equality* ). Nevertheless, an individual exploration of the topic of decolonial “partnership work” is a first possible building block for these structural changes. To this end, it is important to strengthen migrant self-help organizations and support people who have experienced racism within German organizations.
That is why we are offering a training series on critical engagement with issues of power and racism, as well as empowering approaches to “partnership work” with African countries. Over the course of four webinars, participants will learn the skills necessary for collaboration that is sensitive to issues of racism and power and that is empowering.
The goal is to jointly develop ideas for alternative courses of action and practices that are sensitive to racism and power dynamics—or that are empowering—in “partnership work.”
Target Audience includes stakeholders from development policy institutions, NGOs, groups, and initiatives, as well as activists working to promote global justice.
The training series consists of 4 sequential webinars, each with 4 hours of course content. Participation in all modules is required. Participation also requires a willingness to engage actively, to develop awareness and engage in self-reflection on a personal level, and to reflect on one’s own project work. We will support this process with guidance, insights, expertise, practical tools, and one-on-one consultations.
1. Webinar: Getting to know each other, Self-reflection and empowering approaches
Monday, March 4, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. (including a 30-minute break)
By asking questions that challenge power dynamics in your work practices, we will use the group as a learning space where people from a wide variety of backgrounds (white, Black people, people of color) and work together mindfully to foster a culture where racism and power dynamics can be openly discussed in our partnership work. To this end, we occasionally divide the group based on experiences with racism to create safer learning spaces.
2. Webinar: The Basics of Equal Partnerships
Monday, March 18, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. (including a 30-minute break)
Together, we will work on the in terms of content Basics of one racism- and power-sensitive Perspective. In preparation for the next module, we will collect…concrete Issues and A question based on your work experience.
3. Webinar: Developing Options for Action: How Can We Work Together as Equals?
Thursday, April 11, 2024, 10:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. (including a 30-minute break)
Supported by the group and the presenters and using the perspective we developed earlier, we will develop, step by step, ideas for decolonial or empowering collaboration in your practice. You take a Specific construction site from your project and develop initial ideas for solutions by the 4th webinar.
4th Webinar: Daring to innovate for future-oriented decolonial “partnership work”.
Thursday, May 16, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. (including a 30-minute break)
You’ll present your innovative ideas for decolonial “partnership work” and use the group as a space for reflection to discuss pitfalls and obstacles. The goal is for you to integrate these methods and approaches into your work on an ongoing basis.
Cross-cutting theme Strengthening
In our work, it is important for us to give space to those who are affected by social exclusion. The qualification series therefore provides those affected by racism with skills for dealing with obstacles within their own organization or group. Ideally, and whenever we see the need, we divide the group for this purpose to allow for more protected learning spaces. Let us know your needs for participation.
The workshop will be conducted in spoken German. However, you can also contact us in English.
Speaker: Lawrence N. Y. Oduro-Sarpong (he/him)
Coordination and Presenter: Kristina Kontzi (she/her), beide glokal e.V.
The project is funded under the PFQ program to support capacity-building initiatives in development policy, with funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Brot für die Welt.
