Participants of our January training gained confidence and skills in responding to troubling comments in everyday life.
WiYN? facilitators Anna and Violet presented the introductory, one-day session to 18 people from nine organisations - including several from hosts the Jesuit Refugee Service. After exploring possible responses when hearing something troubling about race, immigration or culture, participants learned how to open up a conversation - if that is the chosen response.
One participant said this London day was a safe space to explore difficult subjects:
I learned a lot about my responses, how they create barriers and judgement.
Of the attendees who fed back, all 14 said attending the day meant, when they hear something troubling from now on:
- their understanding of available responses has increased
- they have gained knowledge of and practised how to respond
- they feel more confident opening up a conversation
In all our work – including dialogues and training events like this one – we aim to generate empathy and curiosity. It was encouraging to hear another participant say:
I learnt a lot about myself and how I respond to situations, which has made me more open to understanding and being curious about others.
One way Who is Your Neighbour? assesses its impact is by looking for turning points – moments when something changes for us and the people we work with. Violet said there were examples of this on the training day, as the group learned about the ways conversations about troubling things can be open, rather than confrontational: and how WiYN?‘s approach can provide an alternative to shutting down problematic statements.
If you would like to attend training with us, let us know. You can also join our mailing list and read our latest Annual Review.