George Lakey

Fall03

From 1999-2003 Training for Change has led 70 workshops to assist people to unlearn oppressive patterns such as racism, classism, and sexism. Clients have included Swarthmore College, the Women's Prison Association of NYC, Greenpeace, and the University of Bologna in Italy.

Some of these workshops focus on a specific form of oppression, such as those led for St. Joseph's University on heterosexism. Others are more generic, as in the diversity workshop for Pennsbury Public School faculty.

Some respond to a request for a particular form of assistance, such as facilitating a meeting of union leaders with the disability rights movement, or teaching a college faculty methods of teaching which support diversity in their student body.

Some are designed specifically for a group which unconsciously participates in the oppression of another group, for example workshops for white people, and for men. In some cases the workplace is the focus, while in others the focus is social and political life (for example students and activists).

Training for Change (TFC) has become known for its flexibility of approach -- tailoring its design to specific needs. The Training Associates of TFC are themselves diverse in terms of age, class background, race, gender and sexual orientation.

TFC offers open workshops for exploring class ("Class Matters") and race (mixed race workshops and workshops for whites confronting racism). The Aspen Institute and Project Change Anti-Racism Initiative recognized TFC's anti-racism work in its national study "Training for Racial Equity and Inclusion" (2002). After studying TFC's approach first-hand, the author reported: "The programs' dual focus on personal awareness and social action supports trainers' integration of cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions of anti-racism work. . . The program offers a distinctive and innovative training methodology for anti-racist trainer and leadership development."

More information on TFC's work can be found on this website, including the manual on intergenerational dialogue growing from a project funded by the William Penn Foundation, and the book "Grassroots and Nonprofit Leadership: A Guide for Organizations in Changing Times."

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