Heinrichstrasse 238
8005 Zürich
- The workshop will be held in English -
In this workshop, led by Tanja Walliser and Dominic Barter, we will explore how dialogue, self-organisation and collective action can open up new possibilities. Drawing on over 30 years of practical experience, we invite participants to develop their own approaches to addressing conflict and fostering solidarity in their communities.
«Gender-based violence rises inline with authoritarian politics, with each mirroring and reinforcing the other. Practices of community self-organisation to meet shared needs are effective responses to both and thus an urgent political practice.
These practices can provide robust responses to painful conflict, grounded in dialogue between those directly impacted - whether by policy or by interpersonal behavior. They set the scene for creative solutions that consider differences while, at the same time, helping surface what is held in common.
Demanding dominant systems and interpersonal discrimination change without understanding the concerns of those invested in them is insufficient. We have found that, in addition to our critiques of violence, we need viable alternatives that consider all perspectives collaboratively.
This workshop will invite participants to explore how that might be done, in their families, neighbourhoods and organisations. It is based on the last 30 years of practical experience carried out by Dominic Barter and colleagues, starting with the practices found in favela communities of Rio de Janeiro.
These proof of concept experiments in democratic self-determination in social systems range from community responses to painful conflict, resource distribution, education and mental health. Rather than providing models to be copied, this work grows from the local intelligence of each community or organisation, producing unique responses to the changing circumstances of our lives.
This workshop is an opportunity to hear from Dominic’s experience and come together with others to investigate how we can organise around responding to conflict and harm in our communities.»
