(printable version)

AGENDA FOR 3-DAY SEMINAR

DAY 1
  1. Explanation of cross cultural communication.
  2. Presenter's self-introduction.
  3. Dyad - participants tell each other their stories. (Experiential.) Debrief dyad. (Large group discussion.)
  4. Group introductions.
  5. Break.
  6. William Perry - Scheme of Cognitive and Ethical Development. (Presentation - discussion and application.)
  7. Sissela Bok - Ethics: Four Moral Constraints. (Presentation - discussion and application.)
  8. Lunch - one hour.
  9. Group rest period. (Experiential.)
  10. Second Presenter's self-introduction.
  11. Dyad - process Perry and Bok. (Debrief.)
  12. Break.
  13. Transition to basic premise - present model from Re-evaluation Counseling. (Presentation and discussion.)
  14. Dyad - listening exercise on earliest memory of internalized oppression. (Experiential.) Debrief dyad. (Large group discussion.)
  15. Break.
  16. Introduction and definitions of systematic oppressions. (Presentation and discussion.)
  17. Patterns of group internalized oppression. (Presentation and discussion.)
  18. End of day one.

The first day will emphasize the breaking down of barriers by encouraging sharing within the group. We will do a listening exercise in dyads as we talk about our lives.

We will establish pragmatic frameworks for processing and learning communication skills. These frameworks include an explanation of Perry's theory of cognitive and ethical development, Bok's four moral constraints, and the working assumptions of the Re-evaluation Counseling model. Breaking into dyads, we will process and apply the information.

We will investigate the origins of behavior, including oppression and socialization. We will break into dyads to process the concepts and make applications to our personal life as well as our work life.

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DAY 2
  1. Dyad - review of day one. Debrief. (Large group discussion.)
  2. Break.
  3. Culture vs. oppression.
  4. Dyad. Debrief. (Large group discussion.)
  5. Lunch - one hour.
  6. Group rest period. (Experiential.)
  7. Target / non-target exercise. (Experiential).
  8. Non-target group. (Presentation and discussion, experiential.)
  9. Break.
  10. Dyad. (As non-targets of an oppression, what has been good about being an ally and what has been hard?)
  11. Debrief Dyad. (Large group discussion.)
  12. Closing circle. End of day two.


The second day will open by reviewing the first day to address any questions, dispel confusion, and tie up loose ends from the first day.

We will differentiate between culture and oppression in order to create a workable perspective within one's cultural context. A specific exercise on oppression will help people understand experientially what it feels like to be a target or a non-target of an oppression. This experience can reveal how people perceive the world, groups, and individuals, and how that perception plays out in interactions with one another.

Non-target groups will be assisted to look at loss because of dominance. We will learn to reclaim pride in our own group which assists in our progression to a more universal understanding.

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DAY 3
  1. Dyad. Review. Debrief. (Large group discussion.)
  2. Write one problem in your current work / school experience that is a barrier to increased understanding and appreciation of diversity.
  3. Break.
  4. Answering questions in small groups arranged by imbalances of power. (e.g., race, gender, class, etc.)
  5. Reporting back by each group to group at large.
  6. Lunch - one hour.
  7. Speak-out by designated groups.
  8. "What I heard you say" by group at large.
  9. Analysis of speak-out. What went well and what broke down?
  10. Break.
  11. Groups of five - discussion, analysis and resolution. Using the frameworks and skills learned during the workshop to resolve actual on-site issues written down earlier on cards by participants.
  12. Break.
  13. Building alliances
  14. Closing circle. End of third day.

The third day will open with reviewing the earlier days. Applying the skills we have been learning to real situations and interactions, we will break into groups to answer pre-assigned questions. The smaller groups will report back to the group at large and a speak-out will follow with dialogue between non-dominant and dominant groups. We will also practice "What I heard you say." Using the new skills, analyzing the dialogue, we will discuss what was, and was not, successful.

We will break into groups of five and practice problem solving, using actual issues and challenges written down on cards earlier. Each group will work out solutions for a specific current issue, using the frameworks learned during the seminar.

We will reconfirm our capacity to face fears of being committed allies to each other and to effectively communicate in work or school settings. We will close with a circle.


NOTE: This agenda is a general outline of the workshop and may be customized in order to meet the specific needs of each group.