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Hear what others have to say about our work
TripodTripod: Training for Creative Social Action
TripodHear what others have to say about our work
I was a political campaigner and an activist for social justice back in my country. After completing the Organising for Power workshop which was organised and facilitated by Tripod, I have learnt many skills on how to organise a successful campaign. I am now collaborating with other organisations and Campaigners on “Asylum Seekers Right to Work”. I would like to give a BIG thanks to the Staff from Tripod for all their hard work and contributions to transform a person to a successful Campaigner.
Organising for Power is a lifeline for migrant led grassroots groups like ours who are persistently situated at the intersection of mutual support and effectively challenging structural and racial inequalities.
Unfortunately, we tend to be on the fringes of mainstream support and receive minimal resources and access to training. Tripod fill this gap through their relevant bottom-up comprehensive training, mentoring and long-term support, which strengthens our communities through individual and collective capacity building which empowers us to build sustainable movements and successful campaigns.
Over the last few years I have worked closely with Tripod on several big projects, including two year-long campaigner trainings for local activists in the climate movement and the campaign for a Just and Green Recovery. The collective members and pool of trainers at Tripod brought a rich range of experiences and knowledge of community organising, campaigning and group dynamics which hugely benefited both courses.
Tripod were really responsive to the needs of participants and partner organisations, which meant the courses were tailored to be most effective for the individuals involved. Tripod’s expert facilitation and container building meant the courses were participatory, engaging and participants felt able to open up and share with the group. Many participants from the courses have gone on to build powerful groups and campaigns.
At the start everything was incredibly hectic and stressful as we organised one strike after the other. Tripod have helped us slow down and take stock, allowing us to sustain the group through this difficult time. We now have a healthier atmosphere within FFF, increasing our ability to reflect on projects and the way we work… meaning we are in a stronger position to keep working.
We’ve benefited greatly from working with Tripod over the last few years. The consultation work they carried out with our membership was excellent; we were impressed with their thoughtful, sensitive & insightful approach, and the resulting report has helped us to develop our work in a way which is responsive to our members’ needs. Since then, Tripod have run three training sessions for our members; all of which have received incredibly positive feedback (the ‘Facilitating Great Meetings’ training was particularly well received, with one participant commenting that this was the best training session they had ever been on). Those attending these trainings came from a range of backgrounds; we especially valued the way in which everyone was helped to feel welcome & able to participate. We look forward to working more with Tripod in the future.
Prior to joining the Organising for Power workshop, I was less knowledgeable on how to start, organise and run a campaign. After completing the programme, I can now say that I am equipped with knowledge on how to run a campaign and currently facilitating my own workshop using the facilitating skills I developed and learned during the workshop as well. The networking session we had was an interesting part as well, sharing our experiences and ideas from different organisations. The most important thing is that, with teamwork, finding the proper channels and the proper use of social media we can achieve success in the campaigns we’re working on. A brilliant workshop developed by Tripod and thanks to Monette, Etzali and the rest of the team for facilitating it.
Tripod are an incredible resource and offer brilliant guidance to groups like ours. we cannot work towards social change without a lot of learning and reflection from history, and Tripod provide opportunities to take the time to reflect and consider the wider picture of things, as opposed to always fire-fighting as we have a tendency to do.
Tripod is doing something very valuable for our community. It is giving voice to people who are unheard. It gives people strength to come out and talk about their problems. It helps us learn how to campaign and how to be involved in community action. We are oppressed by the Home Office rules and regulations, they are designed to keep us in a state of fear and anxiety. I am a human being and I am fighting for my rights. […] Tripod is showing me not just how to claim them, but that in claiming them with others in my community, I feel less afraid, less like a victim always on the receiving end of harsh treatment.
I feel really hopeful about the potential for these processes in supporting groups to imagine and create the worlds and relationships we want to live in. I feel much less afraid of stepping into facilitation roles and feel a shift from avoiding conflict to welcoming it and knowing its transformative potential. I feel better equipped to face what arises in my groups and life. Feeling really lucky and grateful to have spent a week with you all, I’m leaving feeling hopeful, motivated and less afraid.
The session was really useful, not just for online meetings but how to have good meetings in general. It has already helped us with some initial lockdown webinars for our members.
