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Katherine Fleming Women’s Leadership Course

RESOURCE KIT

Krista Hanscomb | Martha Fanjoy | Veronica Torres

I am saying that whatever you do, wherever your talents take you always be conscious of, always FEEL the world around you…. Don’t insulate yourselves from the world’s problems, throw yourselves into them. They need you …. To channel your talents and ideals where the world most needs them is to live by the rules of StFX. It is the standard against which you and I will be judged. It is also the way to ensure that yours is a meaningful and happy life.

- Katherine Fleming, 1989

Cover artwork by: Tesfaye G/michael - Sisterhood, collaboration and love which are all values of women.

KATHERINE FLEMING WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP COURSE

Resource Kit

Welcome Women Leaders!

INTRODUCTION OF THE KATHERINE

FLEMING AWARD

The Katherine Fleming women’s leadership course is inspired by the commitment and humanitarian efforts of development practitioner, Katherine Fleming. A graduate of St. Francis Xavier University in 1985 and Rhodes Scholar, Katherine worked for UNICEF in various roles. She dedicated her life to addressing child poverty.

With support from friends and family of Katherine Fleming, African women leaders have built their knowledge and skills to enhance contributions to communities they work with. This course, designed by the Coady Institute, draws on leadership development content created for community development leaders who seek to engage with facilitators and a diverse cohort of women on issues of leadership styles, reflection, selfcare, collective action, financial well-being, and other skills they may wish to focus on and draw upon the wisdom within the group.

This resource kit is designed to set out activities for participation along with complementary exercises and further reading for reviewing. You are welcome to use this with other women in your community and draw on as much of what is in here as you wish. You are invited to adapt activities, add some you find more relevant, and leave out any that are not.

WELCOME FROM COADY AND WISE

On behalf of the Coady and WISE teams, we warmly welcome you as a participant in the Katherine Fleming Women’s Leadership course offered by the Coady Institute in partnership with the Organization for Women in Self Employment (WISE).

We are delighted that you have made us a part of your leadership journey. Thank you for your commitment to making change happen in your home community. We hope that the week together provides you with ample opportunity for connection, reflection, and learning.

All the best in your program!

Sincerely,

Martha Fanjoy, PhD Director of Programs, Coady Institute Executive Director, WISE

ABOUT COADY INSTITUTE

The Institute is located on the campus of St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, in the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqey peoples. The Coady Institute, established in 1959 by St. Francis Xavier University, is recognized globally for contributing to community-led development and leadership training. Named after Reverend Dr. Moses Coady, a key figure in the Antigonish Movement, the Institute draws inspiration from this movement, which began in the 1920s. Aimed at addressing the widespread poverty among farmers, fishers, miners, and other marginalized groups in Eastern Canada, the movement, led by Coady and his team, initiated a method combining adult education with collective action focused on the economic needs of communities. This approach empowered individuals to transform their circumstances and prospects. In response to the movement’s success, St. Francis Xavier University’s Board of Governors 1928 appointed Rev. Dr. Coady as the first director of its Extension Department, effectively endorsing this participatory education and community mobilization model.

In collaboration with partners in Canada and across the globe, the Institute is committed to reducing poverty and transforming societies by strengthening local economies, by building resilient communities, and by promoting social accountability and good governance. Coady Institute is committed to breaking down and transforming the North-South divide by bringing people together to exchange innovations and learn from each other. These programs focus on leadership and community development and are informed by adult education principles.

Working together with our partners from around the world, Coady strives to continuously improve and develop our online, on campus and off campus educational programs, addressing the issues and challenges that face our communities both locally and globally. I encourage you to take a moment to explore these many opportunities via the Coady website.

ABOUT WISE

The Organization for Women in Self-Employment (WISE) promotes women’s leadership in households, businesses, communities, and cooperatives. WISE facilitates group action for creating access to financial services, collective voice, and sustainable development. WISE offers training for women leaders with a focus on women’s empowerment, assetbased approaches, and enterprise development.

WISE focuses on women’s and girls’ rights to a livelihood, to participation, and to security. Staff engage family, community, and local government as allies in supporting women’s rights and mitigating gender-based violence.

Women and girls are invited to participate in savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs), and they receive basic business skills training. Each SACCO recruits its members, determines loan size and leaders decide who is illegible to take a loan. The members also receive leadership training.

You can learn more about WISE here https://www.wiseethiopia.org/

EDUCATION AT COADY

The programs of the Coady Institute are rooted in the belief and experience that learning is fundamental to social change.

Coady offers educational programming for emerging and established community leaders with a passion for social change. Coady’s approach to adult education is practice-focused and participatory, informed by learner-centered and asset-based methods that hold the potential for both personal growth and societal transformation.

The Institute’s understanding of adult learning is informed by a learner-centered approach and reflective practice, a learning practice reminiscent of the Antigonish Movement. Learners’ knowledge/expertise and practice/skills are assets they bring with them into the classroom, whether physical or virtual. Learning is done by the learner, not done to or for the learner. Learners are drivers of their own learning journey.

Coady staff bring these same principles of adult learning to our courses, in both design and facilitation. Central to this approach are our commitments to:

y Diverse voices amongst our facilitation teams and resource persons;

y The importance of connecting theoretical and conceptual learning to practice; and

y The fostering of an open learning climate, inviting participation from diverse learners.

HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE KIT

This resource kit contains resources, activities and exercises designed to inspire, guide, and empower you on your leadership journey. It complements course content to deepen your understanding of topics, and as a reminder to return to. Open your mind, engage with the content, and remember you are not alone on this path. Together, we are building stronger, healthier communities and organizations led by responsive and empowered women leaders.

THE KATHERINE FLEMING WOMEN’S

LEADERSHIP COURSE

Course description

Women are natural leaders and decision-makers, activists and cycle-breakers. Women are claiming their rightful place as leaders addressing persistent and deep-rooted inequalities. This course is grounded in relational practices, providing space for women leaders, both experienced and emerging, to come together and share concepts and tools to enhance upon already trusted leadership capacities. This 5-day course will guide you to identify and connect with your gifts and strengths, explore feminist movement building, while learning tools & frameworks that prioritize economic agency, justice and inclusion.

This learning experience is an opportunity to explore the abundance of strengths and gifts you hold as a community leader and build a supportive network with other women leaders with a focus on community–led, community-driven social change.

Learning Intentions

After completing this course participants will be able to:

y Explore frameworks, approaches and tools designed to develop and enhance women’s leadership;

y Identify practices, values, and actions that can be taken by women leaders and members of a community to support women’s leadership for socio-economic change.

y Enhance their leadership development goals including mobilization of social and financial resources

y Develop an action plan for a leadership practice

y Reflect upon lived experiences and leadership practices to identify personal strengths and motivations

y Build a social network with peers

y Develop relational approaches to increase social capital in communities

y Enhance existing leadership vision and approaches that support and lead to innovation and socio-economic change

(The full course syllabus is included in Appendix A)

Your Facilitators

Krista Hanscomb

Krista Hanscomb is from Paq’tnkek Mi’kmaw Nation, mother of two wonderful children and kiju (grandmother) to two beautiful grandchildren.

Krista has been guided and mentored by many Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers and community leaders from both Mi’kmaki and Treaty 6 Territory and honours the teachings gifted to her.

Krista is an alumna of St. FX University and previously worked as the Aboriginal Student Advisor at StFX from 2006-2010. Krista has been working in Indigenous education for over 20 years and earned a Masters of Education, Indigenous focus from St. Francis Xavier University. Krista joined the Circle of Abundance, Coady Institute in 2021 as Program Teaching Staff. She has a co-facilitated in the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership Program, as well as online learning and community-driven workshops and projects.

Previous to this role, Krista was Community Engagement Coordinator at kihêw waciston, Indigenous Centre, MacEwan University. MacEwan University’s commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action provided her with experience in guest lecturing; professional development facilitation; strategic planning and program development/coordination; she also sat on the University’s Indigenous Advisory Council from 2017 – 2020. Krista is passionate about sharing Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing alongside western models and practices in education.

Veronica Torres

Veronica has over 30 years of experience in over 40 countries working on programmes for women, girls, and unemployed youth in both humanitarian and development settings. Veronica is recognized for combining engagement and dialogue in her research and education practice. Her assessment and evaluation work has led to improvements in a wide range of programs.

Veronica has informed the work of organisations such as Girl Effect, Population Council, Save the Children, UNFPA, UNICEF, Plan UK, and IRC. She has developed frameworks on adolescent development, mitigating teen pregnancy, male allyship, and life skills integration for a range of organizations. She has developed guidance documents on men’s and boys’ engagement, disability inclusion and tackling teen pregnancy for a UKAID funded program in Rwanda. Curricular materials and research developed and undertaken by Veronica are being used in over 25 countries. Veronica is a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University’s Master of Adult Education program. She is a mentor to professionals working in community development in globally. Veronica, originally from Ecuador, is a bilingual, collaborative, and effective practice leader.

OUR APPROACH TO LEARNING

The richness of participants’ experiences and knowledge, as well as the skills they bring, add to the great potential for learning about leadership. Our understanding of learning focuses on a learnercentred approach to learning-teaching dynamics. Learning is done by the learner, not to or for the learner.

As humans are meaning-making beings, in this program we will collaboratively seek to make meaning of our experiences in leadership and community development at the local/community, regional, and global levels.

The teaching learning dynamic in this course is centred around problem-posing education informed by reflective practice. Practitioners are invited to learn during and from experience, engaging in reflection in and on their own community development and leadership practice. Reflective practice involves asking questions to deepen understanding as well as being open to growth in leadership practice. Drawing from existing perspectives and experiences to engage in reflective practice, critical inquiry. and dialogue, the group will share and learn from each other’s experiences, strengths, assets, and challenges to identify emerging issues and possibilities to support women’s advancement locally and globally with an emphasis on their economic agency.

RELATIONAL APPROACHES

Check-In’s and Grounding Activities

Check-in’s and grounding activities are central to creating learning spaces that foster relationship building, safety, and sense of belonging. Check-ins aim to develop a sense of unity and community as participants celebrate one another’s successes and recognize shared challenges. Grounding Activities, such as breathing exercises, visualization, and affirmations support individuals in mindfulness, focusing, and managing stress.

Check-in’s and Grounding exercises as part of facilitation practice supports trust building, connection, and mindfulness.

Resource Article: The Circle Way: “The Power of a Good Check-in”: https://www.thecircleway.net/articles/2024/9/30/resource-bundle-check-ins

Resource: The Circle Way Resource Bundle Check-in’s: https://www.thecircleway.net/articles/2024/9/30/resource-bundle-check-ins

Resources for Check-ins and Check-outs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16_ EczHrPD6Yg380jC6Uqqc5kU2zOFOdxn1svfHOgfqE/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.lb5zsuk1a0ii

The circles of women around us weave invisible nets of love that carry us when we’re weak, and sing with us when we are strong.” - SARK

THE 4A SEQUENCE FOR LEARNING TASKS

The 4A Sequence is a helpful model for planning conference breakout sessions, workshops, plenaries, keynote addresses, panels and even entire events! By using this four-part sequence, learning is maximized and the focus on learners and what they need is maintained. Start your learning event with an Anchor, end it with an Away, Add new content in a variety of settings, and then invite engagement with the content using creative ideas to Apply. This model will help ensure a learning-centered conference or other large group gathering.

4 Steps for Learning that Lasts - Global Learning Partners

ANCHOR

ANCHOR A task that has the learner access their own prior knowledge or experience with the topic / content / or similar experience (e.g., respond to an open question about their experience, reﬂect on visuals or data to spark thinking, etc.).

AWAY A task that connects the new learning back to the life of the learner and its future use (e.g., a personal action plan, commitment, projection into future, etc.).

ADD A task that has the learner hear / see / experience a substantive new piece of content: information, research, theory, skill (e.g., this can be with PowerPoint, ﬁlm clip, demonstration, etc.).

APPLY A task that has the learner do something (there and then) with the new content (e.g., practice, application, case studies, compare, etc.).

BUILDING COMMUNITY

Circle Practice

Introduction to Circle Teachings and Practice: Circle Practice is a mindset; we lead and work alongside community with the values, connections, and intentions of the circle.

“We are building relationship and community within the circle and coming to know one another. Circles require us to remain in the present moment, to ground ourselves in our knowing and be open to new ideas and learning. The circle keeper, or facilitator, is responsible to guide the participants in being mindful, to respect the words of others, and leave space for others to share. As our circle grows into a “community”, we become helpers to one another and accountable to one another. We empower ourselves and others through circle work as it reminds each of us that we have gifts, stories and knowledge to contribute.”

(Absolon, K. 2024. “Deepening the Circle”)

Circle teachings remind us to be present, to actively listen while guided by the agreements of the Circle of Hands (group agreement activity). The circle gives us opportunity to learn from one another and consider perspectives other than our own. Circle work is foundational to many community groups. It sets a tone of collaboration, dialogue, and safety. In circle, participants view each other’s faces and appreciate emotional shifts while respecting differences in perspective. In circle, participants are naturally present for each other and open to reflection and dialogue.

Circle practice has a history for many communities and cultures.

What is your experience with circle practice? What examples do you see in your family, community, traditions, and culture?

y Circles are foundational to many Indigenous peoples; representing the cycles in life and nature; spiritual ceremonies; connection to the land, water, air and one another

y Savings/lending circles globally (Ubuntu Circles)

y Dance & ceremony of many cultures such as African, Indigenous, Celtic or Gaelic communities

y Stonehenge, a Celtic stone circle was a place for ritual & ceremony to acknowledge seasons

How do circle teachings inform your leadership practice?

y Community Building: Circles are used in conflict resolution and community building practices, fostering dialogue, empathy, and shared responsibility. Ubuntu circles, for example, provide a platform for open communication and collaborative problem-solving.

y Unity: Shared identity, vision, and purpose for community

y Interconnectedness & Equality: Each community member has gifts, every living thing is connected, all are equal and valued as such

“We are taught a common understanding of interconnectedness: that all things are dependent on each other. All things and all people, though we have our own individual gifts and special place, are dependent on and share in the growth and work of everything and everyone else. We believe that beings thrive when there is a web of interconnectedness between the individual and the community and between the community and nature.” (Graveline, p.55)

y Common Values of the Circle (Circle of Hands):

y A sharing circle is a safe/brave space

y Everyone is equal and everyone’s perspective matters

y Listen respectfully without judgement

Resources

y Speak from the heart, with truth & honesty

y No one is obligated to share

y Share your own stories and from your own experience

y What is shared in the circle, stays in the circle

Podcast: Two Crees in a Pod: “Pocket Full of Circles with Sharon Steinhauer” https://open.spotify. com/episode/1D205mUNjV4WZkpOjzPZy5

*Hosts invite Sharon Steinhauer to share about Circle Practice within her work as a social worker/professor.

Speaks to Circle as a “practice” for all; “We carry it in our DNA” all tribal cultures (and we all come from tribal cultures) have story of circle or cyclical systems/teaching

Article: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2019/04/savings-empower-women-rural-africa-worldrelief/

*The author speaks about growing up in Africa and has lived experience similar to the women circle participants.

References:

Absolon, K. (2024) “Deepening the Circle” Indigenous Wholistic Professional Development. Centre for Indigegogy, Wilfred Laurier University.

Graveline, F. J. (1998) Circle Works: Transforming Eurocentric Consciousness. Fernwood Publishing. Halifax, NS.

The Circle Way website: https://www.thecircleway.net/

Community of Care, Circle of Hands and Connection (Group Agreements)

An important part of circle practice and creating a learning environment that is a “safe” and/ or “brave space” is developing group agreements. For our learning space, we will use the “Circle of Hands” to guide how we will come together in this space; what we need for a brave/safe experience as well as what we don’t want.

Circle of Hands - Activity Option:

Participants place their hands next to one another to form a circle on a large piece of flipchart paper and trace around each hand. Invite everyone to write inside the circle what they need for a safe, welcoming, and brave learning experience. Give them 10 minutes.

Summarize responses.

Next, invite participants to write down the things they don’t want to see happening during the course on the outside of the circle of hands. Give them 10 minutes.

Ask the group for ideas on how they will address things that they have outside the circle if they occur. Take note of these on the flip chart. The group agreements are in the circle of hands. The group can always return to the circle of hands when necessary. Put the circle up on a wall where it will be a visual reminder of our Community Care.

EXPLORING LEADERSHIP

Exploring leadership models and reflecting on lived experiences shape leadership with the practices that resonate with our communities and honor the gifts, knowledges and values we carry. While some women leaders draw on other models for leadership, many draw on their ability to build relationships, support others on their teams, and seek out opportunities to improve communities they work with.

Think, Pair & Share Activity: Sharing leadership experiences

Divide up participants into pairs and invite them to interview each other using the following questions:

y What does leadership look like in your experience?

y How does leadership feel in your experience?

y What tradeoffs can leadership imply in your experience?

Give the pairs 20 minutes to do these interviews and take notes.

Invite 4-5 pairs to share their notes from their interviews.

Introducing Leadership Styles: A Focus on Relational Leadership

There are many types of effective leadership styles and practices. Relational leadership styles provide a framework that supports the scope of values, practices, and tools for women leading in spaces of community development and social change. When women leaders come together and create a sisterhood of support, encouragement, and inspiration, their efforts ripple out to impact meaningful change.

“Solidarity between women can be a powerful force of change and can influence future development in ways favourable not only to women but also to men.”

El-Saadawi, Egyptian feminist writer, activist, physician, and psychiatrist

We will focus on exploring the following types of relational leadership, being mindful that there are variations and additional practices that may come up in discussions:

y Service Leadership: A leader who is a good listener; is empathetic, has an ability to heal, is aware, persuasive, has foresight, is a good steward, has a commitment to the growth of people, and builds community.

y Transformational Leadership: A leader who is able to mobilize people around them through values-based charisma and motivation.

y Primal leadership: A leader who depends on leading with emotional intelligence (EI). Such a leader is self-aware, has social awareness, can self-manage, and manages relationships.

Resource: This compendium aims to recognise and celebrate African women and girls making a difference through their impactful leadership. This is a great resource for the HerStory Activity as well. https://au.int/sites/default/files/documents/43035-doc-Women_of_Impact-_Inspiring_ Stories_of_African_Women_Leaders.pdf

Reference: Alma, E. 2021. “Leadership Models and Mentorship”. Women’s Leadership for Community Development Course Notes. Coady Institute.

Nawal

Identifying Leadership Styles in Our Lives

Group Art Activity Option:

Option 1: Invite participants to work in groups of four and come up with a drawing that describes the leadership styles they have experienced in their lives. Invite groups to draw for 20 minutes. Invite groups to share their drawings

Option 2: Participants each have a canvas/paper to start their drawing. Encourage participants to visualize the end result. They each create for 10 minutes and then give their drawing to the participant on their left (circle practice). Participants continue drawing for another 10 minutes, building on what the previous participant drew. After the 10 minutes, they pass to the left again. This continues until the participant has their original drawing back. This intention of this activity is to build upon the idea of shared vision for leadership & community development; letting go of control and gives participants a visual creation to take home with them.

Leadership in our Communities

Activity:

HerStories and African Women’s Leadership Timeline

African Women’s Timeline: Creating HerStories

As we have explored, leadership styles and experiences can vary. HerStory activities deepen our own understanding of stories of women leaders in our own communities. History is rich and diverse, yet often not told from our perspectives.

“If

the history of Africa was written by Africans and by women, I think we would find many unsung heroes.”

Sahle-Work

Zewde, President of Ethiopia

To re-examine from a women’s lens, HerStories explore key moments, movements, policies, people, and trends affecting African women’s lives, rights, and struggles.

To engage in HerStory work participants share key learnings around leadership experiences and styles and write down their responses. The group should keep in mind that there are many stories of women leaders that we can learn from.

Introducing HerStory Template: Activity Option

Identify key moments, movements, policies, people, and trends affecting African women’s lives, rights, successes, and challenges. Below is a chart that will help you and/or participants organize their work. Remember to reflect on the impact this history has had on you as an African woman.

Time Period

Name the key moments, movements, policies, people and/or trends

Time period Name the key moments, movements, policies, people and/or trends

HerStory: Individual Exercise

Consider your personal history and list 3-5 moments or life events (ex. A success, an adversity faced, life stage, relationship, etc.) that have impacted your leadership. After you finish, add them into the larger timeline.

Time

Next, consider how the events in the African Women’s Timeline have impacted your own story or the stories of the women in your family and/or community. List 3-5 intersections and their impact.

Time period

Key moments, event, movement, policy, person or trend Impact

Resource: The Story Kitchen: https://thestorykitchen.org/

The Story Kitchen was born from listening to the stories of our grandmothers, mothers, mothers-in-law, sisters and daughters and realizing that the stories women hold about their lives in our country are rarely documented, heard, or taught. In 2011 a group of like-minded colleagues began discussing the idea of using storytelling to work toward the goal of women’s empowerment. They decided to start an organization that would provide a platform for diverse women to share their stories, to listen to one another, to share their stories, and to transform their lives through storytelling. Together, they established The Story Kitchen in September 2012.

HerStory project: https://thestorykitchen.org/project/her-story/

Articles/News: https://thestorykitchen.org/category/news/

Cultivating and Nurturing Leadership

“We are realizing that we must become the systems that we need- no government, political party, or corporation is going to care for us, so we have to remember how to care for each other.” (brown, m. 2017. Emergent Strategy. P. 113)

Circle teachings remind us of the many connections we have; to one another, the environment, our ancestors, communities, and future descendants and how these relationships are interdependent. Nature strives for balance in these connections and holistic practice- whether in leadership, education, or life in general seeks the same. Balance does not come from everyone and everything being the same; welcoming different perspectives, beliefs, and experiences does.

Leadership grounded in relationships, collaboration, and community, while rewarding, can be depleting and it is important to be intentional in how we achieve and maintain balance.

Self-care

Self-care has become a main trending topic in contemporary society. It speaks to the importance of implementing strategies to manage stress, have work-life balance, and avoid “burnout”. Self-care is critical for leaders working alongside communities that they have a deep personal connection to. Working in areas that have impacted your family, community, and/or nation adds a layer of emotional and spiritual toll. Self-care strategies often include things like getting enough sleep, eating well, enjoying leisure activities and personal care such as massages and pedicures. Women are natural nurturers and have long been the backbone for caring for our communities. Leadership literature identifies this as a significant difference between men and women in leadership roles. As women, we take on the care of our families, our homes, and our communities, especially when we are working to impact healthy changes in those spheres. We often overlook our own well-being to ensure the well-being of others. But as the saying goes, we cannot pour from an empty cup. We must care for our spirits, minds, bodies and hearts in order to care for others.

Think, Pair & Share: Activity Option

Participants pair up to discuss which self-care practices they may use from those shared by facilitators and/or other participants and 2-3 are invited to share back to the larger group.

Self-care plan:

Self-Care

Plan

Supportive people in my life:

What I want to accomplish:

Resources:

Video: “Thrive: Self-care Strategies for Women in Leadership: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=TQAqZX8L9m8

Change it Up curriculum (https://cmbm.org/mind-body-resources/ )

Mind Body Spirit Emo0ons

Collective Care

“Our jobs as leaders isn’t how we manage our teams but how we take care of our teams. It’s important we are supporting how they find meaning and purpose in the work they do for our communities. Then we will see how that manifests into the change we desire for healthier spaces.” FB post, Terri Cardinal, Vice President Indigenous Initiatives, MacEwan University

As leaders, we model the practices, values, and behaviors we want our teams to embrace. This is another important aspect of self-care. Not only do we teach our teams about self-care, but we must model what that looks like. Leaders are responsible for providing professional development and growth opportunities for their teams. Building self-care or collective care practices into the environment guides your team in caring for themselves, feeling supported and translates into the way in which they work with others.

Reflecting on caring for others: Activity Option

Circle Activity: Sharing practices for modelling/providing opportunities for self-care

Invite participants to form two circles- one on the inside facing the participants on the outside.

Using circle practices, ask each person in the inner circle to share how they take care of others. Once everyone has shared, invite the outer circle to do the same.

Resource Video: Building the next generation of African women leaders (Mandy Pakkiri, TedxSoweto) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc4_1K34Tp0

Grounding Practices

Grounding practices for self and for groups/teams is crucial to self/collective care. As women leaders, we are often pulled in many directions and hold a multitude of responsibilities. Community development is interdependant on shared vision, collaboration, and empowering others to lead. Grounding practices help to quiet our minds, bring us back to our center, our purpose. Sharing these practices as a team or collaborative group can foster connection, empowerment and support.

“And you can’t bring down a hundred oak trees bound beneath the soil! How do we survive the unnatural disasters of climate change, environmental injustice, overpolicing, mass-imprisonment, militarization, economic inequality, corporate globalization, and displacement? We must connect in the underground, my people! In this way, we shall survive.”

Naima Penniman,

in Emergent Strategy, P. 85

Grounding Exercise: “Centering Practice”

Center:

Bring your attention to center.

Feel your dignity, your right to take up space, your connection with others, and your relationship with the arc of your life.

What is your purpose? Let that lift you up. What is your mood?

Breath:

Let your breath guide you into your body, into your center.

Let your length be long.

Let your width be wide.

Let your depth be deep.

Feel yourself on purpose.

Centering Song (optional? Or maybe a participant has one...)

Long as the light

Wide as the sea

Deep as the dirt

I’m gonna be me

I’m gonna be free

Reference/Resource: Resource: brown, a. 2021. Holding Change: The way of emergent strategy facilitation and mediation. P. 124-125.

Visualization Grounding

(best if can be done outside):

“Relax into gravity, extend your roots down into the earth. Extend up towards the sky. You are a line of light moving from the center of earth into the darkness of space, deep knowing to the wide unknown. You are mostly stardust, so this may feel like memory, like something you’ve done before. Let the starlight be you in your dignity.”

Resource: “Creating More Possibilities”, brown, a. 2021. Holding Change: The way of emergent strategy facilitation and mediation. P. 189

LEADERSHIP GOALS AND ACTION PLANNING

We began in circle, to create a sense of community, support, and collaboration. Each day opened with warm greetings and check-ins. Grounding exercises bring us together in the present moment and remind us of our gifts and purpose. HerStories uplifted and inspired our space and challenged the existing narrative. Self-care plans were developed and shared. These elements compliment each other and can help define, influence, and impact your leadership. Goal Planning and Action Planning are tools that can guide and shape leadershipi practices to facilitate and mobiliza the changes our communities and societies need.

“We must design a future that is shaped by women and girls that realises their rights and aspirations to a world where equality is a reality.”

Reflecting on the goals you identified at the beginning of your journey, explore how to bring your gifts, new learnings, and experiences into a plan to shape and advance your leadership goals. Have your goals shifted or changed?

What has resonated with you during this learning experience? How has it shaped your leadership practice?

Think, Pair & Share Goals for next 5 years

Invite participants to work in pairs and share goals they have for their leadership over the next 2-3 years.

Give pairs 20 minutes.

Templates and Resources for Goal/Action Planning:

PATH (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope): https://inclusive-solutions.com/wpcontent/uploads/2021/05/PATH-Guide-for-Participants.pdf

Jeder Institute: https://www.jeder.com.au/design-for-wiser-action-tools/

Amina J Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations

Facilitator Tips

Check-ins and Grounding:

As leaders, we are responsible for directing the work to be done; guiding our teams through mentorship and providing opportunities for learning and growth. Check-ins and Grounding exercises are two simple and effective practices to support relational leadership practice.

Check-ins

Tuck-Away Activity (Day 1): An activity to remove distractions and worries; helps participants focus and be present in the space (Handout available)

Invite participants to write down their worries, to-do’s and other things weighing on their minds. Encourage participants to “tuck away” this list as a representation of being present and clearing their minds for our time together.

Reference and Resource: The New Encyclopedia of Ice-breakers. 2004.John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Permission Slip Activity (Day 2): An activity to “empower”/encourage participants to step out of their comfort zone in some way (Handout available)This check-in activity is helpful in recognizing what might get in the way of your learning and is an opportunity to bravely practice stepping out of your comfort zone.

“Permission Slips are a great way to start building trust in a group.”

Some examples of permission slips:

y Individual: Stay open minded; Give yourself the time you need; Ask questions

y Group: Show up for the group; Ask for what you need; Open to sharing

Think, Pair, Share Activity Option:

y Check-in Question “What permission slips do we need for our time together?”

y Think : What you would like to give yourself “permission” to do (or not do) today, or even throughout our time together?

y Pair: Find a partner and share your permission slips with each other.

y Share: Bring everyone back together and invite a few participants to share their permission slips. Ask the larger group to recognize common themes and how this activity resonated with them.

Reference: Brown, B. (2021).Dare to lead: Read along workbook. Brenebrown.com/daretolead

Brene Brown

Gratitude Check-in: This simple check-in can be done with the full group, pairs, or smaller groups. Participants respond to “What are your grateful for today?”

y This can be a great question to close/end time with a group.

y Leaders/facilitators are encouraged to develop Check-in questions and activities that are relevant to their community context.

Grounding exercise:

5-4-3-2-1 Grounding:

y How to: Incorporate this breathing exercise with the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique:

◊ Inhale: through your nose deeply, feeling the air fill your lungs.

◊ Exhale: slowly through your mouth, releasing any tension.

◊ Focus on your breath: and then shift your attention to:

◊ Identify 5 things you can see around you.

◊ Identify 4 things you can touch.

◊ Identify 3 things you can hear.

◊ Identify 2 things you can smell.

◊ Identify 1 thing you can taste.

Benefits: This combines breathing with sensory awareness to bring you into the present moment.

When to use: When you are feeling overwhelmed or disconnected from your body.

Reflections and Connections

At the end of each day, we facilitate reflection of key learnings and its use for leadership practice.

Key learnings so far

Softball Activity: Use a softball as a “sharing piece”. Once the participant or group is done sharing, toss the ball to the next person/group to share. The softball is great for “tossing” ideas and comments to one another.

Think, Pair & Share: Participant pair up with someone they do not know very well yet. Together they need to identify two key learnings from the day. Invite each pair to share with the larger group

Reflective Journaling: Provide time for participants to reflect and write about their learning experience. This may be a great activity for those participants who need time to process on their own.

Facilitation Reflections from Graduate and Partners

We stay in touch with many of our graduates to continuously learn what works and what does not to share with other changemakers. Here are some of their reflections:

y Be the change you want to see: If you do not believe that change is possible, it will be hard to convince others that it is. If you do not think everyone has something to contribute and value their contributions, you will likely be disappointed when you ask people to participate.

y Practice what you preach: Building abundance is a holistic practice. We cannot merely talk about how to do it; we must embrace the principles in our life and work. If you see building abundance as only being something you are “paid to do,” and you are not genuine in your hopes for a better community, you will have difficulty inspiring others to get involved.

y Never underestimate the importance of hard work : Organizing people around a shared concern or opportunity can be challenging, especially initially. People are busy and have commitments of their own, and you may need to make sacrifices of your own; however, remember that change has never taken place without sacrifice. That said, organizing around something that people already care about (from within) and building on strengths often generates more energy and passion for change, making communitybuilding actions easier and more sustainable in the long run.

y Change is hard, but the process can be fun: Think about ways to make your organizing fun and engaging. It is not all on you to do this, but you may want to think about what makes coming together as enjoyable as possible in the early stages. Food? Sense of belonging? Door prizes? Cultural activities? Kids activities? Can you build meetings onto the informal ways that people already come together? It does not have to be elaborate or expensive; however, it could be something small that makes people want to return. That said, you should not always have to provide incentives for people to come; this responsibility and leadership could rotate between members.

y Find the “movers” and the “shakers” in your community: In every community, there are community leaders – they show their leadership by taking action, not necessarily by formal title or position. When they speak, people listen. When they ask for help, people respond because they trust their communities. They also often have connections to people inside and outside the community, between Elders and youth, government and leadership, community, and partners (we also call them “gappers”). They often see the “big picture.” Although these people are often overstretched in community life already, they can be important in the initial stages to get things moving, motivate others to join, make connections, and talk about your activities in everyday conversations.

y Be transparent and “upfront” throughout the process: Nothing generates more suspicion and distrust than misinformation or disinformation – even if the information is something no one wants to hear, it is difficult to share, or you think it is “none of their business.” There are limitations to this “tip.” You are the best person to know when to share information.

y “Crabs in the Bucket”: There will always be people who criticize those who try to make a change in your community. They will attempt to pull you down as they feel threatened by change or the loss of power or resources. Think about ways to get this person on board, or find a mediator who has respect on both sides of the issue to help make peace, or at least neutralizes the situation – whether it is real or perceived. If this is not possible, sometimes all you can do is ignore it. One of our alumni told us of a saying that they used with their youth group whenever someone talked severely about them: “Quack! Quack! Like water off my back…moving on.” Again, internal conflict is a sensitive issue that very much depends on your situation and relationships. Only you can decide what will work. Also, those people who are so opposed to something often do it because they feel strongly – which means they care. Attempting to see things from their perspective can be helpful. Once they are listened to and feel validated, it is possible to engage them in community work.

y Sustainability: Sustainability lies in relationships, not necessarily in the idea itself. Sometimes people will come together to organize around an idea, project, or situation, and once they get the job done, they go back to life as usual. This is a normal part of the ebb and flow of community life. It does not mean that the initiative was not sustainable; it just means that you accomplished your original goal and are moving on. When another situation arises, calling on these people (or they can call on you) to act again (relationships) is a measure of your sustainability as a community.

That said, if you want the initiative to continue over a more extended period, you may want to think about who will “take the lead” when you move on and how you can build up their skills and capacities to do it long before you have to go. Involve them in decision-making, organizing, and behind-the-scenes work. Recognize their contributions, and ask them to lead or speak at community events.

y Follow the energy: pay attention to those who show up. Build relationship capacity and encourage outreach. Often community events grow due to excitement, personal buy-in and positive information. People are inspired by passion, and investors are inspired by the qualitative and quantitative measurements of in-kind contributions. Whoever and how many are in the room are the right people and the right amount.

y The power of the “redirect:” One of the essential qualities of a facilitator is to be able to redirect negative energy into the positive without belittling or dismissing considerable problems everyone faces and the reasons behind them. Some examples our graduates have shared with us:

◊ Be upfront: “We acknowledge the challenges we have, but for a couple of hours, we are going to set them aside and start with our strengths and see where it takes us…”

◊ Meet people where they are and listen to what is on their minds, but ask them to think about “what it looks like when it’s fixed.”

◊ Ask people to think about or tell stories about times in the past when they successfully dealt with a similar issue (or someone they know has). Have a conversation about what made this success possible: who was involved? What was your role? Why did this happen? How? Can we do this again? What can we learn about our past to deal with this issue in the present or future?

◊ Find someone who understands the problems but can see and speak about how to get to the “other side.” This person often has vision and can get people to focus on the solution rather than getting “stuck” in the downward spiral of the problem.

◊ Start small with the resources at hand: Community action does not have to start with a proposal, funding, or a start-and-end date. Often, the most successful initiatives begin with what you have and are simple to achieve (“low-hanging fruit”). They build momentum, confidence, and relationships, which are critical building blocks for future actions that may be more ambitious.

When actions are too large, they often require outside resources from institutions, and then you must fit your agenda into someone else’s instead of the other way around. Institutions often move more slowly, are less flexible, and are more bureaucratic than community groups, and they can sometimes slow you down. Decide what you can do with your resources first and then what you need to do in partnership with others. The balance is different in every community.

If you work for an institution, think about ways to make your processes for partnership simpler and more accessible to community members. Is there a way to RESPOND to community action instead of driving or delivering it within your pre-determined programs and desired results? Do you have “matching grant” initiatives where communities can generate their ideas and contributions, and have you RESPONSIVELY invest in them? Could you start your initiatives with a deliberate assetmapping exercise (as we did in this workshop) as a way to generate mutually beneficial ideas that suit both community and institutional agendas?

y Choose your partners wisely: As groups become more organized and ambitious, you may need to partner with an outside institution or supporter to get to the next level. Negotiate this partnership with clear intention and respect, and be clear on your agenda. Ensure this partner understands your working methods and that they will not undermine your efforts or overwhelm you with too many resources or bureaucratic red tape.

y Find your champions: Just as every community needs a champion (or ideally CHAMPIONS who cater to the strengths of its members), find someone who shares your passions and has a foot within an institution and a heart in your community to help move your initiative forward.

y Test the tools: Building abundance can seem simple in principle but hard in practice. Sometimes, you just need to test out some of the tools and trust the process. “Learn by doing,” and then you can internalize the principles in a way that makes sense to you and your experiences.

y Appreciation: “A candle loses no light by lighting another….” Show gratitude. Shine the light on others. Lift each other up. Consider having a community celebration to recognize community members who contribute to making life better for all. Reinforce the positive, generate a new kind of energy, and it will resonate.

KATHERINE FLEMING WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP COURSE 2025

Addis Adaba, Ethiopia

June 15-20, 2025

Co-hosted between Coady Institute and WISE

Description

Learning Intentions

After completing this course participants will be able to:

y Explore frameworks, approaches and tools designed to develop and enhance women’s leadership;

y Identify practices, values, and actions that can be taken by women leaders and members of a community to support women’s leadership for socio-economic change.

y Enhance their leadership development goals including mobilization of social and financial resources

y Develop an action plan for a leadership practice

y Reflect upon lived experiences and leadership practices to identify personal strengths and motivations

y Build a social network with peers

y Develop relational approaches to increase social capital in communities

y Enhance existing leadership vision and approaches that support and lead to innovation and socio-economic change

Approach to Teaching and Learning

Co-Facilitation Model

The Katherine Fleming Women’s Leadership Course is designed to create a co-learning space, where women leaders from across Africa can learn and share tools and concepts to grow both their individual and community leadership. To ensure a broad range of perspectives, the course will be co-facilitated by a team of facilitators who bring a broad range of approaches in women’s leadership related to movement building towards equity, justice, and economic agency as well as geographic coverage.

Course Readings and Materials

All readings and materials will be shared in electronic format. Handouts may be provided in class. You will be provided with a course resource kit at the end of the week.

Assessment

Participants will be asked to complete three assignments which will make up 80 percent of the course mark. Twenty percent will be based on participation. The assignments are as follows:

y Herstory assignment (20%)

y Self-care assignment (20%)

y Leadership development plan (40%)

Topics and Schedule

Day (9 am – 2 pm) Time of Day Topics

Building our community Morning Expectations, circle of hands, circle practice, course intentions

After Tea Break Leadership Experiences

Leadership in Our Communities

2 Exploring Leadership Types Morning Check-in

Herstory group work

After Tea Break Individual and Collective self-care

Growing our Leadership Morning Check-in

Sharing self-care plans

Exploring leadership goals

After Tea Break Leadership development plans

Identifying skills to build on

Skills and Tools for Change Morning Developing Skills

Accessible Financial skills and tools

After Tea Break Prioritizing skills for Final day

5 Celebration of Learning Morning Developing Skills

Sharing leadership plans

After Tea Break Sharing Leadership Plans

Closing and Certificates