Cultural Affinity Facilitation
Why?
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
It is not enough to protest against injustice, we must actively work towards its eradication.
The fight against injustice is not a sprint, it is a marathon that requires endurance and perseverance.
The struggle for freedom is not solely about breaking chains, but also about healing wounds.
Our strength lies in unity, and our unity lies in our diversity.”
~Oliver Tambo
“Racism is a heart disease. How we think and respond is at the core of racial suffering and racial healing.
If we cannot think clearly and respond wisely, we will continue to damage the world’s heart.
Talking about race is messy because it brings to light our racial beliefs and values expressed in ignorance, innocence, and righteousness.
We might consider discomfort a wake-up call inviting us to inspect the ways we have been programmed to blame or distrust each other.
We can’t heal if we can’t talk to each other, and we can’t talk to each other until we understand why we can’t talk to each other.
Some of us do not acknowledge that we are racial beings who belong to the human race, nor do we recognize how our instinct is to fear, hurt, or harm other races, including our own.
We don’t know how to face into and own what we have cocreated as humans. ”
~Ruth King, author Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism From The Inside Out
Growing up during the brutal system of apartheid in South Africa, I always had a deep desire to leave this place.
Over 30 years, I travelled 6 of the 7 continents of the world, and for nearly half that time, I lived in 3 countries, in the pursuit of
identity, truth and freedom.
I never thought I would return.
After being back in South Africa for 14 years, this land is where I have now spent most of my years as an adult.
I have had the honour of working with the public and private sectors and engaging multiple South African stakeholders at local, provincial, national and international levels.
Coupled with a deep commitment to my own journey of healing & conscious change and a profound love of this land, this place & its people, I believe the biggest piece of trauma that
all South Africans need to heal from is racial post-apartheid trauma and the traumatic impacts of intergenerational oppression.
What's in it for You?
creating safe spaces to dialogue around the impact of specific affinities/identities
deep active listening
self awareness & mindful presence
authentic relating: embodied speaking & listening
pride of identity
reclaiming culture
self regulation & co-regulation
storytelling
pattern recognition
UNlearning & Relearning
releasing distress around affinity/identity
compassion for self & others
building diverse resilient communities through exploring new narratives
The ultimate goal is the facilitation of mixed affinity/identity groups
for the return to Unity, to Ubuntu!
How?
Meeting in a group with shared racial identity serves to reduce the power dynamics & concurrent sense of unsafety that may be present when in social or organisational settings, 1 identity is more dominantly represented than others, or is represented in larger numbers than others.
This also enhances the ability of such a group space for more vulnerability & authenticity , whilst gently & curiously exploring growth edges in a safe & contained way.
Together we cultivate the capacity to bring awareness to how race lives within us and influences our: thoughts, emotions, behaviours & worldviews.
We can arrange to meet online or in person.
We commit to a period of time and cocreate the journey upfront.
Together, we explore the innocence & ignorance of our racial conditioning & racial character with those of our own race.
We follow a leaderful model where participants get to experience leading (or coleading) sessions.
Sharing happens mostly in the greater group space.
We also have breakaway sessions in dyads & triads for a deeper process.
What we share is completely confidential.
We aim to liberate distress as relates to racism,
liberate our ability to think and act well, &
play our role in society in dismantling racial oppression, bit by bit,
through our own individual and collective practice.
We facilitate Cultural Affinity spaces for organisations, individuals & groups.
*The inspiration for this work comes from our own challenging collective journey as a nation toward liberation.
This journey is ongoing.
We also draw inspiration from the work of others, like Ruth King.
Learn more about Ruth's work here.
Who?
jason engledoe is an Ecosocial designer and facilitator.
I help you navigate transformative change toward your unique life's vision.
I companion leaders, coaches, facilitators, individuals & groups.
My vision is EcoSocial REGENERATION.
My mission is healing to all and harm to none.
Thank you for being...here.
Please contact us for facilitation of affinity spaces for bodies who identify as black or white.
Client Experiences
"I joined because I want to know more and to connect with parts of myself where I struggle to understand the diversity that exists within me.
I despise that mixed ancestried people are still stuck in the mud, and are still censored post democracy. In schools, we are taught history of the white man, and the black man, never the brown man.
I wish to speak about & heal the impact of forced removals during the land act. We never spoke freely about these things growing up. Now, I feel ready. I feel very emotional, cause for the first time due to these sessions, I have welcomed the invitation to extend compassion to other than brown bodied people."
~ Participant
”I am going through an awakening, this is why I have joined. I work in the financial sector with very smart people. I noticed that I had a lot of anger towards certain identities, even dislike. When there is an issue, I notice that people go to boxes of division, like race, religion etc. When we talk about these topics, I can feel the emotion well up inside me. I appreciate having the space for this emotion to be witnessed.
I believe that we are all connected.”
~ Participant
”There is so much we have to learn from one another. I joined for this reason. I want to understand why I hide often behind alot of things and end up making decisions to leave my place of work due to racism & anxiety. There is a lack of cohesion among our people.
I want to reach the point to understand more deeply, the power in our differences. I aim to speak about systemic oppression and (white) privilege. In this space we are bringing out the bitterness from the roots, because it will affect the sweetness of the fruit.
Being in a group with people who are like me, I feel safer to have courageous conversations. Both adults and the youth don't talk about race. There are no spaces like this. The reach of this work needs to grow.”
~ Participant
"I joined this space because I know our country is in deep need of healing. I understand that pain shared, is pain halved.
I notice that with mixed race people there is a resurgence in awareness of identity. I would like to understand why this all of a sudden. I don't have an opportunity to talk much about race, as there are no spaces for that, like this one. Understanding equality & the lack of equality is important to me. I notice division even within groups of people who share cultural identities, who share religious beliefs. It starts with us. We need to be the catalysts. Be the change. Start the conversations.
I was really moved by these sessions. When we embrace the changes we want to see, it inevitably impacts us too. I have grown from these sessions- the way I write and the way I speak. I take the skills of Deep Listening with me now."
~ Participant
”We appreciate and acknowledge your effort Jason.
The way you facilitate these sessions is amazing!
We appreciate you.”
“The opposite of being Black, Brown, or Indigenous isn’t being white. It’s being healed.”
~Ally Henny
“We, the people of South Africa, have made a decisive and irreversible break with the past.
We have, in real life declared our shared allegiance to justice, non-racialism and democracy; our yearning for
a peaceful and harmonious nation of equals.
The rainbow has come to be the symbol of our nation.
We are turning the variety of our languages and cultures, once used to divide us, into a source of strength and richness.”
~Nelson Mandela
Still Curious?
If you have any questions about our offerings & projects, feel welcome to contact us.
