Understanding Allyship for Independent Living Centers Workshop
This workshop focuses on promoting allyship for independent living centers, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging Indigenous territories, learning from stories, and collaborating to combat oppression and privilege. Participants are encouraged to approach the journey towards allyship with openness and courage, reaching out for support as needed.
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Allyship for Independent Living Centres Laura Hockman (She, Her, Hers) Independent Living Vernon
Land Acknowledgement We will begin by acknowledging that we are meeting on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx people. As visitors, we're grateful for the opportunity to meet here and we thank all the generations of Syilx people who have taken care of this land for thousands of years. We recognize and deeply appreciate their historic connection to this place. We also recognize the contributions of M tis, Inuit, and other Indigenous peoples have made, both in shaping and strengthening this community in particular, and this province and country as a whole. This recognition of the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples must also be clearly and overtly connected to our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our communities. Please take a moment to notice whose traditional and ancestral territory you are joining from?
Opening comments The workshop: Is meant to support you in various ally work Is not about being the perfect ally Will use story telling to share learning of being an ally make note of sharing stories vs sharing the learning
Contemplation (Wagamese, 2016, p,32) I don t know the word for it, that space between seconds, but I ve come to understand for myself that it s the punctuation of my life. Between each word, each thought, each moment is where the truth of things lies. The more intent I am on hearing it, seeing it, feeling it, incorporating it, the more precise the degree to which I m focused on my life and the act of living. I want to dive into those small bits of silence. They contain the ocean of my being and our togetherness. So if I don t respond quickly, excuse me. I am busy allowing the surf of consciousness to break over me so that I can stand on the coast of our unity and be more.
Collaborative Agreements Oppression exists in many forms We all experience privilege in some form Wear a hat of a learner during this workshop and the talking circle Be willing to be brave in this journey toward being an Ally Take a moment to think of 1 3 people who you will reach out to for support as you wrestle with what it means to be an Ally
Common definitions in this work Oppression Oppression occurs when one group of people uses different forms of power to keep another group in a powerless position in order to exploit them Privilege (noun) a special benefit or advantage that may be earned or unearned Ally A member of a dominant group who works to end a from of oppression which gives them privilege
A few thoughts about being an ally Its not about you You can act as an ally, but you can t be an ally by your own designation alone. It is up to the member of the group who you are standing in solidarity with to call you an ally Need to listen open our hearts and minds and be ready to have assumptions challenged Be honest examine our own biases. What makes us uncomfortable? Do we have kneejerk reactions to issues?
Get out of our comfort zone volunteer, attend meetings, listen and read materials that move us. Share space with those who are different Educate yourself like you are doing right now. Being an ally is a Verb, to be one you have to learn, research and invest yourself in the work. Learn from your imperfection You are going to mess up, you are going to say something you didn t think through, ask a question that is unintentionally prejudiced, reveal a bias you might not know you have. When you do, you are going to apologize sincerely and ask for guidance about how to learn from it.
Leaning In as Imperfect Allies in Community Work Vikki Reynolds (2013) 22 Bus story *Note: You have permission to use this story. Share the story and the learning
Story from a Naloxone training *Note: I have permission to use this story. Share the learning from the story, not the story.
Standing in line at the bank *Note: You have permission to use this story. Share the story and the learning
Thank you to all of you for joining today! Feel free to contact Laura Hockman at 250-545-9292 or laura@ilvernon.ca
References Bishop, A. (2015). Becoming an Ally, 3rd Edition. Fernwood Chapter 27. Working Together for Racial Justice and Inclusion. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/racial-injustice-and-inclusion How to Be an Ally. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/spring- 2018/how-to-be-an-ally Reynolds, V. (2013). Leaning In as Imperfect Allies in Community Work. Narrative and Conflict: Exploration of Theory and Practise, 1(1). doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f Reynolds, V. (2011). Reflecting on Ally Work. Retrieved from https://vikkireynoldsdotca.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/aninquiryintoallyworkreynolds 2011.doc
Resources Teen Health Source. (2019, July 23). Ways to be an Ally. Retrieved from http://teenhealthsource.com/blog/ways-to-be-an-ally/ 10 things Allies can do. (2014, November 22). Retrieved from http://www.ywcahbg.org/sites/default/files/manager/10%20Things%20Allies%20Can%20 Do.pdf Reynolds, V. (2010, October). Fluid and imperfect ally positioning: Some gifts of queer theory. Retrieved from https://vikkireynoldsdotca.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/reynolds2010fluidandimperfectalli esqueertheorycontextuk.pdf Saad, L. F. (2020). Me and white supremacy: Combat racism, change the world, and become a good ancestor. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Resources Cont DiAngelo, R. (2019). White fragility: Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism. Allen Lane Brene Brown Podcast : Unlocking Us Two Crees in a Pod Podcast My Legacy Documentary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lKn05V7K4k
