LF 2018 Draft Flyer 2

Tools for Listening When We Disagree
Disagreement is common in movement work as in all aspects of life. It can cement disunity or it can move us forward to stronger consensus and more effective strategy and action. Our personal, cultural, and historical experiences set us up to have intense feelings when we disagree that make it very difficult to sift through what is emotion and what is thinking. It can make us lose our human connection with those we disagree with. In this hands-on workshop we will consider and try out tools for listening more effectively when we disagree. By practicing these tools with fellow organizers we can listen better to those we want to organize. We will practice these tools in the context of care of the environment.

We are part of Sustaining All Life (SAL), an international grass-roots organization dedicated to ending human-caused destruction of the environment and the exploitation and oppression of people that cause these destructive processes. SAL does this work in the context of ending all divisions between people. SAL uses the tools of Re-evaluation Counseling to provide sustained mutual support that people use to free themselves from the discouragement, isolation, and other internal struggles resulting from oppression. When we free ourselves from the effects of oppression we can listen better to arrive at more effective and united strategies.

Maritza Arrastia is a writer, activist, and popular educator and a member of Sustaining All Life, committed to supporting unity and effective action in the Climate Justice movement in many ways, including sharing effective tools for listening when we disagree that she has learned over many years of practicing peer counseling.

Karim Lopez is a film-maker, writer, and co-founder of Truth to Power Films. He is an activist for media justice through his film-making and his political work with May First-People/Link. He is a member of Sustaining All Life and is committed to building unity toward the end of ending human caused destruction of the environment.

Kathy Martino is a member of Sustaining All Life. She has been an anti-war activist, working class organizer, and past participant in leftist organizations. After learning the tools of Re-evaluation Counseling, she believes they can be key in achieving the goals of this Left Forum in building unity and developing a winning strategy on the left, and are the key to making permanent gains in society.