Past Events
May Regional Training
The IAF Northwest's Spring Regional Training hosted by Sound Alliance will be held May 13th to May 17th of 2024. Read on below for details and registration information:
Schedule: We will start on Monday, May 13th at 9am. The sessions will be all day. The training will conclude on Friday, May 17th at 5pm.
Location: Dumas Bay Centre
Cost:
Residential (recommended): $1,000 for members of the IAF Northwest
$1,450 for non-members of the IAF Northwest
Commuter: $450 (not including lodging or breakfast) for members of the IAF Northwest
$900 (not including lodging or breakfast) for non member participants
The IAF Northwest does not recommend commuting to the training if the commute time is over 30 minutes from the Dumas Bay Centre.
The following are IAF Northwest affiliated organizations:
Sound Alliance , Spokane Alliance , Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good (Portland), Common Good Missoula, Greater Victoria Acting Together, Metro Vancouver Alliance, Calgary Alliance for the Common Good, Greater Edmonton Alliance, Queensland Community Alliance, Sydney Alliance, Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Ohu Whakawhanaunga, Health Equity Circle, Yakima Organizing Cohort, Alaska Organizing Cohort,
If cost is a barrier please reach out to [email protected].
Please register and pay by April 24th.
When you click rsvp below you will be invited to fill out a form including hotel room reservations and other important information. This form is required for registration.
To send a paper check our mailing address is:
To pay online: https://www.iafnw.org/donate
Lodging: The Dumas Bay Centre includes private rooms for guests and catering for the event. For more information about the accommodations and accessibility in the space you can go to their website or email [email protected]. If you are planning on arriving on Sunday May 12th in order to be ready for the training on Monday morning please email [email protected], rooms are available for no additional cost.
Food and snacks: All food and snacks are covered in the cost of the training for residential registration. For individuals registering to commute to the training lunch and dinner will be provided with your training fee (no breakfast). After registering on this page you will be asked to fill out a form including dietary restrictions and accessibility information.
About Regional Training
This training is organized by Sound Alliance and the IAF Northwest.
The training is intended for leaders and active members of IAF Affiliate organizations. It is ideal for leaders who have taken on – or hope to take on – a leadership role in your organization or a role in leading action. Leaders of institutions who are actively exploring membership in an IAF affiliate are also welcome to participate.
At this training we will focus in depth on core community organizing topics and skills including:
- Power – what is it, how we build it, and how we exercise it for the common good
- How to build strong Broad-Based Organizations
- Institutional Organizing – how it differs from other forms of organizing and why it’s critical for addressing the challenges our communities face
- Relational Meetings and House Meetings as the core skills for leaders in community organizing
About the Industrial Areas Foundation
For over 40 years the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) has been holding leadership training sessions for members of broad-based organizations across the US and more recently in Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. These sessions provide a thorough introduction to the organizing practices and principles developed by Industrial Areas Foundation member organizations in its 80-year history.
The leaders and organizers of the Industrial Areas Foundation build organizations whose primary purpose is power – the ability to act – and whose goal is equitable social change. The IAF is non-ideological and strictly non-partisan, but proudly, publicly and persistently political. Through local affiliates, the IAF builds a political base among voluntary institutions that include religious congregations, labor unions, community organizations, and others. IAF leaders use that base to compete at times, to confront at times and to cooperate at times with public decisionmakers.
About lead Trainer David Barrow:
David Barrow, Executive Officer & Lead Organizer NSW Communities Alliance
Supervisor Industrial Areas foundation Northwest
Over his 13 years at Sydney Alliance, David organized across issues, including housing, transport, employment, refugees, and energy. He has worked closely with faith groups, unions, schools, charities, and migrant communities to build power for the common good. David is currently working with the Hunter Community Alliance 3 days a week. David’s role as EO supports the governance and fundraising work of Sydney Alliance. David also mentors organizers in Alliance sister organizations in QLD and NZ-Aotearoa.
David plays a leadership role in the Uniting Church, is a board director of Uniting, the largest not-for-profit in NSW with over 9000 staff, David is a proud member of the Australian Services Union and member of the LGBTIQ community. Before the Alliance, he had organized for 7 years as the campus, state and then national student president of the National Union of Students.
During his tenure, alliance achievements include:
Belonging: Organizing the first asylum seeker support concessions for transport, technical education and early childhood education passed by a conservative government in Australia, raising $36M in emergency funding for temporary migrants in Sydney during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
Housing: Passing legislation for affordable housing across 33 city councils, key builds of 400 affordable homes in a traditionally conservative city council, 100 affordable housing units in a traditionally anti-development city council, statewide legislation against unfair renter evictions for over 600k people in Sydney.
Transport: Introducing a commuter safety, accessibility, cleanliness, ticketing, and provision standard.
Climate: $200M for solar for social housing and renters’ access, first low-income renewable energy support project introduced by a conservative government in Australia. Development of “Pasifika”, annual Pacific & Uniting Church led assembly with the Federal Climate & Energy Minister.
Walking with First Nations: scaled up “Walking Together” training, 400 Sydney Alliance leaders through training and then over 8000 trained nationwide ahead of the 2023 referendum.
Organizing money: Growing the financial base of $250k annual to $1.2M
Growth: built the NSW Community Alliance a framework for statewide power, increased membership by over 100% now totaling 66 financial members.
Training trained over 1700 leaders directly through foundations training and directly mentored over 380 diverse young leaders through the assistant organizers program.
What attendees say about IAF Regional Training
“I was incredibly impressed by the quality of the training. I gained a lot of insight into and new perspectives on the work we are doing in the Alliance. What really made the training most meaningful, however, were the other leaders I had the chance to meet, both from MACG and other IAF NW organizations. The stories of their struggles and successes are truly inspiring and I was humbled to be in their presence.”
Linda Boise Havurah Shalom, Portland MACG
“6-Day Training shook up some of my deep-seated assumptions about power and politics. I left more strategic, pragmatic, and effective - not only in my political and community engagement, but in my union and in my work.”
Dr Rosemary Hancock, National Tertiary Education Union
“The 6-Day Training uncovers some of the deep-seated values and assumptions that form the foundations of our society, and inform our own thinking. Awareness of these issues creates the potential for change that would previously have been impossible … paradigm changing!”
Reverend Mike McGarrity, Mission Leader, Connect Community Church NSW
“I learned how to draw on the strength of my story to break down barriers and establish common ground with people from very different backgrounds. I use this skill in meetings with the union members I represent and find it very rewarding to be able to help others develop as leaders.”
Carolyn Pope United Food & Commercial Workers Local 21, Spokane Alliance
“I walked out of 6-Day Training with an acute sense of the power of relationships. I walked in good at them, I left understanding my power, my influence and how to be great at them. After 6-Day Training I felt a renewed sense of purpose in my own leadership and duty to act on it!”
Marcela Hart, Settlement Services International
April Wrestling with the Truth Colonization - MACG Portland
This eight session training is designed for labor, community, and faith organizations that are a part of the Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good. You along with others from your organization are invited to join in reflection and learning around the truth of colonization and its ongoing impact in the region where we live. Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is an initiative created by a global team of Indigenous leaders offered locally by the Industrial Area Foundation Northwest in conjunction with MACG.
Program Notes:
- Please confirm that you are able to attend all of the sessions before registering, as each session builds on the learnings of the previous evening.
- This is a training series that seeks to center the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples, the work that is ongoing in our communities and the emotional work that comes from this. Please be prepared to engage in this emotional labor and reflection.
- Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is more than the training sessions listed here, it is a community organizing initiative. The goal is to take the learning and reflection from these sessions and turn them into long-term community organizing efforts towards upholding native sovereignty and real solidarity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Introductory Briefings:
There are two options to attend an introductory briefing. You must attend *one* of the briefings in order to participate in the series.
Introductory Briefing Option #1: Monday, April 1st 12-12:30PM PST
Introductory Briefing Option #2: Tuesday, April 2nd 6-6:30PM PST
First Five Sessions:
Tuesday and Thursday Evenings
Dates: Tuesday and Thursday nights: April 4th, 9th, 11th, 16th, and 18th.
Time: 6:00-8:00PM PST
* All of the first five sessions listed above will be held over Zoom.
Last Three Sessions:
The last three sessions will be spaced out over three months and designed to continue each individual's personal wrestling, dig into local histories and experiences of Indigenous peoples, and identify action opportunities.
Like all our trainings, this one is free to members of MACG member institutions. There are limited slots available for non-member institutions. The full training cost to non-members is $250/person, with a sliding scale available to support access. Please contact Riley ([email protected]) to see about availability of open non-member slots.
The registration deadline for this event is Monday April 1st at midnight PST.
Before registration, please double check that you can attend all of the session dates and times listed above. This training revolves around relationships and learning built over the five sessions.
Small Group Leader Training Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization
This two hour session is for individuals interested in being Small Group Leaders for the Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization training. It covers the basic role and requirements of Small Group Leaders as well as digging into facilitation skills for confronting bias within Wrestling sessions and in the world.
This training is required for small group leaders participating in Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization sessions. In order to be a Small Group Leader you must have participated in a Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization series in the past.
Zoom joining details will be sent after registering. Thanks for joining us for this training!
Small Group Leader Training Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization
This two hour session is for individuals interested in being Small Group Leaders for the Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization training. It covers the basic role and requirements of Small Group Leaders as well as digging into facilitation skills for confronting bias within Wrestling sessions and in the world.
This training is required for small group leaders participating in Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization sessions. In order to be a Small Group Leader you must have participated in a Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization series in the past.
Zoom joining details will be sent after registering. Thanks for joining us for this training!
Small Group Leader Training Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization
This two hour session is for individuals interested in being Small Group Leaders for the Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization training. It covers the basic role and requirements of Small Group Leaders as well as digging into facilitation skills for confronting bias within Wrestling sessions and in the world.
This training is required for small group leaders participating in Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization sessions. In order to be a Small Group Leader you must have participated in a Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization series in the past.
Zoom joining details will be sent after registering. Thanks for joining us for this training!
Small Group Leader Training Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization
This two hour session is for individuals interested in being Small Group Leaders for the Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization training. It covers the basic role and requirements of Small Group Leaders as well as digging into facilitation skills for confronting bias within Wrestling sessions and in the world.
This training is required for small group leaders participating in Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization sessions. In order to be a Small Group Leader you must have participated in a Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization series in the past.
Zoom joining details will be sent after registering. Thanks for joining us for this training!
January Regional Training
The IAF Northwest's Winter Regional Training hosted by Common Good Missoula will be held January 7th to January 11th of 2024. Read on below for details and registration information:
Schedule: We will start on Sunday, January 7th at 2pm. The sessions will be all day. The training will conclude on Friday, January 12th at 3pm.
Location: Clearwater Credit Union Training Center
3600 Brooks St
Missoula, MT 59801
Cost: $450 (not including lodging) for members of the IAF Northwest
$500 (not including lodging) for non member participants
The following are IAF Northwest affiliated organizations:
Sound Alliance , Spokane Alliance , Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good (Portland), Common Good Missoula, Greater Victoria Acting Together, Metro Vancouver Alliance, Calgary Alliance for the Common Good, Greater Edmonton Alliance, Queensland Community Alliance, Sydney Alliance, Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Ohu Whakawhanaunga, Health Equity Circle
If cost is a barrier please reach out to [email protected].
Please register by December 29th at the latest and arrange for payment by January 1st.
When you click rsvp below you will be invited to fill out a form including hotel room reservations and other important information. This form is required for registration.
To send a paper check our mailing address is:
To pay online: https://www.iafnw.org/donate
Lodging: Hotel accommodations are not included in the cost for the training and are the responsibility of attendees. Room reservations are available in the full registration form that will be sent to you after you rsvp here. If you have any questions about hotel reservations and the cost of lodging you can contact [email protected].
Food and snacks: All food and snacks are covered in the cost of the training.
About Regional Training
This training is organized by Common Good Missoula and the IAF Northwest.
The training is intended for leaders and active members of IAF Affiliate organizations. It is ideal for leaders who have taken on – or hope to take on – a leadership role in your organization or a role in leading action. Leaders of institutions who are actively exploring membership in an IAF affiliate are also welcome to participate.
At this training we will focus in depth on core community organizing topics and skills including:
- Power – what is it, how we build it, and how we exercise it for the common good
- How to build strong Broad-Based Organizations
- Institutional Organizing – how it differs from other forms of organizing and why it’s critical for addressing the challenges our communities face
- Relational Meetings and House Meetings as the core skills for leaders in community organizing
About the Industrial Areas Foundation
For over 40 years the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) has been holding leadership training sessions for members of broad-based organizations across the US and more recently in Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. These sessions provide a thorough introduction to the organizing practices and principles developed by Industrial Areas Foundation member organizations in its 80-year history.
The leaders and organizers of the Industrial Areas Foundation build organizations whose primary purpose is power – the ability to act – and whose goal is equitable social change. The IAF is non-ideological and strictly non-partisan, but proudly, publicly and persistently political. Through local affiliates, the IAF builds a political base among voluntary institutions that include religious congregations, labor unions, community organizations, and others. IAF leaders use that base to compete at times, to confront at times and to cooperate at times with public decisionmakers.
What attendees say about IAF Regional Training
“I was incredibly impressed by the quality of the training. I gained a lot of insight into and new perspectives on the work we are doing in the Alliance. What really made the training most meaningful, however, were the other leaders I had the chance to meet, both from MACG and other IAF NW organizations. The stories of their struggles and successes are truly inspiring and I was humbled to be in their presence.”
Linda Boise Havurah Shalom, Portland MACG
“I learned how to draw on the strength of my story to break down barriers and establish common ground with people from very different backgrounds. I use this skill in meetings with the union members I represent and find it very rewarding to be able to help others develop as leaders.”
Carolyn Pope United Food & Commercial Workers Local 21, Spokane Alliance
Small Group Leader Training Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization
This two hour training is for individuals interested in being Small Group Leaders for the Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization program. It covers the basic role and requirements of Small Group Leaders as well as digging into facilitation skills for confronting bias within Wrestling sessions and in the world.
This training is required for small group leaders participating in Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization in fall of 2023. In order to be a Small Group Leader you must have participated in a Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization series in the past.
Zoom joining details will be sent after registering. Thanks for joining us for this training!
Small Group Leader Training Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization
This two hour training is for individuals interested in being Small Group Leaders for the Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization program. It covers the basic role and requirements of Small Group Leaders as well as digging into facilitation skills for confronting bias within Wrestling sessions and in the world.
This training is required for small group leaders participating in Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization in fall of 2023. In order to be a Small Group Leader you must have participated in a Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization series in the past.
Zoom joining details will be sent after registering. Thanks for joining us for this training!
October Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization: Greater Edmonton Alliance
The October 2023 series of Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is hosted by the Greater Edmonton Alliance. Members of Greater Edmonton Alliance are encouraged to register below.
If your organization is not a member of Greater Edmonton Alliance (but you live in the Greater Edmonton Metropolitan Area) you can email [email protected] with your interest and then sign up below. The participation fee for non-members is $250.
This eight session facilitation and ongoing organizing process is designed for labor, community, and faith organizations that are a part of Greater Edmonton Alliance. You along with others from your organization are invited to join in reflection and learning around the truth of colonization and its ongoing impact in the region where we live. Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is an initiative of the IAF Northwest.
Program Notes:
- Please confirm that you are able to attend all of the first five sessions before registering, as each session builds on the learnings of the previous evening.
- This is a training series that seeks to center the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples, the work that is ongoing in our communities and the emotional work that comes from this. Please be prepared to engage in this emotional labor and reflection.
- Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is more than the training sessions listed here, it is a community organizing initiative. The goal is to take the learning and reflection from these sessions and turn them into long-term community organizing efforts towards upholding native sovereignty and real solidarity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Introductory Briefings:
First Five Sessions:
Tuesday and Thursday Evenings
October 5, 10, 12, 17 and 19th: 5:00-7:00PM MST
Last Three Sessions:
The required follow-up sessions will include a focus on gathering in person. More information will be sent on the setting and details of these sessions during the five main sessions. The Follow-ups are generally spaced a few weeks to a month apart.
All of the first five sessions will be held over Zoom. Please contact us if you have any accessibility needs to join the sessions.
September Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization: Metro Vancouver Alliance
Registration for this series is now closed. For more information about future sessions of Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization, reach out via our contact page.
The September 2023 series of Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is hosted by Metro Vancouver Alliance, the IAF Northwest Affiliate based in and around the city of Vancouver in British Columbia. Members of Metro Vancouver Alliance and Greater Victoria Acting Together are encouraged to register below.
If your organization is not a member of Metro Vancouver Alliance or Greater Victoria Acting Together (but you live in those areas) you can email [email protected] with your interest and then sign up below. The participation fee for non-members is $250.
This eight session facilitation and ongoing organizing process is designed for labor, community, and faith organizations that are a part of Metro Vancouver Alliance and Greater Victoria Acting Together. You along with others from your organization are invited to join in reflection and learning around the truth of colonization and its ongoing impact in the region where we live. Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is an initiative of the IAF Northwest.
Program Notes:
- Please confirm that you are able to attend all of the first five sessions before registering, as each session builds on the learnings of the previous evening.
- This is a training series that seeks to center the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples, the work that is ongoing in our communities and the emotional work that comes from this. Please be prepared to engage in this emotional labor and reflection.
- Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is more than the training sessions listed here, it is a community organizing initiative. The goal is to take the learning and reflection from these sessions and turn them into long-term community organizing efforts towards upholding native sovereignty and real solidarity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Introductory Briefings:
There are two options to attend an introductory briefing. You must attend one of the briefings in order to participate in the series:
Introductory Briefing 1:
Tuesday, September 12th 3:00-3:30pm PST
Introductory Briefing 2:
Thursday, September 14th 6:00-6:30pm PST
First Five Sessions:
Tuesday and Thursday Evenings
September 19, 21, 26, 28 and October 3: 6:00-8:00PM PST
Last Three Sessions:
The required follow-up sessions will include a mix of virtual and in-person meetings. The first will be participation in a drum circle with MVA member organization Urban Aboriginal Ministry during the month of November. More information on the options to sign up for a time for this session will be sent after you have registered for Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization.
More informations will be sent about the additional follow-up sessions which will include a visit to the Musqueam Cultural Centre in mid-January. Please be on the look-out for this additional information.
All of the first five sessions will be held over Zoom. Please contact us if you have any accessibility needs to join the sessions.
Small Group Leader Training Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization
This two hour training is for individuals interested in being Small Group Leaders for the Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization program. It covers the basic role and requirements of Small Group Leaders as well as digging into facilitation skills for confronting bias within Wrestling sessions and in the world.
This training is required for small group leaders participating in Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization in fall of 2023. In order to be a Small Group Leader you must have participated in a Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization series in the past.
Zoom joining details will be sent after registering. Thanks for joining us for this training!
Small Group Leader Training Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization
This two hour training is for individuals interested in being Small Group Leaders for the Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization program. It covers the basic role and requirements of Small Group Leaders as well as digging into facilitation skills for confronting bias within Wrestling sessions and in the world.
This training is required for small group leaders participating in Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization in fall of 2023. In order to be a Small Group Leader you must have participated in a Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization series in the past.
Zoom joining details will be sent after registering. Thanks for joining us for this training!
Small Group Leader Training: Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization
This two hour training is for individuals interested in being Small Group Leaders for the Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization program. It covers the basic role and requirements of Small Group Leaders as well as digging into facilitation skills for confronting bias within Wrestling sessions and in the world.
This training is required for small group leaders participating in Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization in fall of 2023. In order to be a Small Group Leader you must have participated in a Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization series in the past.
Zoom joining details will be sent after registering. Thanks for joining us for this training!
April Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization: Common Good Missoula
This Initiative was developed by the Industrial Areas Foundation (of which Common Good is a member) with focus on the impacts and history of relationships between the dominant society and Indigenous Peoples of the four colonized countries of our Affiliate Organizations in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the long term, it is meant to eliminate systemic barriers in the current dominant structures by creating conditions that protect and expand Indigenous sovereignty and self-governance while creating racial equity for all. One part of this process is to maximize the existing capacity of Indigenous organizations to tell their own stories and become vehicles for their members to find and exercise their inherent power. At the same time we focus on creating durable relational ties between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations, developed at the speed of trust to form long term commitments that lead to an equitable future.
This collective work was led by a group of Indigenous Peoples worldwide.
Program Notes:
- Please confirm that you are able to attend all of the first five sessions before registering, as each session builds on the learnings of the previous evening.
- This is a training series that seeks to center the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples, the work that is ongoing in our communities and the emotional work that comes from this. Please be prepared to engage in this emotional labor and reflection.
- Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is more than the training sessions listed here, it is a community organizing program. The goal is to take the learning and reflection from these sessions and turn them into long-term community organizing efforts towards upholding native sovereignty and real solidarity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
The local team:
- Has worked closely with the CSKT Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee to approve any local content we share in our training, as well as share the many resources they have compiled, written, and published about their history and this area;
- Partnered with Common Good members to provide trained small group facilitators;
- Is here to provide support to the attendee and their organization through the emotional process of going through this training.
Participating Affiliates:
Common Good Missoula is hosting this round of Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization and we welcome all Common Good Missoula attendees! Metro Vancouver Alliance and MACG (Portland) are also participating in the core five sessions of this round. Please notify your local organizer before registering from either Metro Vancouver Alliance or MACG. Thank you!
Sessions:
Introductory Briefings
All registrants must participate in one Introductory Briefing before joining the main sessions.
April 24th: 5:00-5:30pm MST
April 25th: 2:00-2:30pm MST
Five Core Sessions: Tuesday and Thursday Afternoons
April: 27
May: 2, 4, 9, 11
All sessions from 4:00-6:00PM MST
Follow-up Sessions:
Dates for Follow-up sessions will be announced during the five core sessions. These dates will be different depending on the IAF NW affiliate organization you are a part of.
All sessions listed above will be held over Zoom
Sound Alliance: Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization
The March 2023 series of Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is hosted by Sound Alliance, the IAF Northwest Affiliate based in King and Pierce Counties in Washington State. To register for this session, please go to Sound Alliances event page: https://www.soundorganizing.org/wrestling_with_the_truth_of_colonization
If your organization is not a member of Sound Alliance you can fill out our contact form to learn more about how to be involved in Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization.
This eight session facilitation and ongoing organizing process is designed for labor, community, and faith organizations that are a part of Sound Alliance. You along with others from your organization are invited to join in reflection and learning around the truth of colonization and its ongoing impact in the region where we live. Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is an initiative of the IAF Northwest and offered locally in conjunction with United Indians of All Tribes Foundation and Sound Alliance.
Program Notes:
- Please confirm that you are able to attend all of the first five sessions before registering, as each session builds on the learnings of the previous evening.
- This is a training series that seeks to center the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples, the work that is ongoing in our communities and the emotional work that comes from this. Please be prepared to engage in this emotional labor and reflection.
- Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is more than the training sessions listed here, it is a community organizing initiative. The goal is to take the learning and reflection from these sessions and turn them into long-term community organizing efforts towards upholding native sovereignty and real solidarity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Introductory Briefings:
There are two options to attend an introductory briefing. You must attend one of the briefings in order to participate in the series:
Introductory Briefing 1:
Tuesday, March 7 5:30-6:00pm PST
Introductory Briefing 2:
Thursday, March 9 2:00-2:30pm PST
First Five Sessions:
Tuesday and Thursday Evenings
March 16, 21, 23, 28, 30: 5:30-7:30PM PST
Last Three Sessions:
The last three sessions will be spaced out over three months and designed to continue each individual's personal wrestling, dig into local histories and experiences of Indigenous peoples, and identify action opportunities. The final dates for these sessions will be set during the first five sessions happening in March.
All sessions listed above will be held over Zoom
October Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization: Common Good Missoula
This Initiative was developed by the Industrial Areas Foundation (of which Common Good is a member) with focus on the impacts and history of relationships between the dominant society and Indigenous Peoples of the four colonized countries of our Affiliate Organizations in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the long term, it is meant to eliminate systemic barriers in the current dominant structures by creating conditions that protect and expand Indigenous sovereignty and self-governance while creating racial equity for all. One part of this process is to maximize the existing capacity of Indigenous organizations to tell their own stories and become vehicles for their members to find and exercise their inherent power. At the same time we focus on creating durable relational ties between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations, developed at the speed of trust to form long term commitments that lead to an equitable future.
This collective work was led by a group of Indigenous Peoples worldwide.
Program Notes:
- Please confirm that you are able to attend all of the first five sessions before registering, as each session builds on the learnings of the previous evening.
- This is a training series that seeks to center the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples, the work that is ongoing in our communities and the emotional work that comes from this. Please be prepared to engage in this emotional labor and reflection.
- Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is more than the training sessions listed here, it is a community organizing program. The goal is to take the learning and reflection from these sessions and turn them into long-term community organizing efforts towards upholding native sovereignty and real solidarity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
The local team:
- Has worked closely with the CSKT Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee to approve any local content we share in our training, as well as share the many resources they have compiled, written, and published about their history and this area;
- Partnered with Common Good members to provide trained small group facilitators;
- Is here to provide support to the attendee and their organization through the emotional process of going through this training.
Sessions:
Monday and Wednesday Evenings
October: 17, 19, 24, 26
November: 7, 21
December: 5
All sessions from 5:30-7:30PM PST
All sessions listed above will be held over Zoom
October Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization: Sound Alliance
This eight session facilitation and ongoing organizing process is designed for labor, community, and faith organizations that are a part of Sound Alliance (an affiliated organization of the IAF NW). You along with others from your organization are invited to join in reflection and learning around the truth of colonization and its ongoing impact in the region where we live. Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is an initiative of the IAF Northwest and offered locally in conjunction with United Indians of All Tribes Foundation and Sound Alliance.
Program Notes:
- Please confirm that you are able to attend all of the first five sessions before registering, as each session builds on the learnings of the previous evening.
- This is a training series that seeks to center the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples, the work that is ongoing in our communities and the emotional work that comes from this. Please be prepared to engage in this emotional labor and reflection.
- Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is more than the training sessions listed here, it is a community organizing program. The goal is to take the learning and reflection from these sessions and turn them into long-term community organizing efforts towards upholding native sovereignty and real solidarity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Introductory Briefings:
Tuesday, October 4th: 2:00-3:00PM PST
Thursday, October 6th: 6:30-7:30PM PST
You must attend one of the briefings before the main sessions begin.
First Five Sessions:
October 13, 18, 20, 25, 27: 6:30-8:30PM PST
Last Three Sessions:
The last three sessions will be spaced out over three months and designed to continue each individual's personal wrestling, dig into local histories and experiences of Indigenous peoples, and identify action opportunities. The final dates for these sessions will be set during the first five sessions happening in October.
All sessions listed above will be held over Zoom
North America: Citizens UK Engaging Secondary Schools as Members Briefing
On October 4th, at 8am PST IAF Northwest has invited Citizens UK to run a briefing around their strategy and experiences working with Secondary Schools as member institutions of their broad based organization. This is the second briefing in a series that started in July with a briefing on Universities as member institutions.
This will be an international meeting happening over Zoom. Zoom joining information will be sent in the RSVP email. Information on the same event for IAF NW organizers and leaders outside of North America coming soon!
Citizens UK is the IAF organization in the United Kingdom. Secondary Schools are a unique part of their power base that create opportunities for to impact the wellbeing of young people and their families. You can learn about their work here: https://www.citizensuk.org/join/join-us-as-a-school-community/
North America: Citizens UK Engaging Universities as Members Briefing
On July 21st, at 8am PST IAF NW has invited Citizens UK to run a briefing around their strategy and experiences working with universities as member institutions of their broad based organization. A second briefing will be happening later in the summer around Citizens UK work with secondary schools.
This will be an international meeting happening over Zoom. Zoom joining information will be sent in the RSVP email. Information on the same event for IAF NW organizers and leaders outside of North America coming soon!
Citizens UK is the IAF organization in the United Kingdom. Universities are a major part of their power base including large public universities like King's College London, University of Nottingham, and Cardiff University. You can learn about their work here: https://www.citizensuk.org/join/join-us-as-a-higher-education-institution/
May 10/11 International Leaders Gathering
May 10th 3:30-5 PST, 4:30-6 MT
May 11th 8:30-10 AEST, 10:30-12:00 NZST
The focus will be on relationship building, learning from each other's experiences and rebuilding institutions and core teams.
With your RSVP an auto-response email will be sent to you with the zoom meeting link.
April Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization: Calgary Alliance for the Common Good
This Initiative was developed by the Industrial Areas Foundation (of which Calgary Alliance for the Common Good is a member) with focus on the impacts and history of relationships between the dominant society and Indigenous Peoples of the four colonized countries of our Affiliate Organizations in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the long term, it is meant to eliminate systemic barriers in the current dominant structures by creating conditions that protect and expand Indigenous sovereignty and self-governance while creating racial equity for all. One part of this process is to maximize the existing capacity of Indigenous organizations to tell their own stories and become vehicles for their members to find and exercise their inherent power. At the same time we focus on creating durable relational ties between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations, developed at the speed of trust to form long term commitments that lead to an equitable future.
This collective work was led by a group of Indigenous Peoples worldwide.
Program Notes:
- Please confirm that you are able to attend all of the first five sessions before registering, as each session builds on the learnings of the previous evening.
- This is a training series that seeks to center the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples, the work that is ongoing in our communities and the emotional work that comes from this. Please be prepared to engage in this emotional labor and reflection.
- Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is more than the training sessions listed here, it is a community organizing program. The goal is to take the learning and reflection from these sessions and turn them into long-term community organizing efforts towards upholding native sovereignty and real solidarity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Sessions:
Tuesday and Thursday Evenings
April: 21, 26, 28,
May: 3, 5, 18
June: 1, 15
All sessions from 5:30-7:30PM PST
All sessions listed above will be held over Zoom
International Leaders Gathering 2022
This International Leaders Gathering will be held on March 3rd, 2022 (N. America) / March 4 (AUS and NZ).
The focus for this gathering will be on internal organizing, including how to Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization process to expand diversity and strengthen relationships.
International Leaders Gathering
Hello Leaders,
Thank you so much for your interest in our International Leaders Gathering. The focus of our time together will be to expand and strengthen international relationships, gain a better sense that we’re all a part of a larger effort and organization, provoke inspiration and energy for your local organizing by learning how others across the world are using the same organizing tools to create a more equitable recovery post COVID including our Wrestling with the Truth international effort.
We hope to spark your interest in building something bigger with creativity around issue and strategy work and to connect with one another with small group conversations.
Times vary globally, here are the times that within your time zones.
See you there!