Weaving Trust in an election year – relationships as an antidote to polarisation

This election season has already seen party politics create divisions between us, particularly around issues of race and belonging. But we also know that none of us are powerless in such an environment - and that our practice in community organising gives us tools to forge connection across difference and weave “power with” across our civil society.

The Weaving Trust practice, first developed in Citizens UK by Citizens MK, and now a core feature of the Citizens UK Organising Together Across Difference project - is one practical tool that is well adapted for building new and strengthening existing connections across our differences in the places that we live and work.

Many of you have participated in training and discussion about Weaving Trusts. Some of you have even committed to running them! We know that it can be hard to find the time, but we also know that it is hard to do what we haven’t done before. To bring the experience of a Weaving Trust inside our own lived experience - this session will run a Weaving Trust online - so you can feel what it is like, and see how to do it - with the hope that you may be inspired to use this tool yourself as a strategy to work against division during this election season.

In this online session - we will hear from a few leaders around the country about their experiences in running Weaving Trusts, then we will run one ourselves - with co-chairs, a little training, a fishbowl and about four 1-1 meetings in breakouts. Amanda Tattersall from Australia will also join in (thanks for coming at the new time of 10am to make that possible!).

We will then have time to debrief in groups - so we can work through any concerns or challenges. We hope that you will leave this session with at minimum the experience of a new community organising skill. At best you have the capacity to use this tool yourself (especially when combined with the extensive tools also available in the Online Teachable module – Introducing Organising Together Across Difference).