After 5 days of intense wrestling with social change, the methodologies of Paulo Freire, and group dynamics, picking one take away can be difficult. We knew that participants in the Community Transformation Course would be up for the challenge. They gathered on the last day of the course and shared two sentences describing what they would take away from their time together. Below are 25 memories, lessons and thoughts of the participants in the spring Community Transformation Course.
- Learning to trust the process and believe in people’s individual gifts and talents.
- The ability to try new things in group exercises.
- Friendships that last beyond today.
- Faith in humanity in general.
- Better listening skills.
- Understanding of various cultures.
- The fact that transformation comes from within ourselves, and cannot be imposed on people from the outside.
- Skills for making communities self-reliant and able to achieve their goals.
- Importance of sacred space and closing with gratitude.
- Hopefulness that participants will bring light to their communities.
- New energy and commitment and faith in Community Transformation Training.
- Creative ways to open discussions.
- You have to have a lot of emotional energy and we have the tools to generate that.
- Ability to take a leadership role.
- As a planner, the best codes happen at the last minute.
- Sense of humility to know that I don’t have all the knowledge.
- Encouragement that community-led facilitations are so important to so many.
- Importance of establishing the right energy.
- Appreciation of the power of the Freire method.
- Learned that transformation may take a long time and never happen but that it is worth it.
- Fundamentality of emotions.
- Being around young people is refreshing and encouraging. Especially the women! Brings joy to my heart.
- Satisfaction of having led a facilitation, and witnessing others facilitate.
- Learning about the cycle of action, reflection and change.
- Sore hand from note-taking!