Building Collective Power & Preparing to Govern

In the intensity and despair of our times right now, we are being challenged on a level that feels unprecedented. We are on the precipice of real, new possibilities that are being made and fought for through tangible building, creativity and organising. In order to get there, we need to reckon with the very fibre of the work and ourselves. We need both inner and outer transformation to happen. Politicised somatics is a pathway that guides us to developing adaptive, relational, deeply embedded skills – skills that will allow us to harness our power whilst remaining open, connected, present and on purpose in the face of immense pressure. Because our lives and futures depend on us having these skills.

This is a space for all of us – organisers, liberation workers, community leaders, healers, and abolitionists – to learn about the embodied competencies we need to cultivate in order to build and tolerate power, and reckon with what it costs us when, instead, we default to shame or making ourselves smaller.

This panel discussion featured Staci K Haines – leading practitioner in politicised somatics over the last 30 years. Staci was joined by Farzana Khan & Imara Jones, to explore how we utilise Politicised Somatics to strategise, coordinate, and become ready to hold power. The discussion was chaired by Nishma Jethwa. How can we fight effectively, with more resources, alignment, and coherence?

The world is on fire. We know that our collective power is the answer. Enacting our shared visions requires deep and sustainable transformation – not just of our society’s policies, norms, and practices, but of ourselves and our movements. Who do we want to be? How do we want to relate? How can we save ourselves time & energy, prevent fracturing and embrace the things that scare us? How can we remain hopeful and take action?

Speakers

Staci Haines: Leading practitioner in politicised somatics over the last 30 years, focusing on how it can bring transformative capacity to social and climate justice movements and help heal the impacts of trauma and oppression. She runs online and in-person programs and training, and partners with social and climate justice organizations.

Farzana Khan: Social sculptor and writer, as well as the co-founder and executive co-director of Healing Justice London. Her practice works on building community health, repair and self-transformation rooted in disability justice, survivor work and trauma-informed practice working with communities of colour and other marginalised and underrepresented groups.

Imara Jones: Imara, whose work has won Emmy and Peabody Awards, is the Founder and CEO of TransLash Media, a cross-platform, non-profit journalism and narrative organization, which produces content to shift the current culture of hostility towards transgender people in the US.

Nishma Jethwa: Movement Medicine Programme Senior Lead at Healing Justice Ldn. Nishma has been a facilitator, educator and organiser for the last 10 years, working in movements and communities to transform oppressive structures. She is originally from London with roots and community in Gujarat and Mumbai.