Liberal democracy is crumbling before our eyes: undermined by the resurgence of the far-right, hollowed out by a failure of institutions to evoke trust, and eroded by post-truth culture. This comes at a time of intersecting crises: ecological and climate breakdown, growing inequality, widespread disempowerment, and potential social collapse. An increasing number of people in society are not getting their material needs met, and stories that used to convince are no longer holding.

So where to go from here? How can we strengthen and empower groups working for a healthy democracy within the UK? How can we foster a diverse, regenerative, and powerful movement that can achieve greater impact, and ultimately, system change? We believe that collective learning, collaboration and network building are essential for that.

In this one-off workshop, we'll come together with key players in the UK’s democracy movement to make sense of where we’re at as a movement and how power structures and alliances are shifting within the UK and globally. We’ll identify key strengths and weaknesses, possible points of intervention and disruption, and explore emerging opportunities to shape and build collective power within a complex political landscape.

We invite changemakers of all kinds to join and learn to think like a movement ecologist!

During this three-day workshop, you will

• up your strategy game by seeing the democracy movement as a complex, living, dynamic ecosystem;

• map your place and that of other organisations within the movement to identify possible actions and next steps;

• see the ‘twilight of neoliberalism’, the rise of the far-right and the position of the democracy movement through the lens of hegemony theory;

• explore the constraints of the systems you want to influence and generate tangible interventions;

• learn how stories have the power to reinforce or undermine systems of power and oppression;

• reflect on how the identities we hold can enrich, limit or liberate us and the movements we’re a part of;

• work on strategic challenges and opportunities you and your organisation are currently facing;

• take steps towards a collective plan to strengthen the democracy movement.

In addition to diving into theory and practical exercises, you'll have the opportunity to connect with other changemakers and build new relationships. Join the workshop and grow the movement working together for a more resilient democracy that serves the people!

Find out more about the Movement Ecology Collective on our website or follow us on LinkedIn.

Who is this course for?

• Activists, campaigners, changemakers of all kinds working within electoral politics, in local councils, and towards alternative models of democracy, including direct and deliberative initiatives from local to national levels.

• You will gain the most benefit from this workshop if you are already working on a project. It's OK if your project is in the early stages, but an outline of the vision and goals are essential.

• Previous participants have noted that it’s useful to have at least one other person from your organisation present to effectively bring back practices and insights. So feel free to share this invitation in your network/organisation.

Practical

• Location: London, specifics TBC

• Accommodation: You will need to organise your own accommodation.

• Accessibility: TBC

• Cancellation: If for whatever reason you can no longer make it, please let us know as soon as possible so we can open your seat up, because we have limited spaces.

• Deadline to register: 11am, 9 January 2025

Quotes from people who have attended our courses

• "I felt re-energised to go and reach out to those that can help us on our mission to enlist the masses to fight Climate Change. I have already started on some of the points we did map out and I have to say that these 2 days have given me more determination than ever."

• "Leaving feeling more connected to my community. More shared language with colleagues to talk more directly about how to focus our future planning… This feels good! :)"

• "I enjoyed learning about hegemony theory and the timeline was a big eye opener! The mapping was a big moment for me and I felt really motivated afterwards."

• "Feeling reconnected and clear about how to lead the movement and some great tools to widen thinking with our group"

• "There were lots of cool ‘connecting the dots’ moments. I chew over these puzzle pieces so much and it was satisfying to learn how they can slot together into neater configurations, and then be broken up into new ones."

• "Finally the ‘left’ is looking at things differently and trying to work together."

• "It made me realise how important all our work is, across all social movements and all those organising for a better world. It feels like that's already providing the basis on which something new could grow."

Registration & Payment

To register for this course, please reserve a ticket here on TicketTailor, deadline to register: 11am, 9 January 2025. We’ll be in touch for any further details.

This workshop is given in the spirit of the solidarity economy so that we can make it accessible for everyone. It is not funded by any external sources, so any contribution will help us cover the costs of the venue, our travel to London, and materials. Any additional money would pay us for our work of organising and facilitating this workshop. There will be a chance to donate at the end of the course.

This system aims to honour the diverse financial realities of our community, allows us to practice generosity, and is based on the knowledge that we have the power to create abundance from below.

If you have any questions, please contact us at: hello@movementecology.org.uk