People-Powered Strategies
In my last post I made a direct call to white people, urging them to listen. The theme continues this week; Listen!
How do we show up in conversations where it is our turn to listen? In the above TED Talk, Ernesto Sirolli calls us out:
Western people are imperialist, colonialist missionaries, and there are only two ways we deal with people: We either patronize them, or we are paternalistic.
What do you see? What's happening? What are you feeling when you notice these things?
What needs are those feelings pointing to?
And the last part is:
What do you want to happen?
-Antonia Baur
In the third chapter of Power and Empowerment, VeneKlasen & Miller unpack the different levels of power that shape our definitions of participation and action:
Visible Power: Observable Decision-making
Hidden Power: Setting the Political Agenda
Invisible Power: Shaping Meaning
Sources:
Baur, A. (2017). The awaking of psyche
VeneKlasen, l., & Miller, V. (2002). Power and Empowerment (ch. 3).pdf
Sirolli, E. (2012). Want to help someone. Shut up and listen!
The fourth installment of a blog series that explores topics discussed during the fall 2022 Nonviolent Communication course at Columbia College Chicago.
