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The first sphere...
We are excited about helping individuals to develop their personal power.
We believe the old adage that "nothing succeeds like success". That is, it takes power to increase power, and power used constructively will accrue dividends. We recognize that at the purely physical level, in the material world, resources are ultimately finite. In that sense, those who claim that life is a zero-sum game have some legitimacy. But we do not believe existing resources, fairly and well managed are unable to sustain humanity for millennia to come. And in matters of human relations, we are convinced that life is not a zero-sum game. Power need not be understood and experienced as a negative, destructive force. We talk about processes and outcomes when we define power. We say that Power is the deliberate use of skills to mobilize resources to produce a change. Some of the key messages we wish to convey are that a decision must be taken by a person for power to exist. Taking the decision is itself a major challenge. A person may lack experience in taking decisions, decisions taken in the past may have had negative consequences, and there may be heart-felt ambivalence about which decision to take - which choice to make among competing alternatives. But power, as we see it, is intentional. After the decision is taken, then the right skills must be used, hopefully in an artful manner, to identify and mobilize resources (which are part of the source of power but not power in themselves). Then resistance must be overcome, as there will be resistance to change. And a change must occur for the process to be complete, for power to be real. Otherwise it is potential power - a hope, perhaps, but not a real thing. So there is the process, and the outcome. We offer the following in support of psychological action to develop personal power - to put people in touch with their sources of power and enhance their ability to make power real when they choose to use it.
We have designed a workshop that gives participants an opportunity to focus exclusively on their personal power. The Power Clinic is a personal development workshop designed to give you insights into various forms of power; an opportunity to assess how you use power in your personal relations or workplace, and to make a roadmap for moving to constructive and creative forms of power.
1. To learn about the two
faces of power and the Creative Power Frontier: "when 1 + 1 = 3". Email us for more information...
The Clinic is customized on the basis of a needs and interest assessment conducted with our client's representative. The Power Clinic can be delivered in a small or large group format. Email us for more information...
What is the Peaceworker
Bootcamp? Why come here? The Peaceworker Bootcamp will introduce participants to the knowledge and skills necessary in preparing for voluntary or paid work in the fields of humanitarian, peacebuilding, and development assistance. The instructors know their stuff, having years of experience in conflict settings and war zones. The training takes place in a Canadian wilderness setting that gives participants an experience of the conditions similar to what they might find in a UN or NGO compound in a developing country or war zone. That is, no frills. And most importantly, participants are individually assessed for suitability to pursue their interest in working for justice and peace, at home or abroad.
-Anyone who is planning to
become a peaceworker, and wishes to gain insight into the lifestyle,
challenges, opportunities, and skills needed. What will I learn? -A broad orientation and
introduction to the peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development fields
and the types of jobs and experiences that are possible How do I register? We are not currently taking any registrations but if you have more questions, please phone (613-754-5283) or email Evan Hoffman (evan@newmathforhumanity.com).
This is a low-tech environment. There will be no phones, fax, or email. The Peaceworker Bootcamp site is also out of cell phone range. (any emergencies will be handled by our off-site office) We will be outdoors the entire time; this means living in tents, dining outside, and having all lectures and lessons outside as well. As part of your "grounding" you will be asked to share some of the camp maintenance tasks. |
PSYCHOLOGICAL
ACTION TO DEVELOP PERSONAL POWER
THE
POWER CLINIC FOR INDIVIDUALS: WHEN 1+1=3
This
is a one-day highly interactive clinic intended for organizations. The
Power Clinic utilizes our Personal Power Assessment Tool to get a measure
of the power of each individual member of the team or organization,
and how that relates to the team or corporate objectives and performance.
The clinic is built around our definition of power, taking into account
the following elements: resources, skills, interpersonal resistance,
external resistance, contextual factors and desired outcomes. 