Developing Activist Communities of Care Online

Training Organisation: Magnetic Ideals

Delivery: Online, one full day

Programme Description:

Many PhD students in the humanities are involved in activist networks and some may have set them up though and with DTP funding. Engaging online can produce solidarities across space and at scales previously unimaginable. At the same time, the digital social life of online activism adds to rather than alleviates the tasks of justice. Digital spaces can be polarised, noisy and hostile; and online activism increasingly comes with the threat of state-imposed sanctions.

This training builds on a collaborative digital 'carekit' for activists already in development, being written by Dr Audrey Verma and Dr Heather McKnight, and illustrated by Griselda Gabriele. The carekit draws from a workshop presented by at the CHASE Taking Care in the Climate Crisis conference (2021) but was funded by a Leverhulme grant headed by Dr Audrey Verma.

The day will consist of a variety of interactive online exercises and group discussions that align with the Digital Care Kit for Developing Activist Communities of care. This will allow participants to apply the advice in the carekit to the practice in their networks. The carekit reflects on what needs to be done to nurture, sustain and care for campaigns and campaigners in these digitised conditions. The kit takes a resolutely collective approach, eschewing individualised ‘care-washing’ suggestions. This training reflects on in online campaigning and activism through the lens of micro-utopias, community, intersectionality, and hope.

The training takes place over an entire day online for up to 10 - 20 participants, it focuses on each section of the carekit and encourages participants to consider the real life application of the processes involved. It builds in groupwork, interactive activities and is designed to be delivered to multiple members of online activist networks, but ideally also across networks to allow for sharing of best practice and problem solving.

Learning Outcomes:

- Encouraging a wellbeing centred approach to what can be a stressful environment of campaigning in a graduate and university setting
- An opportunity for networking and sharing best practice
- Training and awareness raising around diversity, oppression and anti-discriminatory approaches to what can be difficult situations and environments
- Skills in community building and online security
- Learning how to use the Digital Carekit in practice