After the summer riots in 2024, not only are narratives of division poisoning community relations, but they have demonstrated their potential to lead to violent conflict on our streets. We are in largely unchartered territory as more and more otherwise decent people are being drawn into blaming ‘minorities’ for problems that they have not caused.

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It was once said: ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing’ and the statement could not be more true today.  But the question in many people’s mind is: what can I do that would contribute positively?

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With that in mind, the Ella Baker School of Organising has created a training course on ‘defeating narratives of division’. 

 

The course covers a wide range of topics including:

• Mapping divisions within your community - this is a way to visualise where interventions might create the most positive impact.

• Bridging division through stories of ‘us’ - this session explores how we create alternative, inclusive narratives.

• The ‘battle’ of Cable Street - this session looks at the months and years of community organising which inoculated the east end of London from the worst of the inter-war narratives of division.

• Theory of Change - understanding the nature of the problem we face, can help us intervene effectively against it.

• Transformative Conversations - unsurprisingly shouting names at people who don’t agree with us seldom gets them to rethink their views, so what works?

• Building a strong local democratic tradition - one reason that people accept the lies spread about minorities, is that they no longer have faith in traditional politics, can we reverse this trend by making local politics more accountable?

• Strategic choice for change-makers - this session how to run a successful local campaign that both brings your community together and addresses some of the issues that are making people angry.

• Winning in the face of provocations - when far-right activists decide to make your town the next battleground, how can you respond positively so that the community feels more united, and less fearful?

• Narratives of division and class - which explores the roots of some of the issues causing tensions in our communities, issues such as low pay and insecure employment, a cost of living crisis, and unaffordable housing. These are the tensions that are being exploited to turn neighbour against neighbour.

 

If you, or a group you are part of, are interested in holding a training course near you, get in touch on  info@ellabakerorganising.org.uk ​