Facilitation Essentials - by Che Biggs

Conservation Council SA is organising a series of one off skills trainings for members, supporters and friends of the climate and environment justice movement in SA.

Why Facilitation?

In the face of the climate and biodiversity emergencies, we don't just need more activists; we need activists who can work effectively together. Environmental justice work is inherently complex, involving messy systems, high-pressure decision-making, and deep emotional stakes.

Facilitation is the "secret sauce" of healthy and effective movements and organisations. It’s about creating spaces where people feel heard, valued, and energized so they can move forward together.

Led by a specialist Groupwork facilitator Che Biggs, we dive into a practice based training incorporating:

• Navigating "Under-the-Surface" Dynamics: Moving beyond the formal agenda to address the "Iceberg" of group work—the unexpressed tensions, hidden agendas, and emotional "vibe" that often determine a project's success or failure.

• The Power of Process: Shifting focus from just what we are doing (content) to how we are doing it (process). We’ll explore why the way we meet is just as important as the goals we set.

• Engaging the Whole Person: Moving beyond logic and data to integrate the Head, Heart, and Gut. We will practice bringing our full selves—including our intuition and emotions—into our climate strategy.

• Addressing Rank and Power: Explicitly naming the "invisible" dynamics of privilege, experience, and authority in the room, and learning how to use that power to strengthen the movement rather than divide it.

• Complexity & Movement Health: Learning how to make values-based decisions when there is no "right" answer, ensuring our groups remain psychologically safe and sustainable for the long haul.

This event is an introduction to Facilitation skills and is a prerequisite to the later event "Facilitation skills for difficult conversations." (Anyone with other facilitation training or enough experience is also eligible for part 2).