THE ACTIVIST EMPATHY CAFE

(Previously The Monthly Empathy Cafe)

Whether you call yourself an ‘activist’ or not, you know what it’s like to care for the Earth.

And caring, right now, is not easy.

With so many catastrophes on your mind, it’s hard to know where to start.

You’re angry about our industrial civilisation destroying life-sustaining ecosystems. You’re afraid about ecological collapse. You’re sad for the mass extinction of species across the world. And all this is due to human activity.

You know that “the system” doesn’t work. The good solutions we do have are not being implemented fast enough because we need to shift the status quo, and that feels impossible.

Everything feels urgent. In fact, beyond urgent. How do you describe how urgent something is, when it needed to be done ten years ago?

Somewhere, deep inside, you know that something else is possible. Even if it’s too late, you’d rather die trying. But… How?

The community is often fractured and polarised, so it’s difficult to know how to re-weave the social fabric that we need to get through this together. Even when you try to advocate for the Earth, you find it can push people away rather than bringing us closer for the cause. Doing it alone is hard.

The Activist Empathy Cafe is a place for something different. The time of the lone wolf is over.

When you sit with others and listen deeply, magic happens.

“The experience of connecting to others and to myself in a meaningful way in this isolating time has somehow left me feeling more 'human'.”

Liz H.

“I feel more empowered to contribute to things that matter the most to me in society because I know I am not alone. I feel hopeful that there are so many people from different backgrounds engaged in making the world a beautiful and bountiful place to co-exist with all sentient beings.”

Silvia, Teacher.

At The Cafe, you will find common ground with like minded people; connection, nurturing, belonging as well as space and clarity about how to bring your gifts to the world. The Cafe creates pathways through the pain, new possibilities and transcends polarisation.

The Empathy Cafe is a process that is being used around the world, bringing global communities of activists and Earth carers together. The process enables dialogue between opposing sides at marches or in working groups, it can heal fractured relationships, bring families closer together, deliver clarity about barriers to action in professional collaborations as well as grow unity and communitas.

Ticket sales close 27 July. Max. 20 Participants.

LOGISTICS

Next Cafe Date: Wednesday 28th July 2021 6:15pm – 9pm

Location: Siteworks, Brunswick, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

PROGRAM

1. 24th March: My Regenerative Culture

2. 28th April: How to grow healthy connections within polarised communities.

3. 19th May: Moving from Pain to Power for a Regenerative World

4. 23rd June: Part 1: Deep Adaptation: Ecoresilience

5. 28th July: Part2: Deep Adaptation: Relinquishment

6. 18th August: Part 3: Deep Adaptation: Restoration

7. 15th Sept: Part 4: Deep Adaptation: Reconciliation

8. 27th October: How to Have Impactful Positive Change in a Complex World

9. 24th November: Harvesting Deep Adaptation Lessons

Join us if you want to:

Have conversations about how to cultivate resilient human systems with the life-sustaining ecosystems we belong to.
Find solidarity with like-hearted people that care about the Earth as much as you do
Reclaim your sovereignty and agency in the world
Experience profound connections that multiply
Learn how to move through challenge, conflict and triggers with greater ease
Know how to identify barriers to significant action
Learn how to transcend polarising conversations in your community, with your colleagues and family

Opportunities for us to come together for authentic relating are surprisingly rare.

Empathy is not an emotion that is possible to feel all the time.

Come as you are.

Applied Empathy is a skill that we can all cultivate that creates the psychological safety we need to stay connected through the challenging conversations we must have right now to uncover pathways into united solutions.

You know that deeply connected, constructive conversations don’t just happen every day. It won’t happen by accident.

Ticket sales close 27 July. Max 20 participants.

Note: These cafes may be therapeutic, but are not therapy. This means that they are not meant to replace therapy, counseling or psychologist sessions. You are responsible for your own mental & emotional wellbeing & support networks. If you require further support after & beyond these cafes, please ensure you organize your support networks as you require. If you need help with this, Be Regen also offers Thrive Sessions; one-on-one psychotherapy/personal development time where you can be supported to formulate your own regenerative culture practices & plan.