'What Are They Thinking?' Anti-bias, compassion-building events

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ABOUT THE PROJECT

The 'What Are They Thinking?' (WATT) project fights bias and builds understanding a compassion. It works by bringing together people to listen to people who are different from themselves share about their own lived experiences.

Each session brings together two groups with significant differences and imperfect understanding of each other. Some examples are Black/White, Male/Female, Theist/Atheist, Immigrant/Native UK, and Straight/Gay. Each group has a turn to listen and a turn to speak. The speaking amongst each group is in response to questions from the facilitators or from the listening group. Later, each group has a chance to process on their own and then reconvene with the other group to reflect on their experiences and it's impacts.

We have found this to be a remarkably powerful format. Most participants find it to change their understanding and perspectives. The project is currently being run on-line and we may wish to expand to include in-person sessions in the future.

We also plan to add an exciting new component to WATT: inviting participants to join a 'WATT Community' to explore and participate further in the individual and communal work of fighting bias and building understanding and compassion across difference.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

WATT needs volunteers to help with

• Session organising/planning
• Participant communication and support
• Session facilitation
• WATT community creation and support
• Resource development
• In-person event development and support

VOLUNTEER SPECIFICATION

These skills and attributes are required of all WATT volunteers:

• Compassionate non-judgemental outlook on people different from oneself
• Organised and responsible working habits
• Able to commit to the volunteering role for at least 6 months and at least 2.5 hours per week
• Works well in a team environment
• Willing to try and learn new things

The variety of types of work involved in WATT require a variety of strengths. These skills and attributes are required on the team but not every volunteer must have all of them:

• Comfortable with reaching out to organisations, groups, businesses, local government, etc. to represent and promote WATT
• Facilitation skills
• Conflict reduction and transformation skills
• An understanding of the psychology and sociology of individual and group responses to difference
• Skills in leading online workshops
• Research skills especially with regard to differences in how different types of people and groups are treated by governments, law enforcement, business, etc
• Skills in online group moderation and facilitation
• Skills in building online communities
• Persuasive writing