Exercise
Power relationships
Format:
Individual exercise and group discussion
Time:
60min
Required materials:
Written exercise on power relationships, in appropriate language.
Summary:
This is an exercise that supports participants to explore different forms of power relationships they experience in their life, and how they, as activists, use power.
Key explanation points:
- Ask participants to fill out the written exercise individually for 20 minutes.
- Once participants have completed the exercise, have them move into pairs or triads to discuss for 20 minutes.
- Finally, all participants can return to the group to discuss their reactions and reflections from the exercise for 20 minutes.
Facilitation notes:
- This exercise should be used as a follow-on from the ‘Power handout exercise’, which provides a framework for thinking about different forms of power.
- Keep in mind that it is always challenging to talk about power with activists, particularly the power that we have to affect others and our own life.
- The exercise also tries to help participants think about how power is consciously or unconsciously used.
