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For many individuals, one of the first entry points
to learning the collective power of story is formal training. The
IAF currently sponsors four annual national trainings of over a week,
and numerous condensed regional three-day trainings. Contrary to expectations,
these trainings do not focus on lobbying tactics or issue campaigns.
Rather, the centerpiece of these trainings is the development of participants'
stories through workshops on power and self interest. Experienced
organizers probe individuals to reveal their influences, their ambitions,
and their values. Leaders learn that power comes in two forms: organized
people and organized money. |
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Extended trainings typically begin with "rounds"
in which participants are asked to share an experience in which
they took a risk to "make something happen". Organizers teach off
of these experiences, highlighting issues such as anger, leadership,
and tension. Later sessions continue to refer to people's own reality
as they emphasize that the first step of organizing is understanding
one's own self-interest, one's own motivations. These workshops
lay the groundwork for understanding the key elements of organizing:
relationship building, action, and reflection---all entry points
for beginning to learn to tell one's story.
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