Birthing the New Feminism: Healing, Ecology & Sacred Activism
Content:
- 1.5hr Recorded Workshop
- PDF of Presentation Slides and Additional Resources
WorkshopDescription:
As the world reels from both the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis, it is clear that intersectional feminist movements are needed now more than ever. Yet our movements must evolve to more effectively address the ecological and spiritual challenges of these times.
- How might we move beyond the ‘spirit-phobia’ of social justice activism and affirm the sacred, embodied, and intuitive dimensions of our lives?
- How can we bring healing justice into the forefront of our work?
- How can we reclaim our ancestors’ knowing that we humans are just one part of a much wider network of relations, encompassing plants, animals, Earth, and the cosmos?
This workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to collectively envision what an intersectional, ecological, and sacred feminist activism could look like. We’ll learn about the “secret spiritual history” of feminist and womanist movements in the U.S., explore the connection between embodied healing and social change, and reflect on our relationship with the “more-than human” world. Our time together will include a slideshow presentation, storytelling, experiential exercises, and small group dialogues.
Course Preparation: Listen to Alka’s free audio podcast On Feminism’s Fourth Wave.
About the Facilitator:
Alka Arora, PhD (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Women, Gender, Spirituality and Social Justice at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, CA. Her scholarship is focused on three interrelated areas of inquiry: feminist spiritual activism, vegan ecofeminism, and transformative pedagogy. She uses what she calls an integral feminist pedagogy in her teaching, inviting students to see social justice work as a form of sacred praxis. Alka also facilitates public workshops with Gender Equity and Reconciliation International (GERI), a non-profit organization that draws on the power of truth-telling and dialogue to transform gender relations. She is passionate about people of all genders coming together to create a post-patriarchal, ecologically just world.