Do you have a good social change story to tell?

​This is an online writing class for people who have been involved in social change processes who have good stories and insights to share and who want to learn to write these down in ways that capture their rich reality and meaning.
A Class in Three Sessions
The class will be in 3 sessions on Zoom of 3 hours each, 1 week apart. You will need to spend about 2 hours between each class reworking your story.

N.B. the times are in GMT - go to the Timezone Converter to find the time where you live.

SESSION ONE - 9 March '21 - 12 noon to 3pm GMT
A step-by-step process to write your first draft of about 800 words which you will massage and polish offline before the next session.

SESSION TWO - 16 March '21 - 12 noon to 3pm GMT
You will read your draft to three peers to get valuable feedback, using a powerful listening approach to add depth to the feedback to incorporate into your next draft. And give them feedback too. We will also introduce you to the Action Learning reflection method to enable you to draw valuable insights, learnings and implications for future practice to include in your draft.

SESSION THREE - 23 March '21 - 12 noon to 3pm GMT
You will get peer feedback on your second draft focused on the action learning cycle. Further support to improve your beginnings and endings and stylistic improvements will also be given.

Optional further support
We can offer further editorial coaching and support by email for those who need it of up to 2 hours (essentially coaching through detailed written feedback on your drafts).

Writer's Guide
We will provide you with a comprehensive and helpful Writer's Guide, full of practical advice to finetune your writing pieces. 

Your facilitators
Doug Reeler has facilitated Barefoot Guide Writeshops and provided coaching and editing support for writers for the past ten years. He also practices as an organisation and practice development facilitator with Tamarind Tree Associates.

Beulah Tertiens-Reeler has taught writing to teachers for many years and facilitated several Barefoot Guide writeshops, off and online. 
Course Fee

Participant for 3 Sessions of the story writing class:  60 euros / R1000
     or
Participant for 3 Sessions PLUS Personal online Coaching for 2 hours:  90 euros / R1500
Course Fee

Participant for 3 Sessions of the story writing class:  60 euros / R1000
     or
Participant for 3 Sessions PLUS Personal online Coaching for 2 hours:  90 euros / R1500
Picture
Our Experience 
The method developed by the Barefoot Guide Connection during the past ten years has culminated in a wide array of eight Barefoot Guides, articles, reports, blogs written by communities of practice in social change fields like health, environment, organisational change, agroecology and inclusion. Most of the hundreds of people we have supported to write stories from their own rich experience had never imagined they could write something worth publishing. But they have and so can you.

Our approach
We facilitate enjoyable processes to help participants to overcome their writers’ block and to use the writing process itself to reflect and learn. This also helps those involved in monitoring and evaluation to develop a deeper learning dimension in their practice.​​
​
What previous participants have said about this course
 “During the writeshop I experienced my story coming alive and communicating directly to my audience. The direct and honest feedback from my peers helped the story to get even more on purpose.”
 
“Such a simple process, yet so profound. Absolutely loved it. Can't wait for the next session. I feel like the next Jane Austen.”
 
“This course has stretched and deepened how I think about what I write.”
 
“If you're a leftbrainer, just do this course. Even if you don't particularly need to write anything, although it would be best if you did. It shakes you up and resettled you in a better way!”

WHAT HAVE OTHERS SAID ABOUT THE bAREFOOT gUIDES...

The Barefoot Guides have been the key influences in my life and work… my constant companions in my community and organisational development work. 
Marie Corcoran-tindill, Trainer, Facilitator of community and group processes, Dublin 

The Barefoot initiative is itself an exciting expression of social change. 
Inez Hackenberg, Utrecht University 

As a trained action learning facilitator their guides have helped me work with grassroots communities in Myanmar and Thailand. 
Kevina Maddick, Program Manager at Right To Play, Bangkok 

The Barefoot Guide's transformative process… shows us the way to transcend borders, sectors, limits, to break the silos! 
Vincent Stevaux, ITECO, Bruxelles

Barefoot Guide has been creating phenomenal content for the critical process of experiential reflection at both individual and organizational levels. 
Jesse Chen, Changemakers, Washington 

…a wonderful contribution to open access knowledge, grounded on a great depth of experience and horizontal learning from across the world. 
Samantha Button, East Africa Program Head, Maliasili 

…the Barefoot Guide collection is having a great influence, especially the lives of field workers and communities. 
Muta Wakilu Tamasco, Ghana 

The Barefoot Guide Connection has a unique and truly transformational approach to collaboration, learning and facilitating social, transformational change across borders. 
Tobias Troll Director, EDGE Europe at EDGE Funders Alliance, Bruxelles 

This unusual and exceptional volume (and series) is hugely accessible yet deeply rooted in solid theory and extensive practice across a wide range of contexts and fields. Expect from it something truly unique in its combination of insight, reflection, experience and highly usable mixed text/visual presentation. It is not "dumbed down." I have seen it bite as deeply at high academic and professional level as at grassroots community leadership level, an astonishing achievement worth honouring. 
Professor Jim Cochrane Cape Town 

Contact Us