April 2, 2024 @ 8:30 am – 11:00 am UTC-8
What is the Equity & Justice Studio?
Forward Global Studios are highly interactive, expert-led programmes designed for members looking to go deeper on a particular practice or skill. They invite you to bring forward a challenge you are working on and to workshop the challenge with the expert, using tried and tested frameworks designed to help you overcome barriers and move forward.
The Equity & Justice Studio aims to leave participants with a better understanding of how they can implement principles of equity and justice in practice. It consists of four sections: three that introduce some key questions and support participants to find where they stand, and a fourth where participants share back with peers, and receive feedback and advice.
- Part One Theory: The historic, political and socio-economic root causes of systemic injustice, biases & blind spots, and how to overcome them
- Part One Activity: Exploring your money story & practical steps towards making your decision-making processes more participatory
- Part Two Theory: The role of justice-centred philanthropy
- Part Two Activity: Exploring what you can contribute to social and environmental justice
- Part Three (Independent Work): Preparation of a 5-7 minute presentation to share with peers for feedback,
- highlighting where you have clarity, where you feel stuck and where you need support.
- Part Three Presentations in groups of 4, with time to get feedback from peers and facilitators.
A full agenda and pre-reading materials will be added in early 2024.
When is the program and when should I register?
Register as soon as possible! Places are limited, so we recommend signing up soon to avoid disappointment. The studio will be held on Tuesdays, April 2, 9, 16 for 2.5 hours each session. If you have any questions, please contact Sam Underwood, Global Director of Programmes at sam@forward-global.org.
Does the Studio have a specific thematic or geographic focus?
While many of the examples and case studies will focus on racial justice, we will take the time to explore what the examples tell us about the way our systems are shaped, how power is concentrated, and how we can challenge the status quo and build towards a more just future. This analysis will help us explore how the learnings are applicable to any justice-centred strategy, including gender justice, climate justice, economic justice etc.
The Studio will have a global focus: the historic analysis in Part One will focus on the history of Europe and the Americas. However, we will take the time to explore how the learnings are applicable in other parts of the world.
Who is eligible to join a Studio?
Studio participation is limited to Forward Global members who have completed an Essentials programme, or who completed the Cohort before 2018. This is required in order that participants have the foundational concepts and language required to go deeper. If you would like to join a Studio but haven’t completed these programmes, please reach out to your Relationship Manager for advice.
It is recommended that participants have a sufficient level of strategic focus to allow them to participate in the activities named above. It is not required that participants have a comprehensive written strategy, or have started making grants.
Participants must be able to commit to at least two of the three sessions in order to register. Participants who need to miss a session will receive materials and recordings to help them catch up.
Is this Studio for me?
If you… are committed to equity and justice in principle, but would benefit from further clarity, support or guidance on how to put those principles into practice; prefer interactive formats where you can engage and talk with peers, as opposed to lectures or presentation-heavy formats; and can join the programme three Tuesdays in a row and can commit one hour before the final session to prepare your presentation… then this is the right program for you.
Who will lead this Studio?
The Studio will be led by experts at Phila Engaged Giving, who facilitated Forward Global’s Equity & Justice Action Lab between 2021 and 2023. Facilitator details and bios will be added soon.
This kind of program appeals to me – what similar programs would you recommend?
For other Studio formats, see the Storytelling Studio with Marshall Ganz (30 January & 1 February.)
For a peer group going deeper on the systemic opportunities to support social justice, consider joining the New Economy Action Lab.