14.08. - 26.08. FRANKFURT

Check-in groups  We want to collectivize awareness work!

The plan is for people to meet in the morning in so-called check-in groups. In the check-in group, participants should check in with each other and see what each person needs at the moment and how they can be supported within the group.

The check-in groups are part of our awareness concept.

In the event of conflicts, boundary violations, or criticism of people’s behavior, the people within the check-in group should take responsibility for this and offer the necessary support in cases of experienced assaults and boundary violations. Even if people within the check-in group have noticed boundary-violating and abusive behavior or it has been brought to the attention of the check-in group, they should take responsibility for it.

During the check-in time, you also have the opportunity to engage with inputs on the topics of awareness and care. You can find these here on the website.

How do I find the check-in groups?

You don’t have to find a check-in group yourself; you can simply draw a number with a location and meet with the other people in your group in the morning. Your meeting point will be for all non-german speaking people. Please form gorups of about 6 people according to the preferred languages.

Check-in rounds procedure:

At each check–in round:
Introduction round: Name, pronouns (if people want), How am I feeling right now? and a get-to-know question (see Talking Points for getting to know each other below)

Procedure for the first check-in round

  • What do I need to arrive well at the camp?
  • What worries do I have regarding the camp?
  • What am I looking forward to and why did I come?
  • How can we, as a group, respond to needs at the camp? How can we, as a group, address the concerns mentioned?
  • How will we deal with emotional emergency situations that may arise?
  • Do we want to be able to reach each other outside the check-in times? If yes, how?
  • Feel free to exchange contact information if you want
  • If you would like to talk about a situation with a person from another check-in group, please contact the check-in group of that person.
  • Which person (inside or outside the check-in group) will I reach out to if I am feeling bad? Discuss this with the person so that no awkward situations arise from mismatched expectations.
  • Which person will I reach out to if I have crossed a boundary?
  • How can I make sure to take the breaks and spaces I need?

Procedure for the second/third/... check-in round

  • How did I feel at the camp yesterday?
  • What brought me joy?
  • Have I experienced a boundary violation or assault? Or have I been boundary-crossing or assaultive?
  • What do people in the group need?
  • How can we, as a group, make sure people in the group feel better at the camp?
  • How can we take responsibility for a person who has been boundary-crossing or assaultive?
  • Joint round (snail round): “What feelings does this input cause in you?”, “What thoughts come up for you?”
  • What are you looking forward to today at the camp? What would you like to learn today?
  • Talking Points [see below]

Explanation of terms

Explanation Snail round
In a snail round, the person to the left of the person who just spoke is always next. If the person does not want to say anything, they say “schneck (=snail in German)” or “check.” Ideally, the snail round continues until there is a full round where no one wants to add anything. It ensures that everyone has a turn and the opportunity to speak, and also creates space for things that come up during the round and still need to be said.

Explanation Reporting chain: Speaking in number order…
In a reporting chain, people speak one after the other. The order is determined by people signaling with numbers – i.e., holding up a certain number of fingers – in the sequence in which they signaled. (When person number 1 speaks, person number 2 becomes person number 1 and is next to speak, and so on.)

List of Talking Points for getting to know each other:

  • If there was a moment when I realized I wanted to change the world, it was…
  • When I do this, I am full of fire…
  • When I want to do something good for myself, I do this…
  • I usually react to stress by… maybe the following can help me deal with it…

Awareness inputs for the check-in groups

  • What does self-organization mean to you?
  • Do you feel that the System Change Camp provides space for self-organization?
  • What barriers do you face that prevent you from self-organizing? What do you need to overcome/reduce these barriers?
  • What are the opportunities and challenges of self-organization?

“Care work describes the unpaid and paid (re-)productive activities of caring and looking after, i.e., caregiving and self-care.”

  • What types of care work exist outside of repro shifts at the camp ?
  • Do you see differences in the distribution of care work? For example, are there people in society/in your group who do more or less care work? Why?
  • What does the distribution of care work have to do with different privileges or lived experiences?
  • How could care work be distributed fairly? How can you support each other in the check-in group with care work and share the load fairly?
  • Which repro shifts have you taken on at the camp so far?
    Are there reasons why you have not yet done certain repro tasks?
  • Do you notice patterns in how repro shifts are taken on at the camp?
  • How can repro shifts be distributed fairly?
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  • When was the last time you experienced/witnessed sexism and/or queerphobia?
  • How did you behave? What would you do differently in hindsight?
  • What do you think is needed to create the safest possible space here at the camp?

Definition of ableism “A closed system of thought and behavioural patterns that manifests itself in various forms within society and institutions. Non-disabled people are privileged in this system. That means they have social and structural advantages over disabled people that oppress disabled people. Non-disabled people have the sovereignty of interpretation over the life and the traits that they assign to disabled people. These can have both positive and negative connotations, but always follow stereotypes. The means of attribution are, for example, language, laws, objects of all kinds and social relationships.

At the centre of the interpretations is the judgement of people and their bodies according to performance, determined by the non-disabled dominant society. Ableism thus also directly affects the life world of non-disabled people” from Andrea Schöne in “Behinderung und Ableismus” (disability and ableism) (2023)

Questions:

  • What barriers do you experience here at the camp?
  • What barriers do you see that other people (might) experience?
  • What ideas and expectations of productivity and performance do you perceive at the camp and/or in your own left spaces? Who do they benefit or harm?
  • How can you as an individual or check-in group actively contribute to ensuring that as many people as possible can actively participate in the camp in a self-determined way? ( beyond taking on assistance shifts)
  • What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear/read the topic of today’s input? Do you have an idea why?
  • Are we reproducing (post-)colonial behaviours and/or structures here at the camp as well?
  • Do you feel the camp is an anti-colonial space? If not, what would be needed to develop the camp more strongly in that direction?
  • What privilege do you have that others do not? How might this affect your perception and behaviour at the camp?
  • When have you used a privilege at the camp? For what purpose, and why did you do so?
  • Can privileges be used in a good way? If so, how?