The healing power of acknowledging power dynamics
join me live to talk about power dynamics and the nervous system
HELLO BELOVED FRIENDS
I am live right now talking about power
Please join me!! you can find me on LinkedIn, youtube, or Instagram! You can watch all my past lives on my youtube. Please please subscribe to my youtube and share it with a friend! It’s an easy, free way to support my work.
As you may know, I Identify as a conflict navigator
To quote my past self…
So often, when we talk about conflict, people use the word resolution, but I purposely choose to talk about conflict navigation.
I make this distinction because sometimes the best thing we can do is allow conflict to exist and breathe, unresolved.
We can’t always resolve everything, because conflict, especially in communities experiencing systemic oppression, is often complex, deep, non-linear, confusing, and often not about what it appears to be about on the surface.
I stand by this!
Some conflict is meant to be felt, and the response may take years to become clear
Navigating conflict is about how we can all stay safe, head above water , as we navigate big feelings , individual and collective trauma, and relational dynamics.
Understanding power dynamics is key to navigating conflict
Whenever I enter a conflict I am observing power and how it's moving.
I'm assessing:
What is each persons relationship to and story about power?
Who has systemic power? (Race, class, etc?)
Who has power of position?
Who is held accountable consistently and explicitly in the space?
Who feels free in the space?
Is power shared?
Who makes decisions?
Who belongs and who feels like/is an outsider?
Power is dynamic
it has multiple facets. Sometimes people who hold the most power, lack self awareness and can feel powerless to the needs and desires of others despite the fact that they may make the most money, enjoy the most job stability, and literally have the most power in the space.
I think we assume that if we are powerful we should know it, but I think it's the opposite.
The less aware of power that we are, the more of it we have
It is the absence of awareness, anxiety , and stress that signals power and presence"e. It is our power and privilege that shields us from harm and allows us to move in a space without mindfulness
In our lack of our awareness, we cause harm.
The good news about this is that with intention we can hold power with care and responsibility.
I think it takes a commitment to self accountability, and practices / actions to nourish the commitment. As we step into roles of power we can prevent harm by seeking out feedback, weaving in self reflective spaces into our daily routine, and recieving mentorship.
Power dynamics illuminate coercive dynamics
Often when I enter a mediation, both parties feel harmed by the other, and may also feel that the other person has power over them.
Analyzing power can illuminate who feels that they are in a power under position, and who is truly vulnerable to the other person’s power.
In these situations, power analysis lets me know who needs to be accountable to the power they hold.
On a global scale, US citizens hold coercive power
Do you remember when Quinoa became popular and the US demand for quinoa led to massive food shortages in Peru?
When we make consumer demands as US citizens, we pull resources from other parts of the globe. We see this in the extractive violence happening in the Congo to power our electronics, and in companies like Shein where horrific working conditions have emerged to satisfy our desire for clothes .
We have the power to advocate
We can use our voice to buy single use clothes, or to advocate for human rights, the earth, and peace.
I hope we use our power to demand an end to violence and to pivot away from colonizing and continuing to build spaces of consumerism.
THANK YOU FOR READING
love u guys. As always, please share if it resonates! Hope you join the live!!
