Training: Rethinking Our Approaches to Aid and Development

Social work is highly influenced by the existing and available structures of funding, social and political contexts, possible partnerships, and power dynamics. Further, the broader regional context is shaped by the intertwining forces of colonial history and economical dependance. From a practical perspective, these circumstances impact the relational dynamics between stakeholders of social work: beneficiaries, local authorities, NGOs, UN agencies, and funders. These dynamics form power structures, affecting project development, approaches, and results. This training explores social work practice in light of these contextual and relational dynamics, taking a step back to redirect our actions where necessary and to the extent possible.

The training is two days and will include the following:

Reflection on the objectives of social and aid work, while situating it in the broader history of civil society in Lebanon;

Exploring topics of stereotypes, privilege, and power dynamics. By reflecting on individual histories and backgrounds and by conducting interactive exercises, personal work, and small group discussions, the participants will be able to reflect on their approaches as actors of social change;

Analysis of two case studies of concrete projects and practices implemented in Lebanon and Palestine: the analysis will result in a set of recommendations that each participant can use later in his/her work.

Exploring tools for understanding our roles and interventions with a more equitable and grounded perspective

This training is open to persons working in the field of aid and development. By exploring various tools and sharing experiences, it aims at better understanding power dynamics that emerge and form in the field and at exploring new approaches for interventions. The objective is to enable the implementation of fair and equitable projects for all.