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UNPACKING

Power, Privilege, and Difference

Embracing Differences for Advocacy and Empowerment

This is a training for developing intercultural competency designed for all people with a background in soulful work like that done in the ManKind Project, Woman Within International, HER, Women in Power, UnderstandMen, Animas Valley Institute, Illuman, Evryman, and others.

Learning a model of multicultural awareness – to provide a common language and common ground for multicultural dialogue and relationships. We are doing this urgent and essential multicultural work so that we can have cogent, meaningful, and deep discourse at a time when understanding one another is the only way we can move forward. We will do exercises to experience how the “isms” live in our bodies, practice together to explore the model’s effectiveness, and put together a toolkit that may be useful in our daily interactions. 

I Want To Be More Aware

This course is for anyone looking to build intercultural competency skills, gain deeper self-awareness, and build broader compassion and connection with others. In this online expansion of the original Isms & Issues training, we are setting out to learn a model of multicultural awareness and to provide a common language and common ground for multicultural dialog and relationships.

We do this so we can have meaningful and heart-felt discourse on a range of important issues including racism, classism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, ableism, ageism and more.

What You’ll Get …

  • Context for understanding multicultural work
  • Leaning in to how the “isms” live in our bodies
  • A deep dive into our own identities and how we learn
  • A useful toolkit to have in daily interactions
  • Models for behaviors to be an Ally and Advocate

How We UNpack What We Have Learned

WEEK ONE

A Multicultural/Intercultural Model – PART 1 – Explore your privileged statuses and how they impact your life all within a safe, private container.

WEEK TWO

A Multicultural/Intercultural Model – PART 2 – Discover who you are within the multicultural / intercultural context, identfy 5 unhealthy behaviors and 5 healthy ones to replace them.

WEEK THREE

Expressing Appropriate Allyship, Advocacy & Accompliceship – You will explore the do’s & don’ts of Allyship, the difference between Equity and Equality, and use Intersectionality as a powerful lens to discover WHY there is systemic discrimination.

WEEK FOUR

Confronting Classism – Explore how our society’s systemic classism creates an environment for discrimination. Includes deep self-examination of how unconscious classism may be impacting how you see and experience the world.

WEEK FIVE

Recognizing Racism  We’ll start by defining what we mean by racism, and look at how it expresses on different levels. You’ll have an opportunity to uncover beliefs surrounding racism, how you may have unconsciously be reinforcing it, and its impact on people of color.

WEEK SIX

Overcoming Sexism – Explore how sexism shapes understandings of men and women and how sexism plays out in reinforcing discrimination and dominance. Self-examine attitudes that may be holding you and others back.

WEEK SEVEN

Focus on Heterosexism – We will explore how our society reinforces heterosexuality as ‘normal’ and stigmatizes and discriminates against people of other sexual orientations. We’ll look at systemic and subtle interpersonal impact of this targeting. 

WEEK EIGHT

Understanding Cis-Genderism – Discover and explore the distinctions between sex, gender, sexual orientation and gender expression. Begin to bring it all together in a course Wrap Up.

Learn to UNLEARN

$425 (online)         In-Person Price Varies by Location

Sold Out? Not Ready? Join the list.

If there are no upcoming dates for this training, add your name to the Alert List so we can let you know as soon as we have new dates!

Your Guides Through UNlearning

HENRY THURMAN HENRY THURMAN
Initiated: December 1993
Certified MKP Leader
Elementary Educator

I am a member of the design team for the “Unpacking Power, Privilege and Difference” online course and have been involved with diversity work for many years.

DENNIS NICELY DENNIS NICELY
Initiated: 1998
School Psychologist

I have been with MKP since 1998 and  a facilitator of multicultural/equity trainings for MKP and GLSEN. I am a retired school psychologist and is active in the LGBTQ+ community as an activist and board member of GLSEN San Diego. I have two wonderful daughters, two amazing grandsons, and a spirited granddaughter. Lover of life and always learning something new.

RICK BRONIEC RICK BRONIEC
Initiated: 1990
MKP Full Leader, Leader Trainer
MKP UPPD Facilitator
MKP IGFT Co-Instructor

I live in San Diego, CA where I work as a writer, speaker and personal growth coach when not leading trainings for MKP.

Meg McClelland
Initiated: 2006
Woman Within Community
MKP UPPD Facilitator

Meg McClelland is an administrator of 30+ years at Washington University in St. Louis, currently in the Psychological & Brain Sciences Department. Meg is a member of Woman Within (WW), since 2006, and is active as a circle coordinator in the St. Louis WW sub-community.

BECKY SCHUPBACH BECKY SCHUPBACH
Woman Within Weekend 1999
Certified Shadow Work© facilitator and coach

I am a facilitator for Woman Within weekends and a certified Shadow Work© facilitator and coach. I have been involved in my local Woman Within community since 1999 and am a Guide for Circle trainings and a past president of the Woman To Woman Kentuckiana Board.

Michael Bonahan
Initiated: September 2010
MKP Co-Leader and Leader Trainer

Since 2010 I have focused on supporting Rites of Passage and Mentoring for youth and adults alike. I am a founding partner at Wisdom Windfall and live in Hawaii with my partner of 37 years. 

CHARLOTTE D. WILLIAMS
Woman Within Weekend Sep. 1997
Woman Within Facilitator

Charlotte is a Certified facilitator for Woman Within weekends. She is a Director-at-large for the Woman Within Central USA Board and is the recent past Vice-President. Her mission is to create safe, affirming and healthy connections that support healing, change, and support in our communities.

RHONDA SCHLADAND

I have been a member of Woman Within since 1993.
I am a Certified Life Coach and have been a somatic healer since 1994. Trained in Hakomi Psychotherapy and Matrix Group-work, a Hellinger Family Constellation facilitator and trainer. I have co-developed The Games We Play workshop, which educates people about the Drama Triangle and Creative Group-Work which teaches about the power within a group to heal. I love developing and educating how to support change and challenge each other, to live lives of integrity and authenticity.

JAIME VALDES JAIME VALDES
Initiated: November 2004
Co-Founder of MKP Mexico

Jaime has been with MKP since 2004. Is the co founder of MKP México. Prior to MKP, he has been a teacher of machine design, music therapy, gestalt therapy and music appreciation. He lives in México City, father of a daughter, a son and a granddaughter.

MINERVA VIROLA MINERVA VIROLA
Woman Within since 2008

I’m excited to be part of the UPPD family, my career has always guided me to serve. I’m a FIT at the Woman Within Weekends and a Guide for the Circle Training for Kentuckiana. I’m a member of the Woman Within International Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, and I participate in two Woman Within circles, the Woman of Color and LatinX. What I require from myself is to give support and love.

JOEL KOPISCHKE JOEL KOPISCHKE
Initiated: November 1999
MKP NWTA Co-Leader
Crossroads Facilitator

Focusing on personal and community empowerment, I have created and run Cooperative Leadership workshops and done coaching and facilitation for non-profit and cooperative boards. I also work as a professional singer and performing artist in Chicago and Milwaukee. Proud parent of a Queer kid.

NICKLIN HEAP NICKLIN HEAP
Initiated: January 2016
MKP Open Group Facilitator

Like many artists before him, Nicklin uses his life and himself as the canvas for teaching through the Art of storytelling. As a queer trans-man and a recovering addict, he has experienced firsthand the life-saving power of truth-telling. Through humor, loving-kindness, and sometimes brutal honesty, he hopes to inspire others to learn to do the same.

AMBER S. JONES
MKP UPPD Facilitator

Amber lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with her wife and two children. As a partner in a biracial, same-sex couple, raising biracial children, she believes in the importance of harnessing privilege for the power of good, empowering those around her to have productive conversations, and constantly learning (and unlearning).

SUSAN DUCHARME SUSAN DUCHARME
H.E.R. Recognized Leader
H.E.R. Past Executive Director

I have been involved with staffing Next Step, Woman Within and am active in the facilitation of Women and All Gender circles. I have a passion for supporting individuals on their path to personal growth and honored to be part of UPPD program.

ARTHUR SALAZAR ARTHUR SALAZAR
Initiated: July 2004
MKP Co-Leader

I have been leading the NWTA, Ism and Issues and other trainings throughout North America for many years and committed to multicultural work both personally and in the community. As a former musician, computer engineer and skilled facilitator, I bring a unique perspective to this work.

DAVID HEIMAN DAVID HEIMAN
Initiated: December 2005
MKP Leader in Training

I am a Spanish Speaking Jewish man and experienced facilitator. I have been with the Mankind Project since 2005. I live in Oceanside CA with my wife Janis. I am committed to helping foster fairness and equity.

If you have any questions, please email us at otpsupport@mkpusa.org and we’ll be glad to assist you