THE WORK THAT RECONNECTS & ACTIVE HOPE
Frequently Asked Questions about Active Hope Study Groups
FAQS
Q – When are Active Hope study groups held?
A – Please check for current and upcoming events, contact to express interest in another group or startup date, time, day of the week or to be on a waiting list.
Click the buttton below to express interest and you will be notified when a group is starting up.
Q – How many participants are in the group?
A – Minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 6 to 8 for the Active Hope study group online and 12 in-person.
Smaller groups allow for us to maintain the integrity and bond of the group as we explore some delicate topics on zoom.
Other event numbers vary as specified or as requested.
Q - What is the format and what can I expect?
Full participation is expected for all aspects of the course. This includes pre-course reading and reflection, attending 6 workshops, and reading and practicing exercises outside of the sessions. (I understand sometimes attendance is unavoidable and in that case, you are encouraged to continue reading and email a reflection to the group)
1) Participants read the Active Hope book little by little as instructed. Please order as soon as you register as book delays will impact your participation.
If you live local to South East Melbourne, I have the older version of the book you may borrow.
2) Participants engage in the practices and exercises in the book or as noted. Some practices are done alone, others in pairs. The time you put into the reading, practices, reflections and active group participation will determine what you gain from the experience as a whole.
3) The group meets to discuss the book chapters and practices. You are also invited to engage in other exercises and meditations during our workshops.
4) You will be provided with weekly wrap-up email and additional resources so that you may repeat the course yourself or with others. It is a great segue to facilitating the Work That Reconnects.
5) The group may opt to share emails or create awhatsapp group to discuss topics and meet up and practice the exercises together during the week in-person or online.
Q - What’s the time commitment?
A – 2 to 2.5 hours workshops over 6 meetings.
In addition, allow at least 2-hours a week to read, participate in activities, take notes and process the information in between the group gatherings.
You will get the most out of this experience by treating it as a study and particpating in paired activites with people in-person.
Processing on an intellectual level by reading alone is very different than the learning, perspective and insights from a conversational relationship with another person.
Example on sessional reading:
• Session 1 - Introduction plus Chapter 1 on Three Stories of Our Time and Chapter 2 on Trusting the Spiral
• Session 2 - Chapter 3 on Coming from Gratitude
• Session 3- Chapter 4 on Honouring our Pain for the World
• Session 4 - Chapters 5, 6, 7 & 8 on Seeing With New Eyes
• Session 5 - Chapters 9 & 10, Going Forth pt 1
• Session 6 - Chapters 11, 12 & 13 on Going Forth pt 2
Q- What if I can’t make it to a meeting?
A –Please attempt to attend each session for the group bonding, integrity and depth of trust and support, and to embody the reading and practices.
If you cannot attend, you will benefit from continuing to read the book and participating in the practices as scheduled.
Ideally, you are invited to email the group your notes and reflections from the missed session and the group has the ability to respond.
Q - Who is the facilitator?
A - Deb Punton - Greensong is an ecopsychologist, environmental educator, and permaculture landscape designer.
She has facilitated S.O.S (Sustainability of Self) groups on-line and in-person focusing on living with the challenges of the climate and ecological emergency and building our resilience and wellbeing so we can continue to be proactive in creating a life-affirming culture.
Deb practices sacred activism and is passionate about building our human relationships with our more-than-human world.
Please note Deb is an ecopsychologist, NOT a psychologist.
Q - How do we book for the study group and what are the fees?
A - See current and upcoming events
A sliding scale is offered as we recognise that what is affordable for some can be a financial strain for others and therefore a tiered pricing structure allows those with greater means to provide more generous community support.
A portion of Greensong fees from events go to support not-for-profit organisations.
Greensong believes that the benefits should be available to everyone regardless of their financial or life situation and that our learning is enriched by a diversity of participants. Please contact with any questions.
Q - What preparation do I need to do?
A - Purchase your book ASAP after registering at your local bookstore or online.
You only need to have the book Active Hope, there is no need to start reading until you are emailed with the reading requirements and preparation prior to our first session.
Please note there is a 2022 new edition. If you have the old book, I will provide you with a link to changes and we will discuss the updates as we go through the weeks. If you like in Naarm/Melbourne, I can loan you a book for the 6-weeks.
Q - Do we ever meet up in person if we study online?
A - Yes, many participants have chosen to meet in person or in online gatherings during and after events.
Groups may choose to communicate with each other and via email or phone/text during the week to share and process the work together or partipate in the exercises. Participants of the 6-weeks Active Hope study groups are invited to join Greensong Kinfolk for ongoing opportunities to reconnect and recieve discounted offerings which includes social gatherings, other SOS activities, single event Active Hope online intensives, and the Work That Reconnects practices to reconnect, deepen our ecological awareness, maintain healthy habits and continue to build our eco-resilience and active engagement on behalf of all life on earth.
Q - What is I dont have zoom?
A - You will be given a link to click on which will allow you to join the meeting.
Some basic instructions are noted in the email prior to commencing and if you require further help, please contact Deb.
“It's going to be beautiful to see what we dare to do.
Facing our fears, and letting go of and getting over our knee-jerk reactions to what we think we don't like or are afraid of.
To see our capacity to walk into the fire.
To discover how much we really love being alive.
To give ourselves a taste of what that passion is.
To let us fall really in love with our planet, and its beauty, and to see that in ourselves, as well as in each other.”
- Joanna Macy, Ph.D. Eco-philosopher, scholar of Buddhism, general systems theory, and deep ecology
