WHAT PARTICIPANTS HAVE SAID ABOUT OUR COURSES AND TRAINING

Partners engages in a wide variety of work. We find some of the following categories useful in describing the kinds of work we do: Training for Transformation courses; Creative Facilitation Training; Internal Capacity-building; Intercultural Education; Theme-based sessions; and others. Below is a selection of comments by participants who experienced these various kinds of work over the last five years.

"In Partners the power of the group releases the potential of individuals and the whole group to work for change".

"For me the special thing about Partners was the radical centrality of participation. The dignity of the person and their participation is valued in a way that few other systems value people".

"I joined Training for Transformation in September 1999, to be honest I don't think any of us got what we expected - not that we really knew what we expected either! Like anyone else I found it nerve-wracking meeting a new group of people and the prospect of growing together was at times quite daunting. TfT is something I sell to others now. I keep thinking that if only another few people in our area had an opportunity like I had, then I know we could all make such a difference. We are only part of a whole; TfT taught me that I do have a greater role to play as a parent, a worker, a member of my community and as part of the fabric of the world. I feel very strongly as a result of TfT that I have a strong and valid contribution to make, I can make a difference. This time last year I wasn't so sure".

"Throughout the course, the emphasis was placed on the ability to listen to what is being said within your group and to take forward what the group collectively is identifying as the issues. This is essential in community work".

"Because I was given the opportunity to be involved in my own personal transformation journey I came upon learning that I never witnessed before. I work in the disability sector striving to create a just society. TfT gave me the wisdom to empower my peers to participate in their own development. Hence my setting up a course in my own community".

"TfT has enabled me to analyse those factors which have shaped and moulded my community in the past and those which continue to do so. The course has encouraged me to accept what I cannot change, and to attempt to improve the things that will make life better for the whole community. I feel the course enabled me to have a wider vision, a better understanding and a deeper insight into myself, my friends and my community. It was indeed an enriching experience".

"Two years ago, when I got the opportunity to participate in the TfT programme, I didn't know what to expect but I was intrigued enough to want to find out. The workshop took place over a five-month period and it brought together a diverse range of people who all brought their experiences to the group. Through a series of exercises we were challenged to explore personal identities and our relationship with our communities and, in a wider context, society. What emerged for me during the workshops was how society impacts on community which in turn affects our self-identity. I gained a deeper understanding of how communities relate to each other. The most significant learning for me was how the experience of being marginalised is the same, regardless of what the reason for the marginalisation is, i.e. being a working-class woman or being disabled. All marginalised people share the same struggle. The key to transformation is empowering people to recognise the political context, which they exist in , and how it shapes them. I used what I learned in the workshop in my work and in my community"

"I was very happy with the course content. The desire of the facilitators to have the content decided by the participants was unusual and very commendable. So the course was relevant and interesting"

"(.the methodology.) was very good. It helped to break the ice and I was able to understand everyone's point of view. It gave me the chance to interact intensively with the Irish women in the group. It gave me a different perspective".

"I am very happy with the end result of the course. I feel I have gained a lot of relevant information and experience regarding the different cultures present which I very much enjoyed".

"Main expectations were to get to know more about the various cultures participating, very happy with the course. Participating was a very positive experience for me- I would definitely recommend it".

"Having done the Creative Facilitation Training I would take on work with groups I previously wouldn't even have considered".

"What I really liked about how Partners worked with us was that it was just so practical. I began using the resources we developed the following Monday".

"We appreciated how much we had achieved as an organization and had a much clearer focus for the future".