ACEs - a Visual - and some more questions (the "Privilege Walk") -- BuzzFeed

Hi Raymond... Grateful that you and Dr. Lee-Anne will be connecting with each other. Her organization (The Connect Group) is fabulous with facilitating and training on empathy circles around the world.  My heart is saddened to hear of Ireland's pain permeating through so many schools and communities from bullying, especially from administration and leadership in the schools. Gosh, if I, and we, can help in any way, please know we would be thrilled to do so. Please know I've been blessed to develop trauma informed - resilience building curriculum for children and youth for several years. Facilitating Youth Leadership for children and youth, ages 8 to 24, please share if you would like to schedule a phone meeting at your convenience on the possibility of sharing how we've embedded empathy and compassion through our strengths-based curriculum. Here's one clip, Resilience Blossoms, for consideration which captures the essence of our collective work.

Admiring your courage on the front line of systems change Raymond, please know you have an ACEs Connection community of like minded brave individuals and pioneers on the front line of transforming our communities into cultures of caring, hope and healing. Thank you for everything you do in planting seeds and cultivating healing.

Dana Brown posted:

Hi Raymond... Yes, concurring with you, it would be imperative to have opportunities of deeper dialog, reflective listening, empathy building, and creating sanctuaries for individuals who engage in the Privilege Walk to process and deepen their depth of understanding and cultivate compassion with others.

Thank you Dana for reaching out and linking me with Dr Lee-Anne.  In my opinion, the schoolyard would be the best place to do this exercise and show the pupils/students what empathy in communities really mean.  As for little kids, they are so perfect that nothing could possibly go wrong with such activities. Except that, it's never the kids who are the problem, unfortunately, but the teachers - principals included - especially.  Here in Ireland, bullying is a terrible scourge in our schools, and over a 20 years spans of my own experience, it hasn't changed, and like everything else in our local society, it too is getting worse.  There are plenty of well-intended people, principals included, but unfortunately the idea of ACEs is completely absent from the picture.  So your message Dana, is like a breath of fresh air for me.  These few words ring in my ears since recently : "We must learn to teach the best attitude to what is not yet known" (Sherrington 1914-1920).  I am trying hard to find this new voice/way/words to match this new state of being, and all your help and guidance is very welcome. 

Hi Raymond... Yes, concurring with you, it would be imperative to have opportunities of deeper dialog, reflective listening, empathy building, and creating sanctuaries for individuals who engage in the Privilege Walk to process and deepen their depth of understanding and cultivate compassion with others.

Thank you Dana. I see this is how they did it in Trinity College Dublin. For the schoolyard, I think that it might require a bit of preparation, and consultation. The emphasis and end result must be an awareness by all, of the need for inclusion by all. As you don't want to isolate and stigmatize the ones who fall to the ban.

Hi Raymond... yes, the Privilege Walk could be in a school yard, especially if masking tape would be put down on pavement area. I'll be trying this inside a classroom or community room setting with masking tape on carpeting.

I'd enjoy sharing stories with you of how how our Privilege Walks engage with the youth and their peer-led development of embedding ACEs and resilience questions. Looking forward to hearing more... 

Dana Brown posted:

Thank you Raymond for posting and thank you Jane for sharing additional YouTube links of the "privilege walks" over the years globally. Yes! it would be powerful to embed ACEs sciences questions throughout the activity. Please know I'm printing this out for our Youth Voice leaders to modify respectively for their Train the Trainer model and create their own youth-led "privilege walk".

Great idea Dana. I'm sure I'll figure out a time and place to do so myself. Would that be good in a school yard ?  

Thank you Raymond for posting and thank you Jane for sharing additional YouTube links of the "privilege walks" over the years globally. Yes! it would be powerful to embed ACEs sciences questions throughout the activity. Please know I'm printing this out for our Youth Voice leaders to modify respectively for their Train the Trainer model and create their own youth-led "privilege walk".

Click on the link in the text above for the Australian video; it's recent, less than 2 weeks. Thank you Jane for pointing out the other ones. How fascinating, and dramatic when you have the 'side' view. There's even one from Dublin! Interesting too to note the many variants of questions. Could definitely add a few more, relevant to Ireland.

Thanks for post the Australian version, Raymond. I couldn't find it on YouTube, so I added the US version. Since the US version was posted in 2015, many people and organizations have done "privilege walks". Here's a link to a few on YouTube.

I think it would be interesting to combine the 35 questions asked in the privilege walk with ACE questions and resilience questions. Although some of the ACE questions are included in the privilege walk, many aren't. Here are the questions from the US version:

f your parents worked nights and weekends to support your family, take one step back.
If you are able to move through the world without fear of sexual assault, take one step forward.
If you can show affection for your romantic partner in public without fear of ridicule or violence, take one step forward.
If you have ever been diagnosed as having a physical or mental illness/disability, take one step back.
If the primary language spoken in your household growing up was not english, take one step back.
If you came from a supportive family environment take one step forward.
If you have ever tried to change your speech or mannerisms to gain credibility, take one step back.
If you can go anywhere in the country, and easily find the kinds of hair products you need and/or cosmetics that match your skin color, take one step forward.
If you were embarrassed about your clothes or house while growing up, take one step back.
If you can make mistakes and not have people attribute your behavior to flaws in your racial/gender group, take one step forward.
If you can legally marry the person you love, regardless of where you live, take one step forward.
If you were born in the United States, take one step forward.
If you or your parents have ever gone through a divorce, take one step back.
If you felt like you had adequate access to healthy food growing up, take one step forward
If you are reasonably sure you would be hired for a job based on your ability and qualifications, take one step forward.
If you would never think twice about calling the police when trouble occurs, take one step forward.
If you can see a doctor whenever you feel the need, take one step forward.
If you feel comfortable being emotionally expressive/open, take one step forward.
If you have ever been the only person of your race/gender/socio-economic status/ sexual orientation in a classroom or workplace setting, please take one step back.
If you took out loans for your education take one step backward.
If you get time off for your religious holidays, take one step forward.
If you had a job during your high school and college years, take one step back.
If you feel comfortable walking home alone at night, take one step forward.
If you have ever traveled outside the United States, take one step forward.
If you have ever felt like there was NOT adequate or accurate representation of your racial group, sexual orientation group, gender group, and/or disability group in the media, take one step back.
If you feel confident that your parents would be able to financially help/support you if you were going through a financial hardship, take one step forward.
If you have ever been bullied or made fun of based on something that you can’t change, take one step back.
If there were more than 50 books in your house growing up, take one step forward.
If you studied the culture or the history of your ancestors in elementary school take one step forward.
If your parents or guardians attended college, take one step forward.
If you ever went on a family vacation, take one step forward.
If you can buy new clothes or go out to dinner when you want to, take one step forward.
If you were ever offered a job because of your association with a friend or family member, take one step forward.
If one of your parents was ever laid off or unemployed not by choice, take one step back.
If you were ever uncomfortable about a joke or a statement you overheard related to your race, ethnicity, gender, appearance, or sexual orientation but felt unsafe to confront the situation, take one step back.