What is Pedagogy Convening?

The 2024 Pedagogy Convening, held April 6th-7th 2024, brought together leaders and practitioners in the field of organizing and public narrative to explore innovative approaches to leadership development, curriculum design, and expanding the pedagogy of organizing across diverse contexts.

The inaugural convening in 2022 brought 68 practitioners and educators together to share, explore, and integrate learnings on how to teach, coach, and practice leadership, organizing, and action. We had three goals:

(1) exchange the depth and range of pedagogical innovations, (2) create an experiential learning experience, and (3) cultivate relationships at the heart of our work. Given the success of the first PC in 2022, a growing appetite to cross-pollinate learning and to strengthen our relationships across a global network, we launched the second convening with a stronger focus on the organizing practice.

To share ways of using the organizing leadership practices as opportunities of creating change and responding to challenges, we convened a series of sessions. Some featured inspiring experiences of adaptations and innovations through short share-outs we called “Lightning Talks,” more hands-on experiential sessions in the format of interactive workshops, and panel discussions.

Key Highlights of Pedagogy Convening 2024

Lightning Talks

• Mayor Olivia Chow shared her experience in using the organizing framework to run her successful campaign for the 66th Mayor of Toronto, emphasizing the power of storytelling and values-based leadership.
• Aditi Parekh introduced “Loom,” a video messaging tool that enhances coaching by providing real-time, personalized feedback, improving the pedagogical approach in organizing education.
• Sarah ElRaheb-Dagher presented the Training of Trainers (ToT) program at the LCN Academy, which equips participants with the skills to teach organizing, with a focus on facilitation and handling workshop contingencies.

Workshops

Leadership Development: Pedja Stojicic and Jake Waxman introduced a 5-Step Framework for negotiating with decision-makers, challenging common wrong practices and presenting a five step strategic framework to negotiate with power. Participants had the opportunity to practice the suggested framework and reflect on it.

Speakers & Panels

• Data-Driven Impact with panelists Anas Tello of Women Now for Development, Miriam McKinney Gray of DPI Fund/McKinney Gray Analytics, Ben Hugosson of Social Democrats of Sweden, and Maggie Hughes and Emily S. Lin of the Practicing Democracy Project. Panelists shared how data collection and analysis can be effectively integrated into organizing efforts, highlighting its role in tracking campaign progress, leadership development, and strategic decision-making—all of which aims to reach evidence-based organizing in what we do.
• Seeding Work in New Places with panelists Noor Masoud of CSIDC Pakistan, Toni Kokenis of Stanford University, Tierney Ducharme and Eileen Campbell of International Justice Mission (IJM), Sam Wohns of Carolina Federation. Moderated by Mais Irqsusi, ED of LCN. Speakers discussed the challenges and successes of adapting organizing frameworks to different cultural contexts, with a focus on trust-building, authentic communication, and scalable strategies.
• Liberation Lab: Facilitators Abel R. Cano and Kortni Malone showcased how the integration of mindfulness with leadership practices can bridge the gap between self-care and sustained leadership, illustrating the social value of mindfulness in fostering liberation and resilience within communities.
• Story, Strategy, Structure (SSS) Workshop: Mais Irqsusi, Executive Director of LCN, presented an overview of the SSS workshop, which is designed to help campaign’s core teams seed campaigns with specific constituencies. Drawing on her recent experience in Uganda with the International Justice Mission, Mais emphasized the importance of thorough preparation and post-workshop follow-up to ensure campaign success and sustainability. Since SSS is seen as part of a longer term accompanying a campaign process, finding the right people and later coaching the core team is essential for a proper campaign launch.

Across the various sessions, presenters repeatedly emphasized the value of storytelling and public narrative as a foundational tool for connecting with communities, inspiring action, and driving campaigns. When working in the daily realities of complex injustice, being rooted in the values and heart is essential for building a strong foundation. Another key theme was the need for adaptability—whether in teaching methods, negotiation strategies, or data utilization—highlighting that flexibility and responsiveness are crucial in navigating the complexities of organizing in diverse contexts. Additionally, the focus on values-based leadership and trust-building emerged as central to sustaining long-term engagement and achieving impactful outcomes. Finally, the integration of technology showcased the potential for innovation in enhancing pedagogical approaches and supporting the scalability of
organizing practices.
Overall, the 2024 Pedagogy Convening provided a platform for exchanging ideas and strategies that will continue to shape the future of organizing education and practice. The discussions highlighted the critical role of leadership development, innovation, and adaptability in fostering successful organizing efforts across the globe.

Models shared at the Pedagogy Convening

• Holding each other accountable (a model and a debrief)
• Negotiating with power (a lecture, a model, a practice and a debrief)