E. STRUCTURE AND LEADERSHIP OF THE RE-EVALUATION COUNSELING COMMUNITY
E.2. Structure of the Community-Liberation
Inclusion
The RC Community will make a deliberate, aware effort to include Co-Counselors from the following groups into all RC organizational and leadership bodies:
- All groups whose members are not yet involved in RC in numbers proportionate to their numbers in the general population
- All groups that are targeted by oppression
- All groups whose first language is not one of the dominant languages in the geographic region of the local RC Community
Role of the International Liberation Reference Persons and International Commonality Reference Persons
Whenever there is a substantial number of Co-Counselors with a common liberation struggle, occupation, or interest, the IRP may appoint an International Liberation Reference Person (ILRP) or International Commonality Reference Person (ICRP) for that group.
ILRPs represent their constituencies’ interests in RC. ICRPs represent individuals who have chosen a particular issue to pursue together. Both are the IRP’s deputy leaders of their constituencies and groups. They hold their positions at the discretion of the IRP, who chooses them in consultation with local and Regional leadership. They propose and develop liberation, occupation, and interest-group policies, publications, workshops, and conferences for their constituencies, with the IRP’s approval
Development of Liberation Leadership
ILRPs and ICRPs, in consultation with the IRP and the Regional Reference Persons (RRPs), develop an international and diverse group of leaders to assist them and further their work within the constituency. ILRPs and ICRPs reference, counsel, and support the leadership development of their constituencies. These leaders help build a network of local or regional coordinators, support groups, and/or leaders’ groups in places where a substantial number of their constituents reside (and increasingly online, over multiple Regions). RC liberation and interest-group leaders consult with and cooperate with geographical leaders (Area Reference Persons [ARPs] and RRPs). Local and regional coordinators are appointed with the agreement of both the RRP and the ILRP or ICRP.
Support Groups
Support groups are formed for Co-Counselors from each section of the population that shares a commonality (oppression, occupation, or interest). They can be formed by any Co-Counselor, in consultation with an ARP (or RRP if there is no ARP). The support group leader must either be a certified RC teacher or have a certified teacher be their consultant in leading the group. Support groups should be small enough (three to eight people) to allow an adequate amount of attention for each person at most meetings. Participants can use the attention of the group to discharge distresses that are difficult to access in more diverse groups. As with all RC meetings, these support group meetings should try to include some (1) review of existing theory, (2) new theory, and (3) discharge and re-emergence.
Support groups can be a way for new people to learn Co-Counseling, provided the people meet all the criteria for participating in a local class or Community.
If fees are charged for support groups, one quarter goes to the Outreach Funds account. (See Guideline H.3. Regional and Area Classes, Support Groups and Playdays, and Area Gather-ins.)
Co-Counselors Participating in Support Groups Outside of Their Area
To participate in a support group outside their Area, Co-Counselors need the approval of their ARP as well as the leader’s ARP. To participate in a support group outside their Region, Co-Counselors need the approval of their RRP as well as the leader’s RRP.
REASON
Oppressive societies have divided people from each other in every possible way. They have manipulated each group into colluding with the oppression of the others. We can learn how groups have been isolated and alienated from each other and how to restore unity among them. One thing we have learned is that each group must first meet together on the basis of its shared commonality. It must develop its own leadership and work out the beginnings of its own liberation program. It needs to do this separately before steps toward unity can be taken.
Constituency work goes best when there is a designated International leader for each constituency that has sufficient numbers in the Community. People from the constituency often participate in larger numbers and are inspired to become leaders when they see someone from their own constituency in visible leadership.
Language oppression is also a barrier to full inclusion. We can overcome it by providing interpreting and engaging in language liberation work at workshops whenever possible. (See Guideline G.2. Interpreting at Workshops.)
Having coordinators is a good way to develop liberation leadership and encourage Wygelian groups at the local and Regional levels.