Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · 25d

stationary thieves :(

Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · 25d

Eek! Another great reason to have a co-facilitator!

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · 25d

oh wow that's intense!

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · 25d

Turned up 45 mins early to prep workshop day 2 … venue was locked. No host, no mobile number, alarm blaring. We started plotting moving into cafés & new venues when keys arrived. Lesson: always get a mobile + stay calm, flex, & keep participants in the loop. What’s your best event hiccup story?

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Sep 8

Sharing complex info + wanting action in the same meeting? Long presentations risk losing attention & energy.

Tip: break presentations into chunks & pause for discussion or breakouts throughout. By the “what can we do?” stage, people are already engaged.

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Reposted by Rosemary Forest

Defend Our Juries @defendourjuries.bsky.social · Sep 4

43 - The number of terror charges seven key spokespeople have received for speaking on public Zoom calls.

The seven Defend Our Juries key spokespeople have been released after over two days in custody.

All seven have been charged with crimes under the Terrorism Act 2000. 1/3 🧵

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Reposted by Rosemary Forest

Defend Our Juries @defendourjuries.bsky.social · Sep 4

The Home Office has been given permission to challenge a High Court ruling which allowed Palestine Action to appeal against its ban under terror legislation.

Yvette Cooper is desperate. Attempting to appeal the Judicial Review before it even takes place.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Palestine Action: Government can challenge group's appeal against ban

Hundreds of people have been arrested over alleged support for the group, which is banned under terror legislation.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Aug 27

Just this weekend I ended up in a conversation w/ a fellow dog walker about this. They parroted the line of free speech & I confess I was left flummoxed & unsure how to respond. It's worth reading this article & thinking through how you'd respond. bylinetimes.com/2025/08/27/l...

The Martyrdom of Saint Lucy

The right is desperately seeking to make a martyr out of Lucy Connolly in order to distract from the real victims of the hate she helped to spread, argues Otto English

bylinetimes.com

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Aug 25

Facilitators say they’re neutral, responsible for process, not content. But what if you’re also a convener with a stake in the discussion?

I’ve walked this tightrope.

Tips: get a colleague to help, name when you take your “facilitator hat” off, be mindful of influence, & stay transparent.

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Aug 25

Ta da! At long last I’ve made a website: www.rosemaryforest.co.uk

I help individuals, groups & orgs with:
• Collaboration
• Consensus building
• Advocacy support

If you’re working in a coalition or strategy, let’s connect!

(PS: chose Squarespace over Wix — see why: boycottwix.org)

Rosemary Forest

Facilitation and advocacy support for civil society groups working for change. Helping people collaborate, build consensus, and influence effectively.

www.rosemaryforest.co.uk

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Reposted by Rosemary Forest

Lizzie Dearden @lizziedearden.bsky.social · Jul 30

Palestine Action have won their bid for a full legal challenge against the British government's decision to ban it as a terrorist group

The High Court ruled that an internal Home Office process was "not suitable", partly because "many people now subject to criminal proceedings" linked to the ban

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 28

Embrace the awkwardness!

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 28

Things to consider when asking intentional, inclusive questions...

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 28

Simple shifts in format that create space for more voices...

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 28

What to include in advance communication to support participation?

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 28

If you’re a campaigner, advocate or changemaker convening others — you want meetings where people actually participate.

But that doesn’t always happen — even with thoughtful, committed groups.

Today, I’m sharing a 🧵 with a few small, practical tips focused on process and structure:

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 21

Low participation isn’t just frustrating — it’s a warning sign. But if we understand why it’s happening, we can start designing spaces that make it easier to show up, speak up, and share the load.

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 21

🫀Capacity
Sometimes, it’s just about where people are at — individually and collectively.
• People are burned out or overstretched — they want to show up, but can’t offer more
• They don’t feel confident they “know enough” to contribute
• They’re too tired or overwhelmed to engage meaningfully

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 21

⚖️Power & Dynamics.
Power dynamics can show up when:
• Ppl aren't empowered to speak on behalf of their org
• Ppl feel unsure of their role or intimidated by others
• A few dominant voices take up space
• There’s a lack of diversity in the room, or microaggressions that make ppl feel unwelcome

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 21

⚙️ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 & 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
Sometimes, the way the group meets doesn’t support participation. Eg:
• People don’t know what to expect
• The format doesn’t invite input
• Questions aren’t clear or feel too broad

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 21

I think it’s worth unpacking: why does this happen, even in groups full of passionate and committed people? From what I’ve seen (as both a facilitator and a participant), there are three main sets of reasons:

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 21

The top answer was 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗽𝘂𝘁.
Not people failing to show up, but showing up and staying silent. No comments. No questions. Cameras off. No feedback.

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 21

A little 🧵 on why participation stalls, even when people care.
A few weeks ago, I ran a quick poll asking campaigners, advocates & change-makers about the biggest challenges when collaborating in coalitions & informal alliances.

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Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 17

Really practical advice that feels like common sense – but it’s amazing how often we forget it. I mean, how likely are you to respond to something generic when you’re busy? Probably not very. MPs are people too (easy to forget sometimes!).

Rosemary Forest @rosemaryforest.bsky.social · Jul 17

🛞Be persistent (or as Michael put it: be a squeaky wheel)
🎨 Get creative in how you engage.

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