2025 GLOBAL RESPECTFUL DISRUPTION SUMMIT LEARNING GUIDE Authors: Christina ‘Chris’ Thompson, Ebony Ellis, and Sumie Song, PhD, Editors: Anna Mei Gubbins, Kory Saunders, Katherine Haan, Noelle Baldwin, Anna Hayes, and Sharon Stone. Edition 4th The 2025 Global Respectful Disruption Summit – Learning Guide builds upon the foundation of previous editions, which were made possible by the contributions of many dedicated professionals. Previous Editors & Peer Reviewers: * Berginald Rash (Editions 1, 2 and 3) We sincerely appreciate the invaluable contributions of previous editors and peer reviewers to the development of this guide. Their dedication to fostering equity, inclusion, and meaningful disruption in global education has been instrumental in advancing this work. Each edition of the Learning Guide represents a collaborative effort to challenge traditional narratives, inspire critical dialogue, and empower individuals to create change in their respective fields. As we continue this journey, we honor the foundation laid by our previous editors and contributors. Copyright Page 2025 Global Respectful Disruption Summit – Learning Guide Copyright Notice © 2025 COMPEAR Global Education Network LLC. All rights reserved. This Learning Guide, organized by COMPEAR Global Education Network in partnership with GoAbroad.com for the 2025 Global Respectful Disruption Summit, is protected under copyright law. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission from COMPEAR Global Education Network LLC, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or permitted noncommercial uses by copyright law. For permission requests, please contact COMPEAR Global Education Network LLC at [globalrdsummit@compear.org]. Usage License This Learning Guide is intended solely for personal and educational purposes. Summit participants may print or download sections for individual, non-commercial use as they engage with summit activities. Unauthorized reproduction, modification, or commercial use of this material is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. Disclaimer The content within this guide, including definitions, exercises, and resources, is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and it is not meant to be summative nor comprehensive of the field in its entirety. COMPEAR Global Education Network LLC and GoAbroad.com do not accept liability for errors, omissions, or interpretations of the content included. COMPEAR Global Education Network LLC and GoAbroad.com shall not accept liability for any direct nor indirect, incidental, special, consequential nor punitive damages whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of goodwill, use, or other intangible losses due to use of information gathered from this guide The views expressed are those of the authors and contributors and may not represent the official positions of COMPEAR Global Education Network LLC or GoAbroad.com. Acknowledgments Our deepest appreciation goes to all contributors, editors, and participants dedicated to promoting Respectful Disruption and equity. This guide reflects the collaborative spirit of those striving for positive change and inclusion in all spheres of life. ________________ Citation Styles for This Guide APA 7th Edition Thompson, C. C., Ellis, E., & Song, S. (2025). 2025 Global Respectful Disruption Summit Learning Guide. COMPEAR Global Education Network LLC. MLA 9th Edition Thompson, Christina C., Ebony Ellis, and Sumie Song. 2025 Global Respectful Disruption Summit Learning Guide. COMPEAR Global Education Network LLC, 2025. Chicago 17th Edition Thompson, Christina C., Ebony Ellis, and Sumie Song. 2025 Global Respectful Disruption Summit Learning Guide. COMPEAR Global Education Network LLC, 2025. Table of Contents - 2025 Global Respectful Disruption Summit – Learning Guide Previous Editors & Contributors 2 INTRODUCTION 5 How to use this guide: 5 RESPECTFUL DISRUPTION LEADERSHIP: A FRAMEWORK FOR THE PRESENT AND FUTURE 6 Respectful Disruption Leadership Calls For: 6 What Does Respectful Disruption Look Like in Action? 7 RESPECTFUL DISRUPTION GLOSSARY 8 PRE-SUMMIT LEARNING EXERCISES 11 GLOSSARY CITATIONS AND SOURCES: 12 DURING SUMMIT LEARNING EXERCISES 13 POST-SUMMIT LEARNING EXERCISES 14 Translating Knowledge to Action 14 Individual End-Of-Summit Reflection 14 Moving from Knowledge to Action 14 Relationship Mapping Exercise 15 POST-SUMMIT FACILITATOR LEARNING EXERCISE: IN-PERSON/VIRTUAL GROUPS 18 Session Preparation: 18 Facilitation Best Practices: 18 Suggested Facilitation Flow: 18 Navigating Solutions: 19 INTRODUCTION This guide serves as your roadmap through the summit by providing exercises, activities, and thought-provoking questions designed to enhance your learning experience. We encourage you to engage with these materials before, during, and after the summit to maximize your understanding and application of Respectful Disruption. Here you'll find key definitions, a comprehensive glossary of terms, and guidance on how to apply these concepts within your own context so you may better foster equity and inclusivity. How to use this guide: 1. Pre-Summit Preparation: Familiarize yourself with the glossary of terms related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Reflect on how these concepts manifest within your organization or institution. Choose several terms to explore in depth while considering their alignment with your values and their presence in everyday conversations. 2. Define and Visualize Change: Envision the change you wish to see in your professional and personal spaces. Utilize the provided framework to create your own definitions of justice, liberation, peace, and Respectful Disruption. Imagine these concepts as tangible realities, and think about the steps needed to actualize them. 3. Set Personal Objectives: Outline your goals for the summit. Identify specific sessions that align with your interests, and formulate questions you hope to explore. Setting clear, actionable learning objectives will help guide your summit experience. 4. Engage Actively During Sessions: Explore the session reflection questions to engage deeply with the content presented. These questions are designed to encourage critical thinking and help you apply learned concepts to disrupt inequitable practices in your context. 5. Post-Summit Application: Use the exercises to translate your new knowledge into action. The post-summit group session is an excellent opportunity to reflect on your learning, receive feedback, and plan actionable steps towards Respectful Disruption within your context. 6. Continuous Reflection and Action: The journey of Respectful Disruption does not end with the summit. Continue to question, learn, and take concrete steps toward creating a more equitable and inclusive environment in all areas of your life. By following this guide, you are not just participating in a summit; you are joining a global movement towards creating sustainable change through Respectful Disruption. Let's continue to challenge ourselves and our communities to think differently, act boldly, and co-construct a more just and inclusive world. RESPECTFUL DISRUPTION LEADERSHIP: A FRAMEWORK FOR THE PRESENT AND FUTURE By Christina Thompson Deep in its roots, Respectful Disruption stands for unity instead of division. It seeks to mend the rifts caused by socially or systemically built divisions that segregate society and impede movement towards a more equitable and inclusive mode of global education and beyond. When Respectful Disruption Leadership is embraced by the global education community, it sends a strong message of willingness to undertake a profound transformation. This is not a destination but rather a continuous journey, a shared endeavor to create new models of working that welcome and encompass a growing diversity of perspectives and experiences. It invites us to rethink global education to make education more inclusive and equitable across the world. Respectful Disruption goes beyond abstract concepts; it is a powerful call to action for international education and beyond, an effort to dismantle unjust systems and co-construct significant change together. This model challenges traditional leadership practices, challenging people and organizations to engage in purposeful, equity-informed disruption that elevates the voices of marginalized communities and addresses systemic obstacles. In the context of today’s rapidly changing social-cultural and environmental climates, traditional problem-solving too frequently neglects the intricate needs of multiform communities. In advocating for historically and presently minoritized communities, it is essential to confront these challenges directly with a response that is filled with respect and empathy so that change actions do not further empower exclusion or inequality. The Framework for Respectful Disruption offers a systematic way of working through these challenges while developing a culture of ongoing improvement, collaboration, and inclusion. Respectful Disruption Leadership Calls For: * Challenging the Scarcity Mindset – Moving away from zero-sum thinking to create opportunities for collective growth. * Building Brave Spaces for Honest and Action Oriented Conversations – Fostering dialogue where diverse perspectives can be shared without fear of retribution. * Embracing Evolutionary Learning – Adapting and evolving in response to new knowledge, shifting dynamics, and lived experiences. * Redefining Success Metrics – Moving beyond traditional markers of achievement to prioritize impact, equity, and sustainability. * Designing for Access, Not Exclusivity – Ensuring that systems and structures are intentionally built to include rather than exclude. What Does Respectful Disruption Look Like in Action? In practice, Respectful Disruption takes many forms, including: * Interrogating deeply rooted assumptions that maintain inequitable systems. * Advocating for institutional change that prioritizes marginalized communities. * Creating spaces for historically excluded voices to shape policies and practices. * Challenging performative diversity initiatives to demand real structural transformation. The Respectful Disruption Framework provides leaders with the tools to identify systemic barriers, articulate clear objectives, and engage meaningfully with diverse stakeholders. Through this approach, leaders not only push for transformative change but also ensure that their actions foster a culture where all voices are valued, and true equity becomes the standard rather than the exception. In short, Respectful Disruption is about making change with purpose, ensuring that bold action is met with thoughtful leadership, and paving the way for an educational and societal structure that is truly inclusive. It is not about division, but about uniting people in the pursuit of equity and justice, accepting differences, amplifying marginalized voices, and fostering a shared commitment to meaningful transformation. Source: Thompson, C. (in editing). The Global Respectful Disruption Leadership Handbook. Compear Global Education Network. RESPECTFUL DISRUPTION GLOSSARY In the weeks leading up to the summit, we encourage you to consider how the following terms and concepts are understood and used within your practice. We recommend you select 4-5 terms from the list below and think about what each looks like in your practice. How does it align with your current values or your organization's stated mission? How is it used in conversation? If a term or concept doesn’t apply or you’re unsure of what your organization’s position on/attitude toward it is, be sure to make a note of that as well. Ableism: A system of oppression that devalues and discriminates against people with disabilities, including physical, intellectual, developmental, and psychiatric disabilities. Ableism is manifested through subtle and overt policies, social norms, language, and physical barriers that limit access and full participation in society. Accomplice: An individual who actively works to dismantle systems of oppression by disrupting racist, colonial, and exclusionary structures. Accomplices go beyond allyship by taking risks, leveraging their privilege, and engaging in direct action to challenge systemic injustices. Anti-DEI Rhetoric: A movement or discourse that actively seeks to delegitimize diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. This rhetoric often frames DEI initiatives as divisive or unnecessary, and it uses misinformation and fear-based narratives to undermine systemic change. Capitalism: An economic system rooted in private ownership and profit-driven motives, which often leads to systemic inequalities through the concentration of wealth and resources. In contemporary discourse, capitalism is critiqued for perpetuating racialized, gendered, and class-based oppression. Cisgender & Cis-folx: A term describing individuals whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth. The term is used to distinguish between cis-gendered people and place them in comparison with those with transgender and nonbinary identities, and this glossary editing team recognizes the privilege often associated with cisgender status. Classism: The institutional, cultural, and individual set of actions and beliefs that assign differential value to people according to their socioeconomic status. Climate Change: The long-term alteration of temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions on Earth, primarily driven by human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and industrial processes. Climate change results in rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, sea level rise, and ecosystem disruptions, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities and exacerbating social and economic inequalities. Climate Disruption: The destabilization of social, economic, and political systems due to the effects of climate change. Climate disruption intensifies displacement, resource scarcity, and conflicts, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. Addressing climate disruption requires systemic intervention, including policy reforms, sustainable development, and equitable adaptation strategies to mitigate harm and build resilient communities. Climate Justice: A framework that addresses the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities. Climate justice emphasizes the need for systemic change to mitigate environmental damage while ensuring that historically oppressed populations have access to resources, adaptation strategies, and decision-making power in climate policies. Colorblind Ideology: The belief that ignoring race and systemic inequities leads to equality. This ideology dismisses lived experiences of racism and prevents meaningful engagement with racial justice initiatives. Colonization: The historical and ongoing process of invasion, exploitation, and domination of lands, cultures, and people, primarily by European powers. Colonization results in the erasure of Indigenous sovereignty, cultural genocide, and systemic inequities that persist today. Decolonization: A multidimensional process of dismantling colonial systems, redistributing power, and restoring Indigenous sovereignty, knowledge, and cultural practices. It requires active resistance to colonial legacies in education, governance, and social structures. Some define decolonization as strictly a Land Back movement: with emphasis on redistribution of wealth (in the form of resources, money) to engage in restorative practices for Indigenous people for stolen land and lives. Equity: The ongoing process of identifying and eliminating barriers to ensure fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people. Equity differs from equality by acknowledging that different communities require different levels of support to achieve just outcomes. Equity Washing: The performative adoption of DEI language and strategies without meaningful action or structural change, often used to maintain the status quo while appearing progressive. Gender Expansive: An umbrella term for individuals whose gender identity and/or expression exist beyond binary definitions of male and female. It includes nonbinary, genderqueer, and genderfluid identities, among others. Gentrification: The process by which affluent individuals, often from dominant racial or socioeconomic groups, move into historically marginalized neighborhoods and displace long-term residents through increased property values, rent, and cost of living. Gender Non-Conforming: A term used to describe folx whose gender expression is different from the gender binary social construct. Gentrification: The process by which high/mid-socioeconomic status or racially privileged folx shift the economics or demographics of neighborhoods, which results in displacement of low-socioeconomic or racially oppressed folx. Genderfication: The way policies, social norms, and institutional practices create barriers for individuals who do not conform to traditional gender expectations. This can include discriminatory hiring practices, lack of gender-inclusive facilities, or laws restricting gender expression. Global Majority: A term recognizing that Black, Indigenous, and other historically marginalized racial and ethnic communities collectively represent over 80% of the world's population. This term reclaims power by shifting the narrative from a deficit-based perspective to one that acknowledges global influence, cultural richness, and resilience. It highlights the contributions, leadership, and lived experiences of communities historically excluded from dominant narratives, emphasizing their agency in shaping the world’s past, present, and future. Heteronormativity: A social system that assumes heterosexuality as the norm, marginalizing other sexual orientations and reinforcing gender binaries. This system influences laws, policies, cultural narratives, and interpersonal relationships. Implicit Bias: Also known as unconscious or hidden bias, implicit biases are associations that people unknowingly hold. They are expressed automatically, without conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from one’s tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing. Institutional Racism: A system of oppression, often based on the preservation of White supremacy, that is interwoven into the fabric of an institution by using standardized policies, procedures, and practices to protect the status quo. Intersectionality: A lens through which one can examine how power operates—where it collides, interlocks, and intersects with social identities, particularly around race, class, gender, and other forms of oppression such as ableism and classism. Coined in 1989 by Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality highlights how multiple forms of discrimination do not exist in isolation but rather combine, overlap, and create compounded barriers for marginalized individuals and groups. Crenshaw developed this framework in response to the limitations of White feminism and Black masculinity-centered discourse, emphasizing that Black women experience unique forms of oppression that cannot be understood by looking at race or gender alone. She uses the metaphor of an intersection of two roads to illustrate how these overlapping forces of racism and sexism create distinct and cumulative challenges.Intersectionality also recognizes that overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination and inequality must be addressed together to achieve true equity and inclusion. By understanding these intersecting forces, we can develop more effective solutions that challenge systemic barriers and uplift those most impacted by multiple forms of oppression. Multicultural Understanding: A continuous process of developing awareness, knowledge, and skills to engage meaningfully with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Key elements include respect for different ways of living and organizing the world, openness to learning from others, and a commitment to self-reflection to recognize and challenge biases. Multicultural understanding goes beyond simply embracing diversity, it requires actively fostering equity, inclusion, and meaningful cross-cultural connections. Microaggression: A comment or action that may unconsciously or unintentionally express or reveal a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group, such as a racialized minority. These small occurrences include insults, slights, stereotyping, undermining, devaluing, delegitimizing, overlooking or excluding someone, and many report them as common or quotidian. Over time, microaggressions can isolate and alienate those on the receiving end, and affect their health and wellbeing. Neurodivergent: the adjective used to describe someone with neurological differences in comparison to someone who is neurotypical. Neurodiversity: The variety of neurological differences that should be recognized and respected as any other kind of human differences or variations. These differences can include, and are not limited to: Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyscalculia, Autistic Spectrum, and Tourette Syndrome. Power: The ability to exercise one’s influence over others. Power occurs when some individuals or groups wield a greater advantage over others, thereby allowing them greater access to and control over resources. Wealth, whiteness, citizenship, patriarchy, bullying, heterosexism, and education are a few key social mechanisms through which power operates. Privilege: Inherited social power (set of advantages, entitlements, and benefits) accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society to the members of a dominant group (notions of power and privilege tend to create a false dichotomy of one group against another because all people have vary levels of power and privilege that are more or less salient depending upon the context we’re in; however, the societal structures of power and privilege are predisposed to influence assumptions and norms and receiving preferential treatment and attention through systems like White Supremacy, Patriarchy, and heteronormativity. Privilege tends to be invisible to those who possess it, because its absence (lack of privilege) is what calls attention to it. People experience society in different ways based on their access to resources, opportunities, and systemic advantages. Communicating these varying experiences can be challenging, especially when perspectives on privilege and access differ. Reverse Discrimination Myth: A narrative that falsely claims efforts to address systemic racism and marginalization result in unfair disadvantages for dominant groups. This myth is used to resist equity initiatives. Social Justice: A movement and practice aimed at dismantling systems of oppression to achieve equitable distribution of resources, rights, and opportunities. Social justice requires both systemic change and individual accountability. Systemic Oppression: The interlocking and institutionalized discrimination that operates across social, economic, and political systems to marginalize specific groups. Systemic oppression is upheld by laws, policies, cultural norms, and institutional practices. Sustainability: The capacity to create and maintain healthy, equitable, and diverse communities and ecosystems. That capacity comprises 1) an understanding and respect for the interdependence of the atmosphere, the waters, the land, and all life on Earth, 2) a full recognition of the legacy and ongoing impacts of human activity, and 3) a commitment to cultivate collective wisdom and to deliberately act out of that understanding, respect and recognition. Tokenism: The superficial inclusion of marginalized individuals in spaces or institutions to create an illusion of diversity. Tokenism often fails to address underlying inequities and reinforces power imbalances. Transphobia: the fear of, discrimination against, or hatred of trans* people, the trans* community, or gender ambiguity. Transphobia can be seen within the queer community, as well as in general society. White Fragility & Sensitivity: Weaponized defensiveness and intolerance against information regarding racial inequality or White supremacy. White Supremacy: White supremacy is a historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations, and peoples of color by white peoples and nations of the European continent for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power, and privilege. PRE-SUMMIT LEARNING EXERCISES Select 2-3 words and/or concepts from the glossary (they can be different from the other group) that resonate with you, that you want to expand your knowledge of, and/or that you want to work on disrupting at your institution/organization. Creating Your Own Glossary: What sort of change do you envision for your institution/organization and/or community? We invite you to generate your own definitions for each of the following ideas and concepts by imagining what it would look like were they to become a reality for you and your organization. Try to provide specific examples. Justice: Liberation: Peace: Respectful Disruption: Guiding Questions and Goal Setting Read through the summit program and review the session descriptions to begin familiarizing yourself with some of the content being presented. Write down 2-3 questions you would like to explore at the summit. They can be session-specific. 1. ______________________________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________________________ 3. ______________________________________________________________ Write down 2-3 learning goals. What are you hoping to get out of the summit professionally and/or personally? 1. _____________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________ DURING SUMMIT LEARNING EXERCISES Session Reflection The following questions are designed to help you engage more intentionally with session presentations and materials. Feel free to apply them to all, or specific, sessions. The questions are meant to help you be more explicit about what you learned and why this learning is significant for you, and get you thinking about how you can apply it to respectfully disrupt your professional and/or personal context(s). Select 1-2 questions you want to focus on. Try to spend no more than 1 minute answering each after each session. 1. What was brand new information to you? 2. What did you find especially challenging? Was there anything that upended or caused you to question an assumption you held about a given topic or issue? 3. What is something you want to learn more about? 4. How can you apply what you learned in this presentation to your work? 5. Call to action: identify 2 concrete respectfully disruptive actions or deliverables you can take to bring about change within your institution/organization. Gearing Up for the Next Session As you prepare yourself for the next session, revisit the questions you came up with as part of the Pre-Summit Learning Exercise. Are there any questions you want to refine or focus on more closely, or add to, after participating in the last session and before heading into the next? POST-SUMMIT LEARNING EXERCISES Translating Knowledge to Action The following exercises are designed to help you apply insights from the summit to your professional practice, personal growth, and community engagement. By turning these insights into concrete, actionable steps, you can actively work to respectfully disrupt structural and cultural barriers to meaningful change. COMPEAR will be hosting a post-summit facilitated group session to revisit key takeaways and reflect on individual post-summit planning and action steps. This will be an opportunity to receive feedback, share progress, and refine strategies. Look out for our newsletter for details on these sessions, which typically take place over the summer and before the December summit. Individual End-Of-Summit Reflection Use the following reflection questions to process your learnings and begin shaping your next steps. 1. How did the discussions at the summit differ from those that usually take place in your workplace, personal life, and communities? 2. Have any of your assumptions or beliefs about change and how it happens been challenged by something you encountered during the summit? 3. How can you respectfully disrupt conversations in one or more of these spaces? 4. How can you challenge inequitable practices or programming to create more positive outcomes for all involved? 5. What support, resources (both material and people), or opportunities do you need to advance the change you envision? 6. What gaps or barriers exist in your workplace, personal life, or community that hinder progress toward equity and inclusion? Moving from Knowledge to Action A relationship map is a visual and disruptive strategic tool that helps you identify, analyze, and engage key individuals, groups, and communities within your institution, personal network, or broader ecosystem who can support or influence a specific issue. It serves as a guide or compass, enabling you to understand power dynamics, leverage relationships, and build a network of support to disrupt barriers and drive meaningful change, not just in your workplace, but also in your personal growth and community advocacy. Key Questions a Relationship Map Helps Answer: * Who are the key participants that influence or impact this issue? * What is their stance, are they supporters, neutral, or obstructionists? * What level of power, influence, or leverage do they have? * How can you strategically and engage with them to achieve your goals? * How do we move from knowledge to action to create change in the institutions and communities where we live and work? Many of us have been conditioned to see change as an individual effort, but significant impact, even at a small scale, requires collective action. To truly drive transformation, we must challenge and disrupt traditional ways of thinking about change itself and embrace collaboration, coalition-building, and strategic engagement. ________________ Relationship Mapping Exercise The following exercise is a disruptive strategy designed to help you translate key takeaways from the summit into action. It provides a structured approach to build a base of supporters, create leverage, and collectively disrupt barriers to change within your institution, organization, or community. Step 1: Identify Key Individuals and Entities * List the key people, groups, or departments in your institution/organization that influence the issue you’re addressing. * Consider both formal and informal power structures, who makes decisions, who controls resources, and who influences institutional culture? Step 2: Categorize Your Stakeholders For each person or group, determine their stance on the issue: * Supporters – Individuals who align with your goals and can advocate for change. * Neutrals – Those who have not taken a stance but could be influenced through engagement. * Obstructionists – Those who actively resist change or uphold the status quo. Use your own language or categories if these terms do not fully capture the dynamics at play. Explain why each individual or group falls into their respective category. Step 3: Prioritize Who to Engage With First * Review your list of supporters and identify those with the most institutional influence and ability to advance your work. * Determine which neutral parties may be open to persuasion and how you can build rapport with them. * Develop strategies to reduce the impact of obstructionists or find ways to work around institutional resistance. Step 4: Set Incremental Goals and Actionable Steps * Start with the end in mind, what is your ultimate goal? * Break it down into incremental, concrete, and achievable steps that lead to progress. * Ensure every step is necessary, feasible, and reasonable (e.g., asking a colleague to support you in a meeting). * Assign deadlines to keep yourself accountable. Step 5: Develop Tailored Engagement Strategies Before initiating conversations, consider: * The nature of your relationship with each stakeholder (formal/informal, hierarchical power dynamics). * The best method of engagement (one-on-one meetings, coalition-building, public advocacy). * The specific ask, be clear, direct, and realistic about what you need from them. Step 6: Ask for Support and Accountability * Seek feedback from a trusted colleague, mentor, or external supporter before engaging key stakeholders. * Role-play difficult conversations to anticipate objections and refine your approach. * Schedule check-ins with an accountability partner to track progress and sustain motivation. Step 7: Reflect and Adapt * Write down any questions or challenges that arise during the process. * Identify gaps in your strategy and adjust your approach as needed. * Add any additional steps that strengthen your engagement plan. Write down any questions you have about the process and anything else (e.g. additional steps) you want to include. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ By strategically mapping relationships, you can build momentum, cultivate allies, and create lasting institutional and personal change, not just within your work, but in your own personal growth, advocacy, and community engagement. POST-SUMMIT FACILITATOR LEARNING EXERCISE: IN-PERSON/VIRTUAL GROUPS Facilitator Role & Purpose: As a facilitator, your role is to create a brave and inclusive space for participants to engage with the concepts of Respectful Disruption. Your goal is to encourage critical thinking, meaningful discussion, and action-oriented reflection while encouraging psychological safety and equitable participation. Session Preparation: * Review the Learning Guide: Familiarize yourself with key themes, glossary terms, and exercises. * Know Your Audience: Consider participants' backgrounds and adjust engagement strategies accordingly. * Set the Tone: Begin with a brief community pact (See Web Article on community pacts for more context) introduction to Respectful Disruption, emphasizing unity, collaboration, and actionable change. * Define Session Goals: Align the discussion with participants’ personal and professional objectives. * Tech & Materials Check: Ensure the learning guide is available and other supporting materials are prepared in advance and accessible for participants. Facilitation Best Practices: * Encourage Participation: Use open-ended questions and active listening techniques. * Example: During the meeting, instead of asking “Does everyone agree?” try asking, “What are some different ways we could approach this challenge?” This open-ended question invites diverse perspectives rather than defaulting to consensus. * Promote Equity in Discussions: Acknowledge diverse perspectives, redirect dominant voices when necessary, and uplift underrepresented voices. * Example: During discussion, intentionally incorporate different voices by saying: “Before we move on, I want to uplift what [Name] shared earlier about accessibility, how do others see this playing out in their work?” * Model Respectful Disruption: Challenge inequitable ideas constructively while fostering psychological safety. Example: If someone makes an exclusionary remark, address it constructively: “I want to pause here, let’s unpack this a bit. How might this perspective impact people who have different lived experiences?” * Adapt as Needed: Be flexible with timing and methods to meet participants’ needs. * Example: If a scheduled in-person meeting isn’t accessible for all participants, offer a hybrid or asynchronous option to ensure everyone can engage at their convenience. Suggested Facilitation Flow: 1. Welcome & Introductions (10 min) * Set community agreements (respect, confidentiality, engagement expectations). * Quick icebreaker: “What does Respectful Disruption mean to you?” 2. Key Concepts & Definitions (15 min) * Discuss glossary terms relevant to participants' work or lived experiences. * Encourage reflection on how these terms manifest in their institutions. 3. Engagement Activities (20-30 min) * Select pre-summit, during-summit, or post-summit exercises from the guide. * Use small groups, storytelling, or scenario-based discussions to deepen learning. 4. Call to Action & Reflection (10 min) * Ask: “What are 1-2 actionable steps you can take to be a Respectful Disruptor?” * Encourage accountability partnerships to sustain engagement beyond the session. Navigating Solutions: * Resistance to Disruption Concepts? Redirect with open-ended questions: “What makes this idea challenging for you?” * Dominant or Silent Participants? Use structured turn-taking or smaller breakout groups. * Difficult Conversations? Acknowledge discomfort, ground in shared purpose, and set boundaries. Final Notes: Facilitating this work is a journey, not a one-time event. Encourage participants to continue their engagement beyond the session and integrate Respectful Disruption principles into their personal and professional practices. Thank them for their commitment to meaningful change! For additional facilitator support, reach out to Compear Global Education Network at globalrdsummit@compear.org. GLOSSARY CITATIONS AND SOURCES: 1. Compear Global Education Network. (n.d.). Respectful Disruption: An unapologetic approach. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://compear.org/library/respectful-disruption-an-unapologetic-approach 2. Columbia University School of Social Work. (2024). Student Handbook 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://socialwork.columbia.edu/wp-content/uploads/student-handbook.pdf 3. University of Washington Sustainability. (n.d.). Definition of sustainability. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://green.uw.edu/policy/definition-sustainability 4. University of Washington College of the Environment. (n.d.). Diversity, equity and inclusion glossary. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://environment.uw.edu/about/diversity-equity-inclusion/tools-and-additional-resources/glossary-dei-concepts/ 5. University of Pittsburgh Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. (n.d.). Diversity, equity, and inclusion glossary. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://www.diversity.pitt.edu/education/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-glossary 6. National Association of Counties. (n.d.). Diversity, equity and inclusion: Key terms and definitions. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://www.naco.org/resources/featured/key-terms-definitions-diversity-equity-inclusion 7. University of Washington Department of Epidemiology. (n.d.). Equity, diversity, and inclusion glossary of terms. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://epi.washington.edu/sites/default/files/website_documents/DEI%20Glossary_Formatted_20190711.pdf 8. Racial Equity Tools. (n.d.). Glossary. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://www.racialequitytools.org/glossary 9. Harvard University Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. (n.d.). Glossary of diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DIB) terms. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://edib.harvard.edu/files/dib/files/dib_glossary.pdf 10. The Safe Zone Project. (n.d.). LGBTQ+ vocabulary glossary of terms. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://thesafezoneproject.com/resources/vocabulary 11. University of British Columbia Equity & Inclusion Office. (n.d.). Equity and inclusion glossary of terms. Retrieved April 23, 2025, from https://equity.ubc.ca/resources/equity-inclusion-glossary-of-terms/ 12. Pacific University Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility. (n.d.). Equity, diversity, inclusion & accessibility glossary of terms. Retrieved April 23, 2025, from https://www.pacificu.edu/life-pacific/support-safety/equity-diversity-inclusion-and-accessibility/edi-resources/glossary-terms 13. University of Pittsburgh Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. (n.d.). Diversity, equity, and inclusion glossary. Retrieved April 23, 2025, from https://www.diversity.pitt.edu/education/glossary-terms