Retreat to Advance: Three Ways to Pause for Your Cause

(Part 2 of 2)

Photo credit: Rachel A. Wilkinson

For today’s social-justice seeker, there are three types of retreats that can deepen our commitment, sharpen our resolve, and sustain our will to fight.

Organizational Retreat. The organizational retreat, done well, can lead us to a refinement of our mission, a clarification of our strategic plan, and a recommitment to supporting our colleagues’ efforts and different roles in accomplishing the mission. This is a tall order. It requires a lot of planning. And it involves a commitment to providing a space for true participation. My federal civil rights work benefited from retreats that led to a sharpening of our focus on the mission and a better understanding of the roles of internal actors, community members, and advocates. 

Team Retreat. Just as a retreat can be useful for an organization, it can also strengthen our teams and improve their cohesion. As a manager on complex civil rights cases, I facilitated a number of team retreats. These brief outings—usually just a few hours—improved team dynamics, allowed members to connect outside of the pressures of particular case demands, and offered a space for reflection.

Personal Retreat. Moments of pause and reflection sustain us as we reflect on our commitment to this demanding work. These personal retreats can be either guided or unguided. As with the organizational and team retreats, we can use the personal retreat to examine our goals and refine our mission.

Of course, WG Advocate can help you plan any or all parts of a retreat. Let us know how we can help. 

Ultimately, the important thing is to remember this: We must pause to strengthen our cause!