Inner and Outer Landscapes of Oppression

An Asian Lens for Anti-Oppression Work

Six-week online workshop series
NEW DATES to be announced soon!
8:30 – 10:00 pm IST (check your local time zone)
Online via Zoom

About the Workshop

This six-part series invites participants to journey into the interconnections between inner and outer systems of oppression, drawing on the philosophy and practices of the Work That Reconnects. While much anti-oppression discourse has emerged from the U.S. context of race, this offering brings an Asian-centred and global perspective, weaving in reflections on caste, class, religion, labour, gender, colonialism, and ecological harm.

Grounded in the Spiral of the Work That Reconnects, the sessions combine:

  • Inner process work: reflective and somatic practices to notice how structures of oppression live in us.
  • Collective inquiry: dialogue and structured group processes to surface shared and divergent experiences.
  • Teaching inputs: frameworks such as “habitual and conscious casteism,” systemic trauma, and the pillars of hierarchy.
  • Creative practices: drawing, journaling, and narrative exercises.
  • Integration tools: worksheets and pre-readings/videos between sessions.

The course is participatory and experiential, designed to support both self-reflection and collective liberation.

Who is this for?

This series is open to anyone engaged in anti-oppression, peacebuilding, leadership, or ecological work who wishes to deepen their practice through a lens that bridges inner transformation and systemic change. Prior experience with the Work That Reconnects is helpful but not required.

Practical Details
  • Dates: Mondays, 8 Sept – 13 Oct 2025
  • Time: 8:30 – 10:00 pm IST (90 minutes each)
  • Platform: Zoom (link shared after registration)
  • Commitment: Please plan to attend all six sessions. Recordings will be available for up to one month afterwards (excluding breakout spaces and sensitive sharing).
  • Participation: Please ensure you have a stable internet connection and keep video on as much as possible to support group connection.
  • Cost: Sliding scale USD 100 – 500. We encourage those with financial capacity to contribute at the higher end to enable scholarships for future participants. Participation is confirmed only after payment is received.
Facilitator

Rukmini Iyer (India) is a leadership development and organisational transformation consultant, peacebuilder, and Work That Reconnects facilitator. Born into a South Indian Brahmin family, she recognises the caste privilege and safety her social location affords her, and approaches this work with humility and responsibility to challenge and dismantle caste oppression. As a person of the global majority working across Europe and the U.S., she also brings perspective on how colonial oppression continues to be experienced. More about her work can be found on LinkedIn.