Mandala of identity and intersectionality - Complex

Aims of the tool

To explore the experiential and conceptual idea of “Identity” , its complex construction, its deconstruction, starting from participants backgrounds and realities, from their belongingness to multiple groups in the society

Description of the tool

Intro
Differently from "Mandala of Identity - Simple (uploaded also in the Salto Toolbox) this Mandala of Identity can be used in order to explore different aspects and grounds interacting in persons' life and the effect of the overlapping/intersecting grounds on people identity and experience of discrimination.

1) You can start providing participants with a short presentation on the concepts of identity accepted in the social science/psichology, depending on the context of the training and on the background knowledge of the trainers.

For the Mandala I rely on Erik Erikson's theory of personality, explaining the evolution from a static conceptualization of identity to a complex one, on intersectionality and on Mandala as tool of introspection.

2) Before reading the rest, have a look at the photo attached, that helps better understand the structure of this Mandala. Done? Ok! Prepare a simple and uncoloured “Mandala Model” on a flipchart, drawing in it 4 symmetric sections corresponding to a) gender/sex/gender identity; b) nation/race/ethnic origin; c) faith/religion/belief; d) Other grounds (each participant can choose on what particular gorunds she, he, ze wants to focus. The four sections have a common core at the centre of the Mandala.
Each section needs to be sub-divided in three smaller sections corresponding to different levels.

First level - External circle - Level of experience:
Here participants reflect on their first experiences in their memory in which they became conscious of various aspects of their identity (as an example: their gender identity; being a Roma; being Muslim; other: open for other grounds as sexual orientation, disability, economic status, etc...).

Second level - Middle circle - Level of individual interaction/reaction with that experience. Participants have time to reflect on their own interaction with that experience. How did it impact their live?

Thrid level - internal circle - Level of consolidation. Participants reflect on how the experience and their own interaction with that experince shaped their own idea abouth who they are, what they can ache for, empowerment/disempowerment, etc...

The core part of the Mandala will show the different beliefs that participants have developed about themselves across their life and can reflect on how they different grounds interact with each other: does being a woman and Muslim is different than being Muslim and man? What about being Roma transgender? Does nationality play a role? How was to experience this in the particular context/family/community/country where participants were living?

3) Ask the participants to prepare their own Mandala of Identity, in a place they feel comfortable, outside or inside. You can also prepare some candles and soft meditation music or just silence. If there is a garden, it can be done outside.

TIPS FOR FACILITATORS/TRAINERS
*It would be great to prepare participants with a short meditation exercise, for example inviting them to close their eyes and go through their life, giving them some suggestions (childhood, toys, landscapes).

*Suggest to participants that the Mandala Model shows just the structure of the exercise, but they are completely free for the rest: to use the colours they prefer, to choose the shape of their Mandala, to add some details which may arise during the exercise, to add sections and question the boundaries between categories...

* The idea to use a Mandala divided in just 4 parts aims at stimulating participants' reflections and discussions on the usefulness (or not) of fixed categories describing identity (disability, gender identity, ethnicity, etc....). Categories can be used as a descriptive instrument or can be rejected as insufficient or even dangerous (see tips for facilitators). This can open up debates on how to trascend the boundaries of these fixed lines.

4) Participants complete individually their Mandala of Identity using as many remembering, connections, emotions, etc as they can.
(60 minutes) and find out their intersectional areas.

Group Activity: (20')
The participants join in groups of 3-4, in which they share their Mandalas. Each participant is FREE to decide WHAT to share and WHAT NOT to share. They discuss different grounds and their intersections, coalitions that can be built across the lines of one or intersecting grounds, advocacy actions, etc...
Each group prepare a flipchart presentation on different intersections they experimented in their life and actions that they might want to implement with their NGOs.

Plenary: ( 20- 30 depending on time available for the whole session and on the number of groups)
Presenation in plenary of the groups' flipcharts

Final note for trainers:
*Even if it is a creative tool, the Mandala needs to be put in a safe atmosphere of sensitiveness, respect and trust. For this reason, it would be better to schedule this activity after a team building exercise, depending on the focus of the TC or seminar.