Report from the First Virtual Reflective Citizens Koinonia Workshop

Held on 11^th April 2020 in the Serbian Language

Conveners: Marina Mojović and Jelica Satarić

On organizing a workshop in virtual space

The workshop was organized for the first time in a virtual space because live gathering was not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The idea was to open the space and give the citizen participants an opportunity to share their impressions, feelings and reflections from the roles of citizens.  It was for us especially important  to maintain regular rhythm of Serbian RC, thus, the hold the Belgrade RC Spring 2020 given the current situation.

For more than 60 applicants, the technical part had to be organized, as many participants were not familiar with modern technologies. Since it was our first time, we were faced with a lot of unknowns and uncertainties, which certainly caused anxiety in the RC organization team itself.

Basic technical settings were not a big problem, only when we get into the finesse of the set-up settings do we realize how complex this task really is.

We made sure that the announcements and instructions were detailed without being too numerous again, provided additional help if someone had trouble managing all these instructions, thought about appropriate settings for the (non) permeability of group boundaries, then that the sessions did not depend solely on Single Host Internet Connection of the host of virtual room etc.

All of these and many more tasks are complex but not impossible, and we are especially pleased that in just a few days we were able to organize everything and had a successful workshop, which was in Serbian language but participants were from different countries around the world.

First part: Reflections on the RC large group 1

Although these RCs, like all previous ones, were not thematically defined, it seemed that the topic of the pandemic and everything that went with it would be dominant, and so it mostly was.

The need to share impressions and thoughts about the current situation quickly became apparent.

Fear of the invisible enemy, manipulation and politicization, loneliness but also anxiety of contact, the importance of solidarity and respect for measures and protection but also unbearable in quarantine, caring for the individual and vice versa. The topic of certain benefits of this situation quickly emerged as well. From the dreams of the matrix of social dreaming came colours and the opening of new spaces, contact with traditional and values ​​of ancient civilizations and how to preserve them in a modern context. Despite the fears and anxieties that were present in the dreams, the participants managed to relate to the theme of the new opportunity, the chance, and what emerged was: more time for family, for work on yourself, quiet in cities, less pollution, solidarity and clarity on what we need, how good our relationships are, etc.

There was a clear need for sharing and linking but it was not easy to find a way, for the most part communication seemed like a series of individual reports with some connecting elements in between. There was tension but also pleasure in having this space, finding a way to get together, some coming from their terraces, some from the courtyards of their houses, children entering the frame, it was so natural and again there was a cloud of foreboding and fears that was present and looming over the group.

It was clear that with a lot of material we were going to small groups that will have their hands full of work, how they will manage, whether the transition to small groups will be technically successful, whether this cloud will block the capacities of individuals and groups to think, various questions have been imposed.

RC Small Group Work

Although it was not easy, small groups managed to work on their primary task, which was to name the major themes that emerged from conversation in the large group and to work through them and form some hypotheses.

Last part: Integration of RC Small Group work in RC Large Group 2 and Review

It is interesting to note here that in the presentation part of this session, special care was taken for other groups, to finish their presentations on time so that other groups have enough time, each group stayed in its 4 minutes time frame without being reminded by conductors which is a rarity when presentations are normally given at the workshop being held in live .

The shift towards ‘’thinking under fire’’ was evident, although there was still a lot of tension that was reflected in brief silences. It seems that this new kind of tension could be understood as the anxiety of breaking up from this group and the workshop, caring, supportive, with the freedom to share and listen, as anxiety from disconnecting from a system that provided a safe space, a shelter for participants.

Conclusion

The word ‘dispersion’ was mentioned during the workshop, as well as a matter of time that seemed to be stopped and now there is some boundary between ‘before’ and ‘after’. Thus, the tendency towards fragmentation and fears of annihilation, on the one hand, and the tensions of the massification processes (we are all one, the “body of mankind” was attacked …) on the other, produced the effect of a pendulum of great momentum of motion.

It seems to us that this was a true picture of what is happening in society and that the existence of temporary “social psychic retreats” is of great importance in this period as safe spaces where one can pause and think. Such spaces are naturally and spontaneously created everywhere, it is only a matter of their quality and awareness of the necessity to go out in order to stay in touch with reality, however frightening it may be.

We think that these virtual RCs were able to make this space and that for four hours we worked successfully, connecting, without losing sight that the workshop would still end at the appointed time, but also that it would be organized again as the next RC that are already planned as international one.

Most of all, we were thrilled at being able to witness that RC methodology can well work in virtual spaces and so far seems to be equally effective. This brings hope with new energy and braveness to us to keep open the spaces for citizens to share and reflect upon important issues concerning their different roles in society and life.

Detailed notes on contents of dreams and themes shared during RC workshops will as usually kept in the Archives of RC Koinonia Serbia, used for our reflections and research on psychosocial processes mirrored in the ongoing RC Koinonia matrices.

RC Organizational and Coordination Body
Stefan Cerovina, Marijana Ajduković, Dragoslav Stefanović, Dragana Dragojević and Branka Bakić

Technical host
Ana Bakić

16.04.2020