Our training is meant to help white participants to discover the mechanisms of racism and to find ways of reducing its impact.

In doing so, we consider it important to detect racism on the personal as well as the structural level.

Such Racism Awareness Training helps to find out how racist patterns of thinking and feeling may be ingrained in one's own personality and to become aware of the racist conditioning experienced while growing up.

In everyday life this type of racist conditioning is endorsed again and again by the media and in one's interaction with family, friends, and colleagues. Our everyday political life reinforces these racist clichés.

The program therefore aims to strengthen the recognition of racism and to intensify the connection to one's innermost self. Ultimately, it leads up to the question:

How can I effectively take action against racism?

Together we explore possible first steps and options. We use various media, such as conversations, role play, video films etc., in our trainings.

Racism Awareness Training seeks to lift the participants, not to destroy their self-esteem.

In the long run, we can only bring about changes in our societies if many people begin to understand the small and larger meshwork of racism and if and when they are prepared to ask themselves:

Who am I as a white person?

Our Black Consciousness Training operates in a similar way.
After the seminar everyone may go on alone or join the phoenix community.

We also offer Follow Up Trainings.