Kopanya was started by a team of facilitators, change agents and artists with a passion for social justice and personal growth. From our offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town, we offer coaching, training and facilitation services to effectively navigate and connect more deeply with our personal and collective past, our present moment and our individual and shared futures. This means being more connected to yourself, to others, and to what is happening in our world – but in a way that leaves you feeling empowered and inspired, rather than overwhelmed.
Our Current Offerings
Being Fully Human: Dismantling Race and Racism in Conscious Communities
Join the Kopanya Institute on an eight-week online journey exploring race and racism in spiritually and socially motivated communities – from communities of practice and non profit organisations, to spiritual and religious communities, to yoga and therapeutic communities and spaces.
The course provides an opportunity to hold a mirror up to the narratives and practices that exist in these spaces that seek to connect people to themselves, each other, and often ‘the Divine’ or ‘greater good’ – yet can lead to experiences of alienation, exasperation, disconnect and trauma. We will present a range of models, reflexive exercises and practical tools to support you in working through the energy and emotions of race and racism in an embodied and integrated way, so that you can find right relationship to your heart, gut, and own expression, building pathways to healthy communication and connection with others.
For self study or group course options in 2024, email kopanya.courses@gmail.com
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Talking to Kids About Race and Racism
Join the Kopanya Institute for a 12 week online course exploring how to talk to kids of all ages, and other adults, about race and racism. The course is designed for anyone who is curious about how to have these conversations with kids, from parents and teachers, to caregivers and aunts/uncles – whether you have kids or not, this course is for anyone with an interest in a simple and accessible way of approaching what can be an intimidating subject!
The energetics of racialised encounters are challenging at the best of times, affecting us in profound physical ways. In interactions with children these can be even more difficult and confusing. Through practical tools and reflective exercises, and looking at real examples of the difficult questions kids ask, and the racialised situations they find themselves in – we help you to become equipped to support young individuals in their own task of meaning-making in a complex world, in a way that is true for them.
For self study or group course options in 2024, email kopanya.courses@gmail.com
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Diving Deeper: Talking to Kids About Race and Racism – Part Two
Kopanya’s newest offering launched on 25 May 2023! Based on multiple requests and our shared journeys with many of the participants from our “Talking to Kids about Race and Racism” course, we were excited to run Part 2 for the first time in 2023 with an amazing group of parents, teachers and individuals who are wanting a support the next generation and see positive change in our world!
This new course is spread over 9 months (the length of time that children usually spend in the womb!) to allow for spaciousness, a supportive community and deep diving in tough questions and complex topics. Every month there are two topics – each with a core reading, reflection questions and a guest speaker – and one group call at the end of the month (every last Wednesday or Thursday from 6:30-9:00 pm, with breaks) where the speakers share and invite discussion, and participants have an opportunity to share about what they have read and experienced with each topic.
We have been privileged to work with a range of organisations and individuals around themes of gender, power and consent over the last few years. This has included a) unpacking gender and sexual harassment in the workplace, b) gender, sexuality and power with young adults, and c) ‘Consent for Kids’.
In our work with both adults and children, we explore why consent matters and how to navigate asking for and receiving consent – in the communication and negotiation of social, emotional, and physical relationships and boundaries, not only in relation to gender and sexuality, but in the expression of identity as a whole. This involves developing our emotional intelligence and intuition in navigating interpersonal power in everyday relationships. We provide a safe space to reflect on these themes personally and collectively, across age groups and the gender and LGBTQIA+ spectrum.
Contact us to find out more
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Conversations about Race and Racism: A Course for Marketing, Communications and PR Teams
Many South African consumers are very tuned in to whether or not they feel authentically represented in marketing campaigns – whether they are being patronised through reductive or even offensive visuals and other narratives, or if they can indeed see themselves in rich and layered imagery being reflected back on billboards and in media of all forms. Given our country’s complex and traumatic history, it requires a proactive approach by management to build a consistently inclusive culture, brand and marketing/ communication strategy.
The intention in this course is to equip individuals and leaders in marketing, PR or customer-facing roles with essential tools around identity, representation, and power – particularly in visual imagery. At the heart of the process is unpacking ideologies of inferiority and superiority, and what has been normalized as mainstream culture, particularly within the aspirational culture of marketing. The aim is to bring awareness to privilege along various axes, and acquire lenses that can be more in tune with, and respectful of, a diverse market.
Contact us to find out more
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Identity, Power and Belonging: A Workshop for Social Change Organisations
In our experience working with NGOs, civil society and advocacy organisations, the strong desire to effect change in the world, and assumptions that everyone is on the same page internally, can lead to missing critical internal conversations. Irrespective of the levels of good will and good intentions within any contemporary organisation, there is a need to look at how power, privilege, race, gender, and other variables are operating.
Unless these issues are explicitly addressed, there is the risk of misunderstandings, assumptions, and the overt and subtle reproduction of problematic power relations that permeate broader society. This workshop unpacks perspectives and experiences of identity and belonging in organisations, through a trauma-informed lens, offering education and empowerment through key concepts and tools around identity and power. Kopanya takes an intersectional approach and the workshop includes explorations of race and racism alongside other manifestations of marginalisation and oppression.
Contact us to find out more
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Re-defining Transformation, Diversity and Inclusion: A Workshop for Executive Leaders and Management Teams
Through surveys, intensive dialogue, and the sharing of tools and informative content, Kopanya offers a space for leadership teams to build a common language to talk about transformation, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace – a critical foundation for the broader mandate of positive change in this regard.
The workshop begins by focusing on building an increased awareness around personal and collective experiences of history, identity, power and belonging. We then ensure the team practises the muscle of having robust and effective conversations that will support them in driving forward the transformation agenda in an inclusive way that feels authentic to the individuals and business concerned. Kopanya also offers one-on-one coaching as a support to individuals as an optional part of the process.
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Conversations about Race & Racism: An online course for Leadership and Management Teams
In working with leadership and management teams on the topics of transformation, diversity and inclusion, a request and need kept emerging for follow-on training that would support managers and supervisors in leading their teams effectively and inclusively on a day-to-day basis. In response, we designed a six-month training course called “Equipped to Lead”, which is well-suited for diverse, multi-lingual managers and supervisors, coming from a range of educational backgrounds. The course is made up of six modules, which include a 2-hour online call with the course facilitators, individual exercises to work on in-between the calls, peer coaching and mentoring, and partner/group activities.
The overall goal of the course is to educate and empower staff around how they lead, how they handle challenging conversations, and how they can make a positive impact in their roles. Like our in-person workshops, we focus on creating a safe space to explore these issues, whilst providing simple and accessible tools to then continue this conversation once each session is complete. This contributes towards ensuring that the working environment becomes more inclusive for all employees.
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For more information about this course or our other offerings, please contact kopanya.courses@gmail.com
“This journey changed me! I started the course with a fair bit of anxiety but almost immediately could experience the warmth and professionalism of the facilitators – the course is extremely well structured, researched and facilitated with great care. I really enjoyed the format of the group conversations and found practical tools for immediate use in my life as well as made some truly life changing insights. Although it’s ostensibly about how to talk to children about race and racism it is really about discovering how we all need to do this. Thank you for an incredible experience! I highly recommend this course and look forward to repeating it one day.” – Jane Visser-Birch, Architect
“This is a great course for people of all ages and backgrounds who are willing to build a country that is united and embracing of one another. The course offers a platform where you can just be yourself without fear of being judgedand being put in a certain box.” – Rose Nkomo, Head of Diversity Curriculum
“I would like to express my gratitude to Kopanya in putting this together and having such dedicated, willing and passionate individuals. A real breath of fresh air … It is a course that helps you grow as an individual no matter your history or identity.” – Mazlan Govender, Contract Manager
“This course was absolutely brilliant! It helped me understand myself and others better, and made me determined to continue unpacking the past and continue with these important conversations with fellow South Africans. Every South African should do it!” – Patrick Lees, Headmaster
“I loved this journey with Kopanya and am immensely grateful for this work, the learning community of committed people determined to repair and change the world and themselves. Kopanya offers such skilled facilitation with so much tender care, love, attention to detail, openness, fragility, vulnerability and no judgement. What struck me and what I didn’t expect is to learn how to manage the political with the felt-sense in my body. Such vital timely important anti-racism personal and professional development, helping us grow together, heal from racism and unlearn and breakthrough racism…learn to have better inter-generational dialogues, and helping us work towards what can perhaps be called a ‘trans-racial’ world where we can celebrate difference without perpetuating inclusion and exclusion.” – Tania Katzschner, Senior Lecturer
Being Fully Human: Dismantling Race and Racism in Conscious Communities
“This journey has been profound and deeply life-changing for me! The content was so thorough, user-friendly and well-researched, the facilitators were great and held the space so safely.To be truly seen, heard, held and witnessed in whatever we were sitting with, free from any shame or judgement – that is the only way to truly do this difficult and beautiful work.There are no words to express the depth and extent of my gratitude to Kopanya. Thank you.” – Megan Moll, Trauma Release Practitioner
“This course offered a healing space to process generational trauma that racism has bequeathed to black people.” – Anonymous
“This course has helped me to be in touch with my feelings, and gave me the strength to go against my own internalized oppression.” – Anonymous
Conversations about Race & Racism: An online course for Leadership and Management Teams
“I started this course with the outlook that maybe this is not really for me but soon realised with the guidance of the facilitators, material in the workbooks and exercises that I have lots to learn. The course also made me aware of facts I did not know regarding history facts and changes in our country, and gave me a sense of responsibility. It has been a very interesting and eye opening experience for me. What struck me most is the impact we still see today of past events, and how slowly the wheels of one’s mindset turns with regards to this. I am walking away uplifted, motivated, more informed, open minded and eager to make a difference in my own capacity.” – Finance manager
“Insightful and inspiring. I walked away with hope as well as a feeling of empowerment on how to deal with complex transformation and diversity challenges in the workplace.” – HR Executive, Retail
“What stood out for me was the manner in which we could freely discuss racism, which is something I think we would have never have been able to if we had not gone through the course. I also got a chance to see thing from another person’s perspective. I liked the work books because they were rich with information and some real life examples/case studies of things that we can also apply practically. I appreciated the willingness of the facilitators to go the extra mile in supporting us through the journey.” – Mill manager, Forestry and Lumber
“It has been brilliant. I am walking away with more empathy and a better understanding what racism actually means. My light-bulb moment was finally understanding the difference between racism and hate/exclusion. I would happily recommend Kopanya’s online course on Race & Racism for Leadership and Management teams to any organization or business. The course facilitators navigates complex and sensitive topics with a aplomb that can only come from years of experience and a genuine passion for what they are doing. The course is well structured and I not only found it illuminating, but also enjoyable.” – Plantation Manager, Forestry and Lumber
For more information about this course or our other offerings, please contact kopanya.courses@gmail.com
As founding members of Kopanya, our lives have been deeply ingrained and informed by the struggle to dismantle the architecture of racism in society and in our own psyches. We are the children of anti-apartheid activists, domestic workers, immigrants and exiles, and all apartheid ‘race’ groups.
Our flagship course, ‘How to Talk to Kids About Race & Racism’, explores how race actually has less to do with skin colour and more to do with historical relations of power and oppression to serve economic and political means, as well as interpersonal domination. We explore the embodied reality of being ‘racialised’, and the legacies of trauma that sit in our systems as parents and individuals.
And we look at how to work with our own bodies, our brain and heart and guts, to find centred and grounded ways to meet our children’s difficult questions without transferring our trauma onto them anew, so that they can live the liberation we hope for.
