"Collaborative groups share power, and healthy groups assure that their members have equal opportunity to earn social power."
Starhawk
"The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups"
Tending the Fire - empowering collaborative groups
Training course
July 22-29, 2025 | Jura, Switzerland
Open to participants of all ages from Germany, Italy, Hungary, Finland, Spain, Portugal, France, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine & South Africa
July 22-29, 2025 | Jura, Switzerland
Open to participants of all ages from Germany, Italy, Hungary, Finland, Spain, Portugal, France, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine & South Africa
How can we effectively organize and collaborate in uncertain times?
Achieving long-term, systemic change requires strong collaboration—but working in groups isn’t always easy. Conflicting perspectives, personal agendas, and communication breakdowns can either weaken a movement or, when navigated well, strengthen it.
How can we build trust, resolve conflicts, and create truly inclusive, resilient communities?
Tending the Fire is a six-day immersive training designed for youth workers, activists, and changemakers who want to deepen their skills in facilitation, mediation, and leadership. Through interactive workshops, practical exercises, and real-world case studies, participants will gain the tools to effectively lead and collaborate in social and environmental movements.
Guided by experienced facilitators:
Starhawk – Renowned activist, ecofeminist, and author of The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups. She will share decades of experience in activism, collective leadership, and movement-building, helping participants understand the dynamics of collaborative groups and how to make them thrive.
Alfred Decker – Award-winning permaculture designer and leading expert in social permaculture. As the coordinator of Permaculture for Refugees, he specializes in designing regenerative systems that support sustainable, people-centered communities. Alfred will ensure a hands-on learning experience grounded in real-world application.
What you’ll learn:
- Conflict resolution & intercultural competence – Learn to navigate disagreements constructively and foster understanding in diverse groups.
- Participatory decision-making & leadership development – Build leadership skills that empower rather than dominate, and create structures that encourage shared responsibility.
- Strategies to foster resilience & critical thinking – Equip yourself and others with tools to remain strong, adaptable, and engaged in social change efforts.
Scholarships & Self-Funded Spots
We believe in equity and accessibility. To support diversity in permaculture and social justice movements, we offer pay-what-you-can scholarships for BIPOC and refugee/migrant activists.
Additionally, for those able to self-fund, we have 4 spots available at 500 CHF, covering food, accommodation, and course fees (travel not included).
Join Us!
This is more than a training, it's a gathering of changemakers committed to regenerating communities and transforming how we work together. If you’re ready to develop practical skills, gain deeper insights, and connect with like-minded people, apply now!
The wonder team
Starhawk
Starhawk is a writer, activist, and permaculture teacher known for her work in ecofeminism, earth-based spirituality, and social change. She has authored 13 books, including The Spiral Dance and The Fifth Sacred Thing. A pioneer in collaborative leadership, she wrote The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups, a book offering tools for identifying and addressing power dynamics, practicing conflict resolution, and fostering effective teamwork. She founded Earth Activist Training (EAT), integrating permaculture, spirituality, and activism. EAT has trained over 1,000 students, fostering projects ranging from community gardens to water conservation initiatives worldwide. A co-founder of the Reclaiming tradition, Starhawk bridges spiritual practice with direct action, championing social permaculture—the application of regenerative principles to communities and movements. Through her writing, teaching, and organizing, she continues to inspire ecological resilience and collective empowerment. A more comprehensive presentation of her extensive body of work can be found on her website: https://starhawk.org/.
Cecilia Furlan
Cecilia is the co-founder of the Swiss organization Les Coccinelles and the Italian Paradiso Ritrovato, alongside Valentina, and has been dedicated to organizing international youth exchanges and training programs since 2010. Her work focuses on fostering reconnection to nature and self-awareness, encouraging young people to explore these transformative topics. From an early age, she developed a deep resistance to the unjust, capitalist systems of society. By the time she was 22, she had already begun immersing herself in alternative ways of living, experiencing eco-villages and eco-communities across Europe. Although she studied Political Science at university, her true calling led her away from conventional paths. Her life's work is centered on challenging the status quo by creating spaces for community living, practicing horizontal decision-making, and promoting regeneration in both societal structures and the natural world. She is also a devoted mother to two wonderful daughters, Camelia and Magnolia, and continues to nurture her own path of peaceful resistance and transformative change. She lives in the lively community village of Undervelier in the Jura Canton, Switzerland.
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Alfred Decker
Alfred is a renowned permaculture designer and educator, committed to creating sustainable solutions through collaboration and social permaculture. He is the Education Coordinator for Permaculture For Refugees, a certified educator with the Permaculture Association of Britain, and a leader in Social Permaculture. He founded 12P Permaculture Design and Permacultura Barcelona, and co-founded the Spanish Permaculture Academy. As a passionate educator, Alfred has co-facilitated over 20 Permaculture Teacher Training (PTT) courses and helped develop online courses, working closely with mentor Rosemary Morrow. His focus is on empowering learners through collaborative, hands-on education. In 2024, Alfred joined the Global Council of Permaculture For Refugees, where he explores how permaculture can support refugees and migrants, creating pathways for them to share their unique knowledge and skills.Alfred lives in Berga, Catalunya, and offers educational and consulting services to foster social transformation through permaculture.
Valentina Cifarelli
Valentina is a passionate visionary and organizer dedicated to empowering individuals in transition. Since 2005, she has been designing and leading international projects for young adults, helping them discover their talents and engage authentically in a world full of challenges and opportunities. Her approach combines non-formal education, permaculture, and eco-feminist, nature-based spirituality, drawing inspiration from Starhawk, Lynx Vilden, and Joanna Macy. Valentina is also the co-founder of Paradiso Ritrovato, where she leads transformative initiatives that foster social, environmental, and economic resilience. Valentina is also developing a project called Mother Nature, a set of tools to support motherhood as a profound life transition. She lives in a lush valley in Tuscany, Italy, with her two children and a community of like-minded individuals.
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Once you applied :
In case you are selected, the minimum participation fee is of 200 euros up to a maximum of 500 euros according to your possibilities.
This fee will cover accommodation, all meals, activities and sessions.
Travel expenses are refunded up to 300 Euro for all European countries and 50 CHF for participants coming from Switzerland.
As funding is limited, we also offer the opportunity for participants from any country to join as self-funded. We have 4 spots available at 550 euros, which covers food, accommodation, and the course fee (travel costs not included).
We want our courses to be as inclusive as possible.
If you have economical constraints, you are a BIPOC, a refugee/migrant interested in fee reduction, please contact us to find a solution.
The course is organized by the association “Les Coccinelles”and is financially supported by Movetia.
Movetia promotes exchange, mobility and cooperation within the fields of education, training and youth work in Switzerland, Europe and worldwide.
wwww.movetia.ch
Please apply by the 30th of March.
For any question contact: [email protected]
This fee will cover accommodation, all meals, activities and sessions.
Travel expenses are refunded up to 300 Euro for all European countries and 50 CHF for participants coming from Switzerland.
As funding is limited, we also offer the opportunity for participants from any country to join as self-funded. We have 4 spots available at 550 euros, which covers food, accommodation, and the course fee (travel costs not included).
We want our courses to be as inclusive as possible.
If you have economical constraints, you are a BIPOC, a refugee/migrant interested in fee reduction, please contact us to find a solution.
The course is organized by the association “Les Coccinelles”and is financially supported by Movetia.
Movetia promotes exchange, mobility and cooperation within the fields of education, training and youth work in Switzerland, Europe and worldwide.
wwww.movetia.ch
Please apply by the 30th of March.
For any question contact: [email protected]
