Building Community Resilience for future generations
Active Hope + Work That Reconnects
Facilitator training
A nine-month blended programme building capacity for Active Hope and facilitation of the Work That Reconnects in Ireland.
Delivered in partnership with
Global Action Plan
This training programme aims to support and empower people working in social and environmental justice contexts on the island of Ireland, through facilitation training and co-learning experiences with Active Hope and the Work That Reconnects (AH/WTR).
AH/WTR is a structured transformative process designed to help people grow their capacity to face disturbing world crises, and play their part in responding.
Upon completing the training, participants will be equipped and practiced in both living and facilitating Active Hope/The Work that Reconnects in their own communities. They will have designed and implemented workshops. They will have a strong sense of their strengths as well as areas where they feel inspired to grow, and have access to resources, mentors and organisations that can guide and support them in further sharing and developing the work.
As the WTR is originally a US-based approach, this programme aims to further examine its relevance in Ireland, to build collaborative networks and approaches, and explore what adaptations can and should be made within the work to better support Irish movements for social and ecological justice.
A secondary aim is to support an emergent, learning-led exploration of how AH/WTR might be adapted, scaled, or integrated within educational, organisational, or social and community contexts in Ireland. Rather than predefined outputs, the programme will prioritise collective learning and reflection, with any insights or directions that emerge informing future possibilities for practice, research, or collaboration.
Who is this for?
This training is for facilitators, community leaders, activists, and changemakers across Ireland who are working within the complex realities of social, ecological, and economic uncertainty. Folks who are seeking ways to build and sustain long-term resilience and systems change, and know a bit already about what's not working. Folks who are hungry for collaboration, adaptability, inspiring perspectives, and grounded, responsive leadership in difficult times. Whether you are holding space in communities, organisations, or movements, this programme offers a supportive environment to deepen your practice, process collective challenges, build skills and relationships, and learn from one other.
Programme DETAILS
This programme runs from Sept 2026 - May 2027, and will be capped at 25 participants. In-person sessions take place in south Galway county.
The training is organised by Anna Swisher; co-designed and facilitated by Chris Johnstone (co-author of Active Hope with Joanna Macy). In addition to Anna and Chris, the training includes co-facilitators every month, and guest teachers - in person and online - across a range of topics and areas of expertise. See more about the facilitation team below.
COURSE STRUCTURE
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Programme duration: 9 months (September 2026 – May 2027)
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In-person training: 9 full-day sessions, held on the second Saturday of each month in South Galway. (See dates/times/location details below.)
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Online learning: Monthly supplementary online sessions featuring visiting contributors providing specialist input and thematic training. Supports developing skills to facilitate online.
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Peer practice groups: Participant-led practice groups meeting monthly between sessions to develop facilitation skills through shared learning and practice
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1:1 Mentoring: Each participant receives two 1:1 sessions with lead facilitator to support the development of a workshop/initiative
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Materials for independent study
SESSION DETAILS
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In-person: 2nd Saturday of every month, 9:30 am - 5:30 pm (12th Sept, 10th Oct, 14th Nov, 12th Dec, 9th Jan, 13th Feb, 13th March, 10th April, 8th May)
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Location: SCCUL Sanctuary, Clarinbridge, south Galway
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Online Sessions: 4th Saturday of every month, 10 am - 12:15pm
PROGRAMME STRANDS
The training weaves 5 strands of learning together:
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Foundational Teachings + Principles of AH/WTR - Approaches + Perspectives for Activating Hope
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Experiential Practices + “Labs” - Experiencing and learning to guide AH/WTR practices, supporting ourselves and learning to adapt the practices to support others
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Facilitation Skills - Learning from the AH/WTR modality, learning from seasoned facilitators, and learning from each other.
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Current Social/Ecological justice challenges - Evolving, adapting + applying AH/WTR to our Irish context, and examining our intersectionality with global systems. How can this work help us meet this moment in our world?
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Network building + Co-learning - With a diverse cohort of participants, learning is shaped by a range of lived experiences and perspectives. Resource sharing, relationship-building and collaboration are centred throughout the course, supporting real-time application of learning in more inclusive and equitable ways.
PREREQUISITES
Applicants should be familiar with the Active Hope/Work That Reconnects modality. We ask that you have experienced the spiral enough to understand its value, and that you can imagine how it might be useful to people you work with. Applicants should have a clear motivation to apply AH/WTR with groups, whether in their communities or workplaces.
We are happy to support applicants to gain more experience with AH/WTR in the months leading up to the start of the programme, if more experience is needed.
We ask that you have read the book Active Hope: How to face the mess we're in with unexpected resilience and creative power, by Chris Johnstone and Joanna Macy.
All applicants will be asked to have a conversation (30 min) with an organiser to discuss if the programme is a good fit.
COMMITMENTS
Participation in this course requires the following commitments:
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Live participation in at least 7 of the 9 in-person sessions
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Live participation in 70% of the online sessions (6 out of 9)
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Minimum 1.5 hrs per month for Practice Group time
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(Estimated) 1 hour per week for independent study/practice time
PROGRAMME FEES
Fees are on a sliding scale to promote accessibility. Our aim is to keep the training accessible, while covering costs and paying facilitators and organisers a fair and liveable wage. Individuals and organisations are asked to assess their means, and contribute accordingly. Subsidised places may become available, dependent on funding, but cannot be guaranteed at this time.
20% Deposit is required to reserve a place in the programme. Full payment must be made before August 22 (or alternatively, a payment plan agreed to and arranged.) After August 29, no refunds are possible, even in the event of withdrawal from the programme.
Programme Cost:
Sliding Scale €1,170 - €2,490
Total cost breaks down to a sliding scale of €130 - €275 per month. Payment plans can be arranged as needed. (If a payment plan is used, fees will be increased by €10/month to cover additional administrative costs.)
SCHOLARSHIPS
We are aware that finances may be a barrier to participation for some people. We will do our best to provide support in these cases. We are awaiting grant application decisions, and cannot guarantee financial support. Our scholarship funds are currently very limited.
For scholarship requests, please submit a Scholarship Application Form. Scholarships cannot be guaranteed, but will be considered based on participant numbers and predicted income/costings.
Any questions should be directed to AnnaSwisherIreland@gmail.com.
APPLY NOW!
Interested applicants should fill out the application form below. They will then be contacted by the organiser to arrange a short zoom meeting, to discuss whether the programme is a good fit, and/or if the applicant needs to fulfill any further pre-requisites before being eligible. This meeting is also a chance to discuss fees and financial contribution.
Once both parties are in agreement, deposit is required to confirm your spot.
Facilitation team
Anna Swisher is an Active Hope facilitator and mentor, who was lucky enough to study with Joanna Macy for a decade. She has a background in psychology, communications, dance, permaculture, nature-based learning and Community Development. She works with young people and adults, facilitating workshops and designing curriculum for organisations, universities and community groups around Ireland. She is the founder of Project Mobilise.
Her work focuses on helping people make sense of a very confusing world, to build connection and resilience, and to find meaningful ways to play their own part in creating a sustainable future. She lives in Gort, co. Galway, where she participates in local community groups and co-manages a Movement Collective and a weekly Community Dance space.
Chris Johnstone is an Active Hope trainer known internationally for his work exploring what helps us, personally and collectively, face and make it through difficult situations in the best ways we can. With a background in medicine, psychology, coaching, and group facilitation, he worked closely with Joanna Macy for more than three decades, co-authoring with her Active Hope, a book now published in 18 languages. His other books include Seven Ways to Build Resilience and Find Your Power. He lives in the north of Scotland where he runs online courses at ActiveHope.Training and/or CollegeOfWellbeing.com
Claudia Tormey - Having trained as a Work That Reconnects facilitator with Chris Johnstone and Jenny Mackewn back in 2018, completed Gabor Maté's Compassionate Inquiry professional training (somatic, trauma & nervous system informed practice) in 2025, and is presently training as a Holistic Life Coach - Claudia brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in holding space for individuals and groups, supporting them on their transformative journeys of reconnection with self and the wider world. Claudia also brings a decade's experience of environmental and social justice campaigning, through working in NGOs as well as her personal activism for reproductive rights, climate justice and Palestinian liberation.
Claudia has a particular interest in how we show up and wishes to support people in activating their self and wider awareness around this. She has a strong desire to support people on their journey of self healing as a crucial element to the healing of our world - and is fully committed to that ongoing healing work herself.
Claudia loves living among the hills of south Wicklow where she's learning to grow vegetables in her garden and dreams of being a forest school pro.
co-facilitators and guests
(with more to come!)
Lydia Violet Harutoonian is an Iranian-Armenian-American facilitator, scholar, and musician dedicated to cultural healing and ecological renewal. A longtime student of Joanna Macy, Lydia has spent over 16 years immersed in The Work That Reconnects, bringing its deep ecological and systems-based teachings to diverse communities around the world. Her facilitation blends Macy’s visionary work with accessible tools for emotional resilience, ancestral reconnection, and community empowerment.
Alongside her facilitation, Lydia is an accomplished folk musician and songleader, and founder of the School for The Great Turning, where she integrates music, activism, and spiritual practice. Through her workshops, trainings, and musical offerings, she invites others into courageous presence, ancestral wisdom, and soulful contribution to the healing of our world.
Rob Hopkins is the co-founder of Transition Network and of Transition Town Totnes, and author of several books including ‘The Transition Handbook‘ and most recently, ‘How to Fall in Love with the Future: a time traveller’s guide to changing the world’. He is an Ashoka Fellow, has spoken at TED Global and at several TEDx events, and appeared in the 2015 French film phenomenon ‘Demain’. He holds a PhD from the University of Plymouth as well as 2 Honoris Causas, and hosted 100 episodes of his podcast ‘From What If to What Next’. In November 2022 he was made an Honorary Citizen of Liège in Belgium. His collaborative music project with artist Mr Kit, ‘Field Recordings from the Future‘ is now available, and is being developed as a live show which will tour in 2026. Rob stopped flying in 2006.
In his spare time, he draws and makes drypoint etchings. His website is robhopkins.net.