I am really glad that you have decided to work with us on this particularly thorny topic.

The recent Black Lives Matter events, the #metoo movement, the political uprisings against totalitarian regimes all around the world show us that we still have a lot to learn and to unlearn about power and privilege.

If you feel the need to do the work, I am glad that you are embarking on this journey on how to become an ally for life.

My name is Aurélie Salvaire, I am French, living in Barcelona. I have been running diversity and inclusion trainings all around the world with my platform Shiftbalance, in Europe but also in the Middle East, South Asia or Latin America.

Together, we will first analyse the system we live in. How did we get where we are today? How do power and privilege manifest themselves? How it is embedded in all the structures of our lives, from our words to our buildings, from our education system to our savings.

We will learn the impact of micro and macro aggressions on the oppressed collectives. What does it mean for their well-being? Their self-esteem? Their mental health? Their wealth and opportunities? We will examine together how the system responds when threatened.

And then, when we will have a greater knowledge about how the system works in depth, then it will be time to imagine all the ways you can be an ally, at personal but also at systemic level.

This work is very challenging, but I do believe it is determinant to be able to live in peace and harmony in the coming years. It will help us all contribute to a more just and balanced world from which we will all benefit.

As Angela Davis said, “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”

So welcome to the Allyship journey!