Bystander to Upstander: Transforming Culture

The Bystander to Upstander: Transforming Culture (B2U) workshop empowers participants to transform from bystanders to upstanders to build communities that support difference and unify against intolerance. An upstander is an individual who chooses to take positive action in the face of injustice or intolerance. Developed through an intersectional lens, the workshop provides participants with the knowledge to identify moments of injustice such as sexual violence, racism, and sexism. Participants will also learn and apply trauma-informed upstander skills to impact positive change and promote a culture of nonviolence. This interactive workshop allows each participant to practice upstander strategies that match their personality and comfort level.

 

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify moments of injustice or intolerance

• Gain confidence in addressing moments of injustice or intolerance

• Use engagement and conversational tactics to de-escalate harmful situations

• Take the most appropriate and effective action to stand up to injustice or intolerance

 

The Bystander to Upstander: Transforming Culture Workshop is about 2 hours long. The first hour of the program focuses on providing participants with the knowledge to identify and address moment of injustice. The second hour of the program provides participants an opportunity to apply trauma-informed upstander skills with real-life scenarios.