If anyone is looking for a participatory activity on privilege and power, the “Car Park” is a great one! In this activity, participants stand in a circle with their eyes closed. The facilitator stands in the center and reads out statements. If the statement applies to the participant, they take a step forward. If not, they don’t move. For example a statement may be: “I am literate.” Then, whoever is literate will step forward. Once all of the statements have been read and the exercise is done, participants open their eyes and discuss what they see. Participants closest to the center have more privilege.
Participants can represent themselves or choose to represent different members in society. Steps forward can also be varying. For example, if something is only a little bit true, the participant can take a tiny step forward if they want.
I find this to be a really powerful exercise that physically shows the distribution of power among people.
Above is a link with many great statements which can be used for this activity. Statements should also be adjusted to reflect local privileges.
I first encountered this exercise at my Cuso International Training in Ottawa. I remember feeling really emotional seeing the difference in power between me and my friends. This week, I’m going to try this activity for the first time in one of the workshops I will be facilitating. I’m not sure how it will go over since it’s quite a sensitive activity and people are a bit more private here. But i’m excited to try!