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Testimonials

Angie Moore - COF 2023

I'm in this space because I care deeply about justice for people and planet. The learnings I took from my time at COF honed my skillset in a way that has enabled me to be more effective in my advocacy and develop leaders along the way.


Bronwyn Opie - COF 2023

Be prepared to learn and be challenged in a safe and inclusive space. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn, dissect, and practice new skills and tools that I can bring back to my community to build power and win the changes we need.


Fiona Lee - COF 2023

The Community Organising Fellowship gave me the best of both worlds: I learned the theory behind effective organising and had the opportunity to put that knowledge into action, empowering me to make a tangible difference in my community.


Jack Simmons - COF 2023

COF is an opportunity to learn with minds from all over movements fighting for a better future. The diversity of skills, experience, and knowledge we have shared with over the course of the Fellowship has changed the way I think about organising and equipped me with the skills I need to fights for wins founded in justice and a collective vision of a better world.


Kirsty Symmons - COF 2023

COF equips you with a foundation to community organising through the tools and frameworks that are applicable to real-world campaigns and issues. I have learned so much about myself, about campaigning. The facilitators bring a wide range of experience and knowledge and there is a wide-spread of campaigns people are working on from across the country and great work being done. An added bonus is definitely the people you meet. They will re-energise you for the big battle we all are facing in a range of movements. I have been so inspired and truly grown as a person.


Koki De Silva - COF 2023

It is such a powerful experience - you will really go on an inner and outer journey, an intellectual one and an emotional one if you allow yourself to go along for the ride. The learning is intense but so satisfying - very empowering for anyone engaged in community organising.


Nathan Clements - COF 2023

By far the best learning experience I've been a part of. Significantly improved my organising skills but also gave me the capacity for personal growth.


Tuffy Morwitzer - COF 2023

COF is a jam packed course of incredibly useful tools for being effective organisers and accomplices. It was transformative both in terms of up-skilling, but also by connecting you to organisers across Australia - all chipping away at massive systems of power to create meaningful change. Truly grateful.


Anonymous - COF 2023

Can't talk up the fellowship enough. Fantastic facilitators with such an incredible wealth of knowledge, generosity, and skills to share. Have loved connecting with all the participants, learning different frameworks and ways of organising, in a trusting, open, and caring space. 10/10.


Anonymous - COF 2023

COF has been such a transformational journey for me. Too often we don't make space in our movements for critical reflection on our organising. I've learnt so much, and the facilitators did a fantastic job of creating a safe space and drawing from people's different campaigns and experience. Cannot recommend enough.


Anonymous - COF 2023

Highly recommend doing COF to grow your knowledge and experience in community organising. The relationships you create in this process are unmatched.


Anonymous - COF 2023

This fellowship felt essential for doing effective community organising work. It will help contextualise the work that you do, understand the history of it, introduce you to new tools and frameworks that will make you a better organiser/campaigner, and will give you the opportunity for a collective learning experience that truly breaks the mould of traditional education models.


Anonymous - COF 2023

COF has led to a transformational shift in both the way I view organising as a resource to build collective power in my community and also how I intend to apply organising frameworks in my work going forward. The ability to take ownership over my own learning and develop tools through practice was so critical in such a radical change in a short space of time


Anonymous - COF 2023

The world certainly needs community organisers to push for a more just, safe, and equitable world. COF will help lay the foundations for how you can be a better community organiser. It will get you thinking about the environment you operate in, how to build and wield power in it, and how to set realistic and achievable goals for your campaigns. It's great for anyone wanting to build up their capacity to build people power!


Imo Kuah - COF 2022

The COF has completely changed the way I approach organising. I suddenly have access to such a large set of knowledge, tools and resources that I feel confident to use every day. Completing the COF has helped me grow into more power than I thought I would ever have.


Erin Killion - COF 2022

COF is a really well designed course for community organisers, encompassing a huge variety of topics but delivered in such a way that the key skills of organising are reinforced and practised and sink in. The content is presented in a really engaging and interactive way. Attention is paid to building a solid group culture and I'm certain the friendships made during COF will make all of our movements stronger. The facilitators are incredibly talented, inspiring and impressive. There is so, so much to be gained from attending this course, no matter what your level of experience. Do it, I don't see how it's possible to regret it!


Simona Holzer - COF 2022

COF makes you a better organiser, there's a 100% guarantee for it! I was eager to learn about how to build a campaign strategy, what tools I can use to win my campaign and what approaches are the best to create a healthy community. Not only have I learnt all of this but along the way I made friends, got inspired by great campaigns and reflected on common norms and standards in my organising and what alternatives exist to replace them.


Tenielle Dunkley - COF 2022

Possibly THE best community organising training you could be a part of. You'll be challenged, you'll grow and you'll take these incredible learnings out into the world to create real change. But best of all is you'll meet and incredible network of people who care deeply about real issues as you do, with some of the best facilitators you could ask for!


Charlotte Bennett - COF 2022

I came to COF with knowledge of the tools and methods of community organising. I completed COF with the knowledge of how to apply those tools and methods in ways that are effective and appropriate to my community. COF provided an invaluable opportunity to reflect, grow and challenge myself, both as an organiser and as a person.


Chloe Badcock - COF 2022

COF was an excellent experience. I learned so many valuable campaigning and organising skills. It completely changed the way I organise and view my role as an environmental lawyer working with community. I’m now more equipped to build the power we need to achieve environmental justice.


Pat Simons - COF 2022

Overall I think COF has helped shift my practice from a campaigner that uses organising as part of strategy, to focus more on developing leaders to build their own organising strategies. COF has given me the space to actively reflect on that, an opportunity to meet other organisers and campaigners and learn from them, and new tools to implement these changes.


Kate Healey - COF 2022

If you want to learn everything there is to know about community organising from a talented and committed facilitation team, attend this course. This course will help your organisational planning, your strategising and equip you with the tools you need to run successful campaigns.


Anonymous - COF 2022

Whether you're new to organising or been part of a few campaigns, COF is a great way to meet a bunch of amazing people, learn a range of new tools, and get inspired to create organising strategies that win. It can be a transformative experience so I recommend it if you have the opportunity.


Anonymous - COF 2022

I'm very grateful for being part of the COF 2022! It was not only a huge learning curve but also a lot of fun! I'm blown away by how great it was, even though it was online. I appreciate your feedback, insights, experience, openness and directness as well as the space you created to be vulnerable. I loved how the workshops were designed upon the spiral model. I'll definitely recommend COF to others.


Anonymous - COF 2022

Great course for anyone interested in improving their organising skills, tactics, and decolonising activism. And meeting a lot of great people along the way


Anonymous - COF 2022

COF. It should be the foundation of any community organisers training. I know that this work will have deep impact in my work but also in the way that I engage with the world in my personal life. I found it incredibly inspiring, growth instigating and change creating!


Anonymous - COF 2022

COF develops the community organising leaders of the future. It is a rich learning environment where you will learn great content and tools for running impactful campaigns and meet some great teachers, facilitators and a fantastic cohort of team mates.


Anonymous - COF 2022

Participating in the COF has not only completely changed the way I understand organising, it's also altered the way I approach life in general. I'm just past halfway through completing the COF, I can't wait to apply the new lessons learnt and tools added to my tool belt during the COF to the way that I organise. These are useful, tested and replicable tools that I feel excited to use in my current campaign, and campaigns in the future.

The COF is the most psychologically and culturally safe space I have existed in. With my cohort, and the incredible facilitators, I know that this is a learning environment where I can take risks, make mistakes and learn lessons at any point, without fear of ridicule. The way we learn in the COF just feels right. It feels justice-centred, holistic, researched and accessible.

Anonymous - COF 2022

I was uncertain about the usefulness of COF going into it, but the workshops have given in me so much. I feel better equipped; both practically, in terms of the tools and knowledge I've obtained, and also personally, in terms of my ability to critically evaluate and reflect on myself.


Anonymous - COF 2022

This space has been one of the most culturally and psychologically safe spaces I've been in. The facilitators are so well-equipped with the knowledge they need to guide our learning. They also know how to kindly but firmly call us out when we screw up. They have years and years of incredible experience and knowledge, and it shows. I can't think of a better group of people to be running this program.


Anonymous - COF 2022

The COF has fundamentally changed the way I think as an organiser and an individual. There is so much I've learnt in just the first week, and I can't even visualise what is left to learn. I'm so excited to come back for the next 2 weeks, and I'm even more excited to go out into the world and apply everything I've learnt.


Grace Vegesana - COF 2021

COF drew on the existing soft skills I had as an organiser and elevated them to new heights. Being in a group of deeply passionate, highly motivated individuals pushed me to be my best and most innovative in my campaigning and organising. It provided me with translatable real-life skills and theory drawing on intersections of justice to fight for systems change. I wouldn't be where I am without COF.

Tony Goodfellow - COF 2021

I'm a bit cut off in a regional area so it's been awesome for me to connect with a wider network. I've made some great connections during the Community Organising Fellowship. The yarns and humour from Edie Shepherd have to be a highlight. I've really loved the focus on racial justice and accessibility in the workshops. If you get a chance to do it I highly recommend it, it's been hard but well worth the zoom hours. The facilitator team was awesome, the mentoring was really valuable and I hope to meet the fellow cohort face to face in the future. Going forward I hope I can practice what I've learnt and help empower future leaders.

Anonymous - COF 2021

IT HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING. I cannot overstate how transformative it has been. It was exactly what I needed this year as I navigate a big learning curve and step up into big organising/campaigning roles while relatively new to this practice. I feel equipped and confident now. I can't wait to share it far and wide with the people I organise with. The justice lens was incredible and necessary and I will try my best to embed this in my work and encourage others to do the same. The facilitation and modelling one was actually one of the biggest learnings, just absolutely top quality.


Anonymous - COF 2021

The Community Organising Fellowship has single-handedly given me all the tools required to be a competent community organiser and campaign strategist. For anyone wanting to up their game in community organising, this is the course for you.


Anonymous - COF 2021

I have never before had a learning experience that is so carefully structured to ensure active participation at every stage, and which is so thorough and in-depth in the terrain it covers. Feel like I have a really thorough toolkit to help me through challenging situations, and really appreciated the justice lens that flowed through the whole course.

Anonymous - COF 2021

COF was a great boost for my organising skills and confidence. It provided practical resources, a breadth of perspectives, and many challenges to my thinking.

Anonymous - COF 2021

I was blown away by the sheer amount of fantastic content & resources! Loved the constant opportunities for interactive group work and reflection. Even though it all happened online, I was given ample opportunities to connect with the cohort, my mentor and the facilitators throughout the year and build what I hope are lasting relationships. Would thoroughly recommend this course for anyone wanting to build their confidence and skills in community organising.

Anonymous - COF 2021

I found this fellowship really insightful and useful for building on existing areas of knowledge. It definitely challenged me to put theory into practice. The cohort was wonderful - I feel really lucky to get to know and work with so many talented organisers. The content on first nations, racial and disability justice were really powerful and something all organisers and campaigners should think about.

Anonymous - COF 2021

The Community Organising Fellowship is the best indoctrination to make change that is deeply rooted in justice and solidarity.