This post was originally published on the Young Feminist Wire here.

I spent the last weekend at an inspiring feminist retreat here in Lebanon where a group of 15 young feminists got together to evaluate and strategize their collective work. The group was diverse in its age range from early 20s to early 30s, in its level of expertise from experienced activists to newcomers, and also in its activism strategies from community workers to writers and researchers. It was, therefore, important for us to ensure that everyone had an equal space to express their views.

Besides planning our work for the next six months, we also really wanted to revitalize our energies and rekindle our team spirit because, like all groups, we were going through a bit of a rough patch in working together. And so one of our members suggested an idea that was brilliant in doing just that and I thought I would share it with all of you and highly recommend that you use it in your meetings or retreats. The activity is called Rounds of Appreciation, and here’s how it went.

At the end of every panel, we all took turns appreciating every speaker. In a few sentences, we each expressed what we value most about that person, be it her work or her personality, showing gratitude for all the great things she brings into our lives. It was a surprise to all of us just how much we were grateful for in each other. And to all of us, being appreciated meant so much more than any reward or compensation. We forget, often, as we go through our busy days, trying hard to hand in that article on time, or make it to that meeting, or follow up on that project, or respond to that sexist song, to stop and say thank you to each other. And so it was extremely touching and important to hear – especially from people who are our friends and fellow feminists – those words: I appreciate you.

It led to an amazingly positive retreat and framed all debates and discussions in a loving environment that has spilled over to the dozens of other members of our feminist community. Try it! And let us know how it goes. Also, feel free to share your own activist tools and strategies on the Wire so that we can learn best practices from each other.