I had a deep sense of regret when I didn't get to attend the Storytellers' Foundation session on Tuesday morning. So today I decided I needed to find and meet Anne Docherty from Storytellers'. Thanks to Scott Graham who "closed the triangle" or "finished weaving the network" (from Barb McMillan's "Thinking Like a Network session") and introduced us. I believe it was this meeting that I had my biggest "a-ha" moment. Anne quickly provided me materials that Storytellers' had produced on food and food citizenship in Hazelton, BC. I hope to attend the Learning 4 a Change Workshop at the end of June about citizen engagement held at the Sunset COmmunity Centre in Vancouver. BUt do you think I could just be Storytellers' Foundation international spokesperson? THis is by far the most intercultural approach I have seen and heard of in a long time!
Guppy Ahluwalia-Lopez
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Learning Experience
I think this was a good opportunity for facilitators and atendees alike to learn something.
Facilitation, doesn't come just from knowledge but from people as well. It is incredibly important that facilitators are willing to bend their program slightly and read the audience.
If facilitators are ridgid on presentation or not great time keepers it can lead to a waste of not only the facilitators times but the attendees.
If people are leaving the workshop in great waves, that is a sure indication you are not engaging your audience. Change it up.
I have really enjoyed my time here, and every experience is a learning experience.
Facilitation, doesn't come just from knowledge but from people as well. It is incredibly important that facilitators are willing to bend their program slightly and read the audience.
If facilitators are ridgid on presentation or not great time keepers it can lead to a waste of not only the facilitators times but the attendees.
If people are leaving the workshop in great waves, that is a sure indication you are not engaging your audience. Change it up.
I have really enjoyed my time here, and every experience is a learning experience.
BC Bereavement Helpline
Thank you for the opportunity to share the "grief" story with others who have their own stories about their concerns, needs, beliefs and experiences.
Processing grief is all about telling one's grief story. It is healing, empowering, self-acknowledging but, at the same time, takes courage and a willingness to be vulnerable and exposed.
It is also about being acknowledged and finding others who feel the same so that one does not feel isolated or alone in their sorrow.
This conference brings that sense of connectedness to me as a representative of the Bereavement Helpline.
I feel empowered to continue the work of raising awareness that "Bereavement Support is an Essential Service". Everyone will be bereaved at some point in their life and, as they age, their bereaved experiences will increase in number. Learning to confront, acknowledge, accept and process one's grief is a pro-active, empowering lesson.
If you or someone you know is grieving a loss from death of a loved one, please don't suffer in silence. There is support in your community and we can help you find it. Just call the Bereavement Helpline at 604-738-9950 or 1-877-779-2223 and you will be anonymously connected to support in your community.
Take care and keep telling your story, whatever it is! You will be helping yourself and others who either share your story or who are enlightened by it.
Processing grief is all about telling one's grief story. It is healing, empowering, self-acknowledging but, at the same time, takes courage and a willingness to be vulnerable and exposed.
It is also about being acknowledged and finding others who feel the same so that one does not feel isolated or alone in their sorrow.
This conference brings that sense of connectedness to me as a representative of the Bereavement Helpline.
I feel empowered to continue the work of raising awareness that "Bereavement Support is an Essential Service". Everyone will be bereaved at some point in their life and, as they age, their bereaved experiences will increase in number. Learning to confront, acknowledge, accept and process one's grief is a pro-active, empowering lesson.
If you or someone you know is grieving a loss from death of a loved one, please don't suffer in silence. There is support in your community and we can help you find it. Just call the Bereavement Helpline at 604-738-9950 or 1-877-779-2223 and you will be anonymously connected to support in your community.
Take care and keep telling your story, whatever it is! You will be helping yourself and others who either share your story or who are enlightened by it.
Community Development on a Federal Reserve
A challenging vision in developing a successful and healthy community on a federal reserve. Many obstacles to overcome but can be done in small steps at a time. Involves including all groups of the community and developing a comprehensive community planning, drawing a community map. This conference has been an inspiration for me, meeting different people in different areas of work, all focussed on the same vision, developing greater communities. We can work together and share ideas and assist each other in meeting and accomplishing our visions. Thank you SPARC for bringing me here and introducing me to many great minds!
Lena Hink
Band Manager
Yunesit'in Government
Chilcotin
Lena Hink
Band Manager
Yunesit'in Government
Chilcotin
Refresh
New perspectives, new ideas, new connections, new solutions = collaboration, inspiration, innovation = positive change
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Thoughts on a Wednesday morning...
I am listening to two speakers talk about the need to connect with each other not from our heads, but from our hearts. The premise behind this is that talking from the place of emotions is where authentic dialogue happens.
I am wondering why are we still talking about doing this, having this conversation, and not ACTUALLY doing it? Where is the learning by doing? Why are we still learning by listening? It seems to me that an opportunity is being missed to get people to experience what their topic is about.
I am wondering why are we still talking about doing this, having this conversation, and not ACTUALLY doing it? Where is the learning by doing? Why are we still learning by listening? It seems to me that an opportunity is being missed to get people to experience what their topic is about.
New Experiences
I have always wanted to drum, so when the conference offered a drumming workshop, I went. The instructor is very gifted and organized getting the crowd to beat a drum together and changing the beat with another group. Sometimes it was hard for me to remember my beat getting distracted, but the whole beat of the group was so awesome! It was a spiritual experience for me and left the workshop with a big smile. I also attended the theatrical workshop and stepped out of my comfort zone to act in front of the group. Was very intimidating and felt vulnerable, but I was told I did well. Instructor also said he saw the hunter in me, which was surprising. We were acting out a conflict situation and trying to resolve it. Possibly, I acted like a hunter (lol) because I was feeling unsafe??? It was an interesting experience and will keep that in my future folder tool in my capacity as a manager.
Lena Hink
Lena Hink
Conversations about First Nations community engagement
In the Tuesday morning session on process and partnership in Aboriginal community development, a passsionate discussion took place. Session participants, Aboriginal and non-aboriginal, from across the province offered their experiences and posed their questions to three young men personally and professionally invested in Aboriginal social and economic development - or more accurately the health of the individual and the health of the community. Ranging from conversations on alternative energy projects in rural BC reserves to straightforward ideas on motivating and sustaining grass roots community development, the session was an exciting misture of first hand experience and examples and philosophical consideration of the future of economic development in Aboriginal communities - both urban and rural.
What great people
This is day one and i have met the most fabulous people. I am 10 years into my career and have never been in a room before with such amazing and inspiring people.
I thank you for this opportunity and ability to be here and engaged with these people.
I thank you for this opportunity and ability to be here and engaged with these people.
Did you know?
Know your medicare rights! See www.bchealthcoalition.ca and learn more, share widely and get involved to improve federal transfer payments, retain the quality staff and services, NOT pay for covalescent care EXTRA. How will the allocation of of beds for medical tourism impact on your area? Speak up to elected representatives, health authority bodies and bureaucrats. Advocate for yourself and community.
Thanks
Thanks
Inspiration in unexpected places.
Okay, I will start by telling the truth. I REALLY wanted to go to the drumming workshop this morning but on the principle you "dance with the one who brung you" I went to the Policy Workshop instead. I arrived vaguely depressed, promptly spilled coffee on the floor - barely missing the computer set up with the speakers' powerpoints and settled in feeling somewhat sad and hoping my employer recognised the sacrifices I make.
Imagine my surprise to find the speakers compelling and informative, the topic brought alive and seeing the potential for engaging policy in a very real way emerging. The material and the ideas came from clearly skilled and experienced speakers who were alert to and responsive to the issues and interests in the audience. The ideas and concepts were clearly well grounded. The political and reality based astuteness of questions and answers was exciting. I walked away with an idea for a "Plinko" based tool that could help groups figure out what kind of policy, and what policy level, they would need to include in their action planning; a fun way to ensure policy issues are not left out of our work. This is based on the fact that for most of us policy is such a scary, mysterious thing that most of us run from it.
After the session, walking out I thought about the lessons: not making assumptions, being open to what is in the room, all those commandments of our community based work, that I had so blithely broken on my way in. Just goes to show, you never know what's in the room, until you are in the room.
Imagine my surprise to find the speakers compelling and informative, the topic brought alive and seeing the potential for engaging policy in a very real way emerging. The material and the ideas came from clearly skilled and experienced speakers who were alert to and responsive to the issues and interests in the audience. The ideas and concepts were clearly well grounded. The political and reality based astuteness of questions and answers was exciting. I walked away with an idea for a "Plinko" based tool that could help groups figure out what kind of policy, and what policy level, they would need to include in their action planning; a fun way to ensure policy issues are not left out of our work. This is based on the fact that for most of us policy is such a scary, mysterious thing that most of us run from it.
After the session, walking out I thought about the lessons: not making assumptions, being open to what is in the room, all those commandments of our community based work, that I had so blithely broken on my way in. Just goes to show, you never know what's in the room, until you are in the room.
Engaging your Community on Climate Change
Climate change is a complex issue. In BC, provincial legislation has mandated greenhouse gas emission reductions in all communities in BC and to do this a collective approach to community engagement is crucial. Local governments, industry, and civil society all need to contribute to cross sectoral solutions. Community engagement means activating citizen's to explore their values and worldviews and identifying both individual and collective action.
BC Healthy Communities uses an Integral Map to increase civic engagement to manage the complexities of climate change for communites in BC.
BC Healthy Communities uses an Integral Map to increase civic engagement to manage the complexities of climate change for communites in BC.
Singing Community Style
Behind me a group is singing an African sunrise song as a closing to a session on singing and open choirs as opportunities for community transformation.
Pretty cool stuff.
We met the leader of this workshop in the coffee shop - amzaing person and hopefully will be able o come into our community at a laer date - networking - it can be 'just the beginning'
Pretty cool stuff.
We met the leader of this workshop in the coffee shop - amzaing person and hopefully will be able o come into our community at a laer date - networking - it can be 'just the beginning'
drumming for community
I was just part of a drum circle, amazing - connecting, listening, responding, leading, following, beats within beats - healing
and someone asked "are we allowed to have fun/laugh", this is a serious conference
and
"how did you get the funds for these drums"
and I laughed
How come it is/we are so serious?
Community needs fun/laughter and of course serious cash.
and someone asked "are we allowed to have fun/laugh", this is a serious conference
and
"how did you get the funds for these drums"
and I laughed
How come it is/we are so serious?
Community needs fun/laughter and of course serious cash.
Learning4aChange
These are the notes of a newbie, or someone with less on-the-ground experience as the attendees here, so it may not be a complete perspective but here goes:
I am an internet professional and a volunteer-at-large with an interest in raising awareness of mental health and the stigma related to it in the South Asian community. On July 10th at UBC, Isabella Mori and Dr. Raul Pacheco-Vega are organizing a Mental Health Camp, which is a community-driven conference focused on the theme of "silence." Taking inspiration from that, and from personal experiences, I would like to collaborate with people in the South Asian community to organize a similar conference to bring together people to have important discussions on how we can learn, empower, collaborate and change.
The workshop I just attended was called Learning4aChange, facilitated by Anne Docherty from the Storytellers' Foundation. The discussion focused on the role that learning plays in helping people change. The issue at hand is that community development organizations view themselves as agencies that provide services but not as organizers of change and this has caused tension about what role community developers play.
The workshop attendees were divided into groups to discuss and contemplate on four issues:
I am an internet professional and a volunteer-at-large with an interest in raising awareness of mental health and the stigma related to it in the South Asian community. On July 10th at UBC, Isabella Mori and Dr. Raul Pacheco-Vega are organizing a Mental Health Camp, which is a community-driven conference focused on the theme of "silence." Taking inspiration from that, and from personal experiences, I would like to collaborate with people in the South Asian community to organize a similar conference to bring together people to have important discussions on how we can learn, empower, collaborate and change.
The workshop I just attended was called Learning4aChange, facilitated by Anne Docherty from the Storytellers' Foundation. The discussion focused on the role that learning plays in helping people change. The issue at hand is that community development organizations view themselves as agencies that provide services but not as organizers of change and this has caused tension about what role community developers play.
The workshop attendees were divided into groups to discuss and contemplate on four issues:
- Learning is not valued in community development organizations. As soon as things get busy in providing services, learning stops.
- Without a change framework, community development organizations are too busy reacting to symptons and not solving the root causes.
- Community development organizations see themselves as service providers rather than as agents of change. There is a persistent focus on the funding and the mandate rather than the actual needs of the community.
- Charity is still the main model of community development organizations. Agencies are still working for people rather than working with people to empower/collaborate.
Some quotes (paraphrased) that stood out for me were also:
- "Providing services without learning, reflection & framework for change is helping people live with injustice, not to overcome it."
- "In community development efforts, in order for learning to be truly valued, it needs to be an explicit, consistent part of the process."
- "The way community developers work often is keep our heads down, doing good work, keeping our jobs but not looking up to see how change could be created."
- (The Learning4aChange website was showcased and the workshop attendees praised the effort of sharing the resoures in an open way) to which the response was "At the end of the day our goal is to create social change and we can't accomplish that without sharing."
- "You own not the work you do but how you do it, and how the Learning4Change project is working is commendable."
I am still digesting all the great insights from this workshop and trying to understand how they can be applied to my goals and my volunteer work. Hopefully they provide inspiration for you!
-kulpreet singh
Website: www.kulpreetsingh.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kulpreetsingh
Day 1 off to a bang - on the drum!
What else makes the start of a conference great than a rousing drum circle! The Community Developers' Conference launched this morning, Tuesday May 18th, and we are off to a day full of energizing and engaging workshops. It is so great to be part of a conference that is focused on positive futures for communities that is definitely not just rhetoric - the people here are part of the real work that takes place in communities, and are eager to learn more practical tools to help them do their jobs even better.
Fun! Fun! Fun!
I love that I'm at a conference where art and music are recognized as legitimate forms of engagement!! Way to go SPARC and the Canadian Cancer Society!
Welcome!
Welcome to the 2010 Community Developers Conference brought to you by the Community Capacity Building Strategy, led by the Canadian Cancer Society, the Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC) and the Community Development Consortium!
Blogging is a great way to tell your story and share your experiences...and it's not as complicated as it may seem ;)
Please take a moment to create your own blog post...it could be a sentence, a story, a word...anything that resonates with you as a community developer and speaks to your experience at the conference.
Let the words flow!
Natasha Raey :)
nraey@bc.cancer.ca
Blogging is a great way to tell your story and share your experiences...and it's not as complicated as it may seem ;)
Please take a moment to create your own blog post...it could be a sentence, a story, a word...anything that resonates with you as a community developer and speaks to your experience at the conference.
Let the words flow!
Natasha Raey :)
nraey@bc.cancer.ca
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