Turning to one another
By Karen Stockmann - Community Advisor
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
― Margaret Mead
Participatory approaches are widely recognised as a highly successful way of getting the best out of people, gaining a greater understanding of a situation, and ensuring fair, equitable and sustainable outcomes. Meaningful participation means that people are provided the opportunity to express their views, influence decision-making and achieve change. Whether we are thinking about ourselves, our organisations, or our communities, enabling people to play an active and influential part in decisions which affect their lives is an important aspect of success. This means that people are not just listened to, but also heard, and that their voices shape outcomes.
“For generations, humans have organized themselves to get things done.
Human history unfolds when people come together to define their purpose, tell their stories, organize themselves and initiate action. In all cultures and in all times, leadership emerges from those who harness their passion with responsibility. Great ideas, inspired performance, and sustained activity follow.” – Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations That Matter
From the first Community Waikato conference in 2015, every event has dedicated time to Open Space.
Originally designed by Harrison Owen, Open Space Technology is a very successful participatory process to enable participants to engage deeply with topics of relevance and concern to them. The intention of open space is to create time and space for participants to engage with one-another, pose questions and share knowledge and experience around issues that are important to them. We know that some of the most valuable insights gained at conferences come from the connections and conversations we have with other participants and contributors between the planned keynotes and workshops.
While the agenda is participant-driven the process is supported by an overarching theme set by the organisers of the gathering and a facilitated structure to manage the time and space.
The overarching focus of Embrace the Challenge 2022 is "How can we enable ourselves, our communities and organisations to thrive in the changing environment- 2025 and beyond?"
Margaret Wheatley a leadership and management philosopher whose work I admire says that “everyone is an expert in their own experience” and that “people support what they create, engagement is a necessity”. This makes sense to me and resonates with my own experience. Feedback from our previous conferences reinforce the view that people want to connect, to share, inspire and be inspired, to be heard. For these reasons I have chosen to title this article after Margaret’s book ‘Turning to One Another’, an acknowledgement that the answers to the challenges we face will come from within us.