COLLABORATIVE PROJECT / VISION BUILDING
One of the main reasons I got into this work is my understanding that to create sustainable organisations, partnerships or projects we need the participation of as many diverse voices as are relevant.
This is the best way to ensure you are heading in the right direction in this unstable fast changing world, learning from the collective intelligence of your entire ecosystem.
There are many beautiful methodologies we can use for this, World Cafe or Open Space, for example.
I spent the summer of 2016 volunteering with Together for Better days in the Elpida Home Refugee camp. After a few months on the ground, supported by great facilitator friends and teachers we held a large group event - The Elpida Forum. Hosting 100 camp residents in conversation about their skills & talents, and how together we can make their living environment better.
Maya designed, discussed and developed the Community Forum to bring residents together to discuss how they could contribute to Elpida and their lives there.
Although she spearheaded this creative opportunity, Maya took time to gather the inputs from different stakeholders to develop a forum that would be constructive and appropriate to the place where Elpida, and its residents, were at during that time.
—Elizabeth Seeman, Chief Administrative Officer Elpida Home 2016