Week #2 Response

The Prompt...
"Aboriginal knowledge is not a description of reality but an understanding of the processes of ecological change and ever-changing insights about diverse patterns or styles of flux. . . To see things as permanent is to be confused about everything: an alternative to that understanding is the need to create temporary harmonies of interdependence through alliances and relationships among all forms and forces. This web of interdependence is a never-ending source of wonder. . . " (264)

James Youngblood Henderson
Chickasaw/Bear Clan and Cheyenne of Oklahoma
From Marie Batiste's Reclaiming Indigenous voice and vision (2000)
Vancouver: UBC Press

My response....
As I prepare for this coming week, this quote is affirming and very pertinent. Every other year the Foundation I work for brings together nonprofit professionals from across rural downstate Illinois to meet each other, learn together…and hopefully build relationships for future work. This year (actually from Thursday on) marks a shift in this work as we will be launching an online community and virtual resource center to support these relationships and sharing (www.goodworksconnect.org). So the conference itself is designed with open group processes (www.conversationcafe.org and www.opensource.org) to make it very participant-centered. What I find fascinating about inclusive group processes and social media alike is that they even the power playing field and give everyone a voice and importance. Everyone has a stake in the outcome and the work is only as good as what each person contributes.

Henderson’s quote also evokes for me an important reminder of how these patterns/harmonies are always evolving or temporary. As a colleague Mike Green would share, “What works in one community; works in one community.” Each community or situation has its place in time and what works at one time will not always work. This is critical for the aforementioned projects as well as any change process. It also means that anyone leading change must be very aware of these evolutions and open to change to embrace them.

Social media is a phenomenal example of this flexibility and nimbleness, as it is not led by one person but by the “community.” Everyone has shared access to people and information and the quality of the information is affirmed by the number of people who “follow” that person or re-share (retweet) that information. As I enter this week, my intention is to hold these relationships and the opportunities I have to cultivate them as the “source of wonder” that they truly are.