
A portion of the visual capture of the first lead-up call to the CanWaCH AGM. See the full image here. (Illustration by Jocasta Boone)
In their ongoing quest to improve the lives of women and children in the world’s poorest countries, the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) is shaping its Annual General Meeting in a potentially powerful new way.
A series of unique dialogue experiences hosted by the Resonance Centre for Social Evolution will offer AGM attendees clear, distinctive paths for connecting and collaborating at a deeply meaningful level.
“We’re setting the stage for this to be a really collaborative, interactive event.” — Andy Cragg |
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“We’re setting the stage for this to be a really collaborative, interactive event,” says Andy Cragg, CanWaCH Manager of Knowledge Exchange.
Andy imagines a visible shift in people’s faces and body language as they realize, hopefully early on, that this gathering offers an opportunity to open up around what deeply motivates and matters most to them.
“I know a lot of passion drives the work in our sector; people are committed to the causes they are trying to address through their work,” Andy says.
A group of about 20 CanWaCH partners had the opportunity to experience in a small way how this year’s AGM will be different in a lead-up call on Oct. 4.
Resonance Centre for Social Evolution co-director Peter Pula, who will also be hosting the AGM, guided participants through a dialogue pathway he referred to as “the triad.” The process is designed to bring into sharp focus both one’s own desires and intentions as well as to hear the perspectives and intentions of others.
While everyone followed the same pathway, each person’s experience of it was unique. Some expressed discomfort, while others indicated the very opposite.
What was certainly common to the entire group was a stirring of energy. An excitement and hopefulness about what might be possible through new forms of engagement was also expressed.
“I’m quite intrigued,” one participant noted. “A lot of my questions have been answered, which is good, which makes me look forward to it. There is no doubt it will work, it will work fantastically well, but what that fantastically well looks like, we will see.”
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Click for larger image. (Illustration by Jocasta Boone) |
“I’m leaving feeling very excited,” another participant said as the call closed. “It looks like there will be lots of opportunities for great collaboration.”
This year’s AGM will be structured entirely on distinctive engagement patterns, as developed and practiced in hundreds of settings by the Resonance Centre for Social Evolution.
Peter speaks about the anxiety that can arise, not only because the patterns are new, but also because they are founded on an expansive openness to what is present and what “wants to happen” based on what is energizing people in the room.
“We pose these very provocative questions to drop you down into your deep intention as well as your presence to others,” Peter says.
“You’re going to discover people, you’re going to discover yourself, you’re going to find yourself saying things you never even thought before.
“So you will have a very exciting experience of seeing people and yourself in new ways.
“And then as the day unfolds, we have processes for essentially building the conference agenda on the floor, so that everything that anybody wants to discover or discuss or even projects they want to begin has a process and the space to do it.”
“It can sound absolutely terrifying,” Peter adds. “But magic is that way.”
To learn more and register for the Nov. 1 AGM, click this link.