December 4, 2014 · 2:11 pm

Artesana Global Solidarity Retreat – Sept 16 – 18, 2014

Global Solidarity Retreat
with Sandra Moran, Artesana
September 26-28, 2014; ongoing solidarity into 2015 and beyond

summary report (pdf)  | full report (pdf)

Artesana-sign

The Artesana Global Solidarity Retreat, held Sept 26 – 28th on Gambier Island, provided an opportunity for people from the Lower mainland to explore issues related to international solidarity with feminist, artist and activist Sandra Moran from the Guatemalan women’s rights organization Artesana. Sandra is also the representative for the Americas for the World March of Women. The retreat was coordinated by CoDevelopment Canada.

A diverse group of 11 women gathered to build relationships between each other and Sandra, build understanding of the work of Artesana, deepen understanding of global solidarity, and make plans for how to work together over the next 6 months. We shared delicious meals and thoughts on solidarity, went swimming / kayaking, learned about Sandra’s work, played in the night-time phosphorescence, sang songs around a campfire – and made plans for ongoing work with Sandra Moran and Artesana.

For more background on Sandra Moran, see Sandra Moran and Artesana – background. For a copy of the participant application form, Global Solidarity Retreat – application package.

Retreat Goals

The following goals were established prior to the retreat by co-facilitators, in collaboration with staff at CoDevelopment Canada:

  • Build relationships between participants and Sandra Moran
  • Build understanding of and/or commitment to the work of Artesana
  • Deepen understanding of global solidarity in the current context
  • Make plans for how to work together for the next 6 months
  • Enjoy Gambier Island, in beautiful Howe Sound

Who participated?

There were a total of 11 people in attendance, ages 18 – 60+. Four of those participating were supporting the overall project: Sandra (co-facilitator), Kathi (Canadian contact and co-facilitator), Carmen (interpreter), and Mali (supporting facilitator). Participants were asked to contribute a fee.

The other seven participants were from a wide variety of backgrounds. Two were teaching at universities (Capilano and Vancouver Island university), one as a nurse in the downtown eastside. Two participants were students – one high school and one undergraduate – and one participant brought along her 1-year-old son. Participants, all living in British Columbia, came from Mayan, Guatemalan, Chilean, Scottish, Korean, and German heritage. All of the participants learned of the event through their networks: three through CoDev’s networks; two through Capilano’s Global Stewardship program; and one through Amnesty International’s listserv.

Group-photo

What happened?

Over the course of a 3-day retreat, the group had an opportunity to gather and share inspiration and energy. The weekend was woven together by opening and closing circles, including a candle ceremony lead by Sandra. At some point almost everyone took to the water – kayaking, canoing, or swimming.

The weekend began by coming to a collective understanding of ‘solidarity’ and understanding Sandra’s approach and work, and moved toward collective action, identifying solidarity directions and ideas that those in the room were willing to invest time into. By the end of the afternoon on Sunday, participants had come up with a long list of ways they aim to continue to work in solidarity. Some of those plans include meeting again as a group, building collaboration with women’s, planning fundraisers with the Vancouver Mayan community, setting up an art project exchange, and supporting Artesana’s research priorities in Guatemala.

Candles-morning Recording-hopes-retreat

Preliminary Learnings and Future Possibilities

Overall, it seems the structure and process of the weekend worked well – moving from big-picture visioning on Saturday into action-planning on Sunday. Some aspects of this retreat are unique to the context: a relationship of more than 20 years between Sandra and Kathi; Sandra’s strong English language ability, meaning interpretation needs were minimal; and multiple strong relationships between Sandra and solidarity work in British Columbia. In addition, Sandra and Kathi both have previous experience facilitating retreats.

The September 26-28 retreat was framed as building solidarity in a general sense with Sandra’s work, rather than supporting the work of any one organization. CoDevelopment Canada took the lead on making the solidarity retreat happen and has a 10-year relationship with Sandra and Artesana; other groups also connected include the Highlands United Church and BC CASA. The intention of the solidarity retreat is to build solidarity, and this retreat had three potential outcomes – solidarity directly through CoDev, through BC CASA, or independently of either group. As it turns out, all three of these avenues are being pursued by the current group. Finding a way to ensure participants are familiar with significant and existing solidarity work underway, as well as ways that participants can become involved in this work, is an important area of focus for the current group and for future solidarity retreats.

A future retreat may include both men and women, and may involve a more substantive presence from CoDev, or the organization involved, would be beneficial to participants and the organization.

While recognizing that the ongoing process of being in solidarity has just begun, this combination of a remarkable group of women, skilled facilitation, and an idyllic getaway made for a truly remarkable weekend. The ideas shared and relationships built are a foundation for ongoing solidarity not only in the months but in years to come.

For more background on Global Solidarity Retreats in general, see this page. If you have thoughts about the Artesana retreat, suggestions for future retreats, or just want to be in touch – email global.solidarity.retreat@gmail.com.

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July 29, 2014 · 12:16 pm

A British Settler

Harry Foote: A British Settler

He arrived on the dock with a single bag, leather clasp closed carefully. A cold wind blew raindrops onto his face and soaked the corners of his hair. Piled high in burlap-covered stacks was the precious cargo – a cast-iron stove, two stacks of wood, roofing tin. Mary had the box with his lunch, two slabs of bread and ham, an apple from the pantry polished and clean. Today was the big day, the journey day.

In the next year he planned to build a house, a home, a place to call his own, on a small island off the coast of BC. It had been one of his first purchases, a whim of a moment – arriving fresh from the prairies, crisp black top hat on head and cash in hand. Mr. Stubbins, an early contact, said “It’s practically free – a chance to really start fresh”. Small enough to walk across, large enough to feel like home. A few conversations later, Harry made the buy – 3 islands ‘up the coast’, with the promise of fresh soil, untilled land with a gentle rise and resident goats. Mary called it his pipe dream – an irrational purchase at a time when the children needed clothes for school and Cecil’s shoes barely fit anymore. But time passes, and things change – just over 15 years after purchase, it was time to finally build.

Harry Foote wasn’t the only BC resident to build a house in rural BC at the time. British Columbia – the ultimate Western paradise for those who chose, those who qualified, those escaping elsewhere. Up the coast in Sointula, a small group of Finnish coal miners had purchased land and set up a utopian commune. Further up the coast, the colony of Cape Scott, with a school house and dance hall. By comparison, Harry’s dream was small and rather private – just a small island, just a single home, a mere day’s journey up the coast.

Yet here’s the question: who was he to stand on the dock as if he owned it, board a ship for another peoples’ land? What gave this man the privilege to go from place to place with ease? By what right did he own land and build homes on the territory of others? After thousands of years of Indigenous care for this land, the story was disrupted by a young man with a utopian dream, a man who in his own way was settling his imagined frontier.

Who was he? An early settler with a funny name. Who was he? Yet another white settler in early BC. It’s British Columbia, a British settler colony, and this British man was my great-great grandfather. His act of settlement started my family’s story – and that is the story I’m beginning to tell.

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May 25, 2014 · 4:03 pm

Ideas: Part-time Changemakers

Having worked for years in the non-profit sector, I have seen community development professionals work hard with very limited resources. Now, as I transition to working within the post-secondary context, I meet more and more intelligent people who could have significant time and resources to provide to issues they care about. They ask good questions and are looking for authentic contribution and connection, not a mass-produced experience.

Options for being involved in community development part-time are limited. The most common ‘ask’ is for financial contributions, in a variety of forms. Many organizations suggest international or local volunteerism. There are a range of volunteerism opportunities – some as simple as manual labour, others focused on mentorship of clients/participants. What I do not see are ways for those interested in positive social change to build relationships with, learn from, and significantly support the work of community development professionals.

That’s where I’ve come to this idea what I’m (tentatively) calling “Part-time Changemakers”. It’s about articulating ways to connect those interested in positive change in the world with those who are doing this work full-time. The premise is that those who do community development work full-time have ideas, initiatives, and potential work that is currently not happening for lack of time, resources, or specific expertise. Those who want to contribute part-time can offer their skills, expertise, or networks for a defined period of time.

International Solidarity Retreats are a way to connect those interested in positive change in the world with those who are doing this work full-time. The journey starts with an ‘Launch’ –a getaway to the Gulf Islands, it’s a workshop on Bowen Island – that connects a group of people, an issue, and a full-time community development practitioner/leader. The weekend is a mixture of strategic planning, collective outdoor adventure, and social time. The focus, structure, and content of the Contribution Launch are co-created by a facilitator and project leader. More about those ideas here.

Mt Pleasant Drinks is a social evening with several purposes. The first is to bring together people who live in the same geographical neighbourhood for regular social gatherings, thus building a sense of neighborliness and connection. The second goal is to share ways that those gathering might be able to connect with project leader, and to begin to build relationships and connections with those people. The evening is primarily social – however, at one point in the evening there is an opportunity to say ‘cheers’ and gather briefly. An organization representative shares a bit about their current work and their ideas they’re interested in working on for the next Launch. After the event, someone follows up with those interested to set up further conversation or connection – primarily to see if participants are interested in the next Contribution Launch dates, and if so to determine whether they’re a good fit. Target audience for this event would be working professionals.

Although I first conceived of Mt Pleasant Mondays as a way to connect people to solidarity efforts, in the end the Mt Pleasant Monday idea has taken form as a community-building space, as shared in this post.

The Strategic Supporters of Change Series is designed for those who know they want to be involved in making change in a substantive way, but haven’t yet articulated what that looks like. Those who participate in this series may already be involved in local and/or international volunteering, charitable contributions, and support of the work of friends/relatives, but are looking to take a more thoughtful approach to their contributions. Participants ideally have an openness to learning, willingness to choose one or more areas of focus, and desire to take action. The ‘Strategic Supporters of Change’ series is designed to lead conversations about the following:

  1. Awareness of self: articulate goals (obvious and hidden), privilege (whiteness, gender, class), and resources (skills, time, money, networks) as a starting place for changemaking.
  2. Awareness of complexity: use a systems thinking approach to articulate what we know, ask questions, do further research, and then consider potential areas for influence and input.
  3. Changemaking Plan: For some people, the ‘plan for change’ may involve an Contribution Launch weekend; for others it may involve contribution of money, skill, time, or networks to places and projects where they already have connection.

The strategic supporters of change series could be offered as two full-day workshops (complete series), five evening sessions (complete series), or a single ‘taster’ workshop. Target audience for this would be retired or soon-to-retire baby boomers. The work on this idea has not yet begun, except through collaborative work to teach this course at the Vancouver School Board.

All of these ideas are emerging and evolving, as I find ways to blend my interest in international solidarity with my desire to facilitate and lead programs.

I am looking for those who have similar interest and willingness to be involved in articulating these ideas, designing sessions and curriculum to match, and leading the sessions in various venues.

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May 22, 2014 · 5:21 pm

Writing project: Family History + Travel + Decolonization

My name is Mali and you’ve asked me to share a bit about myself and why I’d like to participate in a Writing Intensive this summer. I have finished writing my masters’ thesis last fall, which took a decolonizing perspective on community-university engagement. As a part of that work I read the work of decolonizing authors, many of whom suggested that an important part of decolonizing work is beginning to explore personal, family, land-based connections to histories of colonization. As a result I’ve been asking more questions, learning more, and becoming intrigued by the ways that I now understand my own family history.
Very few of my family (except myself) acknowledge ‘settlement’ as a part of our family story, however through international travel and charitywe re-enact colonial benevolence through ‘charity’ initiatives which each of us collectively has tried to represent as solidarity. My own growing realization of the colonial underpinnings of this international work have come through my understanding of my own settler-colonial status here in Canada, and the horrific implications of colonial work (especially within education) on Indigenous people here. The learning curve of the past 2-3 years is something that I find challenging to share with my (very conservative, religious) family and with others, both conservative and mainstream, who say to me, ‘so are you still working in Kenya?’, or ‘when are you going back to Kenya?’. I want to have a way to share the complexity of being a settler-colonist working in a former British settler-colony (Kenya)… and I want to share that story through personal narrative.
My goal is write and share the piece that has been sitting inside me for some time now – a series of stories, or perhaps just one powerful piece, that weaves together a) my experiences with living in other countries (Thailand, Nigeria, and/or Kenya); b) my own family history (I have been researching my family’s history in Vancouver and on the BC coast back to 1890 – I helped my grandmother write her memoir; I have a few letters, bare facts, and a lot of questions); and c) a decolonizing perspective that asks questions about colonialism and my location here on unceded Coast Salish territory.

I’m not sure how the work will unfold or how I’ll  share this, but I want it to be accessible to those who might not have had exposure to decolonizing approaches, and I’d rather not write for a scholarly audience at this point.

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May 15, 2014 · 8:54 am

Building community in the city: “friend-family”, green leis, and Mt Pleasant Mondays

Crayon-drawing of connections.For some time I’ve been thinking about ways to connect more regularly with people that are important to me. In my ideal world connecting with community is a part of my home, a part of my routines, it’s natural, easy, and assumed. I’d love to say that it’s easier to see people, even when times are tough, than to not connect at all. When life is challenging, things aren’t all going the way I expect – I don’t want to have to reach out beyond the usual for additional supports. When I or those I love can’t see hope or joy, I want there to be natural communal networks that respond and provide support. Instead of calling on one friend, who then bears the brunt of my complaining/sadness/overwhelmed-ness, I’d like to have a community of people who can love me in my sickness/overwhelmedness.

I feel like I’ve experienced this kind of community at various points in my life – as a child in my own family, with the assortment of people who made up ‘2nd floor Tweeds’ in undergraduate residence, living in Smithers in a strawbale house, and as a teacher living in Kenya where individual rooms faced onto a collective courtyard. Now, as single professional in my 30s, I don’t have natural or easy ways to be a part of community. I have recently found myself living on my own, and am surprised by the ease with which I can be un-noticed and anonymous in and around my own home.

I’ve been thinking about community a lot, lately. And I’ve come up with a few different ways of building community into my life and my community. I know that I’m not alone in feeling disconnected and alone – the Vancouver Foundation apparently reported that 40% of Vancouverites feel isolated. And so I’m sharing these ideas in the hopes that they may spark similar initiatives. I’d love to see, years from now, a network of these circles in all of our communities. I’d love to have someone ask me, ‘do you have a friend-family?’ as if it were an assumed part of adult life.

One is “Mt Pleasant Monday” – a once-per-month gathering of people who live in Mt Pleasant. The idea is to gather collectively on the last Monday of the month to hang out, spend time socializing, connect with others in our neighbourhood.

Arising from that amazing conversation came a separate but related idea – “green lei culture”. Basically, we’ve distributed some green plastic ‘leis’. When any of us in the neighbourhood are home and welcoming spontaneous drop-by visitors, we put out the green lei on our doorknob, fencepost, or mailbox. It’s as easy as that – !

The third idea builds on the broader loose connections fostered by the above two and builds a deeper, personal connection. I’ve been recognizing how hard it is to consistently make plans with different people, from different parts of my life, and how easy it is for me to ‘just not see’ someone for several weeks or even months. I’d like to be a part of a circle that notices when I’m gone, even just for a week or two, and welcomes me back to the city. And so I like the idea of having a ‘friend-family’ – a group of 4-5 people who agree to gather once per week (or maybe every other week).

Last night was the beginning of a ‘friend-family’ gathering for me. I and three others cycled to Kits Point with food and wine, our first of what we hope will be weekly gatherings of this circle of beautiful people. These aren’t the only friends I have in my life, but they’re the most regular. We’ve committed to be there for each other collectively, and that somehow helps me feel more ‘at home’ here in the city.

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April 5, 2014 · 4:48 pm

Mali’s Thesis

As most of you know, a few months ago I defended my masters’ thesis. I’ve been meaning for some time to send out an email sharing the file & the link with people whom I respect and appreciate, and who in some way or another contributed to this thesis.

So – drumroll, please – here it is! http://circle.ubc.ca/handle/2429/45948. The strange thing about a thesis is that what is really an ongoing process of thinking, rethinking, and learning ends up getting pinned to a page and frozen in time. What’s in this thesis is just one rendition of my learning process.

I hope you enjoy the thesis. Below is the official abstract, and the Unofficial Readers’ Guide. Or, if you really want simplicity, ask for the by-request-only 10-page version.

Community-university engagement : case study of a partnership on Coast Salish territory in British Columbia

Abstract

In the context of expanding community engagement efforts by universities and growing awareness of the past and current impacts of settler-colonialism in Canada, this study explores one Indigenous-settler, community-university partnership. Building on a framework of community-university engagement and decolonization, or decolonizing community-university engagement, this case study explores a partnership between Fraser Valley Aboriginal Children and Family Services Society (Xyolhemeylh) and the Division of Health Care Communication at the University of British Columbia (UBC-DHCC). The ‘Community as Teacher’ program, which began in 2006 and is ongoing as of 2013, engages groups of UBC health professional students in 3-day cultural summer camps. The camps, designed to further connect Indigenous youth and families with their culture, were initiated by Stó:lō elders over 20 years ago. Xyolhemeylh staff coordinate the cultural camp program in collaboration with Stó:lō community groups. UBC-DHCC recruits UBC health professional students to participate in camps as part of the ‘Community as Teacher’ program.

This qualitative case study draws primarily on analysis of program documents and interviews with four Xyolhemeylh and three UBC-DHCC participants. The findings of this study are framed within ‘Four Rs’, building upon existing frameworks of Indigenous community-university engagement (Butin, 2010; Kirkness & Barnhardt, 1991). Building on a foundation of relevance to the mission of both partners, both partners undertook risk-taking, based on their respective contexts, in establishing and continuing to invest in the relationship. Respect, as expressed by working ‘in a good way’, formed the basis for interpersonal relationship-building. This study provides a potential framework for practitioners and has implications for the Community as Teacher partnership, funding structures, and Indigenous-university partnerships.

Unofficial Readers’ Guide to Mali’s Thesis

First of all, reading this thesis is not a requirement. If you’ve got lots on the go and won’t get to reading this anytime soon, don’t feel guilty – I can give you the ‘elevator pitch’ version in 3 minutes or less and you’ll be fine.

If you’re looking for ways that this work might affect the practice of community-university partnership, I hope that Chapters 4&5 might be of interest, some of the participant quotes are amazing but if there’s lots on your plate and you’re in a rush, check out Chapter 7. (and if things are really, really busy ask me for the 10-page version).

If your question is “so what did you find out”, and by that you mean what I learned about the case study, start with Chapter 1 to get a sense of how I’m framing this, then look through the headings, quotes, and colourful participant drawings in Chapters 4 and 5. The conclusion says a few interesting things as well.

If you’re looking for the juicy personal or self-reflexive bits, start with Chapter 1 – it includes some reflexive family history – and then read some of the stories shared in Chapter 2. You might want to then move to Chapter 7 to see what I found out from all this work, anyways.

If you’re looking for ideas for your own research, the stories and visual-coding process in Chapter 3 is an honest reflection of what I did and why. Chapter 2 might be useful if your research explores either community engagement or decolonization – I share some of my favourite authors and would be interested to connect with yours.

Finally, If you’ve gotten this far, I’m impressed by your persistence and anticipate you may not have needed the readers’ guide at all – enjoy your weekend, enjoy this and other reading, and be in touch. – MB

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January 10, 2014 · 4:16 pm

Non-profit facilitation

As a community builder, educator, and social entrepreneur, being involved in purpose-driven work in the non-profit sector brings me joy and life. In the past many years I have had the pleasure of working fairly closely with several non-profit organizations to design processes and/or facilitate. While my schedule is full, I aim to make space to support processes and initiatives that make the world a better place.

I have had the pleasure of working with and alongside staff of the following organizations:

If you’re looking for someone with a keen sense of social justice and experience in the non-profit sector, be in touch. If I’m not able to meet your need, I may be able to find others who are.

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March 25, 2012 · 4:41 pm

Port McNeill Connection

An important part of my recent thinking has been looking for ways to bring my international social justice work to a more local context. What better way to begin than by returning to my hometown…? I grew up in Port McNeill, BC – a logging town, population 3,000, on the northern end of Vancouver Island.

In the spring of 2012, I brought together a small group of people to travel to my hometown and try out a ‘service-learning’ approach to being involved there. Following is the poster I distributed as a part of recruitment for this experience:

A description of the basic details about the service-learning trip to Port McNeill, BC Feb 20-24, 2012.

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August 25, 2011 · 4:34 pm

Rafiki Link

Rafiki Link connects students in Kenya with students in North America through shared online experiences. As a high school teacher, I brought a group of 5 students from around the world to Kenya for a 2-week experience. Prior to their departure, the group made T-shirts and suggested the word Rafiki – which means ‘friend’ – as a name for the connection.

I arranged to take a 5-month leave of absence from my school, and during that time volunteered at three local high schools in Maai Mahiu, Kenya.  As I spent time with teachers and youth in Kenya, I was struck by the parallels in the experiences of both teachers and students. Though at the time I did not see the shared colonial roots that underpin those experiences, I did see the potential to bring students together and find ways for them to realise their common humanity.

Starting with a single laptop and three rural schools, the program grew to involve hundreds of youth in Maai Mahiu across North America. For more information about the initiative, see the history of Rafiki Link or the current website.

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