Writing about IIFAC’s 10th anniversary timeline caused me to think about how history happens. One thing is for sure -at least in my case- the outcome is always a surprise. Despite our periodic attempts to create an orderly strategic plan, set measurable goals and pursue specific results, IIFAC´s story has been wildly unpredictable.
Nevertheless, creating the timeline helped me identify some patterns that I suspect other change-oriented initiatives have experienced.
- Get passionate. Find something you truly care about.
- Create a circle. Invite others to join you. (Provide snacks)
- Combine learning and action. Study and discuss, but then get out there and DO. Reflect, incorporate the new learning and move on.
- Document. Take photos, make videos, save key documents and construct a common story.
- Persist. Stay alert to changing tides in the group and its surroundings, adapt as necessary, but keep going. Think journey, not destination.
So there you have my 5-step program for making history. Please note that I am not advocating an ego trip here. On the contrary, I am talking about putting your passion in the service of others and being curious about what happens next.
Does this match your experience of how change happens? Please share your thoughts.
Hi Bea, Again, congratulations on this milestone. Andrew and I were certainly there in spirit.
I belivee that what you are describing is an action learning cycle as we know it in Gaia U. Very powerful and something we all do, but usually not in such a conscious way. The only missing piece imo is the piece we added after several years of going around the action learning spiral which is the personal transformation piece. As we do this cycle we ourselves are changed and we can add this conscious transformation into the cycle so that our inquiry is not only about the project but about our own transformative action learning and unlearning on a personal level.
Much love to you and your team. We are back at Huehue after an exciting trip in Chile with Gaia U Latina on the storyboard for Sept 2013 launch. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
I like your 5 steps apart for the very last sentence: “Think Journey, not destination”
Somebody may think of the ultimate goal as a destination and that is a very good thing to keep in mind all the time.
But if you add your destination within a year or shorter that would be very fine.
Today discovered a publication which adds very important evidence from within traditional science to our PAR- Participatory Action Research in its wide sense —
S7039a Morten Skovdal, Marguerite Daniel. Resilience through participation and coping-enabling social environments: the case of HIV-affected children in sub-Saharan Africa. African Journal of AIDS Research, 11:3, 153-164
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2989/16085906.2012.734975
best regards truls