IDEAS, NEWS AND RESOURCES | August 2021
|
|
The Taos Institute's mission is to bring together scholars and practitioners concerned with the social processes essential for the construction of reason, knowledge, and human value, and their application in relational, collaborative and appreciative practices around the world. |
|
The Many Ways to Get Involved! |
|
Brief Encounter with The Taos Institute |
|
"Most impressive was the work’s illustration and commitment to a better world through social, political, and cultural change."
|
"The Congress and its participants demonstrated the courage to challenge professional rules and principles by offering human-centric alternatives..." |
|
This online Congress was by and for participants with workshops organized and facilitated by 17 ICCP Program directors, faculty, and learners from around the world. They crafted a space for the inclusion, connection, and visibility of the voices of those they serve and for Congress participants.
The organization of the Congress reflected an ICCP value: local autonomy and inclusion. We were challenged to create a space and process for participants from multiple countries, cultures, and languages, I was impressed by the workshops I attended and their broad range of practices across contexts, cultures, and languages: education, organization and community development, therapy, and research. Most impressive was the work’s illustration and commitment to a better world through social, political, and cultural change. The Congress began and paused with plenaries by Harlene Anderson, Kenneth Gergen, Sheila McNamee, and Jaakko Seikkula with three weeks of daily workshops between the plenaries. Below, I spotlight a few:
Shanghai’s ICCP members presented creative work with children and mothers and their use of a variety of media and locations to connect with community members, showcasing their voices, and recognizing each person’s value.
The Peruvians shared their work with street children, highlighting children’s voices: a six-year-old said to politicians “Better to work than to eat from the trash;” a 10-year-old spoke in a government assembly hall which could be quite intimidating to anyone much less a child. He didn’t falter as he spoke. He asked the politicians, “close your eyes and listen.” Then noticing how they all suspiciously looked around, he said, “We won’t steal from you. I want you to imagine being a child alone in the streets, cold, and hungry. Imagine if you were put in an institution as a child and stayed there until you were 18 years old and never again saw your parents or family.” A small girl said, “There is no tomorrow for us, we can only live for today…we have to be careful of adults because they only want to abuse children.”
A psychologist in Taipei shared how he navigates the challenges of the medical and the political systems from a disadvantaged position and what it is like to be discounted and rarely understood by those system members.
A Taipei university professor described how she creates a collaborative learning community with her students.
A team in Mexico City invited a construction company owner to tell how he successfully built his business on collaborative principals and moved from a focus on business relationships to a focus on human relationships. He illustrated and highlighted the importance of taking care of his employees and employees taking care of each other, and of creating good relationships with all the stakeholders in the communities he builds in.
The Norway ICCP presented a dialogical research process and its hopeful findings: Towards reconciliation after experience of violence – inviting silent, embodied knowledge for joint exploration of addressed concerns.
The collaboration between a Kanankil Institute team in Mexico and leaders in government organizations in Ecuador illustrated their work with the words of a man in an important child protection policy position who talked about institutional and community change and how he encouraged people to support change. He concluded with words his mother always told him, “It’s now or never.”
Collectively, ICCP2021 Congress highlighted how institutional power invites discursive power, both within our ICCP community and in the broader network of dialogic and relational practices. The Congress and its participants demonstrated the courage to challenge professional rules and principles by offering human-centric alternatives for us and for those we meet in our daily work and our personal lives.
I am often asked why collaborative-dialogic practice does not take a political position. I am surprised and not surprised by this question. I ask, “How could it not be a political, social, and ethical position?” All are inherent and cannot not be as we seek ways of being and becoming more human with each other.
In the opening plenary, Jaakko Seikkula said he was glad I did not ask him about the differences between Open Dialogue and Collaborative-Dialogic practice. Differences are merely perspectives, interpretations, and punctuations. What is important is how we are in a unique and powerful position in which singularly and collectively we can make a difference in our world.
We are collectors of grains of sand, creating a beach, and as the water flows over it the grains of sand are reposited and a new beach emerges. I am hopeful that we are creating a better world, one day, one occasion, one drop of sand at a time. It’s now or never.
For more information on the ICCP, see Featured Organization below.
|
|
Professional Development Opportunities |
|
October 4 - November 8, 2021
A 6-Week Online Course with
Relational theory now provides cutting edge ideas relevant to practices across the professions. The major theoretical shift is from the traditional focus on individuals to the relational processes that are co-produced. This 6-week online course introduces common premises and orienting ideas central to relational theory. The course consists of six modules with online conference meetings, readings, videos and online dialogues.
Participants also explore Ken Gergen's book, Relational Being: Beyond Self and Community, which gives voice to the critique of individualism, but also develops and illustrates a far more radical and potentially exciting landscape of relational thought and practice that now exists.
|
|
|
|
|
The East Side Institute Presents
Sept 25 - Oct 16, 2021 - Virtual events over four weekends
A global gathering of “performance activists” who are exploring the power of performance and play to re-imagine the world and creatively engage social problems, educate, heal and activate others, with the intent to bring new social, cultural, psychological and political possibilities into existence.
|
|
|
|
A Virtual Conference to Explore Shaping the Future of Education
November 4 - 6, 2021
10:00 am - 2:00 pm EST
|
|
|
|
Education as Relating… The world is ready…the future is at hand… for replacing assembly-line classrooms with the vitalizing powers of relating. The directions are clear: from standardization to dialogue, from control to co-creation, and from regimentation to collaboration. Here lie the wellsprings of creativity, caring, and curiosity. Here we prepare for a global future in which inclusion, innovation, and improvisation are essential for a world in harmony. Come join in this virtual conference designed for sharing and exploring practices, experiences, and inspirations in all aspects of education – within classrooms, communities, and outward to the circling globe. Come join in shaping the future of education. |
|
Register as a Participant
This event is for anyone interested in moving beyond the industrial model of education and towards Education as Relating! Join us for three days of interactive and stimulating conversations and presentations about how Education as Relating is important for the future of educating our youth around the world. Registration includes plenary sessions, many concurrent sessions to choose from on a variety of topics, small group discussions, and an opportunity to host your own dialogue. Participants get access to a dedicated conference website, lots of resources, and are sure to form deep and lasting connections with inspiring community.
|
Register by September 15 for best rates! |
|
Share your Story as a Presenter/Facilitator
Share your own practices, experiences, and inspirations in all aspects of education – within schools, classrooms, and communities, and at all levels (including primary and secondary). Invite a young person to join you in your session.
Ways to contribute: Choose from a 30 or 60-minute learning showcases, engaging 15-minute presentations, or hosted dialogues on the topic of your choice. We invite students, educators, administrators, policy makers and community members to share their stories in informal presentations and generative conversations.
|
Proposals deadline: September 15, 2021 |
|
|
Relational Research Network News |
|
The Relational Research Network is an international network of students, researchers and practitioners interested in exploring research from a relational perspective. In these video interviews, we hear from people working with dialogic, collaborative, appreciative and relational processes - both in English and Spanish. To see the entire video series, visit www.taosinstitute.net/relational-research-network. |
|
|
|
Creating possibilities where none seemed to exist before.
Co-sponsored by the Houston Galveston Institute and the Taos Institute, ICCP brings together professionals from around the world and across disciplines to learn about collaborative-dialogue and postmodern/social construction practices. Its stances challenges expert/non-expert dichotomies and invites partnerships to generate new pathways. In addition to online and in person course work offered by partners in over a dozen countries, ICCP hosts global conferences and publishes the International Journal of of Collaborative Practices.
|
|
|
|
A TED talk with with Molly Wright, in collaboration with Minderoo Foundation
One of the youngest TED Talk speakers ever, Molly Wright gives a moving performance highlighting the simple ways anyone can help children's healthy brain development. Connecting, playing, and talking are foundations to a life of learning and thriving. How to nurture these practices in education is the theme of the Taos Institute's Education as Relating virtual conference coming this fall.
|
|
 |
ISSUE 11 Available Now!
This free journal brings together members of a growing international community of practitioners, scholars, educators, researchers, and consultants interested in postmodern collaborative practices.
|
|
|
|
FREE downloadable books in 12 different languages. Like all of the Taos Institute Publications, WorldShare Books represent significant contributions relevant to social constructionist theory and practice. With over 30 books in English and many more from around the world, you will enjoy reading about education, spirituality, organizational life, community building, group dynamics, leadership and more.
|
|
|
|
|
By focusing on the positive aspects of aging and the availability of resources, skills, and resiliencies, research brings useful insights into the realm of practice, creates hope and empowers action among older people. By moving beyond practices of repair and prevention, to emphasize growth-enhancing activities, practitioners also contribute more effectively to the societal reconstruction of aging. For 20 years, late Taos Institute co-founder Mary Gergen, Ph.D. has inspired and driven the publication of this free newsletter - also translated in 9 languages!
|
|
|
|
Access hundreds of articles and papers on topics such as:
- Appreciative Inquiry
- Collaborative Practices
- Dialogic Practices
- Creativity and Change
- Narrative Practices
- Relational Research
- Relational Learning
- Qualitative Research
- and so much more!
|
|
|
|
|
Donate to the Taos Institute
In the current global context, the work in which we engage is more important than ever. You can make a difference by supporting our mission to create a promising future through social construction. Read more
|
Also choose The Taos Institute on Amazon: |
|
|
|
In loving memory of Taos Institute co-founder and board member Mary Gergen, Ph.D.. Mary was an innovator in feminist theory, social constructionism, and qualitative methods. She was an inspiration and mentor to thousands of people around the world. She deeply cared about making the world a better place and her contributions will be felt for generations. Read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
