Photos!
Here, starting to write out notes from the event:
Part of Melbourne Place Making Series
http://www.melbourneplacemakingseries.com.au/program/lead-up-events/community-sector-events/
August 17: Workshop Event
This workshop is designed to assist participants to really explore questions regarding Place, Place Value and the challenges and opportunities to deliver accessible, resilient, vibrant and sustainable places. How do we deeply engage, and how do we more from consultation to collaboration? The intention is to allow the wisdom of the group to evolve knowledge and ideas in a transformative and collaborative way. The workshop will contribute directly to the conference in October.
Guest Speaker:
o Glen Ochre – Director of Groupwork Institute of Australia – one of Australia’s leading engagement experts.
Participation is limited to 100.
DATE Tuesday 17th August
TIME 8.30am – 1.00pm
VENUE BMW Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne
COST $75.00 – includes refreshments and a summarising discussion paper
Glen Ochre speaks about ‘Transformative Practice’
- Do not have outcomes in mind
- What is ‘collaboration’?
- Often it is carried out too little too late, becoming tokenistic. It is better to inform rather than pretend
- Problems associated with backward fears between ‘community’ / ‘authority’
o Why involve them? – and thinking ‘because we have to’
- The dreaded public meeting – avoid!
o in the past manipulated communities, will ‘never again’
- We don’t value facilitation yet – therefore we often get unskilled or low quality facilitators
- Public meetings are seen as a democratic right
o If people get something out (expression) then they often sit down, this can be useful
- to achieve transformative outcomes one must
o believe it is possible
o need a high level of facilitation
(storytelling) – a town wanted to fight for/against traffic lights, one person ‘lost’ the negotiation but the next day said it was OK ‘it was a good process’ and therefore they accepted the decision’
Question: What do you need to do?
o trust the community
o change yourself
o all need to be informed
o accept imperfect and plural views/outcomes
o hope
o change statutory limitations
- Trust
o = experience x time
o need to take risks
- Standards / ethics – never do tokenism, it damages
1. Start early
2. Have the community own issues
3. Incorporate the community in the generation of solutions
4. Ensure participation in implementation
(storytelling) The bad experience
We implemented a good working process but nothing happened in the end. There was no follow through from those in power.
5. Regular and ongoing participation
o make clear constraints
o “all of us are smarter than any of us”
therefore, facilitation is important
- There is an overemphasis on technology,
o a facilitator needs skill to hold the space
(storytelling) Have seen facilitation with great technology but never let the community “express what gives them the shits”
1. Believe
2. Start early and really collaborate
3. Work on replacing fear / mistrust
o we need to repair damage done
o take risks and big steps
- Keep the political dream!