Introducing: Wasan Huddles!

09/12/2024

This year Wasan is partnering with Huddlecraft to bring a new learning model to our community. The model is called a ‘Huddle’ – and we’re experimenting with how they might deepen our learning on some of the core inquiries within our network, whilst seeding even more of a relationship-centred, collaborative culture in how we’re learning together.

What are Huddles?

They are 4-month learning journeys dedicated to a shared theme hosted and led by peers. More about the format and our partner Huddlecraft.
It’s an experiment to go deeper with 8-12 co-learners on a topic in a relational, peer-to-peer way.
We’ll be hosting up to 8 Wasan Huddles in parallel, each with a different theme and hosted by someone else from the Wasan network. Meet your hosts below!

Each of these Huddles will be hosted by members of the Wasan network. We’ve just had our first host training sessions – and it’s a fascinating mix of people bringing some incredible experience and depth of facilitation.

There is a feast of wonderful Huddles to choose from! This is our final call out for applications to join these Huddles – so if you are interested in building some community around a juicy theme – have a look at the themes below, which were co-developed by the network – and apply to get involved by September 19th.

Meet your hosts!

Imagining the case for relational work

What’s possible when we value relational work at the heart of our systems? This huddle will explore the key conversations needed to shift dominant thinking and collect inspiration and stories of relational work in action. We aim to have nourishing and rigorous conversations about the value of relational practice and create practical shared resources for practitioners at the edge of change. We will have two huddles in this larger community of practice exploring various dimensions of this question.

Your hosts:

Christine is a network strategist and catalyst— who accompanies foundations in their journey to think beyond the check. She experiments with new cultivate a spirit of interdependence.
Melanie is a design doula and human cartographer, who stewards new programs, services, and initiatives. She has a knack for seeing what’s possible and believes that how we design together can be as transformative as what we design.

Meg Busse (Roddenberry Foundation) and Rachel Sinha (The Systems Sanctuary) will also be co-hosting a Huddle on this theme.

Apply to join by September 19th.

Working with division and grief

A 4 month peer led inquiry exploring alternative network paradigms when communities are at risk of falling apart. We want to explore how to work with tensions and divisions in networks and communities. As relational work is becoming “professionalized” and “institutionalised”, language becomes appropriated and old power structures integrated. We hope to inquire: How can we ensure this work constitutes a critical microclimate in which we prototype ways of being with each other across opposite spectrums?

Your host:

Louisa is a Berlin born and currently Bangkok based learning community organiser at the United Nations. She has previously cultivated an interdisciplinary network of leaders in North Africa and West Asia for the BMW Foundation. Within his regional network, tension and grief have always existed below the surface and at times accelerated shared action (e.g. post 2020 Beirut port explosion). Yet, the overwhelm and inadequacy of institutionalized network organisations have at no point felt more urgent to address than in the aftermath of October 7, 2023. Together with Wasan Community member Valerie, she has authored an article and further developed its thinking with the Wasan community in two workshops. With this huddle, she hopes to deepen the inquiry of what ways of being in and facilitating networks are needed for times of unparalleled division and grief.

Apply to join by September 19th.

Leveraging learning in relational approaches

Whether we are working in communities, across networks or taking an ecosystem perspective, learning plays a vital role in leveraging the potential of relational approaches:

Tapping into our collective intelligence enables us to think beyond individual and organizational boundaries and increases our capacity to navigate complexity.
Collective sensemaking makes us more attuned to shifting dynamics, helping us to both adapt to changes in the present and sense into future potentials.
Exchanging experiences and integrating learnings in our practices, improves the effectiveness of our collective efforts.

It is not just what we learn together but how we learn together. What are the essential ingredients for learning to flow effectively through communities networks and ecosystems? And what could be potential indicators / ways to understand, assess and nurture them?

Your host:

Naomi Martin is a facilitator working with iac Berlin as part of the Networks in Philanthropy team. She supports the implementation of more networked approaches in social change work, prototyping products and formats towards a stronger focus on learning in collaborations for and with philanthropic organizations and their partners. She is looking for community with people holding similar questions so we can explore from the meta to the practical.

Apply to join by September 19th.

Becoming effective unlearners in an incoherent world

A process on unlearning the ‘saviour mind’, navigating an incoherent world and finding effective ways to meet what breaks our hearts. Increasing our understanding of the unlearning process and building our capacity to stay in the discomfort of uncertainty, incoherence, and polarisation a bit longer, in order to surface the unconscious, fractal patterns which appear as ‘normal’.

Your hosts:

Bhavesh Patel designs and facilitates learning and development for people, organisations, and networks. He believes that in an increasingly uncertain world, there are no off-the-shelf ideal pre-defined solutions. Instead, organisations can find their evolutionary capacity through engaging the hearts and minds of their own people. This leads to work that could be about anything from strategic development, improving organisational processes, to community groups discovering their shared vision.
Josiane Smith is the Director of Learning Networks at Koreo, a leading learning and development organisation in the UK. She specialises in social innovation and advises on several European and global philanthropy initiatives. Josiane is also a poet and trustee of a national Quaker Arts charity.

Apply to join by September 19th.

Ridding the waves of change with power, beauty and poise

A 4 month peer led inquiry exploring how to ride the waves of change in our personal and professional life with power, beauty and poise <3

What are tools and tips for intentional transitions? This is a space for those in crossroads in work and life – or those actively managing or anticipating change – to congregate and share wisdom as well as ways to thrive within the waves of change.

Your host:

Strategist and a Leadership consultant, Samiya Abdi’s facilitation style uses collective wisdom to cultivate a brave space that allow for vulnerability, connection and co-creation. Her approach is rooted in systems thinking, innovation and empathy – integrating tools such as appreciative inquiry, action learning and humor. Samiya is looking to meet and co-learn with folks who are similar in some ways and very different in other ways.

Apply to join by September 19th.

The evolution of community foundations

What do the next generation of community foundations look like? What role would they have in their local change ecosystems? What new narratives, skills, capacities and aspirations would they need, to be capable catalysts of change in their communities? This is a peer-led inquiry exploring how community foundations can be transformative, futures-shaping community infrastructure. It brings together community foundation practitioners and supporters from several countries and offers a playground for imagination, innovation and action.

Your hosts:

Alexandra Stef is the Collective Learning and Innovation Director at Inspire Institute, a learning and practice partner to builders of philanthropy infrastructure, like community foundations and their supporters. The focus is on emerging movements in Latin America, Africa and Europe, where community foundations are being imagined and incubated in novel ways, in response to the unique assets and opportunities of place and the imperatives of building community infrastructure in times of deep transitions.
Michelle Baldwin is Senior Advisor, Transformation at Community Foundations of Canada where they have been exploring exploring how to unlock the potential to transform capital, philanthropy and systems for futures where everyone belongs. Engaged in networks, teaching and communities exploring collaborative governance and how we mobilize and distribute capital and decision making in more equitable ways. Doing a deep dive into the potential of emerging technology (AI, web3 and blockchain) to reimagine power and shift systems. Michelle is a network builder, systems thinker, productive disruptor and cross sector collaborator. network builder, systems thinker, productive disruptor and cross sector collaborator.
Dylan Smith is an experienced philanthropic executive and social impact leader. As founder of the Fremantle Foundation (2010 – 2020) Dylan has over 15 years of experience building strong relationships with a diverse stakeholder base including philanthropists, non-profit leaders, government officials and elected members. A former Chair and Director of Community Foundations Australia Dylan provided high-level leadership to a national, membership based organisation representing 40 community foundations around Australian. Dylan is a relationship builder and sector nurturer.

Apply to join by September 19th.

Mission-Based Approaches to Social Innovation

How can we build the relationships, structures and systems for Mission-Based Approaches to be successful in Canada? Which mission would be most impactful? And what can we learn from local and international examples?

Your hosts:

Sue Snider is the Vice President of Strategy, Innovation and Impact at Equality Fund, and Andrea Nemtin is the CEO of SI Canada. They are working together to explore what a Wasan Canada community might be. What can you expect from them as co-hosts? Fun, thoughtful and insightful conversations; challenging questions; preference for practical application over theoretical musings.

Apply to join them by September 19th.