by Inez Hackenberg, Linking & Learning Coordinator, Voice

 

 

How to express the gratitude and awe I feel! The amazing experiences while we are sunsetting the Voice programme, it feels so contradictory, but what I have been part of these last months leaves me humbled and full of hope that what people have really gotten out of the Linking and Learning processes will find its way into their work, increased collaboration and in new forms of reflective and inclusive facilitation and learning practices.

 

The linking and learning enabled all of us to learn, to unlearn, to relearn. To be open to grow our capacity to cocreate evermore participatory and inclusive learning processes and linking and learning events. – Linking and Learning Meeting Participant, Jinja, Uganda

 

In February this year, some thirty Linking and Learning colleagues met in Jinja, Uganda. We reflected on our collective journey, and asked ourselves, what have we learned about Linking and Learning as a practice, and about the spaces we co-create? What is surfacing that holds the wide variety of our experiences?

 

 

To mention a few things, we learned to co-create better and hold space for rightsholder leadership. We developed creative ways to express ourselves in an embodied language we all understand, to amplify our experiences and to advocate for respect and rights. So many creative visual and spoken word products developed to support the empowerment and influencing work. Looking at the effect of the different Linking and Learning processes across Voice, we came to five exciting core themes to deepen and write about.

 

• Co-creation and Collaboration

This tells both a story of the Linking and Learning teams becoming better at co-creating and holding the spaces where grantee partners and rightsholders interact. It also tells the story of the grantee partners and rightsholders who see opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, see that all have something to bring and something to learn, that co-creating and having collaborative actions can lead to better results, and a stronger voice.

• Transformative learning

Our Linking and Learning practices promote transformative processes, facilitating innovation, creativity and ownership over the changes or solutions a group wants to make. As important, it is about understanding contextual learning and making space for these contextual differences and commonalities. Linking and Learning is seen as a space for (self-)reflection, deep listening and putting the lived experiences at the centre of all we do. All actions, sharing, connecting, listening, coaching, and more, contribute to personal and organisational empowerment and a stronger base for influencing.

• Inclusion and Intersectionality

What did we do to leave no one behind and to create inclusive spaces? Linking and Learning spaces can be a brave space for dialogue and dissent, for getting to know the other and for breaking some of the silos our society and the development actors promote. It is about attention to and intentionally putting in place what is needed for all participants in any Linking and Learning space to feel they are welcome, (supported to) have full access and understanding of the process and the ability to feel safe and open to others, too. Another aspect of this learning is how we translate the Voice principles and values into practice, how we challenge ourselves and become curious about bridging diversity while being in diversity. As one person said: it is all about practicing the art of working with people.

• Innovative practices

There are many innovative practices employed by the grantee partners related to all three pathways (Empower, Influence and Amplify). Examples are given throughout Voice annual reports, among others how a harshening environment requires changing the how. Yet also on the Linking and Learning facilitation, the search for and application of innovative practices is a source of wealth.

• Trust(-building)

An increased awareness about the role that trust and rapport play in the relationship between the grantee partners and the Voice programme and how this can be intentionally supported through ways of working, openness, flexibility and listening. Mindful communication and practices were also seen as a field the community can grow in.

 

And no, we didn’t do it all right. We didn’t have the answers to most questions. We were not even aware of most questions we encountered along the way, reflected upon and found answers to. No fixed answers, but related to the specific context, time and place. Exploring, trying out, (un)learning, adapting- that might be the essence of the success of these processes.

 

And, most definitely, putting the rightsholder groups and their organisations right in the centre of Linking and Learning, enabling them to take control of their learning and bring The Power of NOW Us! (Nothing About Us Without Us), the power of a rightsholder-led agenda, empowerment, leadership and advocacy.

 

So, we started exploring, what does this principle mean to us and what power does it hold? What does it look like in practice? Does it contribute to positive policy or practice changes? We are gathering insights from different perspectives and are unravelling the connections between NOW-Us! and the practice of power, examining whether power shifts (or its absence) in initiatives are led by the rightsholders concerned. The series of Voice sunsetting events visualised that exploration.

 

The way the closure events were organised showed the rich creativity and diversity of the linking and learning in the different countries and contexts. It really was an expression of The Power of NOW Us! (Nothing About Us Without Us). The events were a stage for the partners and rightsholder groups to showcase the results of their work and changes that are happening, both good and bad.

 

I had the honour to participate in two close-out events.

 

 

From 8 to 10 May, grantee partners and rightsholders met in Dar es Salaam, at the seaside of the capital of Tanzania, to reflect on the linking and learning journey these past years. Buzzing with energy, participants exchanged key takeaways and brainstormed strategies to ensure the programme’s lasting impact. From the many highlights, I want to share two.

 

First, the many fun games woven into the programme. WiLDAF, the Tanzania Linking and Learning Facilitator, brought many colourful toys and materials which we used to build inclusive structures, to move through the space as a team supporting each other on a given challenge, and more. At times, reflections afterwards transformed the playful experiences into lessons about communication and collaboration. Definitely, the games were energising and lots of fun.

 

And second, the gallery walk in the garden of the Dutch Ambassador’s residence. Each grantee partner stood next to an enlarged photo they had chosen to share their stories. Beautiful and personal, the gallery was about the project journey and their journey as staff or project participants. We were filled with colourful impressions of that what had been achieved and the intentions and concrete plans of the communities of practice to continue collaborating into the future.

 

From 4 to 6 June, I was in Bamako for the Bonda Douba (extended family) festival. Some 80 participants shared what they learned implementing the projects and what changes they observed. They also looked into the future, beyond the Voice programme.

 

And the afternoon of the 6^th it was time to share and to engage with a diverse audience. The space for the public event was beautifully decorated with Malian cloths and other cultural elements. The stage had a musician’s corner, and three canoes representing the three pathways Empower, Influence and Amplify. We listened to project journeys brought to us from each of the boats. There was a dance bringing the river alive on stage, the river that allows the canoes to move and reach new horizons. The river that is always in movement and changing, the river that carries us, all human beings.

 

The personal stories of change moved me deeply, they showed so much perseverance and strength. I knew some of the sharers since 2016, and the growth of their inner power and presence blew humbled me.

 

 

Celebrating, and not denying, the often times increasing challenges and difficulties in the world and in our lives yet connected by something other than (and maybe bigger) that. Humanness, empathy, love and a recognition that we are not alone in our dreams nor in our advocacy and striving for respect, human rights, dignity and freedom in who we are.

For now, this is it. I hope my passion warmed your hearts and inspired you to explore and co-create open and creative spaces where human beings can connect, listen, have lots of fun and grow.

 

 

 

[i] Indaba – important conference held by the izinDuna of the Zulu and Xhosa peoples of South Africa; the term has found widespread use throughout Southern Africa referring to gathering or meeting