Harvesting from the field

[Helen Titchen Beeth]

This is a space where we can upload documents that are harvests from our practitioners' field that can then be helpful to our mates 'out there'.

[Helen Titchen Beeth]

The first harvest: from our 2nd practitioners' gathering, in March 2012.

[Tatiana Glad]

Thank you for this - love the visuals! It's interesting for me to read this being largely disconnected from the practitioners and trainers circle since the last gathering November 2011 and not having been in any trainings since last fall. But I have been active in many places in Europe in the social innovation networks and with youth and also recently in a workshop on innovation in public service provision. I see another Europe than the story we tell ourselves - lots of initiatives and energy, and a "new generation" of Europeans - people who see themselves as Europe (not an age thing only) but find there is no place for the EUROPEAN conversation... we talk and try to act as Europe but then bump into old-fashioned structures and rules that reduce collaboration into national structures that sometimes don't agree, into regional offices that don't know enough about the emerging European agenda, being boxed in by nationality (and the barriers that still exist - institutionally, not only culturally - if of one nationality but living in another part of Europe). So what I meant to share is that the heartbeat is there, perhaps faint to many in Brussels, but it is there and being nurtured by 1000s of volunteers committed to good work on the issues that currently matter in Europe . If only the structures supported them to participate... or at least the informational structures to let the people know who are creating the new agendas for Europe know that there is much already happening on the ground that points to that future we describe we want but that gets no access to the resources of the EU :-)

[Helen Titchen Beeth]

Yes, Tatiana! If only there was someone here to hear what you are saying. But it seems like there's no one whose job it is to actually listen to what's going on in the real Europe. It's just dead structures playing office together, in the endlessly complex dance of procedures. Where it's OK to spend several times more than the annual budget of the EU bailing out the banks each year... but not OK to help real people co-create the future we want... too right. I must admit that I'm stumped!

I'm thinking, actually, that the real issue is that all the EU has to give is money - and money isn't really what's relevant to the future we want. So let's just go ahead and do it.

Tatiana Glad said:

Thank you for this - love the visuals! It's interesting for me to read this being largely disconnected from the practitioners and trainers circle since the last gathering November 2011 and not having been in any trainings since last fall. But I have been active in many places in Europe in the social innovation networks and with youth and also recently in a workshop on innovation in public service provision. I see another Europe than the story we tell ourselves - lots of initiatives and energy, and a "new generation" of Europeans - people who see themselves as Europe (not an age thing only) but find there is no place for the EUROPEAN conversation... we talk and try to act as Europe but then bump into old-fashioned structures and rules that reduce collaboration into national structures that sometimes don't agree, into regional offices that don't know enough about the emerging European agenda, being boxed in by nationality (and the barriers that still exist - institutionally, not only culturally - if of one nationality but living in another part of Europe). So what I meant to share is that the heartbeat is there, perhaps faint to many in Brussels, but it is there and being nurtured by 1000s of volunteers committed to good work on the issues that currently matter in Europe . If only the structures supported them to participate... or at least the informational structures to let the people know who are creating the new agendas for Europe know that there is much already happening on the ground that points to that future we describe we want but that gets no access to the resources of the EU :-)

[Tatiana Glad]

But money does help some of those who need to get good ideas going who are doing it by bootstrapping themselves for collective betterment! It's just it doesn't get to them... where have I heard that before. Trickle down doesn't work. We don't even need to change the whole organisation. We just need to experiment with a European commons fund. Start small and grow if it works. What if citizens could vote a la Eurovision style for good ideas in Europe?  What if change agents within the Commission had access to citizens to get ideas/feedback on calls?

Thanks for listening in there... :-)

[Helen Titchen Beeth]

Great idea! I just don't know who to talk to to get that money!

[Helen Titchen Beeth]

Here's Dirk's Prezi from the November 2011 gathering.

[Helen Titchen Beeth]

Here's an overview of the story of participatory leadership at the European Commission dated February 2014...