Newfoundland Deliberative Dialogues with Youth: Democracy in Action

The Anima team facilitating Summit plenary session in St. John's, Nov/08.

We had the great privilege of touring the gorgeous province of Newfoundland last fall. Through a project led by Canadian Policy Research Networks, we facilitated thirteen Deliberative Dialogue sessions with young people from across Newfoundland and Labrador to feed into the provincial government's "Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy". The first of its kind in Canada, this strategy is designed to tackle the issue of out-migration of youth. The whole process culminated into a provincial youth summit to meet with decision-makers from across sectors in November. Ideas were exchanged, values explored and trade-offs made in a process that was brimming with vision, heart and hope.

We were so moved by the passion that hundreds of young people expressed toward their province and its future. It reminded us that engaging young people in the democratic process is not hard, it just takes a willingness to listen on the part of organizations and governments. See the touching video clip.

Comments from participants at the end of the process:

Youth discuss priority issues in summit plenary, St. John's, Nov/08.

"You have provided us with hope and the promise for a bright future. When we needed it most, you were there to listen."

"The greatest experience I have taken away from this summit is the knowledge that there are so many young people who are concerned and care about this province. Up until this point, I thought this province was doomed to one big retirement centre. Now I see differently. "

"This was a time we can be proud of... knowing that we produced the seeds that our government may use to change our dear province for the better."

Bolivia Intercultural Conflict and Peace-Building Program: Bridging Differences

The arid, mountainous landscape of La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia, Nov/08.

November and December found the Anima team high in the mountains of Bolivia, in the capital city of La Paz. This country has stirred incredible hope and awe throughout Latin America with the election of the first indigenous president, Evo Morales in December of 2005. Such dramatic change has inspired pride among the indigenous and poor of this nation (who identify strongly with Morales) and has also challenged the status quo. The result has been social upheaval and fragmentation, as resource rich provinces and the corporate elite react in opposition to Morales' government, which is implementing many social reforms benefitting the "have-nots."

Graduates from Anima Leadership's integration and peace-building program were inspired by their experience in The Netherlands and spent a year and a half mobilizing the resources to make a similar social cohesion program a reality in Bolivia. Led by the exceptional Geraldine Vasquez Paredes and her team W.H.Y. Bolivia, the Anima team was invited into a collaboration to create a unique program for the Bolivian context based on the Anima Leadership Development Process™.

Participants from different regions of Bolivia, Dec/08.

Using the unique Anima Leadership Development Process™ as a foundation, a unique peer-leadership process was developed and implemented. The results were incredible! Over 50 participants representing diverse Bolivian ethnicities, communities, income levels and regions worked across differences to build stronger relationships and build inclusive community through a week-long inter-group dialogue process. Post-program, these participants were encouraged to take the message of peace, inclusion and dialogue into their own communities through a peer-support program. To date, over 25 presentations have taken place successfully across the country with the support of Geraldine and W.H.Y. Bolivia. National and international funders have been incredibly impressed at the grassroots mobilization through this project. We are looking forward to the next phase of the project when we head back in January of 2010.

Leadership Training for UofT Engineers: The Courage to be Vulnerable

Over the winter months, we had the privilege of offering our core leadership program to a dynamic group of emerging leaders at the University of Toronto Engineering Faculty. Initiated by two amazing young women, Maygan Maguire and Angela Tran, who were graduates of a previous Anima program, the "High Impact Leadership" training was born. They approached us with the idea, talked to many different departments of U of T to raise the funds and worked hard to spread the word. We ended up with 40 very diverse graduate students wanting to enhance their leadership skills and explore their potential. The end results were inspiring as reflected in the post-program reflections below:

"The High Impact Leadership program has been a life-changing experience for me. It has given me the encouragement and courage to choose to do the things that I like to do, want to do and am passionate about rather than the things that I think are expected of me... I've learned not to fight against my unique personality"

"What I gained from the sessions was the power of authenticity; the power of my voice and expression. What you showed us to do in a short period of time was how to open ourselves, to be more human and to speak more genuinely...Those feelings are exactly what a leader should inspire in others."

"I feel that my life has changed in terms of how I perceive everyday situations and I feel very inspired and much happier. I also notice that I want to accomplish more in my daily activities, start on projects which in the past I thought to be risky..."

II. SPEND TIME WITH US:
SUMMER and FALL PROGRAMS 2009

Below is a list of Anima's Summer/ Fall open registration programs. All of our experiential-based leadership programs are grounded in innovative approaches to inclusion and equity, emotional intelligence research, the relationship sciences (neuroscience, quantum physics and social psychology), and cutting edge theories of change.

We also offer customized programming, organizational consulting and facilitation. Contact us if you are interested in any of these other offerings.

1) Diversity and Equity Leadership Institute: Integrating Anti-Racism, Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Resolution
July 6-9th, 2009 Hockley Valley Resort, Orangeville, Ontario

Please note: This course is now FULL. Waiting list only -- first come, first serve basis.
To put your name on list, please email us at info@animaleadership.com

"Studies over the past decade have confirmed, our brains operate with a vast unconscious mind that even Freud never suspected."
~ D.G. Meyers, Scientific American Mind

Neuroscience research over the last decade reveals that our day-to-day behaviour is dictated - contrary to popular belief - by how we feel rather than what we think. Emotions, invisible and controlling, are rooted in the unconscious mind and frequently impact our actions without our awareness. Developing greater emotional intelligence - self-awareness, empathy and relationship-building - is widely-recognized as the most important personal competency for leaders to possess. The terrain of emotions raises important and profound question for issues of diversity in the workplace:

• What is the role of emotions in our interactions with people from backgrounds different than our own?
• How do we uncover our personal "blind-spots" that reside in our unconscious mind in order to create truly inclusive, welcoming environments?
• What is the role of unconscious bias and emotional triggers in how well we handle conflict that involves issues of difference (i.e. race, gender, class or sexual orientation)?

Sandy Yep (middle) from CRRF co-facilitating diversity session in Vancouver, Nov/08.

Anima Leadership and Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) continue their successful partnership to offer this ground-breaking summer institute with an optional Train-the-Trainers component. Offered across Canada over the last 2 years, this time we are at the picturesque and relaxing Hockley Valley Resort, one hour north-west of Toronto, Ontario.

For complete information on the Diversity and Equity Leadership Institute, visit our website.

Expected attendees include: Canadian Association for Mental Health, Children's Aid Services of Simcoe and Peel Regions, City of Edmonton Diversity Services, Ontario Nurses Union, Ontario Police College, Public Service Alliance of Canada; Toronto District School Board; Universities of Toronto and British Columbia; York Region Police.

To put your name on the waiting list, please contact Anima Leadership at info@animaleadership.com or call 416-462-9512 x1

2) Authentic Facilitation: Learning to Facilitate with Presence and Ease
Friday, September 25th, 2009, Centre for Social Innovation, Downtown Toronto

Annahid facilitating Newfoundland Dialogue Session, Sept/08

EARLY BIRD RATE before July 31st: $125
REGISTER ONLINE!

"To facilitate = the art of making things easier"

Set yourself up for a fabulous fall with this one-day facilitation intensive using Anima Leadership's trademark process. Effective facilitation is all about finding your own unique style and being yourself in front of a group, thereby encouraging others to authentically bring forward all of what they have to offer. At its core, it is about being deeply present. Each group, each situation calls for something different and the best facilitators know how to listen for, and serve this emerging truth.

This is for those new or relatively new to the role of facilitator, as well as for those keeners who want to brush up on their skills. We will explore how to be fully present, how to direct group energy in different directions, how to handle differences and conflict and how to let the process unfold without controlling it. Included in the training will be group learning styles and process theory, emotional intelligence research and mindfulness techniques. As well, lots of practical techniques and tips to make the job of facilitation easy. Join us for an enriching day of learning how to serve group intelligence more intelligently! Limited space due to experiential nature of training. Click here for more information.

REGISTER ONLINE! or contact Anima Leadership for more information.

3) Conscious Eating Course: Women, Food and Power
6 sessions, Wednesday evenings, November 4th, 11th, 18th 25th, December 2nd & 9th

EARLY BIRD RATE before September 30th: $300
REGISTER ONLINE!

The Conscious Eating Course is a unique, bold and life-transforming journey for any woman desiring positive changes in her relationship to food, eating and body image - offered at a time in the pre-holiday season when many of these issues can become more pronounced. This course is designed to support women where many get caught: in judgments of ourselves and our bodies, in controlling our relationship to food and to nourishment. This program is designed to go to the emotional root of patterns with food and body image and to give women the critical analysis, tools and experiential practices to break free of the prison of "not enough". You will emerge with new levels of self-awareness, confidence and capacity to enact change in ALL areas of your life. Limited space due to deep experiential nature and emotional depth of the work. Click here for more information.

"I felt support, comfort, strength, power, and answers not only in all my food issues but also in my life." ~Previous Participant

REGISTER ONLINE! or contact Anima Leadership for more information.

Contact Anima Leadership for more information or to register for any of these programs:
info@animaleadership.com - (416) 462-9512 x1 - www.animaleadership.com.

IV. RECOMMENDED READING:

Transforming Power: From the Political to the Personal

by Judy Rebick, 2009, Penguin Canada

Judy Rebick's new book captures the new paradigm of leadership and social change - from top-down, power-over, externally-directed models to one where power is shared, collaboration is possible and power comes from the inside out. Judy aptly chose the subtitle "from the personal to the political", laying out the case for social change leaders and organizations to focus not just on external power inequalities but also on the way we re-create and perpetuate these external dynamics in both our professional and personal relationships.

To illustrate the importance of this shift in progressive politics, she uses herself and her own journey as an example. There are few people that have the courage to risk vulnerability to communicate ideas that are important-that Judy is willing and able to do this is perhaps one of the more powerful aspects of this remarkable book. She truly does embody the changes she talks about.

Judy Rebick and Annahid at the book launch, Toronto, Mar/09

"...I decided sometime later that I should stop holding my political framework as sacred. I opened my mind and my heart to new ways of seeing the world.... It was at Hollyhock that I learned how to disagree kindly. Reaching people at a heart level is much more persuasive than beating them over the head with a good argument.""
p. 81-82, Transforming Power

Annahid Dashtgard, Anima Senior Partner, was invited to speak on the panel at Judy's Toronto book launch on March 12, 2009. The panel included Velcrow Ripper, filmmaker extraordinaire; Grace-Edward Galabuzi, Political Science Professor from Ryerson; and Debbie Fields from Foodshare. Click here if you'd like to read Annahid's speech from the event.