n - community creativity

n Processes - in Arabic

2012-01-08T23:34:00.000-08:00

Enfolding 2011 to Unfold into 2012

2011-12-22T04:45:00.000-08:00

n through the voice of her Community

wishes you a Blessed Season and Peaceful Transitioning into 2012

Happy Holidays enfolded with Beauty and Love

One Month and Moving Foward ~~

2011-12-11T22:34:00.000-08:00

Healing the Wounds of History, 11.11.11 starting
One month of containing, processing, and integrating
One cycle of settling in deeply moving experiences, transforming
One phase of witnessing initiatives birthing, writing personal stories of our history, sharing
One space of maintaining connections, staying in touch, expanding
One opportunity of passing the energy of the gathering into community, crystallizing
One moment of reflecting into the olive tree at the garden of forgiveness, holding
One month of dynamically changing, organically healing and continuously appreciating
One month and moving forward .. what's the new emerging story ? ..

~ Hala

(follow-up to the International conference on Healing the Wounds of History)

Women Circle ~ Warm Hearts in the Lebanese Mountains

2011-11-26T03:03:00.000-08:00

November 26th 2011 - A journey to Freydees in the Mountains of Lebanon

Accompanied by nature and the freshness of the autumn breeze, an invitation of resonance

Arrival into a women circle, entering through letting go what is taking our minds at that moment

Coming in with an acknowledgement of our current status through expression and embodiment

Walking in the contained room of the House of Non-Violence, connecting through inquiry and dynamic movement

Spreading around in constellations, coming back into a circle with the dominant colors at our homes, unifying and present

Voicing our passions, sharing their stories

Opening the windows, spreading the sunlight, softening the worries

Joining the 3 rounds Café conversation, hosting the questions:

Where can we invite our passion to be present at our homes?

Where can we invite our passion to be present in our community?

What can we do to create opportunities to apply our passions in balance with our daily life commitments?

The tables transformed to generated insights with heart traces...

The main themes showing up as conviction, Self awareness, stability, intention, connections, interdependence, safe places ..

Check-out through our web of human connections

Carrying with us the flame in our hearts, the feminine connection

our check out through the words of the participants

inivitation by House of Non-Violence in Freydees, Mount Lebanon

Co-facilitated by Lina Abi Reslan and Hala

Open Gathering at nSITE - Harvest

2011-11-25T23:28:00.000-08:00

Open Gathering at nSITE - an Invitation

2011-11-22T05:26:00.000-08:00

What if we simply gather to be with each other?
What if we simply arrive to a space to connect and speak with each other from a warm place - our hearts?

On Friday November 25, nSITE will open its doors between 5 and 8 pm to welcome you to an informal gathering of presence.

The principles of an Open Gathering (based on Open Space Technology) are:

Whoever comes are the right people ~ follow your heart
Whenever you come will be the right time ~ arrive when it feels right for you
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have ~ we will co-create our experience together, by simply being together
Whenever it is over, it is over ~ liberating ourselves of time and expectations, leaving when it feels right

nSITE will welcome you with her stories, growing library, nourishment, refreshing drinks and ....

See you next Friday, coming together through the abundance we hold in our hearts

Open Mind, Open Heart, Open Will ~ an Emerging Process

2011-11-16T00:49:00.000-08:00

Open Mind, Open heart, Open Will, our invitation into the "Oud" musical space ...
An integrative emerging process co-designed by three women of feminine resonance, all in place ...

11.11.11 our gateway into a journey of healing the wounds of history ...
Arrival to a campus full of learners moving around, embracing the young adult leadership energy ...

An olive tree welcomes us at the entrance, a remembrance of our intention through the lineage of the land ..
Unpacking our material in preparation for our gathering, with the support of the conscious masculine strength and hands ...

An assigned room shocks us; fixed tables, no place to move ...

An artful neighbor gracefully accepts to exchange, setting the groove ...

A natural bouquet of delightful color and form is waiting for us in the center, an offer to hold our circle with delicate beauty ...

Candles and natural herbs join crayons and post-it notes sparking our fire (will), felt-perception (heart), and mental thoughts (mind), all aesthetically

our center with my two co-hosts: Susan Baghdadi and Joumana Mattar

Opening the doors for all attending, moving inwards through the womb of our anchored Self, a special pledge ...
Leaving behind what takes us away from our present moment awareness, acknowledging their existence, parking them on the outer edge ....

Checking-in, arriving with our feelings and body; embodying each other's felt posture, opening space for empathy and compassion ...

Exploring the space, moving around the room at different rhythms at our own pace, with full attention ...

Transforming our movement into connection constellations, our birth months and sibling numbers bring the wider family into the experience ...
Byblos, the place, reminds us of the sea and its living forms, showing up through the dolphins, sea-horses, turtles, fish and whales in our grouping's responsiveness ...

a photo gift from co-host Susan Baghdadi

From standing to sitting in a triad with a picture that touches us ...

Informing each other our personal story, witnessed by the sun light (the what - content) and the moon light (the how - feelings/emotions), through us ...

A beautiful child enters the circle with playfulness, innocence and radiant presence ...

The integenerational "Oud" family checks-out with a new emerging feeling and gesture, an embodiment of essence ...

The creative process continues to listen and adapt to what wants to show up fully for the "oud" family within the "healing the wounds of history" community ...

Whose missing disappears, as the remainings appear with intensity ...

A new check-in brings into the circle our gifts and passions, opening our next stop in the journey ...

A story of discovering a practice for releasing tension and letting go of trauma through shaking our bodies joins science, all a language, naturally ...

graphical representation by Joumana Mattar

Warming up our joints and muscles, grounding our body to explore the vulnerabilities within us ...

Shaking, laughing, observing, sitting, lying down, releasing, receiving; all come together revealing the power of listening to our body to heal herself, thus us ...

Moving from feeling awkward to comfortable, out of time into now, mental into visceral .. a shift of perspective generating new insight ...

Gazing into each other's eyes to a unifying music, dissolving the barriers, bringing e-motions, touching intimacy, feeling oneness; an experience of unconditional love in sight...

A nourishing break before moving outwards into the ancient port of Byblos, with our own stories, vulnerabilities, gifts, passions and connections, along the Mediterranean Sea ...

Choosing our pebbles, recording our appreciations, enjoying the sunset reflections, exchanging our offerings, all with a glee ...

Returning to the wider community, the beautiful scent spreading our journey, offering a pebble to the hostess of our collective invitation ... the waves of the sea wash away the wounds of our history ....

The circle expands organically, receiving a new member who enters with a sense of belonging into a trusted circle, which evolved and grew ...

Time to move into action, a check-in circle with another photo image from the center, "what is new?" ...

graphical representation by Joumana Mattar
with her response recorded by Christopher - a participant who found space to contribute as a co-facilitator

Voices are heard: "unmasking our vulnerability", "trust", "land is calling - she wants to heal us" , "beauty", "old becomes new", "now I'm ready" , "respect" , "choices", "hope" , "I want to play", "child in us", "find the answer", "passion revealed" , "connections" .....

Integrating our experience through open space to discover 3 ways to move forward , the child in our center left the room allowing the matured adult in us to crystallize our actions ...

Starting with acknowledging our strength "Resilience is our Wealth" redefining "Freedom", entering "self-organized" systems with education "about" religion reaching tolerance, evolving our constitution to be inclusive of "individual rights" developed by the people for the people; moving into the community "Walking together into the Ugly", embracing the beauty and truth within it, spreading through "alter-ganda", a new messaging platform to arrive at "home is OUR home" البيت بيتنا ....

Our Celebration check-out, a co-created story by our collective "Oud" family, what will be our first step to heal the wounds of history?

I am going to move forward by acknowledging my history
and
be responsible for making peace
and
listen to my truth
and
open my heart to all around me
and
find out about my own biases
and
understand our history is not a narrative of our identity
and
take concrete action, NOW, that shifts present perspective
and
create peace within ourselves, our family, our community
and
work on understanding and listening to others
and
disseminate the outcomes to those who have the power to ACT
and
respect and believe the right for everyone to live in peace
and
put knowledge into action, piercing the wall of fear

recrorded by Joumana Mattar

Our 3 days journey closes with a practice of transmitting the Love in our heart through the touch of our hands, the outcome ~ joyful smiles and loving embraces :)

harvested by Hala - n initiator
journey taken at Healing the Wounds of History - Addressing the Roots of Violence http://www.healingwoundsofhistory.org/

personal journey reflection through n at the healing the wounds of history conference

2011-11-15T04:05:00.000-08:00

In 2007, when I initiated n, I was following a deep heart-impulse.

With this impulse I arrived at the International Conference of Healing the Wounds of History on 11.11.11 to offer and co-host an experiential journey "Open Mind, Open Heart, Open Will" with all who joined us in the "Oud" musical room ...

During our intensely deep experience together, I became more aware of my personal role and contribution to my heart-work:

A journey into my intimate Self in full Presence
A journey of full trust in life's offer

Entering the unknown with awareness and full surrender
Knowing that the preparations and resourcefulness are with me and my partners

Joining the flow without resistance
Listening to the field away from pretence

Bringing the practices of our creative essence
Co-designing an emerging process in response to our "family's" own dynamics and the collective intention's resonance

Protecting the womb of our holding space from the piercing eyes of intruders' disturbance
Voicing my truth with care, compassion and respect in every instance

Releasing roles that just want to let go,
Embracing holding space and invitations, my feminine Soul

Connecting with the waves in the sea of our ancient lineage,
Feeling the depth of the warmth amongst the cool breeze of an inspiring sunset homage

Breathing in the beauty of each moment,
Dancing out forgiveness for all that passed yet still affects my present

Exchanging my unconditional love and my heart desire for our beingness in loving holding families of vibrant full hearts,
Creating the space for us to blossom into our Fullness and act with our open will, open heart, and open mind in responsible freedom; individuals in community

A journey into a new Relationship with my Self and others
A journey unfolding life's desire through our full Presence

by Hala, n initiator

who is n community creativity, through healing the wounds of history?

2011-11-15T03:38:00.000-08:00

I was invited to present my heart-work to the community of the international conference "Healing the Wounds of History" on 12.11.11.

As I was thinking of what to say, I felt my Self on a plane returning from a beautiful family reunion inviting me to present n community creativity in her own way ... so, i stepped aside and allowed my hands to flow with the expressions that wanted to show up ... it was at that moment that I recognized that n desires to introduce herSelf through the images of her activities, and the voice of the community it serves and belongs to ... and to bring herSelf fully to the gathering in Byblos through those words:

Healing the Wounds of History, a deep calling
Joining us today with a whisper; soft and gentle, yet strong and clear
Who can hear her?
Where can we find her?
What is she inviting us to attend to?

Healing the Wounds of History, breathing her story
Inviting us to listen in a new way, that is actually forgotten and old
Pausing our mental thoughts, opening our hearts, warming the cold
Feeling her through all our senses, remembering her through our bodies, acknowledging her presence, revealing the rose

Healing the Wounds of History, coming with a intention, ever so bold
Move me through with love and unconditional love ~ LIBERATE US
Carry me through with care and forgiveness ~ LIBERATE US
Hold me through this present moment away from control and suppression ~ LIBERATE US
Connect me through the web of authentic relationships in this community, right here, right now ~ LIBERATE US

Healing the Wounds of History, enters the Center
Participating from the core, voicing her True Essence
Appreciating the gifts within her and around her, discovering life's Abundance
Contributing in deep dialogues and conversations, co-authoring a new narrative full of Presence
Integrating in community, co-hosting learning spaces for collective creativity and relational leadership - living and working from our Heart's Resonance ....

by Hala, initiator of n community creativity

Science, Arts and Language join a Conversation

2011-11-14T05:03:00.000-08:00

On November 4, 2011, n community creativity was invited by middle school science teacher, Mrs Marcelle Kairouz, to co-design and co-host a workshop at the American Community School's mini-NESA event.

Climate Change: a reality or a hoax?
Preparing for a Healthy Natural and Sustainable Future

Climate Change; is this issue a reality or is it a make belief? Let’s get together, listen to each other’s experiences and knowledge, and co-sense where we are now. Let’s come with an open mind and heart to further integrate science and life together, and learn about practical possibilities, discovering ways to respond through education, to bring all of us, especially the future generation, as best a future as ever we can.

~~~

Moving away from the traditional forms of engagement, participants were invited to a circle which framed the workshop around the feelings that move them when they hear "climate change" and "global warming"; followed by discovering their personal uderstanding of those words to create a shared meaning within the group ...

As the intention of the workshop for Mrs Kairouz was to discover with the participants the "sources" that influence climate change, participants were invited to bring their knowledge on how do "humans" and "natural phenomenos" contribute to climate change ...

What followed was a scientific presentation of different viewpoints of practitioners, experts and professionals in the field, before moving into a conversation amongst the attendees on how education can actively participate in bringing more awareness on this topic?

A check-out circle closed our two hours together, bringing attention to the role of preparing for the future generation, protecting, moving away from blame, raising more awareness, acting with responsibility, feeling light and happy, being more comfortable with the topic, seeing new perspectives, receiving more knowledge, and becoming more hopeful ...

What caught my personal attention were the discplines present in the room though the participants: science, lanaguage, the arts ... and the voice of the parents through them ...

and with that I left this inspiring gathering with a question:

What if to discover the source of a "scientific" inquiry, we are now invited in our learning instituitions to integrate science, arts and language into the conversation and open the learning field to "scientists", "artists", "communicators", "educators", "parents" and "learners" ? ....

harvested by Hala , n community initiator

the Flow and Power of the Feminine Radiance

2011-11-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

Turkey, Lebanon and New Zealand were connected, and so they are ...
Morning and Evening were connected, and so they are ...
Rain and Sunshine were connected, and so they are ...
Check-in and Present moments were connected, the conversation started
Commitment and Shared awareness were connected, alignment in convergence intended
Words and music were connected, the inspiration rippled
Collective Story-making and Visual Story-telling were connected, here it comes ....

~~

Our talking piece(s) were offered by Sharon ... joined with the beauty of Sharon's musical power keeping us company; through the wooden recorder; bringing more life to our conversation ....

The collective story-making was two rounds for each of the start, the middle and closure of the emerging story with "connectedness across diversity, potential, pregnancy, intimate tingling loving relationships" in the centre flowing through the three of us, each continuing where the other paused .... the outcome is a story that was transformed into an expressive beautiful visual story by Filiz with her wonderful artistry ...

the Flow and Power of the Feminine Radiance connections and weaving

Liberating Structures - Dancing our way through (Harvest)

2011-10-31T07:27:00.000-07:00

Where can we feel and see structures within us and around us screaming "liberate me" so we can move together into an abundant future from the heart?

with this question in the center of the invitation, we flowed on Saturday October 29, 2011 through a liberating process ... integrating movement, dance, voice and words ...

who heard the call, open to all, shared with all? the Feminine ... radiated through 13 beautiful women who listened and responded coming into a circle not knowing yet knowing ...

by Joumana Mattar and Lina Abi Reslan

who facilitated the gathering? we all joined in co-creating the experience ... the artists designed and drew the body membrane of an individual, and the social membrane of a community to be filled with the calls for liberation ...

the check-in circle invited participants to bring "who they are" through a practice from their hearts, the response was an inner connection with our voice and a shared vibrational field, followed by an active meditation to facilitate letting go while connecting to our core .... (with thanks to Zena Takeiddine and Nancy Abdo for guiding us through their heart-felt practice) ...

Preparing the field, setting the context and framing the experience, shifted the awareness back to our relational Body, Social Presencing Theatre, the U process and 5 Rhythms ...

Keeping the attention into our core question, our body sensing journey revealed spaces, feelings, thoughts, behaviours and habits "screaming" for liberation ... all mapped onto the frames awaiting to hold them and acknowledge them ... (individual: anger, pain, child, preconceptions, play, sexual energy and more, joined with community: freedom, conversations, education, stagnation, joy, partnerships, business models and more ...)

A 5 Rhythms dance spreads through nSITE from flow and fluidity, to grounded structure and stability, to liberating chaos and flexibility, to lyrical playfulness in community, to stillness and full intimacy .....

The liberating dance appreciated all our individual expressions; sitting, standing - moving, resting - alone, together - in the center, at the edges - and more ... yes, and all was experienced through Presence while keeping our attention to the core question in the center of the invitation .... and the outcome a collective sense of ...

With the full cycle experienced through felt-perception, what structures felt liberated? The whole room became a playground for the liberared actions, the floor hosted a collection of organically organized insights as the spatial dimension evolved reaching the community wall holding the liberation of "emptiness" and "artistic Self" all through the connection of soul, heart, body and mind ...

Liberated by Dancing through with our senses and feelings in our bodies !!!!
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4324922/liberation

and the journey continued as we moved into a family unit of 5-6 people invited to embody what they notice is calling for liberation; to observe and feel and move through that place into the new form that wants to emerge showing up in the group ... using social presencing theatre with the principle of "offer-listen-pause-feel-respond-act-offer", two groups formed holding in their centers "weakness" and "selfishness" - and the embodiment dance started with what wants to be liberated until the closure moment which felt right to the group ...

through the structures that we felt are inviting us to liberate them, we discovered and learnt what supports and creates the environment for this possibility ....

Processes that create the space for Liberation
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4324935/Liberating_Processes_

time to check-out, a circle reveals what we will take with us outwards beyond the doors of nSITE after an embodiment experience of "liberating strutcures" ~ dancing our way through .....

with appreciation to Imane Khozam, Joumana Mattar, Lina Abi Reslan, Lina Al-Hussein, Lina Fakhoury, Nancy Abdo, Rayya Haddad, Souha Bitar, Sara Sibai, Vanessa Bassil, Youranna Alameddine, Zena Takeiddine ~ a colorful collage we co-created ...

harvest collected and composed by Hala - n community creativity initiator

Leadership Learning Journey Retreat - Harvest

2011-10-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

Learning Leadership Retreat Journey - Aug 2011

Liberating Structures - Dancing our way through (Invitation - October 29 2011)

2011-10-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

"How can we stay together while setting each other free?
Liberating structures
How do you liberate your structure
in your closest relationships?
navigating the new passagehonoring the freedom of our souls
and who we are becoming now
there is so much room
to let go of our assumptions
the closest closest systems
are the ones to change
and they are our practice grounds
for what we are asked to do for the world."
Vanessa Reid - Living Wholeness Institute

~~~~

Liberating Structures

Why now? Where can we feel it? Who is being called?

On Saturday October 29, 2011
A new wave spirals from our creative potential

Join us to explore the question:
Where can we feel and see structures within us and around us screaming "liberate me" so we can move together into an abundant future from the heart?

Our gathering will open new ways of responding through non-verbal connections; Feeling and Dancing our way through the inquiry, Listening and Engaging through our S

enses, Experiencing inner to outer movement through Journaling, 5 Rhythms Dance (http://www.gabrielleroth.com/), and Social Presencing Theatre (http://www.arawanahayashi.com/socialtheater.htm)

We will start our afternoon at 3:00 pm (arrival check-in at 2:45 pm) at nSITE, Raouche, Beirut

~~~

Exchange: liberating "surprise" gift to n Community Creativity from your heart ...

Come in light clothing, carry socks, and innovate in what you would love to use to comfortably sit on the floor and bring it with you ...

Kindly register by email: nnow.community@gmail.com

Imagination Studio @ nSITE

2011-10-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

nSITE hosted and coordinated with Joanna Choukeir Houjeily the launch of her PhD research initiative Imagination Studio on October 1 2011.

Read about the project and watch pictures of the event at nSITE in Joanna's Blog:
Imagination Studio Fun!

Mirada Madrid @ nSITE

2011-10-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

nSITE hosted the launch of Mirada Madrid in Beirut, Lebanon on September 27 and 29 2011.

Joumana Mattar and Ricardo Musolesi, co-founders of Mirada, organized and offered a Designing for Innovation workshop to 20 participants.

Images speak more than words ...
Enjoy a photo stream of highlights in their albums
Mirada@Beirut and Designing for Innovation@Facebook

n Community Creativity @ TEDxBeirut

2011-09-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

n Community Creativity will be at TEDxBeirut on 24.09.11 hosting a Movement Constellation, providing a social space for experiencing new ways of coming together, shaping relationships and group dynamics through attention and movement ....

For the past three months, we have been holding space for an emerging inspiring initiative and action in Lebanon: TEDxBeirut . The creative and hard working TEDxBeirut team has been regularly coming together at nSITE, our physical learning community space, for their preparatory work, capacity building and rehearsals towards the exciting forthcoming event on 24.09.11.

Looking forward to participating and engaging with all who attend this coming Saturday.

Holding Space ...

2011-09-03T08:40:00.001-07:00

Holding space, what can it mean?

What if holding space is staying in presence with whatever is present, being able to stay centred within all the emotions and life circumstances being experienced in the moment ...

What if holding space is the conscious listening, absorbing and attending to whatever is showing up at each moment; feeling it with all our senses and allowing it to stay present for as long as it desires before responding with care to move into the next emerging moment ...

What if holding space, if not in the same physical location, is about relating and connecting, amplifying the intention by expanding the boundary of the body coming together ...

Holding space, what can it mean?

An image shows up, a woman pregnant with man's conception of a life seed ...
An inner space expanding and growing with the growth of the embryo into a newborn child ...
A caring space engaging away from fixing or reacting into listening and responding ...
A present moment awareness space with pure felt sensory perceptions away from mental assumptions and knowing ...
An attentive space embodying the wholeness of the vibrational body in all its e-motions and physical forms without interfering with unconditional acceptance and love ...
An open space enabling the unfolding of the emerging body organically as it desires ...
A holding space compassionate, loving and relating without judgement on who and how the inner child is moving, flowing and acting within ...

Holding space, what a beauty(full) expression ...
Holding space, what a grace(full) form of participation ...

~~
Holding space is at the core of nCommunityCreativity's way of being in its work and activities ...

Collective Heartbeat - Virtual Hug

2011-07-07T02:12:00.000-07:00

into home, breathing in shared intention

centering, grounding, receiving more hands embracing a collage flow that joins us ..

tuning to humanity and peace, seeking to emerge through us ...

a vibrant dynamic call; interrupted some times, yet with determination to be alive in life's full pulse ...

a vibrant dynamic call; global participants coming through their hearts, connecting from life's precious impulse ...

a generative process; uncertainty, surrender, let go, flow, let come, emergence, instantaneous ....

a multi-dimension relational field; emotional connection to MiddleEast and Jerusalem, newness to the region, families, children, feminine, conscious masculine, disturbance, silence, joy, music, all so precious ...

a holding space for giving and receiving, responding to what shows up in the moment, through unconditional trust and love in beauty of life, so gracious .....

out to home, breathing out awareness and aligned attention

Conscious Organizers ... where are you?

2011-06-08T23:34:00.000-07:00

Conscious Organizers ... where are you?

Yesterday, it became so evident that some roles are being drained by having to work from their own natural gifts and then enter the space which is not theirs ... visionaries, hosts, conscious doctors/healers, gifted pianists/musicians, creative artists and others who hold the "big picture", have the gifts of performance and move organically yet miss the capacity for organisational details and forms ...at the same time, for them to operate from their gifts and to share them, they are being pulled into having to enter the field that is not natural to them: organising, fund-raising, exchange and media awareness. etc ....

Why, I asked? .. and somehow it felt like the organic flow and the linear thread of the cycle are not meeting consciously .. and for the cycle to flow, it is necessary to have both ... what has been missing for a long time is the organic sensory felt-perceptive movement into knowing what has to be acted upon ... this is where many are now working towards as they create spaces and experiences to cultivate them yet to move into action we still have to acknowledge that the linear forms of functioning are necessary members for integration within the spiral movements ... here, I stopped and returned to the physical body and saw how our bones provide the linear structure as we organically grow in this expansive physical body of resonance ...

With this image, I questioned whether the people with natural linear gifts, hence comfortable in the current linear reality (which is shifting rapidly) of living and doing, are unaware of their inherent and valuable contribution to the emerging operating structures of the 21st century?

With this insight, I realised that for us to move forward we have to intentionally invite the brilliant minds and hands of the gifted natural organisers to show up from a deep heart place to co-create with those who hold space, hold vision, hold natural capacities and skills .... we all are in need of one another ... the time has come for this type of dancing to become more of the ordinary ... the time has come to cultivate our capacities consciously - whether organic or linear - to co-operate holistically ....

Conscious organizers, we are waiting for your presence ....

Friday June 3 2011 - U process leadership journey begins

2011-05-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Last week, n opened its community learning space for collective creativity and relational leadership – living and working from the heart –

n’s leadership vision joined Miha Pogacnik’s musical inspiration, creativity and dialog journey presenting the U process – leading from the future as it emerges by Dr. Otto Scharmer, MIT professor and Founder of the Presencing Institute. You can read the harvest of our experience here.

What is the U-process? How can it impact our personal, organizational and society’s growth?

“Theory U is three things: a framework, a lens of how to look at a situation from the source level; a methodology of how to actually perform, how to shift the inner place from where we operate as individuals and social systems; and it is a phenomenon in the world, it is actually something that is happening around us, within us, it is part of a larger social movement that we see going on in the world today” by Otto Scharmer
http://www.presencing.com/presencing-theoryu/

Join us on Friday June 3 2011 for our first introductory lecture on Theory U presented by Dr. Otto Scharmer through a video screening of the first session of his Global Classroom series to be complemented with with creative leadership events and experiences. The gathering will be hosted and facilitated by Hala Makarem, initiator of n and U-process practitioner.

Come and let us discover together the Blind Spot: Shifting the inner place from which leadership happens.

Who should participate?
Change makers and leaders in society, business and government. This is a foundational program. No prior experience with the U-process is required. Participants should bring a personal and professional interest in applying the U-process to change initiatives.

Time
7:30 pm starting of process
9:30 pm closing

Place:
nSITE, Makarem Building, Michel Ange Street, off Australia Street, Raouche, Beirut (check visit our space on the website for the map)

Energy Exchange:
80,000 LL or a Gift

(the gift, coming from your heart, can either be a tangible object or a skill/capacity that you can bring to n: an inspirational book, a collaborative creative game - legos, kapla, boggle, etc. -, utensils for the kitchen, 2 hours of co-organizing n’s filing and storage spaces, 2 hours of research and documentation of n's stories, 2 hours of fine-tuning n’s blog and organising n's photos, etc ….)

Registration is required.

To confirm send us an email to nnow.community@gmail.com with your name and your personal choice of energy exchange.

For more information or clarification call Hala at 03-200716
Looking forward to hosting all who feel invited to attend and engage in both learning and contributing to bringing new ways of operating into being..

n's Leadership Vision joins Miha Pogacnik's Musical Conversational Inspiration

2011-05-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

مساء الخير ، اهلا و سهلا

وصلتم اليوم الى بيت يحكي لغات مختلفة، لغة الام، لغة التواصل، لغة الفرد و المجموعة، لغة الالوان و الموسيقى و غيرها من اللغات

وصلتم اليوم الى بيت يستقبل كل هذه اللغات لتتفاعل سويا و تخلق لغة واحدة تجمعنا

ما هي هذه اللغة؟ اين مصدرها ؟ كيف يمكننا ان نصلها؟

هذه الاسئلة مع غيرها حركتني لاقف و استوقف على مفهوم القيادة في عملنا و بيوتنا و مجتمعنا ... و مع هذه الوقفة اتى جواب محتمل : القيادة ليست مركز ، القيادة هي فينا ضمن المجموعة .. و من هذا المفهوم ابتدأت الانطلاقة، فاجتمعت الافراد والمؤسسات و الاهل و الاصحاب من الاعمار المختلفة و الفئات الاجتماعية و العملية المتعددة المتنوعة من عدة مناطق في لبنان لخلق افكار و قصص و مشاريع تهمهم حتى ظهرت لغة: لغة الخلق الجماعي، اللتي برهنت انها ليست نظرية فقط بل واقع يمكننا ان نصل اليه

Dear Guests,

Welcome to nSITE,

I started with a few words in Arabic speaking of how language and languaging impacts our individual and collective meaning of leadership, and how the question of who is the author of our leadership experiences, brings about a possible answer: we each are the authors of our own leadership story as we come together to co-create our common novel and narrative - bringing our individual gifts together with novelty into being and action ...

It is from this answer that n was conceived ... a community learning space for collective creativity and relational leadership - living and working from the heart ...

n is about coming together, entering a safe caring and nurturing space, where we can access what matters to our heart, where we can engage in deep dialogues by activating our full sensory and felt-perceptions, where we can co-design actions that respond to our personal and collective intentions and needs through the use of various social processes and technologies, embracing the creative arts, the art of hosting conversations, the connective power of information and communication technology and social media, as well as deep democracy - the science of effective decision making with compassion.

Why now?

The 21st century has shown us so far that the dynamics of coordination and community building and development has shifted from a hierarchical/centralized/decentralized focus towards a field that is joined by creative dialogue, generative insights and collective action. The purpose of which is to reach a unified social ecology both inclusive and connected; joining communities in an evolving network around common intentions.

n’s leadership vision responds to this. It follows a Community Creativity Model for collaborative participatory design, action and evolution; incorporating the substantial roles of shared spaces, new social transformational processes, partnerships and the readiness and willingness of the community creators and
actors themselves.

This afternoon before we enter into an experiential leadership journey through music, I will share my perspective of the role of Community as the leadership family of organisation and society.

Community is a term that manifests in different ways depending on the author of the experience. For us, it is a group of people coming together with a common purpose and shared values.

Where does the establishment of a community start?

The womb of a community can be found in a shared neutral holding place that provides the nourishing physical environment for sensing, connecting and developing. For us, nSITE is this physical place. In this embryonic intention stage, the community’s attention is on building trust and discovering how individual potential can serve the collective. The outcome is a newborn community, which senses together possibilities of collaboration and sustainable action through authentic relationships. Diversity amongst individual community members presents a gift for innovation and excellence through an inclusive process of collective contribution.

As the community moves to childhood curiosity ; inquiry on issues that matter to the heart becomes the driving force.

The process of discovery is dependent on the designed communication process. Consequently, enabling spaces for questioning, deep listening, silence and reflecting become guiding design principles. During this exploration phase, the community becomes engaged through active participation of the people, generating insightful data and information. The mobility of this information transforms to mature actions within relational network. This brings the community to a new state of of self-organized creative and productive adulthood.

Within this community identity framework, a flow from intention towards creativity, innovation , sustainability and thrivability becomes possible.

A new language can emerge ...

A language that can be expressed in many different ways, spoken from a place of seeing with inner eyes and an open expansive mind, sensing with our open heart and acting from the inspirational fire of our open will ...

This gently takes me to let go of words and introduce you to another form of presence which carries the same notes through a different instrument: music.

(welcoming words by Hala Makarem, n initiator)

***

Miha Pogacnik, Cultural Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia, renowned world violinist, entrepreneur, business leadership and organisational change facilitator (www.mihavision.com) then moves to the centre of the room and takes us into a journey of inquiry, exploration, listening and discovering through decomposing and recomposing inspirational music actively engaging us in the creative process ....

Going into the second movement, Miha invites Hala to join him in introducing the U process (www.ottoscharmer.com), one through its concrete application in n activities and the other through Bach's musical piece and Miha's violin ....

Miha made a process and performance of J.S. Bach Fuga g minor (U-process) from the first Solosonata for violin and also engaged us through another process and performance of Siciliana from 1st Solosonata before gifting our family gathering celebration with Sarabanda and Chaccona from Partita Nr 2 in d minor, concluding with a Caprice of Paganini .. the space is full of the vibrational rhythms of those precious musical gifts ...

***

When participants were invited to work in pairs and speak of their experiences as related to "what is the one thing around which we can connect to that can allow the growing? " and " what is the role of trust and failure in the process?" the following responses were shared :

~ the ability to suspend judgement
~ finding commitment to the process ... looking in the same direction ...
~ starts divergent, allow the many to happen then link together
~ we go through this process many times
~ expand to let in the chaos , which can enable the liberation of things
~ stop fighting, let go of power
~ know the other's point of view, understand the other's perspective and then respond
~ integration of experience
~ no division between personal and professional

***

and the journey was captured in images by the camera of George Haddad and the video of Rony Ziadeh
and nSITE received special books as gifts for its new library
and the entrance was welcoming with the colourful inspirational designs of Polypod
and the space was shining with the co-creative architectural design of Lina Abi Reslan and Rabih Ibrahim (Hirosaki) with Hani Asfour (Polypod)
and the Art Fusion wall was engaged throughout the experience
and the nourishment of participants was catered by Namlieh, supporting rural women cooperatives
and the gratitude for all contributors, facilitators and partners of n's growth, local and international was embracing the circle
and the radiance of all attendees was present in every moment

***

May 19 and 21 2011

Dialogue Leadership Concert - May 21

2011-05-11T23:17:00.000-07:00

Dialogue Leadership Concert is an inspiring event, which brings together leadership of self and organizations with creativity and entrepreneurship.

Miha Pogacnik, Cultural Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia, a world leading violinist, will join us to host a leadership experience through music (www.mihavision.com)in Beirut on Saturday May 21 at 3 pm.

Details can be found in this Invitation

The event will be hosted at nSITE, a new place in Beirut, celebrating the launch of n, a community learning space for collective creativity and relational leadership - living and working from the heart.

Registration is required.

RSVP by email nnow.community@gmail.com or telephone/sms 03-200716.

Looking forward to welcoming all who feel invited to attend and participate,
Kindly,
Hala

the Arts and PeaceBuilding

2011-04-27T01:19:00.000-07:00

the story I share is in response to a questionnaire I received about how I see the role of the arts in peacebuilding:

~~
Q: To what extent can the arts help peacebuilding?

The arts provides the space for the engagement of the heart in any peacebuilding activity, which in turns creates the possibility to arrive to the peace of mind and harmony, which peacebuilding works towards and thrives to reach.

There are various forms of arts used for peacebuilding; and I am aware of many successful initiatives, which hold the arts as the main activity for connecting people to peacebuilding; however, my personal approach is holistic and involves the integration of the creative arts into any process design for peacebuilding. In effect, this means that all peacebuilding initiatives will include the arts, awareness social technologies and effective decision making with compassion to create an integrated experience.

Q: How can artists be peacebuilders?

I personally believe that we all have an artist within us. As such, the role of professional artists will be to guide individuals in reaching and accessing their inner artist, which in turn will open the space for more perceptual and sensory connections, responding more openly to the questions and tasks in hand – all working towards facilitating peacebuilding.

Q: Who would you suggest to be in a working group to come up with a toolkit for peacebuilders?

The image that showed up was a diverse multidimensional circle of Process designers, Creative artists in various diverse domain, Social activists implementing the arts in their peacebuilding activities, Psychologists in drama, art and music therapy who have knowledge of skills and activities;Graphic designers/architects, and …
yes, and most importantly, from my perspective, is to include the peacebuilders themselves in this workgroup to co-create the toolkit with them through active engagement in the field ...

and I concluded my response, amplifying and highlighting the co-creation of integrated processes, as I know its significance, being the body of my work purpose and experience, as embodied in n community creativity ...

Hala Makarem

Coming Together ~~

2011-04-20T02:25:00.000-07:00

Feminine Waves ~~

2011-04-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

On March 31 2011; a manifestation of offering in community was experienced through a Feminine Waves journey.

Our wave began in the morning, in an engaged natural preparation for a collective day embracing the feminine in all its dimensions. It started with a walk on the sea shore, inviting the rising of the sun to choose a talking piece for our centre: a lovely stone shone amongst the sand and joined us. All is in place, the artist within shows up, and 6 beautiful ladies enter the circle and the process starts:

A connecting circle wave comes into the place with movement through action followed by a community walk in silence. Continuing, to embrace our personal feminine qualities from where we stand, all showing up:

From flow into conversation, an experiential engagement of our leadership qualities through an integrative collage of theories, practices and applications: Theory U, Women Leaders Coming into their Own, Nature and the Human Soul, and 5Rhythms.

Moving through the natural cycle from the innocence in the east to the place of truth and boundaries in south, to the perspective and application in the west, to the integrity of purpose and vision in the north; moving from being to doing to being; moving from seeding to cultivating to flowering to harvesting; moving between expanding and contracting; moving from personal to collective to performing by operating from the whole; setting the base of each position; dancing our individual rhythm as we enter the social field connecting in pairs before coming collectively together into our circle to absorb, reflect and enter the next movement in the cycle.

From seeing, sensing, conversing and acting; a constellation was gathered and new emerging gifts and challenges blended together into this image:

A nourishing light lunch from the generosity of the participants energised us into creative making, deepening our connections and insights .. becoming present to the fullness of the whole movement ... an expression of our Feminine Wave ~~

and the presence of INTEGRATION ....

(with appreciation to Patricia, Hala A., Maysan, Tonnie, Nadeen, and Ratchel for making this experience possible)

Community Engagement: Public Libraries ~ Public Spaces

2011-03-12T02:01:00.000-08:00

Harvest:

n - Community Engagement Workshop

Context

Meaning of Community Engagement by Participants

Generated Ideas for Community Engagement

Story Weaving: Our Story is a Story (Video Harvest)

2011-03-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

The Harvest of the Collective Story Weaving project, co-initiated by n community creativity and Assabil, under the Beirut World Capital 2009, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, and implemented with Zoukak Theatre Company during 2010, is captured in this short video.

Generated by 60 participants (5 Lebanese regions)
Public Library Locations: Baakline, Hermil, Srifa, Beirut, Beit Meri
Compiled and Narrated by Hala Makarem (n community creativity)
Video Editing by Hashem Adnan (Zoukak)
Photos by George Haddad and Nadim Bou-Habib

~~~

(English Translation)

Our Shared Community Story moves around five theatres of life in Lebanon in public library spaces at Baakline, Hermil, Beirut, Srifa, Beit Meri.
Our Shared Community Story takes us through new social technologies to a collective dialogue around our future possibilities, possibilities harvested in the words and phrases of the participants themselves, and joined to form a common future possibility.

Possibilities that start with awareness, initiated at the personal level, to discover and improve the Self, and to re-acknowledge humanitarian values, morals and human respect away from materialism.

Awareness on equality and human rights and women’s rights.

Education, education that is light, with human gentleness and kindness sourced from home,

Culture, birthed through forgiveness, love and non-attachment to anything; a culture that transforms a “black word” to a “white word” as the moral says “goodness wins over evil”; creating an environment of acceptance for others built around a secure safe platform and a radiant inner peace;

Connection, using a good word that brings people closer resulting in fusion and openness to other societies, away from religion, close to thinking of the collective interest for a development that comes from a free soul with awareness and understanding of the meaning of politics and law on the basis of respecting alternative forms of expressions; founded on mutual respect between the people and the government, and the respect of people to each other, away from labeling and fragmenting communities;

Action, investing energies through dialogues, and considering the possibilities that are generated from the people themselves, using the brain as a weapon to fulfill ambitions and to place people’s knowledge and capacities in the arms of their common realistic future aims; looking at the present as a basis to build the future, encouraging the change of preconditioned inherited thoughts and behaviors; looking at success differently,

Saying:
Together we build, Together we continue
Together with personal responsibility
Together with cooperation and participation
Together in creativity
Together by working collectively to make a difference

Work to change the education and civic education systems
Work to change the viewpoint towards people with additional needs and their families
Work on urban planning and the environment; finding solutions to protect climate change and birds that are threatened by extinction
Work to create job opportunities combining travel and emigration with the establishment of local companies to ensure the future and embrace our children on our country’s land
Work to encourage tourism, fun and working with everything beautiful (like the arts)
Work to create a live cultural, social, physical expanding space, a center for meeting and connecting, influencing the present from a personal faith and a faith in the country, practicing peace, and remembering that “Lebanon is Life's Message”

Resources - Research Study on Leadership Implications of the Web

2011-01-09T23:31:00.000-08:00

A study for the Betelsmann Foundation in Germany posted on the Presencing Insitute around
Leadership Implications of the Web Final Jan9

n @ "Bringing Societies for All" in Brussels

2010-12-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

On December 2nd, I participated in the "Bringing Societies for All" session in the Promoting Social Inclusion Conference organised by the European Training Foundation, in Brussels. I presented n through Community Voices, bringing a concrete application of participatory community design through the interplay between placed-based and virtual online space.

n's stand was vibrant with an artistic talking stick which was created in the Shouf's community voices event; five project briefs developed and written by the community voices participants themselves, postcards of various work with inspiring questions, an online portal into our blog .....

A slideshow of the first day shows n's presence both as a contributor and participant ...

The 8 initiatives engaging social media to engage communities and people on the ground were captured by Marcin Monko from ETF in a 20 seconds interview with each contributor ..

The emphasis on the synergy between place-based and online connections in the design of participatory-based initiatives was the unique message of n.

(I)nHabiting nSITE - Harvest and Reflections

2010-11-03T00:28:00.000-07:00

The harvest of our co-design process has been mapped on nSITE's key plan:

Some reflections following the event:

"Today, as I host (I)inhabiting nSITE, I touch on the vibrancy and emergence of cohesion in co-creating processes. n, a community learning space for collective creativity, welcomed at nSITE a diverse, intergenerational, multidisciplinary, cross-cultural group, opening its doors wide open to contributors and visitors, as we collectively moved from our own individual learning places, to our collective creative spaces stepping into our integrated common space. The outcome a generous co-design of functions and interior furnishing.
I also experienced the positive impact of partnerships bringing skills and resources through a relational network of organisations and people working with similar purposes. Here, I thank Junaid Sarieddeen (Zoukak), Lina Aburislan (Hirosaki) and Krystel Kouyoumdjis for volunteering their services to facilitate, to introduce the architectural concept design and to run the artistic workshop. I also thank all the attendees for their full participation." - Hala Makarem
"It was a lovely event, insightful, creative and inspiring " - Sarah Enan
"It is wonderful and it is really happening. nSITE is in the now." - Lina AbuRislan
"Thank you for all the positive energies that you spread in that day ... I wish that the space energy will expand to its wider social surrounding" - Junaid Sarieddeen
"Thank you for giving us the space and the opportunity to discover and learn new things in ourselves and in our relationships with others" - Vanessa Bassil

(I)nHabiting nSITE - Flow of our day

2010-11-02T23:23:00.000-07:00

The journey starts at 2:00 pm with the attendees arriving slowly. At 2:20 pm, the ensemble is still incomplete, last minute cancellations, others on their way, yet coming together in time. Then in this moment at 2:45pm, a circle that joins 11 people is formed.

An intergenerational, cross-cultural, multi-disciplinary circle unfolds in the entrance of nSITE as we are welcomed into the space.

We start by framing the context of the day, a day to (I)inhHabit nSITE under the guiding theme: community learning space for collective creativity.

Then, Junaid Sariedddeen, from Zoukak, takes the participants through the the flow of our day by introducing Process Drama, and facilitating the activities:

A connecting check-in enlivens our senses as we embody our feelings and share our names in a continuous wave that flows.

moving into ...

A sensing journey of the space through a community walk starting from the the street level taking us slowly into the area, inviting us to be present with each other, exploring the space, seeing what is already in place, meeting people, greeting them silently, then shortly afterwards encouraging brief crisp heartfelt conversations as we interact with each other.

moving with awareness into ...

A discovery of our individual learning spaces in nSITE. Individuals choose their preferred area, giving it a theme which describes their personal meaning of "learning", followed by identifying the elements, items and things that matter to create this space. They then step back, leave the space and reflect on what they see inside, as they return they reorganise where need be, and start to give texture, color, and more aesthetics to what stays.

moving with curiosity into ....

An architectural walk, hosted by Lina Abi Reslan, from Hirosaki. Re-entering the space collectively, hearing the story around nSITE's architectural design concept, highlighting the various spatial scales in response to the diversity in community: individuals, duos, and larger ensembles, as well as accommodating and welcoming individuals with additional needs and physical disabilities.

moving consciously into ...

An expansion of individual learning places towards collective creative neighbourhoods. Individuals de-mark their boundaries, entering with those in close proximity into a conversation towards understanding the chosen collective space, giving it a larger theme, and working together to readapt and reorganise (add, delete, move, modify ..) the chosen items in response to the generated concept. Three areas showed up: attraction/gravity; core activities, into the future ....

moving fluidly into ....

A world cafe experience through spatial movement. A host remains in the collective neighbourhood area with the others spreading into the other two areas. Hosts introduce the story of their place, and visitors listen and offer the space two things: (1) a gift (2) a pragmatic action that challenges the space. Once the turns are completed, the original groups gather, reflect, reassess and respond.

moving into ...

A nourishing resting break time , welcoming late visitors and inviting them into the process ....

moving back into ...

Action through co-creation. An invitation by Krystel Kouyoumdjis, to the groups of the three areas to go through what they received as gifts and questions, to respond by readapting, and then to select at least one item and to co-create its prototype through an artistic process using the available material/resources.

moving creatively into ...

Celebrating the experience of Inhabiting nSite fully. An invitation to bring the three spaces into the one common holding space covering all of nSITE, where the participants become the hosts of the space, and Junaid and myself become visitors to the space.

The door (which is not physically present) opens, and the hosts find four visitors waiting at their entrance. We are warmly welcomed with a bowl of yummy sweets by Vanessa, before going through a centering guided breathing circle check-in for two minutes with Krystel, followed by an invitation to fill the space with music, listening to an introduction of the space by Sarah and then assigning it instruments/beats/vocals which one of the hosts (Krsytel, Karim, Firas, George, Lina, Danya, Sarah) will hold and keep performing as we continue our journey inside nSITE. While we are moving through the space, an orchestra was emerging and coming to life. Once the tour was completed we chose our own music and space, and the whole of nSITE was resonating with music, art and words through the wonderful collective energy in our co-designing and co-creating experience

moving completely into ...

Check-out facilitated by Danya. A circle to create a collective anthem for n starting from various individual sounds merging into the one collective chant.

****

A photographic flow of the process is captured here:

(I)nHabiting nSITE

(I)nHabiting nSITE - Saturday 30 October 2010

2010-10-20T04:44:00.000-07:00

Art Fusion @ nSITE - in progress

2010-10-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

The process continued spontaneously, with the generous volunteer artists arriving to nSITE at convenient times to start the painting process. The first visit entailed a group work, with Steffi Peichal, Krystel Kouyoumdjis, Lina Abi Reslan and Hala coming together to set the basic theme for the movement of the colors; the outcome is testing the ground, sensing into the tones and moods of the space, noticing what blends and balances and what clearly was saying "I don’t belong here, remove me, I am okay with that, find another appropriate shade of color that speaks the story"; the product of the day was an initial layer which spread out the platform for creative detailing. The second visit found Shireen Makarem absorbing what was showing up, yet not complete in its emergence. Then her delicate hand brush painting came to life with the exquisite mushrooming of earthly bodies grounded on nature’s green. The third visit, approached the second layering of adding color effects, with shadowing, highlighting and fusing the right textures together; a visitor from Germany passed by, and left his mark with a spider that is now quite excited to move into weaving the collective web ……

and see more photos here

Art Fusion @ nSITE - in process

2010-09-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today, as lightening was bringing the sound of weather change, and rain was communicating its cleansing moments; we came together, twelve of us, to co-create an experience at nSITE in an ordinary residential/business neighbourhood in Beirut.

Highlights of our process flow:

Check-in
Name Wave (started at the entrance of the site, moving from excitement to confusion to sleepiness to liberation expanding the circle)

Framing
Slideshow of n activities (bringing the community and all the generous facilitators from around the world into the space with us)
Introducing the architectural concept, design and implementation process of nSITE (a photo installation of the development of the site was a wonderful extension of the neighbourhood street into the place)

Dialogue
Cafe conversation around:
What does a learning community for collective creativity mean for you? What stories, emotions, pictures can express its being?

Harvest

The collective harvest highlighted a learning community for collective creativity as starting from a drive whether around conflicts or possibilities, bringing energy, magnetic field attraction, energy in awareness and ownership, building relationships, at both the individual and community levels, where exchange of input happens at different scales (spaces), the outcome is similar to the russian dolls, morphing towards open dynamic structures, links over a common ground with the will to learn and unlearn (language).

Artistic Process - co-Design

Following from the harvest, small groups started to doodle the images that are showing up; the groups then merged into one circle; and the process of consolidating the thoughts and feelings into one common blank canvas continued; the question what will be the nucleus of our story that will guide the free flow expression? centered all the outflows pouring from the participants, resulting in a co-created expression that was translated into a sketch, before being traced on stencil paper, and projected on the "grey" wall to be collectively painted ...

Art Fusion - The Wall (so far)
The wall joined so many hands to fill the outline and prepare the grounds for the colors to appear; white covered the areas where amplification is desired, and arabic calligraphy marked the essence of merging languages in many forms ... this is where we reached ...

nSITE Art Fusion

Co-Creators: Who was @ nSITE
Steffi (graffiti artist); Krystel (graphic designer); Shereen (graphic designer); Aya (high school student, painter); Lina (architect, designer); Rabih (architect, designer); Pascal (graphic designer, arabic calligraphy); Lynn (graphic designer, arabic calligraphy); Joumana (knowledge and development architect); Firas (conflict resolution facilitator, cooking for peace); George (photographer); Hala (n initiator) + all participants and co-facilitators of n events (a running slideshow) + visitors (young artists, family members and neighbourhood inquirers)

With appreciation for the beauty that emerged as the process continues during the coming week to fill the colors, staying tuned to how the space will expressing more and more its aliveness in us ....

Collaborative Art Fusion: Co-Creating a Community Learning Space (Invitation)

2010-09-23T04:27:00.000-07:00

What is our collective role in community-based action?
What would a space of joy, meaning and possibilities look like in Lebanon?

Collaborative Art Fusion
A process of engagement, exploration, and creative expression transforming the walls of the nSite hub into a canvas of color, form and movement. A joyful exchange of talent amongst community members and artists offered by n as it transforms to a collaborative learning environment.

nSITE
A space for individuals, pairs, groups and communities from all ages and backgrounds to reflect, exchange, share and co-create. In its consciously minimalist design and use of materials, nSITE is a background that invites engaged reinterpretations of possibilities of being in it. Today, the site is under design development. It is stripped to the bare minimum, inviting you to participate in its construction, through bringing meaning, color and movement with intention and attention

The flow of our day on SATURDAY 25th SEPTEMBER 2010 is to:

Connect with each other in the creative field
Participate in circles of conversations and generative dialogues
Discover what our role in building spaces of joy and meaning is
Co-Design the expressions through graphic visualization, poetry, hand crafting, and dance
Co-create a mural on the walls of nSite

Attendance is free.

Prior registration is required.

There are limited spaces, so reserve now.
Email halamakarem@gmail.com
Call 03 200 716

Facilitated by
n-applied research Creativity Community and Hirosaki
in partnership with Polypod

EduQuest Dialogue Cafe - Learning Journey

2010-06-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

EduQuest - Harvest

Education Now and Future

Education Models of the Future

Weaving Our Shared Community Story - Collective Harvest of Future Possibilities Dialogue

2010-05-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

القصة الي بتجمعنا سوى ، جمعتنا على مسارح الحياة في ٥ مناطق بلبنان - بعقلين ، الهرمل ، بيروت ، صريفا ، و بيت مري

القصة الي بتجمعنا سوى ، اخذتنا من خلال تقنيات حديثة للحوار نحو تصوير مستقبل، و تأليف احتمالات مشتركة، احتمالات بكلمات و عبارات المشتركين

احتمالات بتبتدي بالتوعية، منطلقة من المستوى الشخصي الذاتي لاكتشاف و تحسين الذات و اعادة الاعتبار للقيم الانسانية و الأخلاق و احترام الانسان بعيداً عن المادة،

وعي على المساواة و حقوق الانسان ، و حق المرأة

فالعلم نور اما التربية و اللطافة الانسانية فهيا من البيت

تولد ثقافة مستخرجة من النسيان و التسامح و المحبة و عدم التعلق بشيء ،

ثقافة تحول الكلمة السوداء الى كلمة بيضاء، مثل ما بيقول المثل »المنيح يغلب الوحيش«

لخلق مناخ تقبل الآخر مبني على الاستقرار عامة و الاستقرار النفسي خاصة

كلمة خير تقرب الناس، فينتج اندماج و انفتاح على المجتمعات الاخرى، بعيداً عن الطائفية، قريباً من التفكير بمصلحة الجماعة من اجل التطوير ، نابعة من نفس حرّة مع وعي لمفهوم السياسي و القانون على اسس احترام التعبير، مبنية على علاقة الاحترام المتبادل بين الانسان و النظام ، و احترام الناس لبعضهم البعض، و رفض تصنيف المجتمعات لبعضهم البعض، و استثمار الطاقات من خلال الحوار و النظر الى الاحتمالات المستخرجة من الشعب ، فيستخدم الدماغ كسلاح لتحقيق الطموحات و لوضع معرفة الناس ، وكفاءتها في عهدة اهداف مشتركة واقعية تنظر الى الحاضر اساس لبناء المستقبل ، تحفز تغيير الافكار و العادات الموروثة، تنظر الى النجاح بطريقة جديدة، تقول

معاً نبني معاً نستمر،

معاً بمسؤولية فردية،

معاً بالتعاون و المشاركة،

معاً بالابداع ،

معاً بالعمل الجماعي لتحقيق فرق.

عمل لتغيير النظام التربوي و التربية المدنية،

عمل لتغيير نظرة المجتمع لذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة و ذويهم،

عمل على صعيد التنظيم المدني و البيئة و ايجاد حلول تحمي التحول المناخي و الطيور المهددة بالانقراض،

عمل لخلق فرص عمل جامعة السفر و الهجرة بانشاء شركات لضمان المستقبل و حضن اولادها على ارض الوطن ،

عمل لتشجيع السياحة ، التسلية ، الشغل بكل شي حلو »مثل الفن«،

عمل لخلق مدى حيوي ثقافي ، اجتماعي، رياضي؛ مركز للتلاقي و التواصل يأثر بالحاضر من ايمان شخصي و ايمان بالوطن ؛ نمارس السلام و نتذكر ان «لبنان رسالة»

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English Version and Photos can be found on the event's page here

Iraqi Study Tour

2010-04-20T01:40:00.000-07:00

Effective Decision Making with Compassion - Deep Democracy

2010-02-04T23:22:00.000-08:00

Crossing over the threshold brought a new context of being and acting to Beirut Lebanon on January 22-24th, 2010 through a white/yellow belt training of the Deep Democracy toolkit.

Diversity was present in the studio room of Zoukak theatrical company: new leadership, businesswomen, psychotherapists, media anchors, urban planners, architects, trainers, social media initiators, designers, youth activists, rehabilitation practitioners, conveners, hosts: food - context - ..... from all over the country

An experience full of learning, teaching, fluidity, creativity and alternative forms of expression

From tension to intention, from frustration to engagement, from boundaries of time to freedom of being,

community of exchange birthing,

nakedness with color,

removing layers of layers,

unfolding as the moment arises

attracting finding the links

patterns emerging through shifting our seating

laughter contributing

hosting cooking cleaning setting

sharing responsibility

generosity, possibility, accountability through effective decision making with compassion find light amongst a new form of relating

Celebrating the Other - Harvest

2010-01-31T01:42:00.000-08:00

في قلب البيت هدوء يحرك المشاعر و الشعور
في ممرات الفسحة معرفة الخبراء تحمل شوق الزائرين تحميها
في واجهة المدخل اسهم الذكرى تحصر الحقيقة ترسلها
في وسط المطبخ طبخة سلام الأمومة تبذر صحة الابناء تسعدها
في زاوية المقهى ذاكرة الخلق تندمج مع تضحية الأم تجمعها
في صدر المجلس حديث الأصدقاء ينمي ترابط المعاني يغنيها
في حضن السجاد تفاعل الاحباء يطلق ابتسامة الحنان ينعشها
في جانب السفرة صراحة التواصل تبدل سترة العلاقة تطورها
في ارض الشعاع تفاصيل الحياة تنير اضواء الانسجام تنشرها
في كواليس المكان طفولة الأخوة تلعب ، تسمع ، تستضيف برأة اللحظة توحدها

Photos are here

Weaving our Collective Story - Chapter 1

2010-01-30T23:01:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 16th January 2010, our shared community story weaving journey started in Baakline National Library, Chouf, Lebanon. Twelve attendees from the region, mainly university students participated in a creative day of group building, generative dialogue story-making and theatrical representation. The day was facilitated by four members from Zoukak theater company (www.zoukak.org), and Hala Makarem from n.

Process Flow

The morning started with a circle inviting the attendees to introduce themselves using animation and movement, taking them to a community walk exploring the space, acknowledging and greeting each other, building harmony and trust. Pairs then moved to tables to talk about the items they brought from their neighborhood; they shared why it meaningful for them and then they were guided to use their imagination by transforming the object to another of completely different function but still usable.

After warming up the imagination and sensory perceptions, the group moved into a collective dialogue using the World Café around two questions “what is the environment that will support our healthy sustainable growth and living?” “How can this be realized? What is needed?”. The participants moved around the tables communicating with different members each time over a period of one hour. In the meantime, a library patron volunteered to interview employees and visitors in the library around the same question. While they were engaging in their conversations, facilitators transformed the library to a café serving the participants with snacks and coffee. At the end of the final round, the groups harvested their key insights and arrived at various themes, such as: awareness, knowledge, goals, communication, values, healthy attitudes, thinking for the best interest of the collective, secular society, urban planning, entertainment facilities, open to other communities, diversity, creating opportunities, volunteering/exchange, environment/nature, virtual life.

All was set now to engage in the story-making process. After an introduction to the process and components of story building (place, time, characters, events/actions, imagination, collective co-creation), the groups developed the story-line over three rounds, with each table contributing its section based on what has been generated in the previous table and rounds. The facilitators invited them to include the items they got into the story, which brought a sense of reality with a sense of imagination. The main theme of the first chapter revolves around the dance between the old and new generation, the conflict and the possibilities, the land and the technology, the social inherited traditions and the new acquired attitudes, the protection and the limitless freedom, the natural surrounding and the inhibited frustrations, the choices and the decisions, the traditions and the values, the love and the passion …

The story was captured by photographer Nadim BouHabib, and digital audio by Jessica Dheere (Social Media Exchange).

A well deserved lunch break nourished us before we restarted in our afternoon journey, where the play was being developed and rehearsed as the participants were guided to weave and make the costumes of the characters using the various material provided. The experience showed the enthusiasm of all, males and females, and their satisfaction as the actors of Zoukak dressed in the attendees’ designed and made costumes.

The finale was the production of the play. Simple and powerful, it touched the hearts of all attendees as they recognized the influence of their words, thoughts and imagination through a wonderfully presented performance using the beautiful library space and directly engaging all participants in a forum theater expression.

Photos are posted here

Partners: Assabil, Friends of Public Libraries
In collaboration with Ministry of Culture, Beirut World Book Capital

Inner Climate Souk - Cafe Harvest

2009-12-13T23:26:00.000-08:00

What am I carrying within me that can positively influence my well-being and the well-being of my surrounding?

Here are some of the harvested jewels within us that sparkle the brightest:

Love for life a basic drive

Be alive, eat, live and love life

Stay with the polarity of love and hate, a duality in strife

Integrated sensory perception

Alignment of feelings, thoughts and actions, in conjunction

Faith in possibilities for Change

Positive change starts with Self , the authentic front page

Be in touch with our inner spirits and resources

One Connected necklace: care, truth, inner peace, honesty, positive being, confronting the truth, the will for change; no pauses

We need to grow

Awareness of our ignorance, continual learning of our surroundings, make connections; to flow

Locating, meeting people in their environment, speaking their language; to know

Proactivity; transforming our jewels to a beam that lightens and colors our exterior, a glow

2 actions that you believe (as a group) can make a significant difference to our community?

Maintain the bonds, live by doing, spread the word, Create a chain, invite diversity

Enrichment and knowledge: keeping learning, grow the positive knowledge bank

Use all social media exchange forums

Be the change

Be the example

Campaign with impact and support

Always visible

Start at schools

Surround with positive people

Harming the harm : face up to the difficult circumstances and do something

Influencing decision-makers

***

Photos captured by George Haddad can be found here.

Thanks to all, co-hosts, speakers, facilitators and attendees, for an integrated inner climate souk.

Inner Climate Souk - Process Flow

2009-12-13T00:51:00.000-08:00

The sparkles of rain cleansed the path
The sun-day light dew cleared the view
The city woke up to a Climate Check clock
Visitors from North, South and Center accepted the Souk invitation with wonder
Drivers traveled to an unfamiliar place, not far in space
Hosts welcomed the guests full of curiosity and genuine inquiry
A circle weaved our intentions through its gentle kind attention

Inter-generational, Multi-disciplinary, formed an orchestra of diversity and integrity
Pairs practiced their sensory instruments, storytelling bonds with nature, our environment
Groups rehearsed their wellbeing capacities surfacing all they carry in the comfort of a cafe party
The harvester connected all generated musical notes to share and bring into action for ourselves and our surrounding
The conductor recalled the players with awareness and delicacy, exchanging body knowledge and healthy practices

The smells of nourishment flowed from the kitchen, arriving with the color and scents of life's tasteful energy
Inside-out expressions poured everywhere; conversations, an open art canvas and a dynamic photo slideshow

A moment of transformation, emptying the room, reaching the unknown
Creating vision, building a public space, finding one's private place, setting the scene, identifying relationships, interacting and responding - all towards meaning, harmony and possibility
Reality, ecology, sustainability call the practitioner to share insights and practical applications in daily life

Coming all together around a candlelight circle taking moments of bliss, gratitude and knowing with us in our continuous journey

Future Journalism Cafe - Process Harvest

2009-12-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

On the evening of Friday 11 December, n hosted a gathering of journalists and media professionals at the Samir Kassir Foundation, in Ashrafieh, to discuss the meaning and role of journalism in the 21st Century, and discover and share the roles they saw for themselves in creating our future media landscape.

The foresight, passion, and commitment in the room was palpable as we discussed the future we saw for journalism and the media, the service that we dreamed it could be for our communities and society as a whole, and grappled with the challenges and opportunities on the road to getting there.

A brainstorming of the questions we need to answer in order to reach the future waiting for us, led us to diving deeper into the values and roles of journalism and the media industry in this new future, and the creation of a sustainable media industry.

We identified a number of clear and concrete next steps to follow this conversation and all present voiced their commitment for working on these to bring about the future they saw emerging. We will keep you informed of our projects and opportunities to participate over the coming year.

n will be sharing this experience with a translocal network of colleagues in Europe and the Middle East also working on supporting the transition of our current journalism and media climate to one that is more fully in service of our community. We aim to build an international network of knowledge and skills that can support the media industry at this time.

n recognises the vital importance of journalists experiencing first-hand the work that we do and the role this relationship has in creating a new media climate, and so we welcome journalists and media professionals into our work. Please contact Hala Makarem, initiator of n, if you are interested in providing a media perspective and voice to our activities.

Posted by Community Process Host : Sharon Moreham

Future Journalism Cafe - Insights Harvest

2009-12-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

Envisioning the Future for journalism and the media

By the people - open to all (content, source, knowledge)
Proactive - creating and participating in the future
Appreciative environment - peace journalism
Aspiring to create understanding and compassion
Write in ways that provokes and inspires thinking, opinion-making of every individual
More flow, exchange and engagement (2 way or more)
Some roles remain and new layers of roles come above
Storytellers and story weavers
Another role of the connectors (new layer/role) connecting the stories
Use of new technologies (related to environmental care)
Multimedia more prevalent and story sharing

Questions we hold around future journalism

What are the values?
How do we support the roles in the media sector to find new identities in this transition?
How can we make it sustainable? What is the income and business model? What is the appropriate infrastructure?
How can governments respond to changing policy mindsets around online media?

Values and roles of future journalism

Giving hope and faith
High integrity and responsibility
A vehicle to democratize ideas
Importance of subjectivity (gather all perspectives)
Being all the voices, capture the source, be bold
Add insights (not just facts)
Increase in local and community journalism

Stronger community base
Proactive to search and discover community activities & stories
Include remote communities and value their opinions and perspective

Online container/space to hold stories
Learning and creating together

With special thanks to the host and initiator of this inquiry Sharon Moreham, and to Julie Arts and all attendees for their active participation and contribution

Social Cohesion Workshop - Policies and Practice

2009-10-17T00:46:00.000-07:00

From a speaker to a facilitator on the third day of the conference entitled "Education for Social Cohesion in Lebanon" organized by the Center for Lebanese Studies, University of Oxford.

64 attendees - local, international, multi-stakeholder, intergenerational - came together today to exchange experiences and learnings, and to discover possibilities all in an interactive forum of engaged participation.

The workshop connected participants in collective inquiry moving from the generalities addressing the roles and responsibilities of public and private Education in social cohesion policies, to the specifics adressing in an open space 10 practical inidvidual initiatives/stories/inquiries.

The outcome of the workshop will be shared by the Center for Lebanese Studies at their website. (this post will be updated when the information is made available)

Community-Based Action and Social Cohesion

2009-10-16T23:58:00.000-07:00

Today, I found myself in the Health Science building @ the American University of Beirut, presenting the experience of community-based action in service of Social Cohesion(*).

What caught my attention are the inidvidual highlights raised by other speakers towards fostering a social cohesion environment, and their interconnectedness within the fabric of the design of the Community Voices project:

Social capital
Diversity and Representation
Arts and Humanity
Language (appreciative)
Build on our collective memory (by bringing it to the forefront through issues that matter to the people)

All integrated ...
All present in the Community Voices project ..

*
Conference entitled "Education for Social Cohesion in Lebanon" organized by the Center for Lebanese Studies, University of Oxford (15-17 October 2009)

Flow Game in Lebanon

2009-09-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

During the last two weeks of September, Valentine Giraud, a Brazilian host of group processes, visited Lebanon and hosted two flow g ames, creating a space for individual and collective intelligence to consciously surface through reflection, dialogue and interactive learning.

What emerged through the rounds of the first game, touching on the innovative leadership perspective of the north, the community perspective of the south, the deep vision of the east and the practical action of the west, is a collective story of life.

A story that starts with meaning, from being, to family, expanding to relationships, reaching work, collecting skills, moving towards change, all in Lebanon.

Some keywords that were generated by the group for each state of the story:

Meaning
personal, perception, found in everything

Being
a child, inner child in adults, duality, spontaneity, intuition, risk-taking, preparation, search, discovery, magic, pulse, energy, ease, love, pops, sails, journey, serious, fun

Family
a gift, story, space for being and growing, safe, individual and collective, relationship, responsibility towards oneself and others

Relationships
choices, exchange, growing, unlimited, unbound by place/time, contribution, role, mutual

Work
trust, action, connection, participatory, practice, simple, readiness (personal/infrastructure)

Skills
learner/student, motherhood, designing, organizing, healing, coaching, training developement, eco-sustainability, conversations, photography

Change
social, organizational, self, walk the talk

Lebanon
virgin land, infinite possibilities, diversity, Beirut and beyond, "where do we tap on?" - sensing ... accessing

Preparing Women for the Digital Future

2009-09-05T07:22:00.000-07:00

I was invited to facilitate the Lessons Learned session in the networking event "Preparing Women for the Digital Future: Crossing Cultural Barriers" organized by the British Council in Lebanon in partnership with Women in IT (Lebanon) and Equilatec (UK).

I share some of the insights that were generated:

Encouraging Channels

Learn from Each Other
Cluster Environments
Increasing number of working women in ICT
Bring in different attitudes to traditional jobs (e.g. project management)
Promoting Women Leadership
Community (service at local level)
Inclusive (multi-stakeholder, intergenerational)
No Gender Discrimination
Job Sharing
Life Long Learning

Cultural Barriers

Lack of motivation
Low % of educated women contributing to labor
Discrimination in policies (e.g. tax reductions …)
Lost Opportunities with new legislation
Stereotyped environment
Rules/regulations – lack of flexibility
No rewarding systems
Work-Life balance
What is attractive at schools?
What next?

Since the future was a question in the air, the group was invited to envision the future of women in 2020 making a collage using available materials, texture and colors. Four interesting models emerged (two are shared here)

Launching a new era into action. Not bound by a window, say no to no. Climbing the ladder together.

Women/men/elders. Upwards not limits. Listening. Education. Leaders all over the world. Say no to war. Shopping online. Credit cards opening accounts. In loving relationships.

What activities will serve towards preparing women for the digital future?

Make young women aware of their choices at an early age
Promote positive image of successful women
Awareness - self-awareness and sharing with others through networks,
Informal networks (coaching and mentoring) at a women to women level
Education: talks and sessions on diversity
Education and training: leadership (efficacy) , soft skills, change management
Bring femininity into technology development cycles

Creativity Workshop

2009-08-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Creativity...
Can it be defined? Transmitted? Inspired?
Can it Communicate? Across barriers? Nationalities? Pre-conceptions?

On a bright Sunshiny sunday, n hosted a creativity workshop for the participants in the upcoming MExp Program with Aie Serve. These young excited individuals, along with many others, are getting ready to tour Syria, Jordan and Lebanon in August 2010 on buses, and to make various stops along the way to meet and engage people with projects close to their hearts.

Therefore, the workshop was put together to help them get their creative juices flowing quickly, gaining inspiration from their surrounding and learning to improvise! We set out to Express, Exchange, and Engage!

---

After introducing ourselves through an object and a gallery walk of creative messages, our journey began by using collage to embody a favorite animal+color, and fictional characters saw the light, from Burger-the green koala to Jumbo -the bumble bee. The mood was joyful as everyone started to feel more comfortable experimenting with different materials and connecting with their inner child.

We then formed little groups and the new challenge was to create the sculpture of an ideal country, complete with name and values. The team spirits were high as they fused ideas together, using various textures and materials to transmit their ideals, and our workshop reached its climax with the performance of each team, where they interpreted the life of a random "animal" citizen (created before) in their newly created country! Using either storytelling, music, or mime, they engaged us and each other in their journey and left us spell bound.

The atmosphere was truly energetic, and many connections were made and we were transported from Everywhere-stan where all are welcome and the national anthem of tolerance is Mimed, but heard loud and clear... to the Floating Water Caravan, whose melodic name, (better to sing it along) invites all to join and journey along, bringing in their unique traits and playing their own musical instrument to create a dynamic rhythm... to the Country of all seasons and nature whose story was weaved around us all.

At the end of our journey, we were glad to have met so many people, and gotten to know them in a new and creative way, which left us with a warm impression and a feeling of connectedness, as if we were all linked through an invisible web of shared values and dreams.

by Joumana Mattar-Moukarzel and Lina AbuRislan

Planning Efffective Change in Large Groups

2009-08-11T01:24:00.000-07:00

With the complex challenges that organizations, markets and development work face today, new social technologies emerge opening ways for genuine involvement, collaboration and action towards sustainable outcomes. In that context, n and cama Institute for Communication Development, hosted an evening event on Tuesday August 11th, to learn how Big Groups make Vision Reality – quickly.

The participant group was introduced to the applications of Appreciative Inquiry, Real Time Strategic Change, Future Search and Open Space by Ms Carole Maleh, Managing Director, cama.

A photography slideshow by George Haddad, presented real life Lebanese examples where simple processes do work (traditional soap factory in Tripoli), and pictures of the conditions that prevail on Lebanese land, with images from various Palestinian Camps around the country.

The evening closed with a connected web of individuals, organizations, aspirations, learning and experiencing; all working towards the realization of effective change where needed ..

EduQuest: Envisioning Education

2009-06-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

Life(in-out of school, circular) A sense of community, cycle with infants growing into a person, taking diverse paths, going back into society through the fruits of learning, all with the embrace and support of self-motivation

Model 1: Life

Finding open schools, schools without walls, balancing between the past and the future, complete with centers of music, drama, rhythm, and nature, under the motto of Love, flourishing happy students

Model 2: Open system

Transforming to an open system with expansion, engaging math, music, animals, nature, arts with two pillars of education still waiting to be discovered, a system where light is softly going in and out

Model 3: Open with pillars

Reaching the person's Life, a circular motion, surrounded by technology, TV, people watching him, his environment, constantly affecting him all the time even if in different conditions

Model 4: Current influences (3D)

Facing two different systems, a current ladder focusing on an end product no longer working, a future tree with branches that starts at the roots of Love and maintains its colorful flowers a symbol of life, appreciating diversity and seeing the stars, the better future

Model 5: Two systems

Learning from the school towards it, from HOME not far from it, acknowledging its ups and downs, tilted, not sturdy yet enough to start building a base for it

Model 6: Base

Educated Person with a huge heart, full of care, affection, holding the book, The Prophet, keeping the question mark a symbol of long life learning

Model 7: Educated Person

Moving into World Education, a web of connection, all in favour of sustainability

Model 8: Web of World Connections

EduQuest café, a learning journey of inquiry into 21st Century school education in

Lebanon,

was organized and facilitated by n, with the support of the American Community School of Beirut, on May 23rd, 2009 in Beirut, Lebanon. EduQuest was attended by 36 educators, teachers, high school and middle school students, parents of diverse professional backgrounds, ministry of education representatives, student teachers from three local universities. The half day journey is unveiled in this picture gallery.

From Ideas to Action Planning - Lebanese Community Voices

2009-05-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

A representation of faces from their land
eager to listen to understand.
Sharing goals, dreams, hopes and passions
of the seeds soon to become action.

A day for planning achievable steps ahead
to bring their ideas to life instead.
Turning goals into measurable strategies
voicing ah-ha moments with "I'm finding clarity!"

Creating links and discovering shared interests
leading to participatory collective blogging
(http://www.ni7ki-nesma3.blogspot.com/)

Together, near or far
a virtual space now holds them in a place
to communicate, interact and expand
without forgetting that laughter and fun is a working demand!

The workshop was organized and facilitated by n, with the support of the NGO Assabil, on May 29th, 2009 in Monnot Public Library, Beirut, Lebanon.

(special thanks to all the attendees from Baakline, Hermil, Barouk, Beit Mery and Srifa for their contribution, inquiries and active participation)

Meaningful Values - Our Stories Revealed

2009-05-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

In our quest for a healthy productive life, we wake up to realize that we drifted into the material world of consumption, away from creative meaningful contribution. We find ourselves on the surface moving unconsciously, with judgment, apathy, and selfishness surrounding us. Yet, our hearts long to unite with each other to serve with mindfulness, humility, empathy and selfness.

Today, we start a search for Living Stories hidden in the Lebanese social field around five core human values: Resilience, Forgiveness, Tolerance, Passion, Wisdom focusing on the impact they generated for individuals and their surroundings.

Through participatory storytelling in the various Lebanese regions, a collective story will be weaved, which brings everyone closer to the other. Individuals and groups will share their sadness, joys, achievements and the influence of living and experiencing the five values, they will learn about each other, getting closer through understanding and compassion.

As we become conscious of the aliveness of those stories in the diversity of Lebanon’s landscape and people, we become attentive to our commonalities and positive influences through simple humane action; the start of a new outlook towards a healthy productive life.

The project driven by n was co-initiated on May 19th, 2009 in an interactive inter-generational participatory conversation .

Beirut Community Voices

2009-05-15T04:14:00.000-07:00

As part of the Community Voices project with Assabil, n facilitators journeyed across three public libraries in Beirut, having sincere conversations with the local community using the Presencing Institute stakeholder interview guidelines. The core questions explored were:

What does Beirut mean for you?
What are it's strengths/unique qualities that you are proud to be part of?
What do you personally care about, that can be facilitated by living in Beirut?
What is missing that you would like to see develop/emerge?

The words, feelings and thoughts of the 16 participants were compiled in a sum-up reflection by Solange, n facilitator:

Beirut is a paradise, we should learn how to keep its beauty, keep up the civilization on a positive path through culture, loving communities, learning how to tolerate each others behaviors, keep it clean, safe, embellished, "forever ever green".. Some observe it as missing parts floating over Beirut's sky and some just hate the city chaos and are obliged to live within the echoes. It's a place of growth somehow it's this same place of full meanings, where life is simply Beirut. Its pollution kills, politics and cosmopolitanism take control, we have to make the communication...

Beirut is where we have easy access to everything...Bad transportation though. Independent Beirut. Unlikely, Beirut isn't as it used to be. It felt down under many wars and battles but kept her prestige. The people inside aren't those who were used to be. Cultured but not cultivated. Materialism took people under its wing. There's the challenge to stay and survive in Beirut v/s traveling to work abroad.

Take responsibility of our city, avoid blaming though. The sea, the green fields, parks, public spaces should all have to be valued and considered as treasures in Beirut. Poverty, dirty streets, we should recycle and let our kids learn at young age about how they could contribute to their communities: planting trees, to accept, to forgive, to compromise... Education must overcome each and every home. Politicians must set rules, limits, organize, listen, be present...

Finally, Beirut was Beirut, is Beirut and will always be Beirut!

The interviews were held on April 25th, 2009 in Geitawi, Monnot and Bachoura Public Libraries. The day was organized by n and facilitated by Hala Fleihan and Solange El-Heybe with Rima Chami.

(special thanks to all the participants for their contrbution)

Body Leadership

2009-05-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

Independent, isolated pieces of perception and meaning were collected from emerging leaders joined in an exploration space around the relationship of the body with our leadership capacities.

I find Leadership ...

character
starts from within
innate
in Self
through my friends
aspiration
destiny
God
gift
way of life to express and present yourself
dynamics
challenging
misunderstood
responsibility

I find the body ...

vehicle
power
art form
sight
feelings
attraction
temple
complication
soul
health
strength
activity

A few days later, a fusion brings a unified perception of all responses. Body Leadership becomes ...

A vehicle that develops character; a temple that’s misunderstood; an art form providing a visual way of life to express and present oneself; Soul, innate, in Self, starts from within; feelings that harness aspiration; strength with God and destiny; attraction and complication quite challenging; health a welcome gift, power through one's friends, activity with dynamics and responsibility

and a final reflection:

A review of the day shows that with curiosity and observation, we can reach awareness of body and self, which enhances concentration and focus to improve communication and connection.

Leadership Through Body Awareness Conversations was held on Wednesday 29th April, 2009 at JCI, Beirut. The workshop hosted by n was presented and facilitated by Hala Makarem.

(special thanks to all the attendees for their contribution, inquiries and active participation)

Leadership through Storytelling

2009-04-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

An experiential afternoon of listening to stories, making own stories and learning the practice of storytelling ignited the candle that lights the impact of stories in our life journey.

Leadership capacities, which start with attentive listening, openness to understanding and pure reflection, can be highly attained with the proper use of storytelling practices; as the Indians say: “Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”

Leadership through storytelling brings a space where leaders become heroes as they create their own myth and story, working with symbols and experiences that are relevant in their simplicity and message.

A simple story that a group of participants created at one threshold in the afternoon, reflected what current leaders miss in their practice with others "attentive listening and genuine understanding of the people's needs":

There were two little boys playing in a garden of orange trees. It was by the end of winter and the trees were empty.Then one of the boys saw an orange in a tree and started approaching it when the other boy ran and grabbed it; they started fighting for the orange. The gardener came, took it and chopped it into two equal parts and gave each of them a half. Both started crying as no one was satisfied. Later the gardener discovered that the first boy needed only the outer cover of the orange so his mother can use in the cake, while the other boy wanted to eat the orange. So each of the boys went home crying holding a useless half of the orange.

(thanks Nadeen, Joumana, Aline and Solange for the story)

As the time together came to a closure, it got clearer that the story we find, share and make available to others will draw relevance and meaning to every experience in our leadership journey.

“Leadership Through Storytelling: 3 Steps and 7 Tools to Become a Storyteller” was held on Monday 20^th April, 2009 at Soul Spa, Beirut. The workshop hosted by n was presented and facilitated by Micaela Sauber, a professional German storyteller

Intergenerational Acceptance (8 to 50 yrs)

2009-04-19T05:25:00.000-07:00

An exciting journey of acceptance for the voices of the new age started in a public space in South Lebanon on Friday 17th April, 2009. An eight year old girl, joined a group of young adults, housewives, teachers, municipality representatives, librarians, professional trainers and others in an active participatory dialogue around ideas for improving their community and neighborhood.

At first, L. was a butterfly wandering between participants, acknowledged yet not taken seriously. An invitation and encouragement from the n hosts, opened a door of active engagement with determined presence. The World Cafe set-up allowed her to join at least three tables to leave her mark - she confidently shared her ideas with the other participants, making sure that her ideas were heard: prohibition of bird hunting,not cutting trees .....

It is heart-warming to watch both L. with the courage she carries to voice her opinions, and the adults who actually recognized that she has a contribution and started to listen to understand ...

The experience demonstrates the value of opening spaces for inter-generational dialogue towards encouraging participatory involvement, exchange, learning, and collective action

Community Outreach - beyond divides

2009-04-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

On March 25th 2009, in a setting overlooking the mountains of North Lebanon, a group of forty diverse participants joined a conversation around realistic possibilities for the development of their neighborhood and community, with a focus on identifying their personal role and contribution in the process.

Multi-stakeholder professional backgrounds (policemen, household wives, grandmothers, social workers, civil society organization leaders, sociology professors, priests, arts practitioners, community developers, public sector representatives) worked together in an open trusted public space environment. The participants engaged in a dialogue exchanging their personal viewpoints while connecting with others towards a collaborative generation of common themes that eliminated all inherent tensions, dissolving barriers, and going beyond the status-quo constraints of political affiliations and religion.

A participant affirmed this during the final check-out reflection “I returned to the country two years ago, and have been dismayed with the influence of politics in day-to-day life. Today I experienced something different where no political discussions came to surface, where differences were accepted and I realized that it is possible to connect and work towards the improvement of ourselves and community together.”

The design of the event was based on Theory U guidelines, and was implemented using the Art of Hosting Conversations social technologies and Creative Arts activities.

Expressing, Embodying with Awareness

2009-03-04T00:39:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday February 25, 2009, a group of active students from the UNESCO Club at the American University of Beirut (AUB) participated in an experiential workshop entitled Body Awareness: A New Language to Converse, facilitated by Hala Makarem. The purpose of the workshop was to guide individuals through a journey of self awareness and presentation on how to use our bodies to express and represent who we are as individuals co-existing within a group.

Expectations varied, with new discoveries arising through an engaging fun, interactive and learning process.

Group formation and introduction activities focusing on self-representation through body movement set the context. The practice of active listening helped individuals move from a shy, reserved state, to a more comfortable and open form of expression. Fear of judgement transformed slowly to trust building with self-confidence finding its safety net.

A “Community Walk” activity, whereby participants experienced mindfulness, invited the group to explore the space in the room while being conscious of every action taken, with acknowledgement of the others’ presence.

Trust was further strengthened during a “Mirroring” exercise, when two partners took turns to action body gestures as the other mirrored the movement. Empathy was sensed and awareness of intentions with one’s body movement was perceived.

The group were then introduced to three movement dances based on the Social Presencing Theatre introduced at the Presencing Institute (http://www.presencing.com):

The “20 minutes Dance” focused on self-awareness of one’s body starting from a basic fetus position on the ground, then gradually shifting postures towards bringing the body to a full stand before moving out into exploring the place with inner mindfulness.

Following a small energizer “Rubber Chicken” to re-spark up the energy and attention of the group, a “Field Walk” in front of an audience was practiced. With consciousness of their movement and intentions, they entered the field, paused in the middle making connection with the audience, and then closing their contribution by continuing the walk towards the end of walkway.

The workshop ended with a “Duet Dance”, as two partners created a story silently using their bodies to converse.

The process was powerful, as the group remained present, aware, and involved.

This is the harvest of the participants’ journey during the few hours together.

Leadership Journaling : Connect Work to Purpose (part 1)

2009-02-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

Leadership journaling a practice of putting pen to paper and allowing the flow of thoughts to find their letters with no judgment.

Part 1 will guide the reader to observe and connect work with purpose.

Stop - Be Present - Act

Look Back

What was your most recent active engagement @ a personal or organizational or social level?
How did you get involved?
What was your role?
Who did you connect with?
What was your contribution?
How does it align with your aspiration - your passion?

Now with your passion in mind, in heart at hand,

What do you take with you from the experience?
What will you do differently?
What do you need to face openly and honestly to move forward?
What do you still need to learn?
What relationship(s) do you need to look at?
What question will you ask to-day that will make a difference to the situation?

and the journey continues .....

Family Leadership - Social/Organizational Microcosm

2009-01-29T22:46:00.000-08:00

The week started with an inquiry conversation around Family Leadership in the 21st Century.

The purpose of the event was to listen to how individuals perceive family, its elements and dynamics, with the intention of understanding the topic's readiness in the community.

Ten participants - 4 males, 6 females - 5 married, 3 single, 2 in a relationship - a grandmother, two mothers, one father - were joined in an Irish Club at a local Lebanese Health Club to open a heartfelt dialogue. The evening started with a group introduction, attentive listening experience, and collective brainstorming around the core themes. The result of that work is presented in the mindmaps below.

Time for check-out with everyone still wanting to continue, so the attendees close their contribution by opening opportunities for further exploration through sharing the question they hold that could make the greatest difference to this situation.

The reflection of one participant, following the event, highlights the state of readiness: "I'm really interested in the topic of family.I consider it to be the most controversial of subjects but no one really talks about it because it will shake some of the foundations of society".

the conversation will continue ............

Walk the Talk

2009-01-24T12:29:00.000-08:00

One of the challenges that individuals and teams face today is their ability to walk their talk …

Are they aware of their steps?

Stop and look carefully!

You may notice that people walk involuntary, and what is truly moving are not their legs but a racing mind that detaches them from their body and its functions.

How do they show their collective commitment?

Through vocalizing it or through a show of hands, or through their signatures or … through similar forms that are momentary activities; actions that become obscured in memories or hidden in drawers.

If we consider the above scenarios, then we may understand why walking the talk becomes difficult to follow and remember .. So, how can we become mindful of our commitments and our walks to remain aligned and conscious of the strides we take on our way forward?

In a recent participatory community needs identification event in Hermil, Lebanon, three activities were explored as potential answers:

1. Mindful Community Walk: at the start of the day, after a check-in and the context setting, attendees were guided to walk with consciousness in the space/place of the venue: WALK-TURN-GREET (adapted from the embodiment activities of Theory U at the Presencing Institute). The outcome is a shift of attention and awareness to the body as a vehicle for movement, staying present to avoid bumping into walls or other people in the room, and acknowledging the other team members through building connections.

2. Conversation Constellations: (adapted from the Deep Democracy soft shoe shuffle technique). Attendees were invited to respond to questions by not just saying their opinion but by moving towards the answers they are agree with – literally walking their talk, a visible commitment in action.

3. Plant a Seed - connecting nature to group commitment and responsibility: At the end of the day, after the check-out process, the group was invited to plant a tree together in the premise's garden; a symbol of seeding their joint decisions in their common community space awaiting their continuous nurturing and watering, to grow in a healthy manner.

Strategic Conversations - Process Flow

2009-01-16T21:33:00.000-08:00

The case study described below portrays a learning model used in the design of a recent organizational strategic event. It includes the guiding principles and tools n is servicing, which can be applied in other places.

N-Strategic Conversation - Process Flow

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Humanities Research strategy conversatio

Community - What does it mean?

2009-01-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

In the Our Shared Community Story (OSCS) project, three groups from different ages (10-26yrs) and backgrounds brainstormed the meaning of the word: Community.

The following wordle captures their viewpoint:

Deep Listening

2009-01-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

Listen with attention
Act with intention
Moderate with love not interruption

With the practice of deep listening in our daily and organizational life, our behavior shifts from defensiveness and reacting to openness and action. Islands of separation bridge through a collective connection. We move from integration to belonging. We transform hierarchical management to relational leadership. All possible, with the practice of deep listening.

(at n we can work with you to bring deep listening skills to the forefront)

Shape and Color

2009-01-01T21:32:00.000-08:00

Groups come to action around structured thinking

Groups communicate in a continuous mode of discussion

Groups find the answers through research and analyzing

Groups manage in a hierarchy of controlled organization

What’s missing?

Shape and Color, for effective team building

Teams enact their unified vision with awareness and reflection

Teams expand around open conversations

Teams discover through dialogue and exploration

Teams lead in an ordered process of creativity and innovation

What made the difference?

Shape and Color, forming a character of true essence

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Assumptions or Intentions - an individual, collective, organizational choice

2008-12-30T23:55:00.000-08:00

Assumptions invisible controlling our decisions
Assumptions hidden ruling our perceptions
Assumptions inherited binding our actions
Assumptions forgotten biasing our connections
Assumptions rooted closing our expansion

What next? Where is the progression?
Breaking free from the limiting assumptions
Finding stability and balance in our heartfelt intentions

Intentions visible guiding our motivation
Intentions possible capturing our imagination
Intentions meaningful planning our destination
Intentions virtuous embracing our connection
Intentions resourceful attracting our attention

What next? Where do we find this transformation?
As 2008 bids us farewell, let us start through a sincere reflection
As 2009 finds its way through, n will be there for support and collaboration

Accomplishments and Possibilities

2008-12-25T21:24:00.000-08:00

With the end of 2008 approaching, n reflects on its completed activities, with new beginnings in sight:

The team is expanding:

Hala Makarem (initiator, organizer, facilitator)
Hala Fleihan (co-initiator, implementer, facilitator)
Firas Abi-Ghanem (facilitator)

The completed activities keep traces for further action in 2009:

Our Shared Community Story: is an integrated holistic project, which surfaced individual talents and applied experiential social empowerment in public spaces in Beirut, Lebanon during the summer of 2008. The activities started at Geitawi Public Library, moving to Monnot before its final stop at a public place around Kotobus (mobile library) in Rawdah Café in Manara. During the various workshop cycles, three communities weaved a common story through different forms of expression: theatre/drama, music, arts, creative writing/poetry, and dialogue. The participants’ ages ranged from 10-26 years old. Parents were involved through a complementary creative arts/open dialogue workshop to support the sustainability aspect of the project.

Partner: Assabil, Friends of Public Libraries, funded by Heinrich Böll.

Follow-up Activities:
~ A community outing at Picnic land, Kneisseh, Lebanon in October 2008 revived the connection and the story.
~ A facebook group unites the community members virtually

Planned activities for 2009:
~ A parent/teenager event engaging them in fun, dialogue and creative leadership skills
~ Mapping the creative story in a written publication by the participants themselves

Reading for Inspirational Leadership: is an inquiry workshop which explored the following two questions: “How can you participate in the empowerment of reading in an emerging technology driven environment?” and “Who are the key players involved in the generated ideas, insights, and initiatives?”, using the World Café practice. The workshop was facilitated by Hala Fleihan and Hala Makarem, in Beirut, during the Junior Chambers International (JCI) National Convention, in October 2008.

Partner: JCI

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Planned activities for 2009:
~ JCI has taken the responsibility to action some of the generated ideas as its contribution to “Beirut World Book Capital 2009”

Social Media Exchange Café: is an inquiry and networking hour, included in the closing event of the Social Media Exchange project to bring participants together around two questions: “What does social media mean for you and your mission?” and “What will help me experiment with social media?”, based on the World Café process. The dialogue was held in November 2008, in Beirut, Lebanon.

Partner: Social Media Exchange, Beirut, Lebanon

Planned activities for 2009:
~ Actively integrating social media in n projects.

Creative Art Expression In The Classroom: is a one hour workshop, facilitated by Hala Makarem, during the annual Mini NESA training for in-service teachers at the American Community School (ACS), Beirut during November 2008. The open discussion addressed the role of creativity and learning in the 21^st century using innovative ways of engagement and sharing within the classroom.

Partner: American Community School, Beirut, Lebanon

Montada Insan Café: is an assessment workshop, facilitated by Hala Makarem and Firas Abi Ghanem, in response to the NGO’s request for a collaborative strategic workshop for its members. The event was run using systematic and creative arts activities to create group harmony, prior to engaging in an open inquiry dialogue using the World Café process. The workshop provided the Montada with their current climate check, and generated the questions they need to further explore together as a group and with others.

Partner: Montada Insan, Choueifat, Lebanon

MEPI Lebanon Alumni Public Policy Workshop: is a strategic conversation full-day workshop, facilitated by Hala Makarem with Hala Fleihan, to address the public policy sub-committee’s envisioned Think Tank. The workshop was attended by a diverse number of Alumni participants in December 2008. The followed path started with building connections, using group formation and creative arts activities, continued towards finding out what each individual cared about through a World Café inquiry around the question “ What does the think tank mean for you?’ before connecting to their common vision by answering the question “What do we want to achieve?”. Further deeper inquiry on issues that matter where then addressed in an Open Space, which also invited a station for stopping, relaxing and energizing. The outcome included open dialogue, stronger relationships, and generated ideas for action. Special thanks to Ramy Mouallem, architect, who captured the harvest graphically.

Partner: MEPI Alumni Lebanon and Amideast

Community Voices: is a community based project, which aims to bring local communities around Lebanon together. Hosted on the neutral grounds of public libraries, the attendees will work as a team and explore possibilities through simple conversations and deep listening about wishes for a better future in ways that are meaningful to them. The project started in December 2008, with a pre-planning mini-workshop in Hermil.

Partner: Assabil, Friends of Public Libraries, funded by Heinrich Böll.

Planned activities for 2009:
~ Hosting 6 Library Cafés between January-April 2009, with a final Consolidated Café that brings the voices closer to potential program funders, local development civil society organizations and local policy makers

Sustainable Journey – Pause, U turn, n Act

2008-12-20T05:31:00.001-08:00

How many individuals and organizations consciously walk towards their purpose?

Many, to-date, still set a general purpose then follow a mechanical approach to reach it. You see islands of knowledge, patterns of disconnection, self‑interest domination, people talking over each other, information protection, a fast pace living, a swaying away from the common goal, etc.

The result: milestones of successful outputs with a Big Bang Surprise of disappointment, as the unconscious journey continues and the gap from the original purpose widens.

The alternative, a process of innovation, continuously aligned with the unified vision of all. A conscious journey that picks the right stakeholders, as they tread the path slowly; deeply listening to each other with patterns of connection, knowledge sharing, in-formation expansion and co-creation. Arrival at each milestone calls for a pause, a stop to reflect, assess and readjust with the goal in mind. Intermediary successes are celebrated with a focused attention at the ultimate purpose. U turns are taken to let go of what is unnecessary, as they realign back towards the road of their envisioned destination.

The result: tangible outputs enacted throughout the conscious process with a Sustainable Positive Impact institutionalizing the final outcome that hits the mark.

Unified Vision – The way forward

2008-12-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

Are visions set by a few on behalf of the many?

Are visions words printed on paper distributed for endorsement?

Are visions sold to reach compliance?

This is a picture of the status-quo in many organizations and institutions.

A picture, which on the surface looks neat, structured, linear and uniform.

Scratch the surface and the colors mould, the gaps appears and the diversity breathes.

The picture calls for all the eyes (I’s) to join in the co-creation of their unified vision. The radiance attracts and the individuals come together to discover what truly matters to them. They sit with no barriers between them, converse in open dialogue, listen for understanding, create their personal and collective guiding objects, identify what they passionately care about and are willing to take responsibility for, build connections, and play for fun and reenergizing, as their hands draw on their common canvas.

The outcome a picture full of light and clear colors, an image of a common vision where all the eyes (I’s) can enjoy as they consciously move forward towards it.

Welcome to n's blog

2008-11-28T20:55:00.000-08:00

Exchange forum of ideas, experiences and questions posted for continuous dialogue with all

Host of inspirational real-time stories

Gallery of creative moments and products

Events board of upcoming n activities