Oxfam Intersections Sustainability Report
Oxfam Intersections Sustainability Report
Personal Comments and Reflections
It was very refreshing to be part of a process that worked with breadth and vision around the complexity and multiplicity of civil society in South Africa. In an era when deliverables and impact are in danger of seducing us into thinking that we can prove our worth through numbers and “evidence”, I would like to celebrate and acknowledge the way in which the Oxfam team created space for the often unspoken and qualitative aspects of social justice related work to be embraced and nurtured through this Learning Event.
I enjoyed the way in which the metaphor of journeys and intersections was woven into every aspect of the gathering – the venue, the programme design, the little “posting” envelopes that were placed “along the road” and the enabling of both planned and spontaneous kinds of stopping spaces. I also appreciated the way in which the programme invited individuals and the organisations they represented to journey with greater rigour, consciousness and focus in their own contexts as a result of being part of the event. There is a huge difference between being taken on a journey as a passenger and needing to undertake a journey for oneself; it seems to me that Oxfam brought delegates at the event together but then stepped back to enable each person to undertake their own path of growth, deliberation and engagement. The expectation of creative choice-making that this invited added a dimension of agency and focus that I have seldom seen at similar events.
Delegates were given a unique role and voice in the event through the recording and documenting of sessions, ideas and conversations. I thought the use of the website and the capturing of photographs, voice recordings, videos, blogs and tweets gave a wonderful life and dynamism to the event as well as providing people with both skills and an understanding of the possibilities of using the growing accessibility of technology in creative and developmental ways.
I also enjoyed the way in which Oxfam partners were invited to present their work and good practice in sessions, rather than there being an over-reliance on “outside” people who were set up as “experts”. It was a lovely example of appreciative practice, in my view.
The fact that everybody present was capturing, processing and reflecting on the overall process and individual sessions meant that I sometimes struggled to define my role as rapporteur. I do think there were moments when the role of raising unspoken issues and questions was important – and, as the organisers rightly identified – something that neither a facilitator nor a participants are always able to play. After initial anxiety about being able to play the role what I had been invited for, I found myself relishing the role more with each day.
I also thoroughly enjoyed doing the plenary rapporteur’s presentation of the themes that had crystallised in my head during the process. As an introvert and someone who enjoys reflecting on the interplay between contexts, processes and people, I often find myself longing to offer insights but struggling to find a place and a voice for them. This session was a gift to me in the way it provided the perfect space for me to speak the ideas I had been listening to and reflecting on and to engage with feedback and dialogue about them. It seems to have been one of those synchronistic moments of being a growthful experience for me as well as giving some dimension and depth to the overall journey of the event.
As I have worked on this report, I have not felt the need to add any threads to the list of themes and issues I presented at the final session of the event. For the purposes of Oxfam’s record-keeping, I have listed the themes and issues from the PowerPoint presentation in the following section with some brief explanatory notes. I have also included the notes from the various sessions – they are rough and subjective but might be a useful record for later use.
Thank you again for inviting me to be part of this wonderful event.
Overview of themes and issues
Practical visionaries
This was a phrase used by the CEO of Oxfam Australia Andrew Hewett in his video address in the opening session of the event. It became a key concept in the course of the programme: how do we balance the practical aspects of ensuring sustainability for organisations and the people working towards social justice with the challenge of sustaining the life, passion and vision of the work? Both are necessary for sustainability to be possible.
The wisdom of a nation rests in its citizens
Another phrase that came out of the opening sessions of the conference – this time from Treatment Action Campaign’s Stephen Harrison. It was an important reminder of the basis from which social justice work flows and what it needs to enable. The sustainability of our work relies on both an honouring and an enabling of the wisdom of its citizens; realising this requires humility, respect and an ability to listen to what citizens desire and are communicating directly and indirectly.
What do we want to sustain?
With the pressure that NGOs are under at the moment, there is always the temptation to sustain organisations as a way of sustaining the careers and livelihoods of those who work for them. For pioneers, there is the danger of sustaining a legacy beyond its usefulness. I really enjoyed the way in which we were called back on several occasions to the principle of NGOs only achieving their objectives when they have worked themselves into becoming redundant. The impact of capitalism is often to drive us onto a different trajectory and definition of sustainability.
Finding creative spaces
A theme that came up in a number of sessions was the way in which people in development often feel trapped between polarities – in the way they define their objectives, how they raise funds, the management styles they implement. Some of the most inspiring conversations came out of situations in which people and organisations refused to be trapped into the grim bravado of maintaining old ways of doing things, were willing to think outside boxes (in fact, redefine boxes) and exercise the Alan Fowler principle of insightful agility. This seemed to play an important role in enabling the sustainability of work and of the organisations doing the work.
Defining Sustainability
Rebecca Freeth brought this wonderful quotation to the session that she facilitated. I thought it raised some interesting and relevant themes:
Sustainability is the dynamic preservation of the essential identity of the system amidst permanent change. All living systems including organisations are changing all the time. The point is not to eliminate change but to avoid the destruction of the sources of renewal of that system so that it can recover and reorganise. (Gallopin)
Leadership
The significance of leadership in sustaining the life and work of civil society emerged very strongly in discussions. I enjoyed the way the work and role of individuals who lead this work were discussed, and the way this was balanced by discussion about the way strong and transparent relationships are needed to sustain leadership. Within this discussion, the growing emphasis on developing and nurturing networks in sustaining and growing development work was encouraging to sense.
It was very refreshing to be part of a process that worked with breadth and vision around the complexity and multiplicity of civil society in South Africa. In an era when deliverables and impact are in danger of seducing us into thinking that we can prove our worth through numbers and “evidence”, I would like to celebrate and acknowledge the way in which the Oxfam team created space for the often unspoken and qualitative aspects of social justice related work to be embraced and nurtured through this Learning Event.
I enjoyed the way in which the metaphor of journeys and intersections was woven into every aspect of the gathering – the venue, the programme design, the little “posting” envelopes that were placed “along the road” and the enabling of both planned and spontaneous kinds of stopping spaces. I also appreciated the way in which the programme invited individuals and the organisations they represented to journey with greater rigour, consciousness and focus in their own contexts as a result of being part of the event. There is a huge difference between being taken on a journey as a passenger and needing to undertake a journey for oneself; it seems to me that Oxfam brought delegates at the event together but then stepped back to enable each person to undertake their own path of growth, deliberation and engagement. The expectation of creative choice-making that this invited added a dimension of agency and focus that I have seldom seen at similar events.
Delegates were given a unique role and voice in the event through the recording and documenting of sessions, ideas and conversations. I thought the use of the website and the capturing of photographs, voice recordings, videos, blogs and tweets gave a wonderful life and dynamism to the event as well as providing people with both skills and an understanding of the possibilities of using the growing accessibility of technology in creative and developmental ways.
I also enjoyed the way in which Oxfam partners were invited to present their work and good practice in sessions, rather than there being an over-reliance on “outside” people who were set up as “experts”. It was a lovely example of appreciative practice, in my view.
The fact that everybody present was capturing, processing and reflecting on the overall process and individual sessions meant that I sometimes struggled to define my role as rapporteur. I do think there were moments when the role of raising unspoken issues and questions was important – and, as the organisers rightly identified – something that neither a facilitator nor a participants are always able to play. After initial anxiety about being able to play the role what I had been invited for, I found myself relishing the role more with each day.
I also thoroughly enjoyed doing the plenary rapporteur’s presentation of the themes that had crystallised in my head during the process. As an introvert and someone who enjoys reflecting on the interplay between contexts, processes and people, I often find myself longing to offer insights but struggling to find a place and a voice for them. This session was a gift to me in the way it provided the perfect space for me to speak the ideas I had been listening to and reflecting on and to engage with feedback and dialogue about them. It seems to have been one of those synchronistic moments of being a growthful experience for me as well as giving some dimension and depth to the overall journey of the event.
As I have worked on this report, I have not felt the need to add any threads to the list of themes and issues I presented at the final session of the event. For the purposes of Oxfam’s record-keeping, I have listed the themes and issues from the PowerPoint presentation in the following section with some brief explanatory notes. I have also included the notes from the various sessions – they are rough and subjective but might be a useful record for later use.
Thank you again for inviting me to be part of this wonderful event.
Overview of themes and issues
Practical visionaries
This was a phrase used by the CEO of Oxfam Australia Andrew Hewett in his video address in the opening session of the event. It became a key concept in the course of the programme: how do we balance the practical aspects of ensuring sustainability for organisations and the people working towards social justice with the challenge of sustaining the life, passion and vision of the work? Both are necessary for sustainability to be possible.
The wisdom of a nation rests in its citizens
Another phrase that came out of the opening sessions of the conference – this time from Treatment Action Campaign’s Stephen Harrison. It was an important reminder of the basis from which social justice work flows and what it needs to enable. The sustainability of our work relies on both an honouring and an enabling of the wisdom of its citizens; realising this requires humility, respect and an ability to listen to what citizens desire and are communicating directly and indirectly.
What do we want to sustain?
With the pressure that NGOs are under at the moment, there is always the temptation to sustain organisations as a way of sustaining the careers and livelihoods of those who work for them. For pioneers, there is the danger of sustaining a legacy beyond its usefulness. I really enjoyed the way in which we were called back on several occasions to the principle of NGOs only achieving their objectives when they have worked themselves into becoming redundant. The impact of capitalism is often to drive us onto a different trajectory and definition of sustainability.
Finding creative spaces
A theme that came up in a number of sessions was the way in which people in development often feel trapped between polarities – in the way they define their objectives, how they raise funds, the management styles they implement. Some of the most inspiring conversations came out of situations in which people and organisations refused to be trapped into the grim bravado of maintaining old ways of doing things, were willing to think outside boxes (in fact, redefine boxes) and exercise the Alan Fowler principle of insightful agility. This seemed to play an important role in enabling the sustainability of work and of the organisations doing the work.
Defining Sustainability
Rebecca Freeth brought this wonderful quotation to the session that she facilitated. I thought it raised some interesting and relevant themes:
Sustainability is the dynamic preservation of the essential identity of the system amidst permanent change. All living systems including organisations are changing all the time. The point is not to eliminate change but to avoid the destruction of the sources of renewal of that system so that it can recover and reorganise. (Gallopin)
Leadership
The significance of leadership in sustaining the life and work of civil society emerged very strongly in discussions. I enjoyed the way the work and role of individuals who lead this work were discussed, and the way this was balanced by discussion about the way strong and transparent relationships are needed to sustain leadership. Within this discussion, the growing emphasis on developing and nurturing networks in sustaining and growing development work was encouraging to sense.
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