Humainologie creative dialogue Wednesday July 7 with Zenia facilitating
- socialcapitalsociety
- Jul 7, 2021
- 3 min read
Hi everyone!
This Wednesday, I’m looking forward to a Dialogue on Tyson Yunkaporta’s book Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save The World (2019).
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89228710166?pwd=akg1UXk1dmM5bFBIa2wyckxXbkpwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 2871 0166 Passcode: 12345
There is a lot of talk these days about several global-scale concerns arising from the philosophies and lifestyles of dominant cultures around the world. One example is the environment crisis, which encompasses climate change as well as other sustainability issues.
In recent weeks, we have circulated video links sharing some of Danial Schmachtenberger’s thoughts on how to make sense of large-scale issues and how to move forward together. Our Dialogue group is another example, I think, of a way we can make sense of struggles we face and move forward together (this is not to mention Arthur’s other relevant projects). Author and Indigenous Australian Tyson Yunkaporta, as I see it, is doing the same thing in yet another way. His book is one of the most compelling I have read this year, and proposes we look to the wisdoms found in Indigenous ways for helpful answers to how to make sense of our world and move forward together.
When we meet, I’ll mention a few principles from the book that are foundational to the Indigenous way being discussed. I will detail 4 groups of protocols that are proposed for how to power a sustainable way forward together. The four groups of protocols are diversity, connection, interaction, and adaptation (described further below). Once we have had a chance to build some common understanding of what each of the principles and protocols means in this context, I’ll be eager to ask you some questions! Which of the protocols do you find most challenging and why? Which do you find easiest to manage and why? Lastly, I’ll ask your thoughts on how the protocols might be related to how we operate our Dialogues.
More on the protocols:
If we are to be good “sustainability agents”, these are protocols for us to operate with:
1) DIVERSITY: this protocol is to support the full autonomy and unique expression of each individual. It means recognizing and cultivating your unique identity and, importantly, protecting it from others who are similar to you!
2) CONNECTION:
a) Form pairs, like kinship pairs, with multiple other agents. These agents will also pair with others
b) Expand into networks of these pair connections
c) Make sure networks are interacting with other, out-of-system networks
3) INTERACTION: This protocol asks to seek out as many divergent agents as possible to interact with, where “interact” means to openly share knowledge, energy, and resources. Importantly, resources are not to be held with one agent, a pair, a network, or system of networks
4) ADAPTATION: Allow yourself to be transformed by other agents and their knowledges. Don’t block the feedback loops that are built into this system of protocols, as adaptation will occur when there is receptivity to the open flow of knowledge, energy, and resources present.
An old experiment says that in a contest between two groups of people – one extremely intelligent and learned, and the other totally diverse – it’s the latter that will come up with the better solution to a problem. This is not only because people with different backgrounds bring new information. Simply interacting with individuals who are different forces group members to prepare better, to anticipate alternative viewpoints, and to expect that reaching consensus will take effort.
Further food for thought on sense-making and dialogue:
“The assistance people need is not in learning about Aboriginal Knowledge, but in remembering their own,” -Tyson Yunkaporta
Warmly,
Zenia
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