How to bring more youth to ALIA Europe 2011?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Adrian McGinn on March 30, 2010 at 11:15am

Hi!
Just a quick comment, there may be a danger here that we confuse youth and diversity, youth is just one of the phases we all go through in life and the generational journey of our lives is seamless though it may not seem so to our perspective at certain times. (I remember when I was young I thought I would never get old but here I am now.) Diversity in the sense we use it today is a characteristic or a label that defines us throughout life. Both the inclusion of youth and of diversity are very important but the concepts are very different and may require different approaches. But having aired that, great work on this initiative, well done!

Adrian


Beth Follini said:

Here are the notes from the March Meeting - typed up by Zachary. Next meeting will be April 13th, 8:30pm Netherlands Time/7:30pm UK Time. There were four of us present at this meeting and we would love more people to join us - please leave your skype name here! In terms of all the actions listed, we invite everyone to get involved - if you see an action that appeals to you, please do take it on or contact one of us if you would like to work with us to take something forward!

Working Group:
Youth, Color, Culture, and Country Inclusion at ALIA Europe


ORGANIZING INQUIRY:

HOW MIGHT WE BRING MORE YOUTH TO ALIA EUROPE?


INTENTIONS

• Assure ALIA Europe 2011 increases intergenerational representation by identifying, inviting, and encouraging participation by younger members

• Seek partnerships with organizations in Europe that promote youth leadership and provide funding for training

• Attend to other dimensions of diversity and inclusion, primarily giving focus to color, culture, and country so as to broaden the mutual learning

• Invite the current ALIA Europe network, especially those active at this discussion group and members of the previous host committee, to take specific actions on this effort consistent with their capacities and interests




ACTION MODEL

• Act in alignment with ALIA (Halifax) for authorization of efforts and approval of communications that involve policy and commitment of human and/or financial resources

• Have members of the working group:

o Develop fundraising kit to support youth to raise their own funds to attend ALIA (Valentine-lead)

o Approach funding organizations and trusts that provide mini-grants for youth training (Beth-lead)

o Meet with key players in a youth leadership development program [Pioneers for Change] to encourage a potential partnership with ALIA (Marie-Claire-lead)

o Make and nurture individual contacts that may result in actual participation at ALIA Europe (Zachary-lead)

o Link current efforts to the history of those developed previously so as to build on success and lessons learned (Aftab-lead)


• Seek support to place into action:

o Involvement of member(s) of the ALIA Europe 2010 host committee

o Sponsorship by individual ALIA Europe members of potential members that represent identified diversity dimensions
 Ask ALIA members who can afford to do so to donate a suggested 200-500 euro towards the participation of younger members
 Invite other ALIA members to engage in fundraising activities on behalf of the diversity effort
 Place on the application for 2011 a “diversity donation” option

o Sponsorship by organizations, corporations, and universities of student participants
 Leverage consultations, hosting, and other experiences to promote the ALIA Europe event

o Dedicated scholarships and/or special conference rates for younger participants and those from identified diversity groups
 Have younger members apply for scholarships/special rates
 Commit a number (recommended 8-12) of these slots for ALIA Europe at 200 Euro above costs (once conference expenses are assured by participation of a requisite number of full paying members)

o Presence of younger participants in the hosting, planning, and flow of ALIA Europe 2011

o Use of social networking sites (such as Facebook) more effectively to promote a different, more inclusive look and feel

NEXT STEPS

• Direct contact with member(s) of the hosting committee to gain feedback, support, and direction (Beth, Valentine, Zachary)

• Offer this outline to ALIA Halifax/Susan and Cara Lynn for comments, suggestions, input, and authorization (Valentine)

• Broaden working group to include at least four others who have posted at ALIA Europe with this discussion group (All)

• Seek to post photographs from actual ALIA Europe event at Facebook
(Zachary)

• Begin database of contacts to include: fundraising organizations, potential partners, youth groups, international institutions, and individuals that are key to this inclusion effort (Beth)

• Live into the intention and bring it compassionately into action (All)

Permalink Reply by Zachary Green on March 30, 2010 at 11:57am

Adrian:

Thank you for drawing out this distinction between our focus on youth and diversity. It helps us feel less alone in our effort to bring this textured thinking into action. In our discussions, we have been quite aware of how the potential fundamental difference in what youth and diversity represent may make achieving success more challenging. At present we are working hard to hold together a tenuous coalition of us that has interests in different facets of inclusion. The fact that we have been able to carry on this conversation and take small step towards action is a testimony to our commitment to take seriously the complex nature of this effort. If you have suggestions about specific practices that we may need to consider in approaching youth and diversity from different perspectives, please let us know. We welcome any and all suggestions that can make this initiative and active reality.

Zachary

Permalink Reply by Juanita Brown on March 30, 2010 at 12:26pm

These are great reflections Adrian and Zachary and I too look forward to seeing how we all respond to this question. I love your differentiation "diversity in the sense we use it today" and the youth/elder circle of life distinction. I think there are additional ways to think about the relationship between generations than the normal framing we use for diversity--as the circle of life (with all it's assumptions and beliefs--both positive and limiting) is a different phenomenon and has both similar but also very different dynamics than normal diversity issues--perhaps stemming from the power of our family experiences etc.

I'd welcome others thoughts here.

Fond regards,
Juanita

Permalink Reply by Beth Follini on April 1, 2010 at 9:11am

Great News! I just heard from the Executive Director of a grant making Foundation that funds women's organisations in the UK in response to an email I sent to a couple of foundations and she is happy to meet with me to discuss the possibility of their foundation funding the places of one or two women leaders from diverse/under-represented communities (probably Black, Minority Ethnic or Refugee/Asyulm seeker communities) to go to ALIA Europe next year! So I'm very happy today!

Permalink Reply by Susan Szpakowski on April 1, 2010 at 9:36am

Very exciting, Beth!

Permalink Reply by Zachary Green on April 1, 2010 at 10:00am

Great news! It is now moving from words to action... Fantastic beginning with just less than a year to go!

Z

Beth Follini said:

Great News! I just heard from the Executive Director of a grant making Foundation that funds women's organisations in the UK in response to an email I sent to a couple of foundations and she is happy to meet with me to discuss the possibility of their foundation funding the places of one or two women leaders from diverse/under-represented communities (probably Black, Minority Ethnic or Refugee/Asyulm seeker communities) to go to ALIA Europe next year! So I'm very happy today!

Permalink Reply by Valentine Giraud on April 2, 2010 at 2:33pm

Wow this is all AMAZING! Fingers crossed that she will agree funding few women!

I was wondering how we are doing on our commitments to action and when our next call would be. I know Beth and I have to work on the Self Funding Proposal to offer for people who are interested.

I have just been invited to participate in a great and important gathering in Sweden, Tallberg Forum- Rework the World. This event brings together 2000 entrepreneurs, opinion leaders, local and global leaders in politics, civil society and business. I think this will be a great place to spread our invitation for diverse participation in ALIA Europe 2010. I, myself now have find funds to attend the gathering... :)

Anyways, let's move the ball rolling!

Love to all, wishing you a great Easter Holiday


Zachary Green said:

Great news! It is now moving from words to action... Fantastic beginning with just less than a year to go!

Z

Beth Follini said:

Great News! I just heard from the Executive Director of a grant making Foundation that funds women's organisations in the UK in response to an email I sent to a couple of foundations and she is happy to meet with me to discuss the possibility of their foundation funding the places of one or two women leaders from diverse/under-represented communities (probably Black, Minority Ethnic or Refugee/Asyulm seeker communities) to go to ALIA Europe next year! So I'm very happy today!

Permalink Reply by Beth Follini on April 13, 2010 at 5:17am

Increasing Youth and Diversity Participation in ALIA Europe - Call tonight at 7:30pm UK time/8:30pm Holland time! Leave your Skype name here or Skype me at beth.follini

Permalink Reply by Valentine Giraud on April 13, 2010 at 7:24am

I will be there!
speak to you all soon

Beth Follini said:

Increasing Youth and Diversity Participation in ALIA Europe - Call tonight at 7:30pm UK time/8:30pm Holland time! Leave your Skype name here or Skype me at beth.follini

Permalink Reply by Zachary Green on April 13, 2010 at 2:46pm

hoping to be connected...I am here.

Zachary

Valentine Giraud said:

I will be there!
speak to you all soon

Beth Follini said:

Increasing Youth and Diversity Participation in ALIA Europe - Call tonight at 7:30pm UK time/8:30pm Holland time! Leave your Skype name here or Skype me at beth.follini

Permalink Reply by Beth Follini on April 16, 2010 at 1:38pm

We had a brief but productive meeting tonight. Many of us have been working on this in the background as we are all going through a busy patch.

1. Fundraising Toolkit - Beth and Valentine are going to get on with this soon!

2. Funders - Beth has made some progress and has meetings with two UK grant making trusts to explore the potential of them funding a young person (one trust particuarly funds young leaders) and someone from a diverse group.

3. Personal enrollment - We are all seeking to enroll invidividuals to come to ALIA Europe - who are either young (i.e. under 30) or from diverse groups.

4. Personal Fundraising - Beth and her polarity co-leaders are donating 5% of all profits from their Polarity and Wholeness workshops (one of which is being run in Halifax Nova Scotia - see events for more info) to the scholarship fund.

Actions to keep progressing the issue of youth and diversity.

We decided that after the Nova Scotia Summer Insitute, we would ask ALIA to put out an email to all ALIA Europe Alumni asking for help in four specific ways:

1) If they are in a position to contribute to the scholarship fund, make a personal contribution.
2) Approach companies they work for to see if their company would sponsor a place at the ALIA Europe Gathering.
3) Personally enroll young people and/or people from diverse groups and work with them to find funding.
4) Carry out fundraising activities themselves.

So after the summer institute finishes we will be able to identifty the likely funding sources, name potential partners, and list people we have as individual contacts who can be enrolled to come.

The date for the next meeting has not been set - we want a date when more people can come!

Permalink Reply by Valentine Giraud on April 16, 2010 at 10:15pm

WOW! That is all great! Good progress Team :) Simple steps, possibilities to Collective achievement higher!

I apologize for my absence in the call with no previous note. I had to go after important documents for my trip back to Holland, in the last minute. It was my move to make sure I will be joining the gathering myself!

Much love to all and look forward to speak soon, in person, Ins'allah.

Beth Follini said:

We had a brief but productive meeting tonight. Many of us have been working on this in the background as we are all going through a busy patch.

1. Fundraising Toolkit - Beth and Valentine are going to get on with this soon!

2. Funders - Beth has made some progress and has meetings with two UK grant making trusts to explore the potential of them funding a young person (one trust particuarly funds young leaders) and someone from a diverse group.

3. Personal enrollment - We are all seeking to enroll invidividuals to come to ALIA Europe - who are either young (i.e. under 30) or from diverse groups.

4. Personal Fundraising - Beth and her polarity co-leaders are donating 5% of all profits from their Polarity and Wholeness workshops (one of which is being run in Halifax Nova Scotia - see events for more info) to the scholarship fund.

Actions to keep progressing the issue of youth and diversity.

We decided that after the Nova Scotia Summer Insitute, we would ask ALIA to put out an email to all ALIA Europe Alumni asking for help in four specific ways:

1) If they are in a position to contribute to the scholarship fund, make a personal contribution.
2) Approach companies they work for to see if their company would sponsor a place at the ALIA Europe Gathering.
3) Personally enroll young people and/or people from diverse groups and work with them to find funding.
4) Carry out fundraising activities themselves.

So after the summer institute finishes we will be able to identifty the likely funding sources, name potential partners, and list people we have as individual contacts who can be enrolled to come.

The date for the next meeting has not been set - we want a date when more people can come!

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