HUMAN – sci-fi meets aid
4 August 2016As a long-time fan of science fiction, I was delighted to hear that J. was writing a new novel, the world’s first humanitarian science fiction. J. is a fabulous writer as his previous books – fiction and non-fiction, all with humanitarian themes – attest. I’m not sure what it’s like for someone who is a professional…
Can improv save the world? It can’t make it any worse!
16 July 2016Whoa! There seems to be bad news around every corner. It’s a volatile and unpredictable time, and we all need to draw on all of our skills and resources just to cope, let alone, be of any use to others. Applied Improvisation is one approach being used to develop people’s capacity to cope with change and…
The future belongs to those who can be flexible and adaptable
7 April 2012A special Insight report in the weekend paper is about the future of a baby born in Australia this year. Here’s what caught my eye. “If current trends are anything to go by, today’s babies will inhabit a world in which flexibility and adaptability will be key. Their life trajectories will be whorls of activity…
Tasting an amygdala hijack
8 May 2011Warning: Contains self-reflection I’ve always said that an ‘amygdala hijack’ is a great name for a cocktail. I’m not sure what would be in such a cocktail except that in my mind’s eye it’s red, so I guess cranberry juice would be a good start. A real amygdala hijack is a serious thing though –…
Beyond resilience
24 August 2009Dave Pollard has an excellent post on resilience. Resilience is a bit of a catch phrase at the moment, and yes, guilty as charged, your honour. I’ve been pedalling the resilience story for a while now – individual, community, organisational, family. As Dave says, resilience is about ‘springing back’, and embedded in that is the…
What presses your buttons?
5 August 2009The term ‘change management’ presses my buttons. So instead of responding straight away with a rant, I thought I’d explore what the term means to me. First ‘change’ – there’s two types of change: change that I initiate, like changing jobs or moving house, or taking a vacation. Then there’s change that is imposed on…
Some reflections on the bushfire recovery process
23 June 2009It’s nearly five months on from the Victorian bushfires that claimed many lives, homes, livlihoods, habitat, livestock and wildlife. I don’t live in the affected area. I’ve done a few workshops with people who do, and with people who have been affected indirectly. I’ve seen some of the effects – physical and emotional. I’ve seen…
Lessons from the field
10 June 2009After eight days of facilitation training in Indonesia, what did I learn? Before I answer that, a bit of context. I was working for an international aid organisation. Some 55 people took part in the first three days, then 30 of them disappeared to take part in an emergency simulation. The remaining people stayed to…
Learning from fellow facilitators
16 March 2009I love sharing stories with fellow facilitators. In this podcast, Geoff Brown and I chat with Nicole Hunter about her experiences with rural communities following the Grampians bush fires a few years ago. Go here to listen.
Talking with Gil Brenson-Lazan about the role of facilitators in disaster response
1 March 2009Anyone reading this blog over the last couple of weeks will notice a pre-occupation, of sorts, with facilitation and disaster response. This is borne partly out of the need to share what I know and believe regarding what facilitators can bring and partly due to frustration. Frustration that the authorities responsible for recovery following Victoria’s…