Welcome to January 2006!

Happy New Year to Pioneers around the world!

This year there is particularly a feeling of newness as the calendar changes. The conversations about Sustainability are showing up in all kinds of places and moving out from the successful learning journey in Brazil last year, the fellowship of Sustainability Change Agents supporting each other and learning across the world is especially alive now.

As a cultivation team we are experimenting with supporting the network as a virtual team and are very grateful to be receiving support from a group of coaches and consultants from the Pioneers of Change Network. We hope that with their support we can build a strong and effective team across our geographic distances.

From all of us, we wish you a year filled with learning and strength. We hope that you accomplish what you hope for and that you continue in small and large ways to create the kind of world you that you see in your dreams.

Warm wishes,

Danielle, Felix, Femke, Fodé, Moraan, Pablo, Sean and Sera.

IN FOCUS: SUSTAINABILITY

In October of last year about 25 young sustainability practitioners gathered for 10 days in Brazil. An international group from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Ecuador, Nigeria, Spain, the UK and USA traveled to Sao Paulo and Curitiba exploring their own questions and the cutting-edge context of sustainable development initiatives in various levels of Brazilian society.

Egyptian Pioneer Noha El Shoky shared her reflections which were the basis of the following:

The Learning Journey had more of a focus on the individual more than on professionals in development. First it took us step by step on a journey to realize how much damage we are creating to the earth mainly through our irresponsible consumption. We are plundering the earth, our ecological footprint is 2.5 times more than it should be, this means disaster. We are creating more poverty by our irresponsible consumption on the individual level.

We were shocked by some of our experiences. We connected with nature, and were exposed to the Pachamama concept (mother earth in Mayan culture) at the Eco-village. We took a field visit to a landfill in Sao Paulo (organized by Thomas Ufer). There we stood in a vast area, all of us meditating on the bad smell, which we as individuals produce. We saw that we are burying ourselves in garbage. I imagine the world in terms of geology and archeology. A time when our great-great grand children try to find fossils and instead find layers of plastic instead. We contemplated the hazardous waste which we put also into the earth, substances which will never degenerate (think about how many AA batteries we are using)

We watched "The Corporation" http://www.thecorporation.com and explored it in a training session at Abn Amro, Sao Paulo (organized by Christel Sholten). We visited Kairos http://www.institutokairos.org an NGO working on awareness on "responsible consumption" there we watched the film "Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers" http://www.thedarkerside.to/culture/?p=29

In the second phase of the Learning Journey we were exposed to models for beginning to tackle these issues. The key learning was: it has to start with each person, and we have to take responsibility and not just preach. Another key learning was, we are all connected, it is a stage in human evolution and we all have to work towards a better world. It all sounds too philosophical and stuff we repeat everyday, but the intensity of the experience in Brazil was overwhelming, and I feel such statements now differently.

We were shown excellent models and best practices of how we could do something positive about it: Abn Amro field visit http://www.abnamro.com/com/about/sd/sd.jsp/ Alianca Social field visit: Visit to Donna Maria Organic Farm, Dinner at Villa Organic/Vegetarian Restaurant & store. Arrestao http://www.arrastao.org.br/ (waste collection and job creation, & environmental education also through art) Biogas Factory and landfill, Sao Paulo (organized by Thomas Ufer) Transportation scheme at the City of Curitiba to minimize exhaust pollution (organized by Christina).

Noha also shared photographs which can be found at http://www.worldisround.com/articles/248868/?e

Look out for the Learning Journey output document which is currently being complied by some of the participants. To join the sustainability Network email sustainability-join@lists.pioneersofchange.net or visit http://pioneersofchange.net/communities/sustainability

Events

World Leadership Program Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 15-29 January, 2006 Outward Bound, in collaboration with the Global Leadership Network is organizing a learning expedition in Tanzania in January 2005 bringing together young global leaders to participate in an exciting and challenging adventure program. Together they will build important relationships, establish a peer network and develop important leadership capacities. The participants will be emerging leaders ages 25-40. The program will be a rewarding and unforgettable experience for those who attend. For more information on the program, please visit http://pioneersofchange.net/library/globalevents/glp/ or contact Elizabeth at bethanglin@outward-bound.org

Art of Hosting Hawkwood College, Stroud, UK February 28 – March 2, 2006 The Centre for Action Research in Professional Practice at the University of Bath in partnership with Art of Hosting Practitioners offers: The Art of Hosting & Convening Meaningful Conversations. The Art of Hosting and Convening Conversations is a training for all who aspire to learn and find new ways for working with others to create innovative and comprehensive solutions. We invite leaders, trainers, teachers, consultants, politicians, entrepreneurs, social innovators, hosts – people who want to experience a different perspective of leadership, which sets free other people's creativity and intelligence and are willing to let go of control in order to achieve better cooperation and results. For more information please contact tatiana@engage.nu or find the full invitation at www.engage.nu/interact, under courses.

African Living Learning Journey Kufunda Village, Zimbabwe 1-12 March, 2006 The March Learning Journey is drawing nearer. It will take place March 1-12. In the face of an incredible economic meltdown and in the midst of political distress, life goes on and people continue to make the most of what they have. And they have much. This is a journey to share the gems and riches of Kufunda, the communities we work with and Zimbabwe as a country. It is an opportunity to connect with wonderful people from around the world, and incredible folks from rural and urban Zimbabwe. We will spend time together at Kufunda living the life of the village, and getting more of a sense of Zimbabwe today. After this initial settling in, we will go on a trip to a rural community, and then out into the wilderness of the African bush, and Victoria Falls. Email Marianne@kufunda.org or visit www.pioneersofchange.net/library/globalevents/ for a full programme and/or registration form.

Presencing Collective Leadership for Profound Innovation and Change Johannesburg, South Africa March 30-April 1, 2006 A three-day course with Otto Scharmer and Beth Jandernoa offered by Pioneers of Change in South Africa in collaboration with the Society for Organisational Learning. The most pressing challenges leaders and teams face today require innovative thinking and collaboration across traditional boundaries—departments, organizations, sectors, and cultures. Yet we are entrenched in rigid patterns of behavior that limit our ability to transcend these boundaries and work together to effect deep change. Bringing about the transformation needed in our organizations and our world right now requires a new way of learning and of leading, one that is not limited to reflecting the patterns of the past but that tunes in to the possibilities of the future.

This three-day workshop is based on the “U model” featured in the book Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future. Presencing is a social technology for collectively leading profound change. It is based on Theory U, which illuminates a blind spot in leadership and social experience: the source or the inner place from which leaders and systems operate. The methodology and practices can be implemented to benefit a broad range of social systems. For more information, email Mille on mbojer@pioneersofchange.net

Pioneers of Change Summer School The Shire - Nova Scotia, Canada August 19 – 25, 2006 The 2006 Annual Meeting of the Pioneers of Change Network will be held on the East Coast of Canada at The Shire -a protected ecological learning community, leadership training ground and venue for the common good. Summer School will be an opportunity to engage with other Pioneers from around the Globe. Come and meet with young practitioners who are working in all areas of their societies for positive change. It will be a place to bring your burning questions and best learning to engage in a global community for 8 days. We intend to create a space where we can move to the next level in our individual and collective pioneering. Please join us! For more information, please contact Sera@pioneersofchange.net

Invitations & Announcements

Women, Culture and Nature Pioneers of Change in Ecuador will co-host with Naia Oliveira, a Brazilian Sociologist strongly active in the ecovillage movement, a series of workshops on the topic of "Women , Culture and Nature." We will explore with a diverse audience of women living in the capital city -Quito-, the Pastaza river basin and the Galapagos Islands issues about deep transformation build upon self-esteem, leadership and sustainability. The workshops will be run between January 17th and 22th, 2006. For further information, please contact dania@pioneersofchange.net

Diversity Caravan The Diversity Caravan is a virtual and physical project where people are invited to post sustainable change projects on a web site. Later a physical caravan will drive to the selected places (starting in South Africa) and document the projects by film, photo, texts or other material. With this documentation material the ideas can be shared with the rest of the world. Networks can be formed, leaders can get inspired, projects can be analyzed, and there are probably many more possibilities.

You can get involved by joining the mailing list by e-mailing caravan-join@lists.pioneersofchange.net or joining the physical caravan, please let me know if you're interested in any or several of these options.

More information please visit http://pioneersofchange.net/ventures/caravan/>>

Social Entrepreneurship in Sweden and South Africa In Stockholm the PoC connected NGO “Association for International Social Entrepreneurship” has launched it's website at www.aise.nu. The activities for the autumn is being planned, amongst them a “Learning Circle” where a group of AISE members will be meeting once a month for discussing publications from the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. AISE representatives will also take part, by giving a talk about poverty and structural injustice, at the art event Human Works arranged by Andrea Hvistendahl at the 11th of September in the Gallery below Café 44.

AISE visited Pioneer of Change in Johannesburg in November, as a part of the planning for the Learning Journey on Social Entrepreneurship planned for 2006. An exchange between members of AISE Sweden and PoC South Africa is planned to take place in April and May. If you have suggestions for topics to explore, social entrepreneurship related URL:s, organisations to visit or project to attend please share your information with us at AISE; jakobsundberg@gmail.se or jonasm@idelaboratoriet.com. For more information about AISE visit www.aise.nu or send Harry McNeil an email at harry@mcneil.se. The next meeting will be on the 28th of January in Stockholm. Happy New Year!

Activating the Sustainability Dialogue Susana Muhamad invites you into an active on-line dialogue on the sustainability network (to join email sustain-join@lists.pioneersofchange.net)

“I am very interested to know more about the sustainability work of different PoC members around the world and find synergies and possibilities of cooperation. I currently work for Shell as sustainable development consultant and the most important initiative I am working on, is the development of sustainable settlements for Shell capital projects. I am learning and working on the technical issues: such as integrated eco-design, green buildings, sustainable energy systems, sewage systems, water conservation and social aspects of sustainable settlements. In PoC I participate in the Amsterdam and The Hague Personal Sustainability networks. I will be interested to know more about Pioneers work on sustainable living in different parts of the world.”

“I am suggesting we introduce ourselves and plan a sharing agenda during 2006. "Sharing agenda" means to explore together different sustainability themes and make connections among us based on our work.”

For more information email Susana Muhamad susanamuhamad880@hotmail.com

Sustainability on the Web SDLJ - Additional Websites offered by Noha from visits made on the Sustainable Development Learning Journey www.chaordic.org - Chaordic Design www.sociedadedosol.org.br/ - Solar Energy device: http://www.equator-principles.com/ef3.shtml The Equator principle - a framework for financial institutions to manage environmental and social issues in project financing. www.visaofuturo.org.br/ - The Eco-village of Visao Futoro

Zero Waste: Some interesting websites on zero waste which were shared by Shibu in Kerala, India on the Learning Societies Network hosted by Shikshantar http://www.swaraj.org/shikshantar/disc9_toc.htm http://www.zerowaste.com/default.htm http://no-burn.org/ http://hcwh.org/ http://www.zerowaste.co.nz/ http://grrn.org/ http://ecologycenter.org/

FINANCIAL MATTERS

Pioneers of Change is an independent network that believes it is critical to retain a free and unbiased position. We also believe that financial barriers should not be a constraint to learning and engaging. As such we work hard at ensuring that our learning is available to as wide and diverse an audience as possible.

We invite you to make a donation to support us in our work. We encourage you to think of this donation as an investment into learning that has the potential of enriching all of our lives. If you have any ideas of individuals or organizations that might like to support us, let us know, sera@pioneersofchange.net

SMALL PRINT

What is Pioneers of Change?

Pioneers of Change is a global learning network supporting practitioners in their mid-20s to mid-30. Founded in 1999, by a group of people from 16 countries and now includes participants from around the world.

Pioneers are people who questions underlying assumptions and move into new territory in order to create the change we want to see in the world. We include social entrepreneurs, member of the business, government and non-profit communities, as well as artists, teachers, and free agents from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds.

When you join Pioneers of Change you explicitly commit to the following principles: Be yourself Do what Matters Start now Engage with others Never stop asking questions For more information on Pioneers of Change, see http://www.pioneersofchange.net

To have something included in an upcoming Newsletter contact femke@pioneersofchange.net

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