Voice Global Linking and Learning Festival - Thailand 2024

[wiwin winarni]

What makes this learning festival special and different from previous ones for me? I was able to meet directly with facilitators and other grantees who had been interacting online for 22 months.
This four days meeting felt like the beginning of our encounter, including revision and improvement on of learning processes and sharing in the community of practices group. And of course what is no less important were the fun, joy, delicious food, dancing and sharing the fun and unique culture, the hard and great background we work with and fighting for humanitarian principles as part of our efforts to make the world an inclusive place for all people.

The Constellation has been working as partner for the Voice Global for multi-countries linking and learning project where 19 grantees participated initially and those 14 grantees can complete their participation in the project. The grantees attended the festival were from Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, The Philippines, Taiwan, Mali, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Republic Benin. 

What I would like to share was about my (our) improved facilitating skills that combined SALT and mindful inclusion principle both online and offline. Combination of the two principles which actually have the same concept, such as involvement, mutual support, attentiveness, carefulness and simplicity make it even better facilitation.  The facilitation design has been cultivated sense of belonging of the participants as well, with whom the Constellation's facilitators co-facilitate the session in smoothly way.

It was a heavy session, when we almost lost since everyone try to insist their prioritized theme, the festival's  participants tried to help and find solution to make discussion moved and we were about to be reminded to be appreciative and mindful to other's intention and need.  We agreed to disagree with no hard feeling.  And the most important thing we were understand underlining principles why we disagree.

Rob, an African participant: " I don't know how you guys make it, every time I met you, all are good, and now even better"

I fond of tools used in our project that deeply reviewed by all of us and participants were about to transfer them in their setting. Community of practices, learning visit, visual journey and after activity reflection are incremental to voice up grantees and rightsholder's works and  advocacy.

Lastly, I feel our friendships are growing where we can learn and borrow our knowledge and experience facing our challenges. Following linking and learning will come even the project will be concluded very soon.