You Are A Movement

A new Educational Approach for Gentle Revolutionaries.

September 2016 I was invited by Knowmads Business School in Amsterdam to set up a series of workshops on monday nights. I chose to host a series of workshops centered on aspects almost all schools undervalue in education. The two questions which boldly drove the series where: what’s missing in schools that would help develop constructive individuals? What does the world need more of in people, if we want to safeguard it better for future generations? Each evening was a research lab on finding your own answers regarding the subject. Here’s a short overview, hopefully inspiring you to readdress the curriculum of your learning programs.

THE CALL

Want to feel (more) alive with purpose and meaning? Have a constructive impact on society? Improve your professional and personal life? Then join this series of workshops on essential topics for life, work and the world.

THE NEED

This world needs more changemakers; people who are part of the solution of the big issues in our world and time. For this feeling alive and connected is essential.

For this we’ll look at all kinds of topics in a very fresh way. Topics that are too often undervalued and or ignored in education. We’ll dive into things like intuition, play, authenticity, creativity & new paradigms. And perhaps the most important one: finding your own answers within yourself.

FOR WHOM

These evenings are for everyone who resonates with this call! And for everyone caught in the wrong job, seeking more like minded spirits, wanting to make a difference, wanting to come alive, seeking purpose. You’re all kindly invited.

WHAT DID WE ADDRESS IN THIS (1st) SERIES?

• Deepen your acceptance and understanding of who you are and your (possible) role in this world.
• Improving essential life skills, like intuition, courage, play design
• Find meaning in life and work. Breaking out of inner and outer boxes.
• Enlarging your connection with and impact in the world

THE SEPARATE WORKSHOPS

1. The Gentle Revolution (tuning in to global change trend)

It’s already happening all over the world, and if you feel called to be here, you most likely are part of it or seek to be. Let’s become the (R)evolution everyone wants to dance in! Let’s help and inspire each other to grow and make positive change happen.

This night was about starting this series, sharing stories, networking and some self discovery about what kind of revolutionary you are and or can be. It set the mood for positive sharing on how to improve ourselves with purpose in the world.

2. The Magical Reality (bringing wonder back to life)

We’ll look at and start embracing of the unexplainable, magical moments in life and guidance and or lessons. Many people had mystical experiences yet why don’t we share them more as the life changing moments they can be.

This evening was about sharing stories about these experiences and how they transformed our lives. It became an evening outside the boundaries of the material world and scientific explanation. We discovered wonder still happens a lot. The evening was co-hosted by Jorden Henk Hilstra.

3. Failure as a gift. (the importance of failure in growth)

This evening we work on your failures and the value they have in your development and that of others.

We shared stories of failing and the lessons we take out of them. The angst to fail and the embarresment of having failed weaken growth. Failing turned out to be crucial to learning. One could say that the educational paradigm that punishes failing is really destroying growth. The evening was co-hosted by Aukje IJpma from Community4starters and or Mies Witkamp

4. Social Courage. (developing inner strength for when it’s needed)

An evening on overcoming fears, the need for more social courage and how our inner sheep block a lot of change opportunities.

We started with relating moments that defined our power to stand up or the need to do so. And we played with exercises improving our inner resolve. The evening was co-hosted by Rena Molter & Leoni van de Water.

4. You in your world. (finding your place and gift in the bigger whole)

Diverse ways of connecting and balancing inner and outer world. Also a miniature vision quest may happen.

This evening focussed on constellation work regarding your the place in the world. We found, that whatever your place in the world, there’s a need for your gift in it. And a way you can start using it. The evening was co-hosted by Martine Verweij of GreenBridges

5. Night of the Rebel (up and down sides of rebelling as an attitude)

An evening for rebels, outsiders, people who feel alien, artist and how to deal with the pain, gift, trouble of being a rebel or prophet amidst people who don’t recognize or value your role?

This evening we discussed and played with both the possible need to rebel against stifling systems. Yet on the other hand we also explored the damage rebels can do to both oneself and others, by rebelling too much or too blindly for the whole situation.

7. Intuition training. (reigniting a undervalued skill)

What if your body contained so much more wisdom than you were aware? How to access that wisdom? How to distinct intuition form anxieties? And how to find your flow?

We found that we have intuition and can learn to listen to it much more. It may help to protect us from people with bad intentions, warn us from unsafe situations or help us understand others way deeper than we thought possible. The evening was co-hosted by Anthe de Weerd

8. Creation from the Heart

When you can listen within, the art of creation, finding solutions that fit and matter, somehow becomes more fluid and easy. This night is about understanding and seeking this skill.

We explored how we can express without thinking, without fear of judgement by self or others. This kind of expression is both liberating and can be even profound in wisdom. We also explored some ways to host dialogue, like circle and fishbowl and how small shifts in setting or formulation can have big impacts on proceedings and or direction of dialogue. This evening was co-hosted by Ewoud Venema.

9. Express your Voice

Learn to sing and write a song that expresses you in just one evening. It takes courage to sing, let alone expressing your voice. Let others listen to who you are on a deeper level in a song that fits your style.

We played with expressing the authentic voice. Not quality of singing was important, but to find your most fitting expression. What range did you have? What sounds you love? What do you want to express? We found that making the best possible song, that most fitted someone unique and authentic voice led to very personal songs. The evening was such a success that a whole new workshop was born and repeated with the co-host of the evening, professional singer Coco Harmsen (Qeaux Queax Joans) . https://expressyourvoice.nl

GENERAL OUTCOMES

* It really changed some peoples lives and or opened doors to new perceptions in many participants. The general sense was to continue the series, which we’ll do. General principle in each episode: Seek to explore a new idea, or constructive possibilities around essential themes.

* Each evening there was a sense of humanity, of being sensitive to being alive and seeking purpose and meaning. Participants shared much gratitude to what it had given them and just the general feel of the series. This beauty, I’d say, also lay much with the participants, a group of diverse ages, international backgrounds and outlooks. They showed much openness to newcomers, while setting a tone of safety. General Principle: Together we explore essential aspects of being and feeling human. and: Value diversity in groups, as it broadens perspectives and brings healthy nuance to personal beliefs.

* In general one could argue that conventional education focusses too much on being instrumental and methodical. It lacks in asking essential questions to it pupils, let alone helping them enough to develop their own sense of meaning and direction. While schools are pushed for measurable results, this hinders all self explorative journeys, where outcomes can be very undefined, personal and unique. General Principle: (Personal) Sense and Meaning can very much be found in the non measurable, non explainable, non controllable. Paying attention to the senses, wisdom of the body, longings of the heart many essential insights can be found.

So thanks to a great invitation by Knowmads, I started a series from this two inspiring questions: What don’t we have enough of in school? What is it the world needs more of from it’s human inhabitants? I discovered that perhaps just starting and exploring is perhaps most essential. In the end all educational innovation journeys are collective journeys. As I, and my network, will continue this journey, we hope you get inspired to start your own. Goodluck!

If you have questions or suggestions put them in the comments. I try to keep my eye on them.

You can also join us on our facebook group.

You can join one or more session when in Amsterdam, first episode in 2017 can be found here.

Knowmads Business School, Amsterdam, can be found here.