Toward a more just and resonant future; Why we need to reframe our narratives
Convene’s most recent thought experiment builds on a deafening but garbled call for new narratives. In an increasingly polarised society breaking through reassuring echo chambers takes both re-framing and risky multi-actor dialogue. This blog post explores the power, potential and necessity of new narratives and how deliberate dialogue lays the foundations for crafting them.
Are you ready to leave your technical comfort zone and get into the messy complexity of ‘deliberate dialogue’?
Ewen Le Borgne unpacks the importance of combining ‘hard science’ with the messy complexity of human nature and the huge potential that is held in exploring this upstream in a project. The change required to meet the needs of the issues we are facing, requires the “messiness of ideas, emotions and aspirations that Deliberate Dialogue is designed to hold space for.”
Amanda Harding at NL-CGIAR conference
Amanda Harding reflects on the collective efforts and knowledge sharing at the NL-CGIAR conference.
How to remain optimistic in the face of adversity
Emeline Fellus, Director of the FReSH (Food Reform for Sustainability and Health) project for WBCSD, gives her take on what it means to remain optimistic when met with increasingly complex challenges that demand innovation and collaborative solutions.
‘It Takes a Village’ as They Say
Having a community that surrounds you wholeheartedly, a group of people with whom to form strong, supportive connections, where everyone can be their true selves is incredibly important. For me, this idea of forming strong connections with people in life, has been conceptualised as ‘The Village’ and transcended into a feeling that acts as a central tenant to connect me to those that make me feel most at home.
True Partnership: Finding Strength by Leaning in to One Another
One of my greatest takeaways from living and working in Morocco was the power of community. Raised in an ultra-individualistic American society, I had never been exposed quite as starkly to the strength that lies in numbers - the strength that comes from relying on one another.
Dig deeper with Kelsey on the profound power of collaboration and the importance of “showing up” as a true partner.
For Better or Worse: How Can We Forge Partnerships Built to Last?
Almost 10 years ago I wrote a brief on partnerships within research for development. It posed a series of questions about partnerships, addressing their necessity, the partnership identification process, the value add of partnership, and becoming a partner that others want to work with. In hindsight, the brief was pretty common sense and straightforward and glossed over the very real stresses of challenges like Covid 19, conflict, and climate change. Time to revisit this topic.
Frame of Mind: Social Justice and Stubborn Optimism
Since the last Convene Circle just three months ago the extremes of cognitive dissonance I’ve been living have only increased -these past months have pushed the notion of inequities to the fore. Looking forward with the stubborn optimism I’m known for, I've committed to explicitly integrating social justice through all the work of Convene
Sustainable growth of aquaculture to ensure our earth remains livable
Curating diverse dialogues around our oceans and blue foods in and beyond our oceans, we've become more aware than ever of how urgently we must protect our oceans. We know that oceans are not the problem but a solution to the mix of environmental, health and social challenges. At Convene, we're using the UN World Oceans Day as a chance to highlight some of our key learnings.
Social Inequality in Light of Davos 2022
While the World Economic Forum was gathering leaders from around the world in person at Davos, for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, Oxfam’s 2022 report “Profiting from Pain” was released without attracting much attention.
Pulling at the Same Strings: Deliberate Dialogue in Action
Emerging from deliberate dialogue spaces at Convene we invariably discuss key takeaways and surprises and explore touchpoints that were able to trigger any breakthrough moments. In continuous experimentation mode, we're constantly learning, deepening our understanding and perfecting our methodology - and we take each dialogue we convene as a starting point for the next. Coming out of one of our longest dialogues yet, we'd like to share our insights on deliberate dialogue in action.
The Meta-Dialogue Dance: A Good Show Needs Actors with Good Ears
Convene’s relationship with Institutional Conveners aims to build the trust, co-creation and co-ownership of the process that we believe is necessary for achieving strategic goals. Read more about our unique approach to the “meta-dialogue dance.”
Patient with People, Impatient with the Mission
Leading internal change in an empathy-based approach for brave dialogue is essential in creating external change. Recently, we lead a group through growing pains, while making time to look inward. Follow the link for more reflections from the Eternal City.
How Could Science-Policy Interfaces Boost Food System Transformation?
Read the Food Systems Summit Brief, compiled by members of the International Food Policy Research Institute, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development, and Convene for the the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021.