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Tracking the groundswell

Legacy project draws upon feedback

Approximately 160 people participated in Groundswell 2014, a successful conference that left the question: “What’s next?”

The ever-evolving Groundswell planning committee has now come up with concrete answers to prove a legacy from the January conference held at Vancouver Island University.

Immediately following the event, the committee set to work publishing a post-conference summary report, and producing a documentary by filmmaker Claudia Medina, with funding from both Vancouver and Powell River Community foundations. The documentary will be available later this month.

An additional pocket of funding has been received to sustain several of the follow-up initiatives that were proposed by participants in the Groundswell event, and organizers invite the community to participate.

Tracking the Groundswell is a project funded by the Taos Institute, which will unfold over the coming year. The project identifies four key action items:

• Host a three-part World Café series so discussions that began at the conference can be deepened and extended to reach community members who did not attend.

• Facilitate an art-based community experience, with a specific focus on intergenerational and intercultural connections.

• Run a bi-monthly column called Tracking the Groundswell in which conceptual and practical links are drawn among the many significant existing community initiatives.

• Convene a new group of planners for another community-wide event to build on the momentum of Groundswell 2014.

Organizers know the success of January’s event was a result of it being collaboratively developed, drawing from the skills and wisdom of a variety of community members. The committee hopes this next phase will appeal to a range of people who have a passion for and skills related to the items listed above.

All over the region, important steps are taking place from ideas generated at the January conference. The bi-monthly column aims to help shine light on these initiatives and draw connections among them.

Anyone interested in being involved in any part of this process, is welcome to attend the first planning meeting for Tracking the Groundswell, 1 pm Tuesday, June 17, in Room 152 of Vancouver Island University. More information is available through contacting Alison Taplay at alison.taplay@viu.ca.

The Groundswell post-conference summary report is available here.