Train and Activate Inspired Leaders in Nepal

Seventeen Days of Social Artistry Activities in Nepal

The Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) 8^th Global Conference on Human Development.  

I’ve just returned from a whirlwind of Social Artistry activities in Nepal.  I headed to Nepal to participate in The Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) 8^th Global Conference on Human Development.   ICA and Social Artistry have a long history of collaborating in various parts of the world.  Participating in the events included the following Social Artists: Rob Work, Rosemary Dowling, Karen Johnson, Marie-Therese Fournier, Evelyn Philbrook and myself.   The Social Artistry network in Nepal was also quite engaged including some of the folks you have met, Tatwa Timsina, Amba Bhattari, Atma Timsina, RC, Pramila, Juju and Kusendra.  Deepak coordinated the two-day youth conference.   The time provided an incredible mixing of friends and colleagues from the SA and ICA networks—working together. 

The following is a brief snapshot of the events that happened. 

Pre-Conference events included a sacred sites tour of the Kathmandu Valley and a two-day introduction to Social Artistry attended by over 30 people from 8 countries. 

The conference had over 300 at the opening and 200 daily participants in six theme groups.  I coordinated the theme group on ‘Growing a New Sense of Leadership’.  Rob, Rosemary, and Marie-Therese joined me and several of our Nepal social artists in this group.  After two-days of discerning the key components of the new emerging leadership, Rosemary, Amba joined Kevin Balm of Australia and Mark Pixley of China to design a mandela holding 4 key external components and 4 internal components of a new leadership.  A final model is being drafted.  We will continue to have virtual dialogues on our understanding of the new leader and how to create the environment for the development of these leaders. 

Karen Johnson joined the Education of the 21 century theme group, sharing her insights from the Teacher as Social Artist.  

The Leadership theme and the Community Development theme-group both had a field visit to Nela east of Kathmandu to visit with Social Artist Nirmala Shrestha , a women leader, mobilizing hundreds of women and youth by applying SA. 

The post-conference period included a two-day conference follow-up, 2 training programs and a ½ day congress.

A smaller group gathered to harvest and celebrate the conference at Nagakot, the top of the first ridge of mountains surrounding Kathmandu.  The sunrises were amazing, if you stood on tip toe you might catch a glimpse of Mt. Everest.   We provided updates on the national work of ICAs and associated organizations.  Evelyn and I shared our work globally on SA.  There were also additional expressions of interest for Social Artistry from India, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan, Chili and Europe.

Pramila, Evelyn and I traveled to the TITI (Technical Training Institute) for a three-day Introduction to SA for over 40 of their staff.  They wanted a team building and vision experience for a cross section of their staff.  We also conducted a one-day training for a TLC that Pramila is helping conduct.

Finally, we gathered for a ½ day congress to explore the next year of "growing the field of Social Artistry."   We conducted a trim-tab for the future development of Social Artistry Introduction workshops and micro-grants.  ICA Nepal will continue to host the SA workshops and coordination of initiatives.  The broader Social Artistry network will support this for a year with a $300 a month grant.  This will enable a part-time person to coordinate and implement training events. 

The core Social Artistry trainers in the United States, Canada, Taiwan and Nepal are preparing for the Introduction to Social Artistry to be conducted in Kathmandu October 27-28, 2012.  Dr. Jean Houston will participate in the training and will be the keynote speaker at the Institute for Cultural Affairs 8th Global Conference on Human Development in Kathmandu from October 29-November 2, 2012.  Dr. Houston and Social Artistry trainers Janet Sanders (Canada) , Karen Johnson (USA), and Rosemary Dowling (USA) along with local trainers, will visit some of the Nepali Social Artistry projects in the Kathmandu area.

The Nepali Social Artistry trainers are busy preparing for the events. Thus far, there are over 100 particpants from Nepal enrolled and 75 from other countries.

Progress in helping people develop inner capacity skills continues In Kathmandu, Devdeha and outreaches of Nepal as the Nepali trainers conduct introductions to Social Artistry.   The training events and conference in October will be an important occasion for Nepali Social Artistry trainers to bring their skills and visions for their projects to a new level.  

Funds that are donated from now through October 15 will be used to assist with expenses for trainers and leaders to attend the October trainings.