(From Connectors Malmö’s website)
Would you and your community benefit from a crowd sourced living room?
So, as it states on connectorsmalmo.com “Today, the room might be an empty room. But next week it might be filled with hundreds of pillows and a pizza oven.”
We caught wind of this story from Connectors Malmö’s Co-
According to their site “Connectors Malmö is a community of people from here and there, doing this and that to make our city a better place.”
The Pop Up Space is part one of Connectors Malmö’s first featured project which they hope will lead to a prosperous career of positive change for their community and eventually the world.
Julieta explains “The neighborhood in which we are launching this space has significant social problems including unemployment, low integration and low community morale.”
The team over at Connectors Malmö says that the purpose of this experiment is to create a community-sourced hub that not only allows the diverse local community to work together in its creation but that will also act as a forum for people to think creatively with one another. They hope that once everything gets running this can be a comfortable place for locals to meet with each other, as well as social entrepreneurs from all around the world, to come up with unique solutions for local challenges.
(From Connectors Malmö’s website)
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Way back in 2006, we started the Idealists in Action blog to share tales and tips about turning good intentions into action with the Idealist community.
In March 2014, we launched the Idealist Network—a platform to help people everywhere connect and take action on any issue that concerns them, locally or globally, online and in person.
Now, we’re devoting our blog entirely to the stories and strategies of the Network—particularly as they relate to Connectors, the volunteers at its heart. And to keep everything in one place, we’re going to start blogging exclusively on the Connector Hub—please come visit us there!
If you signed up to get daily digests from Idealists in Action, you’ll stop receiving them today. But don’t fear! If you sign up to be a Connector, you’ll get a daily Connector Update email with links to our most recently-posted stories (along with news from your Team, updates about Network happenings all over the world, and other great stuff).
Plus this site will remain up for your searching pleasure—peruse our archive of thought-provoking, inspiring, quirky, fun, and useful posts anytime you like!
Thank you for eight wonderful years. We look forward to seeing you around Idealist, and, as always, please feel welcome to drop us a line with any thoughts or questions at idealistblog@idealist.org.
As a Connector, you help others. But you also might be thinking, “How does being a Connector help me?”
Being a Connector has all sorts of perks related to making the world a better place: you’re connecting people, sharing good ideas, and encouraging action in your community.
But we’re learning that there’s also some personal gain to be had in the role. No shame there! Here are a few Connectors sharing how they hope the Idealist Network will benefit them:
From Seana in Tulsa, Oklahoma:
I hope it will provide me with joy, but also career development. This is the sort of work I want to do full time.
From Amanda in Fayetteville, Arkansas:
It would take a lot of the workload off my shoulders for people to connect with each other and not feel like they have to go through me. I first signed up because I feel lonely out here. I want to meet more people who think like this. I want to meet more people who think like a solutionary. Mostly so I don’t feel like I’m going crazy. I want other Connectors in my life and the support of like-minded people who already get the process. They are going to have ways of connecting I want to learn from. That will make my job more fun and easier. Connectors coming together is a huge benefit for everybody.
From Anna in Cambodia:
Being a Connector is a great way for me personally to build a network, and also keep connected with issues outside of Cambodia.
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Your turn! How do you hope being a Connector will benefit you?
Tools and Tactics are replicable templates Connectors can use to multiply and amplify action and collaboration in their communities. We find they also make for great stories about people all over the world who are promoting good in interesting ways.
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A new breed of online projects that make a difference in local government are popping up in cities around the world. One of the best parts of these new models? Anyone can contribute something, regardless of their tech skill level. With this Tool and Tactic, you can learn how to produce a crowdsourcing event that involves the community and begins a collaboration between government and citizens. No coding required!
In 2012, the city of Honolulu debuted Honolulu Answers, a website intended to allow citizens easy to access government information. Building the site was pretty simple; filling it with content turned out to be the challenge! With help from Code for America, the city hosted a day-long “write-a-thon” wherein more than 55 community members and city employees collaborated on researching and writing 120 answers to common civic questions.
Below, Sheba Najmi, a 2012 Code for America Fellow, tells us about her personal experience helping to organize the event:
Q: What was something that surprised you about how the write-a-thon went?
A: One of the things that took me by surprise was that 14 city staff members (including a police officer in full uniform) came to participate. They were there, bright and early, at 8:45 AM on a rainy Saturday, unpaid.
I was surprised and grateful that they made the time to share their expertise with citizens, and in the process of answering citizens’ questions, I could see their perspective shifting—from the way the city is structured internally to the way things would make sense from a citizen’s perspective. They explained things to the people, and they also sat down with their computers to write answers to questions themselves. This was truly the first time I’d seen “government being what we do together” in action.
I was also very touched by their dedication to doing “homework assignments” for four months afterwards. I asked them to review and rewrite citizens’ answers over and over, and they did. Not because they were mandated to, but because they wanted to.
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One of the best things that came out of the Portland Team’s meeting a couple of weeks ago? Nick Berger’s idea for an open mic.
It’s simple: bring together Connectors and people/organizations who need support for their ideas in one space. Think Sunday Soup (a grassroots model for funding small- to medium-sized creative projects through community meals), but instead of giving funding, you give connections.
Connectors, think about all the potential this stage has! (photo via MaggyMcMagMag on Flickr’s Creative Commons.)
“Portland is full of people that have tremendously exciting and progressive ideas,” Nick says. “I imagine that the collective group of Connectors would be able to leverage resources, provide perspective, offer assistance, and/or connect them to resources that they might not have known about—in real time.”
Connectors would be encouraged to invite people whom they know personally. That way, there could be a more focused approach.
“Having Connectors bring in specific people with action-oriented ideas would also create a certain level of vetting, screening, and investment that might allow the process to find more stable roots and support,” he says. “This would also help keep Connectors ‘neutral’ through the initial incubation stage of the process, and allow us to take on some specific case studies or trial runs for larger-scale connecting.”
Right now, the idea is in its beginning stages. There are more logistics to be thought through, including space (maybe the Idealist offices or The Oregon Public House?), what the invitation would look like (casual or more formal with a space for listing needs?), and in general, how the night would flow (on the spot connections or more advance thought?).
For Nick, an open mic event would give Connectors a better sense of needs and strengthen what already exists in the community.
“There’s power in bringing people together in a space where organic dialogue and collaboration can be supported through reflective listening, inclusion, and openness,” he says. “There’s a greater potential to ignite sparks and create fire when all of the elements are in the same place at the same time.”
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What do you think? Could this idea work in your community? Do you have thoughts on how best to organize such an event?
Connector and Action Group founder Lissa Tsu is committed to helping people make the leap from online to on-the-streets action.
“I think Action Groups are exciting because they can be as big or as small as you want them to be,” she says. “They also get people offline and actually engaged in making the world a better place.”
Originally from Southern California, Lissa attended Boston College before making San Diego her home base. “I actually started volunteering early in life,” she says, “but going to a Jesuit university really cemented my love for immersing myself in under-served communities.”
Lissa and her daughter
Lissa considers herself a “Connector-type” in her personal as well as professional life. “I am always thinking about how people I know can help out other people I know. It makes me feel like a part of a community,” she says.
“I feel my strength is following through on what I said I would do. I rarely commit to things and then not follow through. I am thoughtful about how I want to spend my time and energy so when I commit to something, I commit.”
The Action Group Lissa started is called Downtown San Diego Planter/Bed Beautification. Why this focus? “I started with an AG that would personally make my day,” she explains. “Living in Chicago for eight years I saw how truly beautiful sidewalks can be and what a difference that makes in living and working in a place.”
“San Diego streets need a lot of love and I think that if we revitalized them we could really improve the image of SD. I live and walk downtown with my daughter most days so I would love a few flowers to brighten the path.”
One challenge Lissa’s facing so far is recruiting others to join her and start taking action. “I’m a little stuck here,” she says. “I think the largest challenge is that once you set [an AG] up it seems easy to get sucked back into ‘cyber world.’ And I would love some more ideas about how to let the SD community know I started a Group so they could choose to join me.”
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Other AG founders: how have you recruited members to join your group? Post a comment below or write directly to Lissa through her Idealist profile.
If you’re not a Connector yet or want to give someone else a hand with signing up, this short-and-sweet instructional video will show you how easy it is to get started.
Tools and Tactics are replicable templates Connectors can use to multiply and amplify action and collaboration in their communities. We find they also make for great stories about people all over the world who are promoting good in interesting ways.
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College debt can greatly affect the career paths of recent graduates concerned about paying back their loans. New York University’s Stern School of Business recognized this issue and developed a loan assistance program for MBA graduates working for the public good.
Through the program, alumni earning $100,000 or less while working for a nonprofit or social enterprise can receive as much as $15,000 annually towards their school loans.
Our Tool and Tactic on the subject can tell you more about instituting this benefit at your school, and this article on Stern’s website, featuring alumna Dorrit Lowsen, is a perfect case study in how the positive effects of the program can be felt beyond graduates’ bank accounts. Lowsen, a 2008 Stern MBA graduate, has spent the last few years living and working in different countries as an IT project consultant for social enterprises:
Dorrit Lowsen (photo via NYU Stern School of Business)
“I’m incredibly thankful to Stern for recognizing the importance of nonprofit work and for supporting alumnae like me who sometimes forgo larger salaries in more traditional industries to do other meaningful work. Because of the Loan Assistance Program, my decision to switch career tracks into the social enterprise sector went from a tough choice to a no-brainer. ”
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Read the rest of Dorrit’s story here, and check out the loan assistance Tool and Tactic here.
Every Thursday, Connector Dave Revere will be hosting an open 3Qs meeting at a local Denver coffee house for anyone in the Idealist community.
“We’re all connected. I really believe that. So I wanted to create a space for people to come together and help plot each other’s well-being,” he says. “As a community manager for Denver Idealist, I had the perfect platform. With the launch of the Connectors, it seemed like a great space for these people to meet as well as to form Action Groups for our community.”
Denver Community Managers Dave Revere and Heidi Box spreading the Idealist love.
Five people showed up for the first meeting a couple of weeks ago and shared their intentions, obstacles, and what they needed to take their next step.
Connections were made right then and there. For example, one participant was passionate about criminal justice reform and wanted to work with inmates. Someone in the group provided her with a personal point of contact for a volunteer coordinator at a Colorado criminal justice nonprofit.
Dave was pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
“We had some folks cancel at the last minute, so I was a bit worried we wouldn’t have much to give each other with a group so small, but I was delighted with everyone’s input, and everyone agreed that they received valuable takeaways from the meeting,” he says.
Dave wasn’t the only one to have initial doubts. When he approached people about coming, they were concerned they wouldn’t have anything to offer. But he encouraged them not to worry about it.
“When someone asks for help, the natural response of the group is going to be to help them, not to say nothing. People surprise themselves by contributing knowledge and resources they didn’t know they had,” Dave says.
He’d love for 3Qs meetings to become a regular event.
“This is a real-time space with real people who want to help each other out,” he says. “We’re not idealists in some vague sense with our heads in the clouds. We’re real people who care about our community and are coming together to figure stuff out.”
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Want to organize a meeting series like this? Feel free to reach out to Dave for more info and advice.
In the Denver area? Come out for their next meeting this Thursday at Hooked on Colfax.
Our video team recently hit the sunny springtime streets of New York to ask Connectors why they’re excited about the Idealist Network.
Here are their top takeaways, in two bite-sized minutes:
What excites you about the Network?
The thing that most excites Lotta Saiteu about the Idealist Network? Its reach.
“I like the fact that Idealist connects people of all kinds,” he says. “I want to help give a common ground to all, especially to those who have no voice.”
With experience in marketing, tourism, anti-violence training, nonprofit management, and as the founder of the organization Volunteers Service for Africa, connecting comes easily to Lotta.
Most recently, he’s been working on a project that connects local human rights and women-focused organizations with each other and with overseas volunteers. He’s also been helping high school graduates find scholarships to study outside the country.
“Staying neutral enables me to act as a facilitator and nurture all sides despite any differences,” he says.
Women in Arusha market. (photo via Marc Wisniak on Flickr’s Creative Commons)
Home to more than 128 tribes, Tanzania is no stranger to difference, yet it is a peaceful and democratic country.
In Lotta’s opinion, the social sector is progressing (healthcare facilities are free for children under five and their mothers, for example, which has reduced the infant mortality rate) and there is no government oppression. The challenges he sees are corruption and shaky commitments from volunteers and nonprofit employees.
Still, Lotta is hopeful. He also wants to work across borders, connecting his city of Arusha with nearby Nairobi, Kenya, to create a platform for change.
“Arusha will benefit so much from this connectivity. There is much to be done here but knowing what to do and when and how is the challenge,” he says. “Being a Connector will give me a chance to learn new things and train others on what I have learned. I just think I have a lot to give.”
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Live in Arusha? Join the Team! Live elsewhere? Look for a Team near you or start one of your own.
This past Saturday, Abhishek Surywanshi hosted the first meeting of his Action Group “Empowering the underprivileged in Pune.”
Before the meet-up, Abhishek and a few others gathered at a mall food court to plan it. They decided that the venue for the first meeting would be of utmost importance to inspire conversation, and settled on Jnana Prabodhini, an educational nonprofit known for launching great ideas.
20 people from incredibly diverse backgrounds showed up for the seminal meeting—the fields represented included engineering, psychology, fashion, international business, and medical research, just to name a few.
“We expected a few people but never thought we would get a response from almost every professional field. It was brilliant to see multidimensional views on same thing,” he says.
The group sat in a circle on the floor—an arrangement that helped everyone have eye contact with one other and feel comfortable participating—and talked about issues ranging from traffic to growing one’s own food to how the government could help them achieve their goals.
Their next steps include forming new Action Groups, going out into the city and recruiting members, and meeting again and again to maintain momentum—and increase the fun.
Abhishek attributes the success of the meeting to proper planning. His advice to other Groups? Keep it simple. Know your members. Plan accordingly. Make sure everyone in the group speaks. And have coffee afterward to connect on a more personal level.
Abhishek couldn’t be happier with the results.
“When people from ten-plus different fields gather on a pretty evening with a common goal, things tend to be awesome,” he says.
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Want to learn more tips and tricks for organizing a great meeting? Reach out to Abhishek.
Curious about Action Groups? Find one near you or start one of your own!
Not reinventing the wheel is an important part of this Network, starting with identifying existing resources that can help us all be more effective Connectors. Finding and sharing these resources is a group effort, and we’re already seeing some great offerings bubble up from Teams.
Take these three, recommended by Connectors in San Diego, Fayetteville, and St. Louis:
Jude Jordan Kalush of San Diego, California likes The University of Kansas’s Community Tool Box, an online suite of resources for people who want to up their social good game:
“The Community Tool Box was created to help people build healthier communities and bring about the changes they envision. We provide educational modules and tools to help people work together to make their communities what they dream they can be. Although the Community Tool Box has thousands of pages of resources, its design makes it easy to find what you want.”
Amanda Bancroft of Fayetteville, Arkansas suggests consulting the Solutionary Knowledge Bank’s Community Engagement Sources section which has how-tos on everything from developing a community asset map to creating a shared vision as a team. The Bank was created by Grand Aspirations, a non-profit which cultivates youth leaders:
“This knowledge bank was compiled for sustainable community organizers around the world to allow for the replication of innovative green economy projects and the sharing of tools and resources. We hope the site will allow organizers to avoid ‘recreating the wheel’ and rather harness the work of others to build more effective projects which meet the needs of their communities.”
Lloyd Kinder, of the St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri Teams, offers an innovative spin on the traditional (aka un-fun) meeting model with Fairplays:
“A ‘fairplay’ is a fun event in which all attenders, if possible, take up to 5 minutes each to give a speech, a performance, or just an introduction, which are called acts. The purpose of fairplay acts is to facilitate maximum information, education and entertainment. Members may do their acts individually or in groups. Speeches may be informative, educational, and or entertaining. Performances are educational especially for performers. Performances may also be demonstrations, which are also educational for audiences. Cooperation is involved in preparing for Fairplays and ‘executing’ them.”
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Do you have a resource to recommend to the Idealist Network? Post it to the Resources section on your Team’s page!
You can also share it in our discussion forums, or drop us a line at idealistblog@idealist.org.
Tools and Tactics are replicable templates Connectors can use to multiply and amplify action and collaboration in their communities. We find they also make for great stories about people all over the world who are promoting good in interesting ways.
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Organizations need helping hands of all kinds. Those with skills in especially great demand—like lawyers—do an extra-good deed when they donate their time and expertise to people who need it. If you’re a lawyer or work in a law firm, this Tool and Tactic can show you how you can help nonprofits and individuals who could benefit from your support.
Jessica Perrin is Head of NGO and Social Enterprise for TrustLaw Connect, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono service, based in London. Below, she tells us why it’s so great to go pro bono.
Q: How did you get into pro bono work, and what’s your favorite thing about it?
A: Up until joining TrustLaw, my career had firmly been on the NGO side. When I made the jump to the pro bono sector and started here, I knew we had something big to offer. I knew the value of external expertise for NGOs, and I knew that without it most organisations aren’t able to have the impact they set out to.
So, what does it look like sitting on the other side of the table? In all honesty, it’s pretty wonderful.
Instead of working with beneficiaries who want to create change in their own lives, I have walked into a buzzing network of passionate lawyers who are willing to help create that change using their own expertise, and from their desk! This means my day job is saying ‘yes’ to NGOs who reach out for pro bono legal support, ‘yes’ to helping them grow, ‘yes’ to helping them have an impact, and ‘yes’ to my favourite question of all: ‘Is it really free?’
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To learn more, read the Tool and Tactic here.
Interested in becoming a Connector? Get started here!
An appreciation for clean sand is the norm in his coastal community of Santa Barbara County, yet Connector Geoffrey Berz believes more can be done.
“Focusing on our beaches—a mutual love of just about everyone—can benefit Santa Barbara County by bringing those of all backgrounds to the beach cleanup and giving them a safe place for dialogue at various levels,” he says. “This dialogue can lead to identifying other needs in our community while building stronger ties between vastly different demographics.”
Geoffrey ready to surf.
Strengthening ties across different groups and promoting collaboration is how Geoffrey spends his time when he’s not surfing and or playing beach volleyball. Professionally, he helps organizations scale up and problem-solve.
“This involves pooling resources, project management, shifting organizational responsibilities, and naturally, connecting individuals who have skills/needs that can foster positive change,” he says.
His Action Group, “Monthly Beach Cleanup,” is one extension of this work. Initially, he plans to reach out to the Idealist community to garner more support, and then go beyond, with an emphasis on face-to-face connection.
By being a part of the Network, Geoffrey ultimately hopes to expand his own circle of go-getting Idealists.
“Organizing action in an entrepreneurial spirit is not an easy task. It’s important to have individuals and organizations that are like-minded in the same place,” he says. “A place like Idealist.”
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Feel the same way about clean beaches that Geoffrey does? Join his Action Group.
Curious about Action Groups? Find one near you or start one of your own!
Idealist started a blog in 2006 to share with our community a variety of tales and tips about turning good intentions into action. Our subjects spanned everything from cupcakes to incarcerated youth to software development.
Then, this past March, we launched the Idealist Network and began devoting the blog entirely to stories about and for Connectors—you wonderful volunteers at the heart of this platform for action and change.
So now, the blog is your oyster! And we want to know: what do you want it to be?
Please send your ideas to idealistblog@idealist.org, or leave them as comments below.
Thank you! We want to write what you want to read.
Connectors in the capital of the U.S. are all about action.
A few of D.C.’s Connectors. (photo courtesy Brad Ogilvie)
Last Wednesday, seven of them met for the first time at the William Penn House. Their backgrounds ranged from community development to environmental sciences to county politics.
“The collective wisdom and experience in the room was great to see, as well as the shared passions to try new and creative things to bring people together. I think we also were energized by the fact that we see the challenges of collaboration, but believe that with good planning, we can overcome them,” Connector Brad Ogilvie says.
The Team started by introducing themselves and taking an inventory of the skills and networks in the room. Then they identified next steps, which included pledging to deepen connections with their communities over the next six months to get a better sense of what’s already going on.
More specifically, they all agreed to sign up on the community websites Nextdoor and Meetup. Longer term, their plan is to host a “Vision/Imagine D.C.” event early next year that would get people together to talk about concretely addressing social issues in the city.
In Brad’s opinion, the D.C. Team can help provide a stronger sense of community in a place where politics and power rule.
“We hope to break down some of the divisions that exist,” he says.
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In the Washington, D.C. area? Join the Team and keep an eye out for their next meeting in late June or early July.
Live elsewhere? Look for a Connector Team near you or start one of your own.
Growing up in the small town of Brusly, Louisiana, just outside Baton Rouge, Stephen Hebert felt like an oddball. The environmental issues that mattered to him didn’t seem to matter to others. So he left eight years ago and was surprised to discover like-minded tribes in other states.
“I spent a lot of my life thinking that no one else thought like I did. So once I started to discover similar people, I became kind of greedy,” he says.
Stephen is now back in Brusly and is all about reconnecting with the community and finding more socially-minded people through the Idealist Network. As an ideas guy, he’s even dreamed of something similar that would match people’s needs to other people’s skills, and make it easy to get involved.
“It was pretty much that first email I got from Ami,” he says. “I was like, ‘Oh! It’s here. Someone is building this network.’ ”
Stephen at a recent Team meeting. (photo courtesy Ashifa Sarkar Vasi)
Stephen’s learned a lot about working with people as a result of all of the different roles he’s had over the years—from software developer to gas station attendant to Americorps teacher in a jail to, currently, restaurant manager. It’s in this last role that Stephen sees an especially good opportunity to become more engaged with Brusly as the owner is all about bringing the community together.
As part of the Baton Rouge Area Team, Stephen is hoping to share and learn with others who are as interested in connecting with their community as he is.
“Our local team is small, but we are pithy. It has been a great experience in co-leadership, as each of us brings something unique to the table that adds strength as well as perspective and balance,” he says.
Given his background in IT, Stephen is currently working on a wiki, blog, and map for the group.
He’s also been thinking about how to best categorize and make accessible all the resources, local events, public spaces, and good ideas happening in Baton Rouge for an inventory similar to the ones Brooklyn and San Diego created.
For Stephen, being a part of the Team also gives him the same satisfaction teaching does—that is, giving people an understanding and power they’ve never had before.
“The Connector role just seems so fundamental. You find out what’s good and then share it with other people looking for it,” he says. “That’s what I want to do. Empower others to get the things they want.”
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Want to learn more about Stephen and his thoughts on community engagement? Feel free to get in touch.
Live in Baton Rouge? Join the Team! Live elsewhere? Look for a Connector Team near you or start one of your own.
As a Connector, you’re invited to create an Action Group to help anyone take action on a particular issue or cause with you.
If you’ve created an Action Group or are gearing up to create one, you can keep track of it on Idealist via your personal menu:
Since Action Groups are for everyone, they can be found on Idealist.org and on the Connector Hub to make it easy for all the people in your community to participate—whether or not they’re Connectors.
Pro tip:
Want to invite your social networks to join your Idealist Action Group? Navigate to your Action Group, then scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll see a list of members.
Click a button to “Invite” folks to join or “Share” this page. Then, personalize your message and click “Share On Your Timeline.”
That’s it!
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Sara Jensen is a technical support representative at Idealist. Feel free to reach out to her if you need help or have questions: sara.jensen@idealist.org.
Foday Kallon can’t stand government corruption.
As a young accounting and finance professional, he would love to see the government in his home country of Sierra Leone be forced to make all financial reports public so people can ask questions openly and freely.
Simply put, he believes in power to the people.
“My greatest passion in life is to bring equality to where inequality exists, and bridge the widening gap between the rich and poor through peaceful civil activism and public sensitization campaigns,” he says.
So far, to draw attention to the abuse of public funds, Foday has launched several radio campaigns and organized a rally to bring this issue to youth and the general public.
He also recently created the Action Group “Seeking for a Transparent & Accountable Government in Sierra Leone” to build momentum for a second rally and get more support for the issue – especially from those living outside the country.
“The Action Group will be of pivotal importance in enabling us to secure more resources (human and material) in order to spread the message nationwide and in the diaspora to combat corruption as quickly as possible,” he says.
Of course this issue doesn’t come without its challenges, mainly, political interference. But for Foday, the Action Group is also a way to grab the attention of the world.
“We look forward to international partners helping us overcome such challenges peacefully,” he says.
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Have ideas? Let Foday know or join his Action Group. Curious about Action Groups? Find one near you or start one of your own!
When you signed up to join the Idealist Network, you saw our What makes a Connector? list that explains some basic things all of us have in common. For example, Connectors:
But we’ve started to notice that a lot of Connectors have other things in common, too. Looks like a lot of you…
Want to find kindred spirits
“I first signed up because I feel lonely out here,” says Amanda in Fayetteville, Arkansas. “I want to meet more people who think like this.”
“I’ve been wishing to connect with other action-oriented folks,” says Steven in Seattle, Washington.
“I don’t want to be by myself doing good work. I want to be with everyone else doing good work,” says Ginny in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Are excited to help people take action on their own terms
“Nowadays society doesn’t wait for the political people to act in their interest. Through Idealist, I see people confirming this phenomenon of ‘taking my life in my hands, because I can,’ ” says Diana in Bucharest, Romania.
“There are so many young people and so much energy as the city is growing and rejuvenating. It’s a good time to give people the tools to ensure it grows in a direction they envision,” says Karim in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
“You have to be able to address the issues within your society with your own work plan and your own means, little by little impacting society. I think that’s what’s great about the Idealist Network. It enables you to do this,” says Ibrahim in Kampala, Uganda.
Enjoy being there for others
“I’m easy to talk to. I don’t get overly worked up over things. I’m a good co-conspirator. And I’m good at getting things moving, but I don’t like to steal people’s thunder,” says Adam in Bozeman, Montana.
“I don’t feel a need to lead on other people’s ideas/projects but I like assisting with implementation,” says Leonie in Brisbane, Australia.
“Connecting people is what I do and have done my entire life. I see the inherent value of connecting people and ideas,” says Ellee in San Francisco, California.
Connectors, do these characteristics resonate with you? What else have you noticed that you and your fellow Connectors have in common?
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If you’d like to suggest a stellar Connector to be profiled on Idealists in Action, shoot us an email: idealistblog@idealist.org.
Renato (in blue) and his Nossa Cidade team and volunteers.
(photo courtesy Júlia Duarte)
Renato Orozco describes himself as “an idealist who works each day to build something that makes my country a better place.”
To this end, he devotes his time to his project Nossa Cidade, a movement to transform small towns.
“I love to plant seeds. For me, planting seeds means connecting people, resources and ideas so that the seeds grow. I’ve always been interested in this – it’s who I am and a big part of my life has been recognizing it and doing it with my work,” he says.
Renato believes the moment is ripe for the Idealist Network to help his city.
“Belo Horizonte is awakening. People are interested in making change and are taking more initiative,” he says. “There’s already an atmosphere of change, of more activism, and this network can catalyze and activate things that already exist.”
For Renato, a big selling point of the Idealist Network is an emphasis on the face-to-face connection.
“Making progress on projects and ideas is hard. To have an online space is fine, but I believe you have to try to leave the virtual space as soon as possible,” he says. “For this to happen, people need to experience the pleasure and energy that comes from working with others. This happens most effectively face-to-face.”
Live in Belo Horizonte? Join the Team! Live elsewhere? Look for a Connector Team near you or start one of your own.
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Renato Orozco es de Belo Horizonte, Brasil. Se define como “un idealista que trabaja cada día para construir algo que haga de mi país un lugar mejor. Quiero conciliar mi carrera con la generación de impacto”. Sin duda su compromiso es claro y de manifiesto lo pone su proyecto Nossa Cidade.
No hay duda que para Renato el papel de conector encaja con su personalidad: “Me gusta plantar semillas. Para mi plantar semillas significa conectar personas, recursos e ideas para que las semillas crezcan. Siempre fue algo que me interesó, es quien yo soy y la gran clave de mi vida fue reconocer esto y hacer de esto mi vocación”.
Él siente que esta red puede ayudar al momento en que se encuentra su ciudad. “Creo que en Belo Horizonte esta ocurriendo un despertar. Las personas están más interesadas en hacer un cambio y ser más proactivas. Ya existe una energía de cambio, de volverse protagonista y esta red puede ser una manera de catalizar y activar lo que ya existe”.
Con respecto a esta nueva red apunta “Tener un espacio en línea está bien, pero creo que hay que tratar de salir del o virtual lo más rápido posible. Es cuando conectas con otros que encuentras la motivación. Llevar adelante algunos proyectos e ideas es difícil. Para que esto ocurra las personas tienen que experimentar el placer de estar trabajando juntas y eso se consigue mayormente cuando las cosas pasan cara a cara”.
¿Vives en Belo Horizonte? Únete a este equipo. O si vives en cualquier otro lugar, encuentra el equipo de Conectores más cercano o crea el tuyo propio.
Seana Wilkerson has her fingers on the pulse of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“I’m very active in community events and committees in Tulsa and I can’t help but spread the word about the opportunities that I hear about. It’s a passion of mine to facilitate the success of others,” she says.
Seana has a wide range of interests from photography and Harry Potter to human rights and global poverty. Currently, she works as a Diversity & Inclusion consultant and coordinator for DiversityConneX, an employment matchmaking website.
Seana Wilkerson
For Seana, who’s both local and global-minded, the Idealist Network is the perfect intersection of these two mindsets.
“It’s exciting because it seems much harder to get plugged in or have a global reach from where I sit in the Midwest. I’m hoping to catalyze my efforts and those in my region through it,” she says.
In Seana’s opinion, Tulsa is a great place to do something like this right now. The city is home to an award-winning young professionals network well as a collaborative, socially minded network of organizations and business leaders. The art scene is thriving, downtown is blossoming, entrepreneurship is encouraged, and small businesses rule – with two out of every five being started by minorities.
With all these pieces in place, Tulsa is poised to make these connections stronger. The challenge?
“I think every city struggles with how to get people engaged and the further south you travel in Tulsa, it seems the awareness and engagement drops,” she says. “Another challenge is that many people in the social impact scene are involved in several organizations and projects, so convincing them of another thing, even if it may make things easier in the long run, is tough.”
Seana is a one of two people on the Tulsa Area Team at the moment and remains hopeful that others will join. The Connector role couldn’t be any more suited to who she is.
“Neutrality doesn’t come natural because I hold strong opinions, but I recognize it is not all about me,” she says. “However, most of the time I get so excited thinking about ways to help someone that I don’t care if it is something I would do myself. I just want to see them reach that next step.”
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Live in Tulsa? Join Seana! Live elsewhere? Look for a Connector Team near you or start one of your own.
To Connector Monique Dupre, facilitation is much more than simply making sure a meeting runs smoothly.
“When you can draw out ideas and potential, amazing things can happen,” she says. “If people walk away from a meeting feeling empowered and motivated, you would see how that would change a lot of things – not only in the workplace, but on the personal level.”
Monique’s interest in facilitation began when she realized that the event planning she was doing for a variety of organizations and personal projects over the past 11 years – from helping refugees start gardens to fundraising at her daughter’s school to leading eco-culinary tours in France – required meetings.
In her experience, there is nothing worse than a meeting that goes on too long or has no clear purpose.
So she took an intensive workshop with renowned facilitator Barbara McKay, and began practicing what she learned. Here are her top five tips especially as it relates to Connector Teams:
1. Assign a facilitator.
A facilitator’s main role is to draw out people’s ideas as it relates to the agenda while staying neutral.
If nobody steps up, rotate turns. If someone is hesitant or thinks they might not be good at it, an alternative is to have them take notes on the board.
2. Have a clear agenda and stick to it.
At the beginning of the meeting, go around and ask people what’s most pressing to them to talk about and how much time they have. Once the agenda is agreed upon, post it up on the wall for everyone to see.
An ideal time for a meeting is one hour, but if it goes longer, make sure to take a break. Use a timekeeper to help stay on track. A “parking lot” is also a way to capture ideas or questions for another time.
Who said whiteboards had to be boring?
(photo via johnny goldstein on Flickr’s Creative Commons.)
3. Listen. Really listen.
The biggest responsibility of the facilitator is to make sure everyone feels heard. Writing ideas on a whiteboard, for example, helps people to see they were listened to. It also keeps things on track, and eliminates repetition.
Another way is to repeat back and summarize what someone just said: “This is what I heard you say. Is it okay if I put it like this?” This is good with someone who’s especially chatty.
“Even the most hot-headed, can’t-stop-talking person wants to be heard. Getting them to stop talking is the exact opposite of what should happen. Instead, channel that energy and conversation in the right direction,” she says.
How else to do this? Stand next to them. Encourage others who haven’t said much to talk. Pose a question and go around the room.
4. Ask specific questions.
Instead of questions that lead to “yes” or “no” answers, try questions that are specific and have “why” in them.
Think of it this way: asking a kid how their day was like always yields a vague answer such as “fine.” But if you ask who they went out to lunch with and why, you’ll find their answer to be much more robust.
5. Be humble.
Leave your ego and judgment at the door.
“The way I do it in my head is that I see each person as a treasure chest of amazing knowledge and wonderful experiences. They might not see it that way, but they are,” she says. “If you can step outside yourself and simply listen to what’s going on and who’s bringing what to the table, then I think you can be neutral in your actions.”
With all of this, Monique encourages you to practice – with your partner, your kid(s), a stranger at the grocery store. Look people in the eye. Be in the moment.
“Facilitation can be learned. It’s stuff we do already but we don’t realize it. It’s just awareness and listening skills that overlap with every single conversation we have in life,” she says. “It’s communicating in a way that each person feels they have brought something to the table and walks away feeling good.”
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Feel free to reach out to Monique on her blog or contact her directly for additional advice: moniquedupre@gmail.com. For more good tips, Monique recommends Barbara McKay’s blog.
Connector Abhishek Surywanshi is all about providing access and opportunities to others.
As the curator of TEDxPune, he hosts periodic events for seven slum areas in the city along with community programs. He’s also working on the Spoken Wikipedia project, which brings recordings of articles to the rural, illiterate, and visually impaired population.
“If we want to make the world a better place, it is important to empower each and every section of society,” he says. “I believe knowledge and opportunities must be free, open, and accessible to all.”
Abhishek recently created the “Empowering the underprivileged in Pune” Action Group to find like-minded people willing to help bridge the gap.
Abhishek (middle) at a recent TEDx Pune community event.
“Pune is known for ideas worth spreading,” he says. “We are hopeful this model will inspire Pune’s underprivileged communities as well as the world.”
He believes in organic growth, and is currently using Facebook and email to spread awareness about the Group. He’s also open to all kinds of support and guidance from others outside Pune, and will be planning online meetings through Skype and Google so anyone anywhere can jump in on the conversation.
“Playing the role of catalyst is important. The community and Group must feel the ownership of activities, and to make sure everyone is participating in the long run, it is crucial to give justice to each and everyone’s idea,” he says.
As of right now, five new members have joined Abhishek.
“It looks like a promising tool to channelize energy and efforts,” he says. “Already we have got potential volunteers through the Action Group so it’s a fantastic start.”
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In Pune and interested in the cause? Join the Group’s first meeting on May 17. Not in Pune? Check out the Action Groups near you or start one of your own!
