Stories of wisdom and heart in community-based change (RWCI Call)

Our featured guest for February’s Real World Co-Intelligence community learning call is Patricia A Wilson. Patricia is a Professor Emerita in the Community and Regional Planning program at The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture. She will join us for an interactive call to share stories from her extensive experience witnessing, researching and facilitating community engagement across the globe. Two specific examples from Mexico will highlight wisdom, heart and co-intelligence at play in reknitting the social fabric of communities and creating social change.

Our Featured Guest for February 2024

Professor Patricia Wilson obtained her Ph.D. in planning from Cornell in 1975. She joined the UTSOA planning faculty in 1979 where she conducted extensive research on topics including urban sub-employment and maquiladoras, with a particular focus on Latin America.

In 2000 Patricia shifted her research focus to participatory practices and community-based change processes, with a particular emphasis on the Global South. She has authored several books and articles, including her latest work, "The Heart of Community Engagement: Practitioner Stories from Across the Globe," which won the 2020 Hamilton Book Award for best textbook.

Patricia teaches international development, public participation, and conflict resolution skills. Her research focuses on individual and social transformation, strengthening civil society, and community-building. She uses the methods of appreciative inquiry, social narrative, and participatory and awareness based action research, and draws upon the theories of communicative action, social learning, and holistic emergent systems. She is married with two daughters, both engaged in community-focused work, and enjoys spending time with her bilingual grandsons.

Focus for our community learning call

Patricia will share two real world examples from her extensive research in community engagement that demonstrate wise, heartful principles and practices for achieving greater social wellbeing.

Like Tom Atlee, Patricia is adept at identifying patterns and principles at play in effective community engagement. Highlighting two examples from community work in Mexico, she will expand upon some of the important concepts she has observed, such as

• Ensemble awareness - sensing what a social field or whole community wants and needs, rather than imposing pre-conceived solutions.

• Triple Loop Learning which goes beyond traditional cognitive inquiry to encompass self-reflection and awareness of one's own being and identity when working with and in communities.

• Process Leadership to create safe and energized spaces for collaboration and dialogue.

• Regenerative social practice which focuses on building resilience and adaptability within communities, enabling them to thrive in the face of complex challenges and uncertainties.

Format

CII's Real World Co-Intelligence (RWCI) community learning calls are held in an intimate and highly participatory setting using Zoom videoconferencing. The call includes a presentation from our guest, questions and breakout group discussions, and hearing from Tom Atlee, who will explore where co-intelligence and Wise Democracy patterns are at work in the stories Patricia has shared.

At the same time, the calls are video recorded so we can share the learnings with others.

Hosting Team

Your host for this call will be Andy Paice

Registering

You can register for free. However if you would like to support this work, you are welcome to make a donation here. All donations go to support the work of the Co-Intelligence Institute, a registered non-profit.

Additional Resources

Professor Patricia Wilson’s academic webpage

Wise Democracy Pattern Language

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