Alain de Botton (2003) "The art of travel". Penguin Books Ltd “If our lives are dominated by a search for happiness, then perhaps few activities reveal as much about the dynamics of this quest - in all its ardour and paradoxes – than our travels. They express, however inarticulately, an understanding of what life might be about, outside the constraints of work and the struggle for survival. Yet rarely are they considered to present philosophical problems – that is, issues requiring thought beyond the practical. We are inundated with advice on where to travel to; we hear little of why and how we should go – though the art of travel seems naturally to sustain a number of questions neither so simple nor so trivial and whose study might in modest ways contribute to an understanding of what the Greek philosophers beautifully termed eudaimonia or human flourishing.” |
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On March 14th THINKING-BIG travelled to AMS – Associação Mata Sustentável, in Vouzela (Portugal), accepting an invitation to develop a workshop on Positive Education and Creativity. Here is a review of the day and its results in a text written by the participant Lara Alves: “The place, in perfect symbiosis with nature, was without doubt an enhancer of the individual and collective work that was done, since the energy of the place was not only contagious but also almost palpable. I will not be able to impartially and factually summarize the 8 hours of our day, but I will try to leave some of the main ideas we worked in as a group. After breaking the initial ice among participants, Edite tried to lead us to a game of self and hetero-knowledge, simultaneously. Here, I soon realized the importance of SEEING and BEING SEEN / GIVING and RECEIVING. This recognition of the self and of the others led us to VULNERABILITY, which I describe as a type of complete absence of prejudice. That said, the path was open for the learning in itself and we established our GENERAL GOALS, starting from and analyzing everybody’s EXPECTATIONS. Once the objective was settled, our path became clearer and we became more FOCUSED and objective. We analyzed the tools and TECHNIQUES of Positive Education, from which I would highlight the ones that are dearest to me: encouragement, gratitude, recognition, and, of course, the positive language, creative and clear (be it mental, verbal or physical). I found it equally relevant to be aware of the contours and effects of an education in the opposite way, destructive and not focused on objectives. We addressed the need to avoid reaching a point of frustration, negativity and stagnation. For that to happen, nothing better than to recognize our STRENGTHS. Today, I’m much more aware of what is the real power of the process of positive education. “I SEE ME & I SEE YOU”: this is one of the most valuable lessons I bring with me. I also became aware that positive learning is something that is (or should be) present in each one of us, every day, in all areas. I’m responsible for spreading this message to each person I come across, but I’m also responsible for my own learning. I want to evolve upwards and take with me everyone who embraces this message and have an open mind to progress for the better, even if it takes us – all of us – out of our comfort zone. I became aware of my role as an educator but also of my role as an apprentice. A big thanks to all participants for the generosity with which all was shared. Thank you, Edite, for the passion and simplicity. Thanks to each and every one of us for having given the BEST OF US!
Let’s “devour the world” and think big!”
The 9th March culminated with the presentation by THINKING-BIG of the conference “Bridges to the (im)possible”, part of the launch of the 2nd edition of the design competition for social entrepreneurship “Pontes para o Futuro” by Porto’s City Council.
This conference was the result of the weeklong co-creation process between THINKING-BIG’s team and the team from Porto’s City Council. The goals, ambitions of the message, its target and context were all clearly debated and defined. With all the information settled, the stories began to breathe life into the content (that is available here). Stories told in the first person, selected to illustrate each of the items to be addressed: - The trust in others, in the impossible, and in the dimension of what is possible. - The need to focus on the specific features of the problems to give them a concrete solution. - The importance of delegating - Alternative ways of addressing the same issues - The ability to distance ourselves to see the problem clearly, with perspective.
The result of this hour-and-a-half conference was the auditorium at Quinta da Bonjóia full of questions, comments, and clear messages spontaneously summarized by participants in the project’s opening session.
A conference is never just a conference. It is an opportunity to build new projects, to exchange knowledge, and to constantly adapt to new messages that can contribute to a world with a wider perspective. Building and walking, in this case, through “Bridges to the impossible”. The entire conference can be seen in this home video done by one of the participants: |
AuthorEdite Amorim - Curious, traveller, entrepreneur, THINKING-BIG's coordinator. Archives
November 2020
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