An invitation to build a NZ conference on compassion in healthcare
Maori have an expression, "kanohi ki te kanohi", which can be translated as "face to face". It acknowledges the importance, in building partnership, of people meeting in person to share dialogue, to acknowledge connections, to define relationship and to develop a shared purpose and philosophy ("kaupapa").
The time seem right to explore opportunities for a national or international conference or meeting ("hui") in New Zealand on the subject of compassion in healthcare.
We believe that a national or international meeting could support a powerful movement for change, to restore compassion as a core value and lived experience at the heart of healthcare.
Traditional forms of medical conferences and associated organisational structures (committees, etc) are unlikely to be the most effective in generating the needed connections, energy, passion and commitment to action. The traditional form has 'experts' on a committee who largely determine the agenda and the voices and ideas that will be presented. The audience is largely in a passive mode.
We subscribe to a different theory in which we believe that the wisdom, ideas and leadership we need to make this change is already out there. Our job as leaders is to "host" the conversation, not to be the heroes with the ideas that will save everyone!
We would therefore like to experiment with an organic process to develop ideas and opportunities for a national or international meeting on compassion in healthcare, to be held in New Zealand ("Aotearoa"). Self-organising processes generate great creativity and energy for a common purpose.
We therefore issue an invitation for anyone to connect to this process through the discussion forum on the website, to build a set of ideas and opportunities, and to be creative in imagining different ways in which people might come together.
Guiding principles
Mahatma Ghandi said, "Become the change you want to see".
In building any new endeavour, it's helpful to explore and seek agreement on a set of core values and principles to guide our work together. The process and structure we develop should reflect the change we are seeking to establish. Therefore some preliminary suggestions might be:
- Compassion doesn't cost any dollars. It is a part of all people. Perhaps our meeting should reflect that principle and be free and accessible to all participants? Expensive hotels and flights undermine that principle.
- New Zealand (Aotearoa) is a bicultural nation and we have principles of partnership, participation and protection underpinning our Treaty. Maori have a wonderful, holistic model of health ("whare tapa wha"), which is closely aligned with our intent. The conference/meeing ("hui") should be developed in partnership with Maori.
- Organic, open processes of coming together are more effective in generating shared passion and commitment (Maori just do this instinctively but the Western world has to 'invent' processes such as Open Space Technology!)
These are just suggestions to begin the flow of ideas.
So we issue an invitation to all those passionate in support of this change to start formulating core values, principles, ideas, opportunities and creative processes to allow a meeting design to emerge as an organic process. Tell us about the resources we might tap into, the great stories that might be shared, the inspiring individuals who should be invited to remind us of our passion. Identify the leaders who are already 'out there' who should be brought together to enliven the generative conversation.
Please use the Discussion Forum as the space to begin this work. We suggest that you post new topics under different headings and to respond to ideas already put forward. As this develops in complexity, we will offer the opportunity for individuals to "host" certain aspects of the design using the tools available on this website (for instance by moderating parts of the on-line discussion or posting papers on the website)
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