In January 2012 (11th-15th) we are co-hosting the second edition of the Art of Hosting Social Transformation in Egypt. Stay tuned, the invitation will be out soon.

Originally posted by Brett Scott on his blog SuitPossum

A few weeks ago a group of wayward individuals met at Waterloo station. We hitched a ride on a train going north into the English wilderness. Bertrand was forward-thinking enough to have brought beers for the journey, a skill he learnt in his 10 years working for [...]]]>

Originally posted by Brett Scott on his blog SuitPossum

A few weeks ago a group of wayward individuals met at Waterloo station. We hitched a ride on a train going north into the English wilderness. Bertrand was forward-thinking enough to have brought beers for the journey, a skill he learnt in his 10 years working for Deutsche Bank as a structured equity derivatives trader. Next to him was Ingo. Ingo does things that make my mind hurt, which involves channelling and managing innovation and systems design, in Sweden. Behind me was Neil. He works for the Young Foundation, helping to design things called Social Impact Bonds, ways of allowing private investors to get involved in financing early interventions that might reduce social malladies. He was chatting to David, who specialises in design, and in particular, new means of mapping and visualising the financial sector. Bertrand started talking about social CDOs, and that’s when people on the train started to look at us funny. A girl sitting next to me asked me who we were. Um, how do you explain that? We kind of work in finance, but at the same time are trying to disrupt it, alter it, play with it. I gave her my card. “Come to the dark side”, I said, “there are cool things going on”. Enter the Finance Innovation Lab….

Continue reading this great report on Brett Scott’s Blog SuitPossum

When? June 23, 2011 to June 26, 2011 Where? Anafora village- Egypt

Since the beginning of this year we have witnessed the powerful impact of people standing up for a new way of living. With uprisings come the breaking open of old structures, but how do we actually transition to the new? How do we access our [...]]]>

When? June 23, 2011 to June 26, 2011
Where? Anafora village- Egypt

Since the beginning of this year we have witnessed the powerful impact of people standing up for a new way of living. With uprisings come the breaking open of old structures, but how do we actually transition to the new? How do we access our collective intelligence to help us live and work in ways that sustain both people and planet? The edge here is that learning itself is an essential individual and collective practice for our times.

As young Egyptians and as Art of Hosting practitioners, we have been inspired by Egypt’s non-violent revolution to help build a new Egypt. Through civil disobedience, the authoritarian rule of the former regime has been dismantled. We believe that in order to build in its place a new society that is just, thriving and diverse, we must nurture creative, agile and authentic forms of civic engagement.

With the Art of Hosting Social Transformation workshop we wish to create a safe space for collective learning for those, who have been similarly inspired and who are keen on shaping civic engagement in Egypt.

This workshop is mainly for egyptian young leaders and there a few places for people who want to come as fellow learners and be in inquiry together. You can download the invitation here.

Another way to participate is to offer sponsorship by making a donation – please read our Sponsorship Invitation and participate with your generosity.

This is not intended to be a stand-alone event, but the start of continuous learning and sharing between people and initiatives that are contributing to creating the fertile soil for democracy in Egypt, other Arab and African countries and around the world. Your contribution can play an important part in making this happen.

If you wish to participate and/or make a financial contribution please feel free to get in touch with us by email – simone (at) natural-innovation.net.

Saturday & Sunday 22nd – 23rd January 2011 | 09.30 – 17.00 | €175 / Early Bird €150 ends 14th Jan | Book Online Here | The Greenhouse, 17 St Andrew St, Dublin 2 | Map | PDF Invite

In these challenging times how can we use collaborative forms of leadership, innovation, fundraising and community [...]]]> A Weekend Workshop for Change Makers

Saturday & Sunday 22nd – 23rd January 2011 | 09.30 – 17.00 | €175 / Early Bird €150 ends 14th Jan | Book Online Here | The Greenhouse, 17 St Andrew St, Dublin 2 | Map | PDF Invite

In these challenging times how can we use collaborative forms of leadership, innovation, fundraising and community building to strengthen our entrepreneurial and change projects?

This workshop introduces:

• The U-process, offering a set of principles and practices for collectively creating the future that wants to emerge; a breakthrough methodology for collaborative innovation and accessing deeper wisdom
• How to best use social networking to create business possibilities and to stimulate inspired actions
• Crowd Funding: Rethinking the way we finance our projects and initiatives, beyond bank loans, through collaborative efforts that make full use of the internet and new social media tools
• Community Enterprise models that are more than just individuals pursuing their own interests
• Green Entrepreneurship with a focus on upskilling the workforce for the growing opportunities within Ireland’s Green Economy

This workshop is highly interactive and features short presentations from leading practitioners. Our learning will grow out of everyone’s contributions and presence. We will
support each other as co-learners. We will learn by observation, through stories from experienced practitioners, through reflecting on our own experience and practice, using interactive processes to build a safe and inspiring learning environment. We invite you to a collective inquiry.

Many of us are leading transformative initiatives in civil society, business, government, culture and the arts. Across sectors and organisations to improve the well-being and sustainability of our communities, and places of work. Bringing movements for the common good together in new and collaborative ways.

As our initiatives grow and meet new challenges, [...]]]> Belgium, September 2010

Many of us are leading transformative initiatives in civil society, business, government, culture and the arts. Across sectors and organisations to improve the well-being and sustainability of our communities, and places of work. Bringing movements for the common good together in new and collaborative ways.

As our initiatives grow and meet new challenges, of complexity, diversity and rapid change, we are challenged to work on many levels simultaneously. We need to cultivate perseverance and resilience – practices for strengthening and deepening, ourselves, our communities, and our movement.

We sense the need to bring together our initiatives, and to share our learnings and questions in the context of a highly engaging training, with diverse participants. We invite you to the Art of Collaborative Leadership, part of the family of Art of Hosting trainings, we create a transformative space for collective learning and practice.

Click here to download the full invitation (pdf)
Click here to register

Through the Hub Brussels, Natural Innovation is one of 8 partners in this EU financed project, together with GEN Europe (Germany), Center for Human Emergence (Holland), Permakultur Institut (Germany), Transition Network (UK), Damanhur (Italy), Findhorn Foundation (UK), Sustainable Projects Ireland (IR).

We are developping a 2-year learning programme [...]]]> A European Learning Partnership

Through the Hub Brussels, Natural Innovation is one of 8 partners in this EU financed project, together with GEN Europe (Germany), Center for Human Emergence (Holland), Permakultur Institut (Germany), Transition Network (UK), Damanhur (Italy), Findhorn Foundation (UK), Sustainable Projects Ireland (IR).

We are developping a 2-year learning programme to support those people who work in local government, NGOs and the community in the creation of sustainable living environments, both urban and rural.

The Transition to Resilience training concept is built around action learning communities.

Facilitating peers in collaborative learning and supporting each other on their  journey towards becoming effective change agents, in their various fields of endeavour.

Whether a Learning Communities forms for a day, a weekend,  a week or a series of meetings over one or two years, T2R is a  growing European wide network of flexible experienced sustainability facilitation practitioners at the cutting edge of the global resilience movement. For more info stay tuned on www.Transition2Resilience.org

Sustainable Innovation in Complex Systems

Together with Create2Connect, Natural Innovation offered a 3 day course in on the practical application of the U-process for sustainable innovation. The course was offered in Dutch. For more information please see the full invite:

U-process training Netherlands [...]]]>

In partnership with the Hub London we supported the UK cabinet’s office InnovationExchange in facilitated a 2 day sensing journey around socially excluded young people. During the workshop participants from across the sector and the UK visited several innovative organisations and initiatives focussed on the issue after which were invited [...]]]> March 2008

In partnership with the Hub London we supported the UK cabinet’s office InnovationExchange in facilitated a 2 day sensing journey around socially excluded young people. During the workshop participants from across the sector and the UK visited several innovative organisations and initiatives focussed on the issue after which were invited to develop new social business initatives.