Place Corps Friday Digest: Coordination

Residents on Campus Turning Compost

It's Friday!

And although the snow is coming, we look forward to warmer weather on the horizon. What new blooms have you observed where you are?

This past week brought the final Mapping Purpose workshop with Dawn and a delightful Roundtable Discussion of Harriet Friedmann's Circles of Growing and Eating: The Political Ecology of Food and Agriculture led by residents Sophia and Alessia. We spoke about concurrent realities, reciprocal relationships, technologies and labor, and attentions and interventions. Thank you for this wonderful discussion. Next week, we are looking forward to the last Embodied Movement with Sandrine, translated to be held digitally. Then, Connor joins us once more for his final conversation of the program year on Friday.

The word for the week is COORDINATE as we continue to work towards coordinating safe solutions and schedules in response to Covid-19. But as we consider this word we debated instead selecting the word CONFLICT. What we are noticing is that both of these words and many words in our English language begin with CO which is a word-forming element usually meaning "with, together," from Latin com. When we consider (CO again) we realize that our language is illustrating that we are always in relationship with the other; with our actions and thoughts. 

Coordinate originated as meaning to be of the same rank, or to belong to the same group. It has evolved to mean bringing the different elements of (a complex activity or organization) into a relationship that will ensure efficiency or harmony. This is in direct contrast to conflict. Conflict means to be in opposition, to struggle, and to be contrary. What we are thinking about is the necessity of including conflict as a healthy process to inform coordination versus participating in subordination. We are thinking about how organizations can welcome conflict as an opportunity to come together over complex issues to strategize coordinated efforts to harmonize the whole.

Can we welcome the challenge of conflict as part of a whole system process? 

🌻 Note From An Educator 🌻

Excerpt from Reflections by Paul 

"We allow space for each participant to share their week’s learning and let that inspire the direction of the conversation, perhaps by reflecting on what they shared, adding insight, or offering a suggestion or connection to what another participant is working on. Allowing for this spontaneity can be an act of faith, not just in the process, but also in the participants. It puts faith squarely in their ability to show up ready to contribute and further the discussion, and especially in this time of such difficulty and vulnerability, offer suggestions of support and solution." 

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing. "
― Arundhati Roy