My Communicating Sustainability Experience

I wish there is a Part 2, perhaps a 3, too? 

Communicating Sustainability Workshop was truly a transformative experience. I was grounded and guided by the principles of openness, creativity, and agility through Gen and Z’s thoughtful presence. 

All throughout the four jam-packed sessions, we were taught how to drive or facilitate healthy, inclusive, and difficult conversations in an easily digestible way. 

Firstly, they were able to craft the learning tools’ content from a wide array of perspectives even considering personal truths yet deliberately ignore their importance such as the basic “What do I see?” or even “Who do I get to have conversations with?” You see, we don't really deep dive or ponder about these things but these are relevant asks when we engage in different kinds of dialogues. 

Second is that a lot of new processes were shed light on things like recognizing our inner game, curiosity as a gateway, and shift from simplistic to powerful questioning are elements that we tend to disregard when we speak about sustainability. Then, we were also given opportunities to bond through fun and impactful activities in the breakout groups such as exercising how to reframe mindsets by reconstructing Gotcha to Got You questions. In addition, Life Stories Conversations Cards Sampler was a great finishing touch! 

There were a lot of moments that I needed to pause, reflect, and just bask in all this knowledge not only from my mentors but also from my peers. 

All of the people present in the synchronous meetings are inviting, unassuming individuals which makes attending the workshops even more worthwhile. Even after the program, I was still able to connect and bond with everyone with the help of a Facebook group; post-feedback and sharing of resources were all provided which makes it even more attractive!

Everything about it was refreshing, mind-boggling, and immersive- a feeling like no other given the current situation of the pandemic. 

Ultimately, I eventually realized how sustainability is intertwined or incorporated in all fabrics of society- from one’s own chasing of his or her dreams to how advocacies or solutions are brought across. 

But it is also undeniable that the learning does not end in those four days and that we should extend or re-echo this knowledge in today’s immensely polarizing and dividing times. Thus, it is my fervent hope to continue to grow spaces where discomfort and comfort can coexist.