The future isn’t written yet. We co-create it with each other, sometimes deliberately and sometimes by accident. As we emerge from the huge disruption of the pandemic, what do you want to bring with you, from the time before - and from the time of – Covid-19?

Virtual Cafe conversation

IAF Japan, the Facilitator’s Association of Japan and the World Café Community have been running virtual cafes for facilitators for a few years. I was delighted to be asked to host the 21st one during #FacWeek. We ran two rounds of conversation:

what shall we bring with us from before Covid-19, and
what shall we bring with us from the time of Covid-19?

The conversation was thoughtful and reflective: some people had lost loved-ones, and there was a need to remember and acknowledge that loss. We cannot bring everything we want to with us. There are losses which cannot be restored. As one person said “mourning is a way of showing gratitude for what we have lost.”

From before

The things which people wanted to bring with them from before the pandemic were:

Meeting face-to-face, in person, ‘in the flesh’.
Travel.
A sense of trust, the ability to relax, and the feeling of hope.
Entertainment, performance, a sense of occasion, something to look forward to.
Casual interactions, 'in the gaps', even being able to help someone with their bags.

From now

Things from the 'not normal', Covid-19 and lockdown phase that people wanted to retain included:

Doing much more online, the time saved, meeting people far away without travel / carbon.
The greater attention to health.
The love for the outdoors.
The care and attention paid to less fortunate, marginalised, poor and sick people, and to key workers.
Intimate conversation with fewer people.
Taking things slower.
Reflecting in more depth.
Our capacity to change fast.

What do you want to regain? To retain? How shall we help each other?

Virtual cafe

Join an upcoming Global Facilitators’ Virtual Café by checking IAF Japan’s facebook page.

Making the Path by Walking

This post was published in December’s Making the Path by Walking newsletter. Scroll right down to subscribe.