Summit Hosting by Oral McGuire and Carol Innes
Updated: Nov 3, 2021
Danjoo Koorliny Co-Director Carol Innes and Danjoo Koorliny Project Lead Oral McGuire have co-facilitated the 2021 Danjoo Koorliny Social Impact Summit, as well as the Elder-Leader Briefing.
Their hosting was interspersed with many reflections and insights, and in this way their MC work resembled a form of ‘keynote facilitating’.
Below is a brief selection of highlights from their co-hosting of this year’s summit.
DAY ONE “What a wonderful gathering of leaders, of people, of significant Australians coming together...These are the places that are sacred to us still. When we speak [their] names, we sing to Country, we sing to Boodja. We acknowledge where we stand here, on this very sacred Country, this very sacred land” (Oral McGuire). "I just want to acknowledge a couple of weeks ago we had the Aboriginal-only forum. Some things came up in our conversations that probably won't come up in these ones. And that's why we have those different sessions. So if you feel something's missed, let us know and we can add it in, but also come and have a yarn with us because we're building into what is our responsibility as Aboriginal people, and what is our collective responsibility in collaboration together” (Carol Innes).
"The systemic change that we keep talking about requires individuals to shift. And sometimes the only person that can shift the individual is yourself, or is the individual themselves. And we want to create through this ‘walking together’ concept that that shift happens in a collective. So the more people we feel are joining in and feeling peace in the confrontational, challenging moments and conversations and thoughts, the better that we can move collectively" (Oral McGuire).
“We heard the Chief Scientist of Western Australia speak as a scientist about spirit, and where spirit is now being recognised by science in its academy, if you like, in that academy of thought and education. And these are really important shifts. When we can start getting science to understand spirituality and cultural context, the movement is happening. And so when we can change the intellectual aspects of the way systems are run and structured, and we start to move into the deep meaning of spirit and spirituality and connectedness, then we can start talking about how we connect to the same totem, to the same place, and that those places become ours" Oral McGuire).
“I hope you are much freer than when you started this morning. How many of you were anticipating what we were going to get into? How many people didn't know where we were going to go. Look at us, see, this was us too. A big part of this morning and this afternoon was getting us centred, because we have to dream on a pathway together with the right frame of mind and centre our heart, our head to think together, and of the people around and the energy that we all bring. Thank you for letting go just a little bit" (Carol Innes).
“I think the important thing is that it's about the collective steps. Once again, I think when we think about the constant and the continuous language that we keep using around Danjoo Koorliny - walking, moving, thinking, being, stopping, sitting, talking, and thinking about what we want to do next - the collective is the important thing. The reflective moments that we just had the opportunity to share with one, or two, or a number of people that you chose to, I believe there were lots of really good conversations happening out there...This is what Danjoo Koorliny is about. It's about an energy. It's about a movement. It's about coming back, act within yourself to reflect and to understand what you're processing, or processing it in a way that you understand. The collective first steps is if we're going to create the movement and the momentum and the energy to shift some of these really embedded systems and ways of thinking, being, and doing, then it's going to take a collective energy" (Oral McGuire).
DAY TWO
“I felt once again, as I've come to expect with the Danjoo Koorliny summits and gatherings and events, that there's always a spirit in this place, in these meetings, and the collective work that everybody does from our volunteers and the young people, behind the scenes, the hardworking team that John and Katie and Ezra and Carol have been leading, and of course yourselves, as very very willing participants to turn up enthusiastically, sometimes not knowing what you've got in front of you, but to turn up and be here amongst fellow leaders, fellow thought-change thinkers and doers. It's really important as part of the movement. For me, Danjoo Koorliny, since the beginning I've seen it resonate right across the globe to be honest. I've been fortunate enough to speak on a number of platforms, and COVID obviously forced us into this way of communicating and connecting with people virtually, and so a lot of the online forums and a lot of the online gatherings happened because of COVID. But also I think the movement that Danjoo Koorliny is creating in the way that people are coming together with high interest and a very strong willingness to be a part of something really good, and I've seen that with my own work, I've seen that within the Noongar community, within the Aboriginal community, and the way that it has started to grow. And you know the old adage of the ripple effect is very very real in this context and our messages are absolutely resonating, as we've heard, we saw and witnessed with the young people yesterday" (Oral McGuire).
“We’re going forward in all that we're doing, so that what you contribute to is a part of contributing to the change we're all looking to see. The Impact Measurement Platform that we're talking about for 2029 and beyond is so we can continue to make visible, and to make what we want to achieve now. So that's what we're talking about. So while we're talking 2029, we’re on the way to ‘now’. If you think about those little celebrations we heard today, and many others, are a part of something really big, and the change is exciting all of us - everyone’s energy’s moving into the change. So each organisation can work to achieve this vision. Independent accountability, or what we do ourselves, and what we put our energy toward. Relational accountability as well - it’s how we all work together to make some of this happen, and how we can connect. We need to connect really powerfully because not any one of us can do it on our own, but how much more power we have together if we all connect all our minds. And validating multiple ways of the knowing and prioritising. If you think about what Otto [Scharmer] was talking about, and Richard [Walley], in the codes and systems that we need to work to and change, every one of us has an opportunity to be a part of that...And if you think about the Aboriginal-led process that we've talked about today, and many of those are doing that already, how powerfully it can work together - that we just need to spend time with each other, build really powerful relationships. And that's all we're asking, that’s all we’re asking. And through this process we hope that, over the last couple of days, that was switching on a light for you...whether you can make the changes in your home, whether you make the changes in your workplace, in committees you’re involved in, or the influences you have. This is what we're talking about. Because it's not just up to us who are facilitating processes like this, it’s up to every single one of us” (Carol Innes).
More from Oral and Carol's keynote facilitating will be shared as part of our upcoming online induction course - stay tuned for more information about this in the time ahead.