Change maker Projects Kick-off - by Santana Khanikar
A morning with possibilities
The morning was rushed. Most of us were worried the previous night about making it on time for the change-maker project kick-off on 22nd September, as we just got back from an exciting study-trip in Brussels on a night train. When I entered the MGG plenary room that morning, the usual square arrangement of tables were changed. The tabled were grouped into six separate corners. Tatjana explained to us the process of dividing ourselves into six groups, where we had to think about which challenge we want to work on among the six, but that it is also very important to have more than one choice. The process was supposed to teach us not only how to solve a practical problem in the field of sustainability challenges, but also how to work better in a group , and try something new.
The challenges
Before the challenge givers pitched their challenges, we had a first round of organising ourselves into six groups. For me it was a difficult decision at this point. My academic interests wanted me to pick up the challenge on feminist development policy. But as a frequent user of e-commerce I also thought the DHL challenge on green packaging is an opportunity for me do something about my guilt as a consumer about all the packaging that my orders come wrapped in. The challenge on compliance-cost sharing within the fair-trade framework resonated closely with experiences that some of my friends and acquaintances had while trying their hands on organic farming. And the challenge on the ways in which MGG network can contribute towards sustainability transformations looked like an amazing opportunity to find like-minded people and work on building an effective network for sustainability. Living in an enormous city like Delhi for two decades now, how civil society and local governments can co-operate towards making our cities sustainable was an attractive challenge too. The question of branchless banking and financial inclusion in Pakistan looked a bit daunting owing to my own limitations in the fields of finance and digital technology, but I could see that it was an immensely important topic.
In this scenario, with six equally exciting challenges, it was a happy surprise that by the time we broke for lunch, we had six neatly divided groups. It was evident that we as a group have put to use the learnings on communication and about the learning zone outside of our own comfort zones. I joined the challenge on DHL green packaging, which I must admit, is slightly outside my comfort zone, but then Christine and David in the Leadership module have convinced me by now, that this is where ‘the magic happens’.
New tech, new learning
Post lunch we were scheduled to work with Adriana Phillips Ligiero, as a preparation to our change-maker project-work. Before MGG Academy, if someone had told me that I can learn a new technology/platform in 30 minutes and start working on it in the next 30, I would have laughed it off. Not anymore. I certainly surprised myself when I found that I am capable of working on the Miro app well enough for our change-maker project. It was a good learning that we don’t always have the time to ‘feel’ ourselves to be the experts, especially when we need to work on issues where time is not in our favour, and that learning while doing is a perfectly fine method. It was also very interesting to hear Adriana’s perspective on innovation, as a combination of three elements: having a good idea, it being usable, and it having a real impact in society.
Unbelievable it may sound, but after a discussion of one hour the next morning, we felt prepared to go ahead with our first round of interviews with our challenge givers. Unfortunately, the challenge-giver in our team fell sick and we could not go ahead with the interview that day, but we were happy that we had systematised our questions, and had a good amount of clarity among ourselves as to what we were trying to achieve from this first interview. When we finally interviewed our challenge giver a few days later, we felt that the inputs we gained from Adriana as well as from the previous weeks of MGG Academy have really been effective.
At this point I am very excited to see through the challenge I am working on. The fact that there could be a real impact in the real world of what we as a group do in this project is such a thrilling emotion. I feel alive, because I can see change coming.
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