{"id":10903,"date":"2024-05-14T13:27:03","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T11:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/?p=10903"},"modified":"2024-05-14T13:27:06","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T11:27:06","slug":"some-notes-from-the-future-of-si-labs-gathering-in-cortes-island-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/some-notes-from-the-future-of-si-labs-gathering-in-cortes-island-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"Some notes from the future of SI labs gathering in Cortes Island (Canada)\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last week we participated in the Future of SI Labs<\/a> gathering in Cortes Island (Canada). It has been convened by Action Lab<\/strong><\/a> and Social Innovation Canada<\/strong><\/a>. And it has been sponsored by Social Innovation Canada<\/strong><\/a>, Action Lab<\/strong><\/a> and Suncor Foundation.\u00a0In the following text we capture some reflections and notes from the conversations we participated in. We also share how we connect those reflections with the work we are doing in Arantzazulab.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the gathering, the team convening shared a report<\/a> and a podcast<\/a> that has helped to start the conversation. After the gathering, the team convening will publish a report and a podcast series with the outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are Social Innovation labs?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a first question that was covered in the pre-reading report and that kicked off the convening. The risk when framing definitions is that we start discussing in a theoretical level, leaving practice aside, and that we finish in endless discussions of the nitty-gritty. One of the principles of the gathering has been working with the purpose of not reaching consensus, but rather to establish coherence. And I feel that we have done well following this one, we haven\u2019t agreed on everything, but we have found ways to listen to diverse perspectives and value them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talking about definitions, the first question that we asked ourselves the Arantzazulab team before joining this gathering was: what will they understand by Social Innovation? In Arantzazulab we decided to leave this concept aside, and we are focusing on Democracy Innovation, because we felt that the term was misleading and local stakeholders misunderstood the intention of the lab. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In various conversations in the gathering, I heard people reflecting that \u201cSocial Innovation\u201d might not be the most appropriate concept to name what we do. We might need to find other words that capture: addressing complex challenges or finding our way through systemic transformations. What that might be? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second question, after what is Social Innovation, was: what are labs? The potential of labs are acting as connectors, creating the conditions for transformation to occur (in the lab or elsewhere), and holding the space for difficult conversations, deliberations and shared actions.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the convening in Cortes Island I heard repeatdly a point that we have placed at the centre of our practice in Arantzazulab: generate knowledge. Labs have the responsibility to facilitate conditions and spaces to generate knowledge (new ways of doing and thinking), capture and systematise it, and scale it (understanding scaling in a holistic way). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And to the point of what labs shouldn\u2019t do, in the group I was involved we highlighted that: they not necessarily offer solutions, they don\u2019t close doors to the uncomfortable and they are not exclusive, they don\u2019t overpromise in what they can deliver, and they are not a silver bullet that solves every challenge on the table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall there was a broad consesus with Lisa Gibson\u2019s words in the final circle: \u201cThe future of labs is relational\u201d. We need to deepen and explore what does this mean for our practice and what are the capabilities and structures we need to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In addition, labs are only one element to activate the transformations that are needed in our time and age. In the gathering, we reflected on how we complement and connect efforts across types of initiatives. Some participants started drafting an initial list of potential transformation initiatives that could be considered, and I am looking forward to continuing this conversation: what type of transformation efforts are being implemented? What are the new ones we need to envision to catalyse systemic changes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe believe that, as a field, if we get clearer and more discerning about the approach(es) to innovation that we are choosing and why, that this will increase the credibility, legibility, and impact of our work and field<\/em>\u201d <\/sub><\/p>\nLindsay Cole\u00a0<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Evaluation: what are we doing and what are we not doing?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Arantzazulab we have been grappling with the question on how do we understand the impact of what we do and how do we incorporate learning in our evaluation. We are learning and experimenting with Developmental Evaluation approaches, we have learned from advanced practices from The Australian Centre for Social Innovation and Jess Dart at Clear Horizon.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were excited to see this conversation in the report shared before the gathering and to have the opportunity to reflect on it in Cortes Island.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evaluating systemic change efforts requires new approaches and processes. It is difficult to capture impact, it can involve overwhelming data gathering and it can be very hard to identify the key insights in the inmensity of data. Moreover, questions arise on who to contribute what impact, all contributions are tangled and mixed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Cortes Island, following the Most Significant Change stories approach, we reflected on: What are the most significant change stories? And why are they relevant? Each participant we shared stories and reflected, the facilitators team will bring all those together and we are looking forward to reading them.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below we share the stories and reflections that we shared from Arantzazulab:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Title: involving diverse knowledge and perspectives in public decision making<\/mark>.<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we are going to build a successful democracy in Europe it has to start in places like this”.<\/em>
Anthony Zacharzewski, Democratic Society<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u201cArantzazulab brings together: Strong local relationships in the Basque Country; a context of fertile ground for Collaborative Governance innovation; Robust democracy innovation design experience; a unique position to bring diverse actors together\u00a0
for field building, learning, collaboration, convenings in an exceptional, neutral setting”.<\/em>
Jayne Engle, Dark Matter Labs<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
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Story 1: connecting diverse perspectives and political sensitivities.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are designing and facilitating diverse meeting spaces (in Basque Topagunea) to connect stakeholders in the region that think differently and don\u2019t agree on specific areas. Some of them even wouldn\u2019t listen or talk to one another. To activate bold transformations we need to create common spaces to deliberate and agree on shared actions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArantzazulab is a nexus for transformation, offering Basque stakeholders a space to collaborate and mobilise around our shared challenges. Its name and location carry symbolic weight, helping connect the past with the future<\/em>.\u201d Arantzazulab Advisory Board Member. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArantzazulab is doing excellent work. A lot of people are working there, with a lot of projects. It is an innovation centre with an international outlook. Arantzazulab is the forge where the future is being shaped\u201d<\/em> Xabier Barandiaran, University of Deusto. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Story 2: Citizens\u2019 Assemblies in the Basque law for energy transition and climate change.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arantzazulab in collaboration with other local and international stakeholders (OECD, DemocaracyNext, Telesforo Monzon elab, Deliberativa, Aztiker, Artaziak, Prometea, Parte Hartuz-EHU\/UPV, Aktiba-EHU\/UPV) has designed and implemented two Citizens\u2019 Assemblies in the Basque region. Understanding the possiblity and impact of those, the Basque parliament in February 2024 has approved a policy with the support of 82% of representatives (that belong to different political parties) on energy transition and climate change that includes an article specifying that certain decisions in this space need to be taken involving citizens: Article 12. Citizens’ Assembly on Energy Transition and Climate Change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The description of the article refers to another Basque law that mentions established spaces for partcipation. Arantzazulab, Telesforo Monzon elab and Deliberativa together with the Basque public organisaitons Ihobe and EVE we have designed a first model of the Basque Climate Assembly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt a time when democracy is in crisis all over the world, you\u2019re showing the pace and scale of change that\u2019s possible<\/em>\u201d Claudia Chwalisz, DemocracyNext <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Practices: what are we doing? What can we do next? <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Cortes Island gathering we reflected on the practices, tools and methodologies that labs use and the ones that could be developed to generate the conditions, build relationships, ideate solutions, prototype ideas and scale impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecting with the work that we do in Arantzazulab, we see most value in reflecting on the creating the conditions phase: how we build meaningful relationships, how we generate a comfortable space for different voices to participate, how do we enable that all types of knowledge are included in deliberations, how do we find common spaces for collaboration and how do we connect change efforts across organisations as well as sensititives \/ ways of seeing the world.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam Kahane talks about abandoning control in our practices:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAbandond control:\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n