a Postcard from Paris, between blue and gray skies
Hello friend,
I'm writing to re-connect, in hopes that you may be moved to shoot back a few lines or a photo or two, to share what's on your mind these days. I've been in a slow-moving transitional state, without a clear moment to send any Postcards... which you may have forgotten you've signed up for! If so, thank you for your curiosity. Today felt like a good day to sit down and write this.
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Three bits of news
Projects, projects, we have so many projects. I co-wrote an article about honoring the effort and care that each person brings to a team, as an invaluable element of closing out a project. Check it out: Celebrating us, and a job well done
Speaking of closing - I’ve stepped down from the Board of Directors of the ResearchOps Community, after three years of helping to shape the discipline and design what can be designed of the conditions for a sprawling community of practice to emerge. Going from participant to organizer is a defining development opportunity. I’m so glad to have had these experiences and that I’m able to move aside for new leadership to step in. I’ve since shifted my exploration of knowledge work to broader questions related to networked knowledge stemming from a fraternity collective (Gabrielle Kennedy, IN/Search RE/Search). More on that in the future, when I have things to show, not tell.
After teaching a course on facilitation this spring with Greaterthan, I become an Associate to work on instrumentation for decentralized governance alongside people that walk the talk. That's the best part, being part of a living laboratory to lovingly re-wire our reflexes for self-management and participatory processes. The Greaterthan Handbook is a rich resource to learn more, as is our weekly newsletter.
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Projects by friends:
Gianluca Gambatesa and Alibi Design host immersive experiences that develop anticipatory behaviors through narrative inquiry. The next event on the global Water Crisis will be Nov 28th 15-18h CET. Reach out if it piques your interest (the website hasn’t been updated yet).
My sister Julie Sasaki and mymizu have launched Ocean Heroes, a program for high school and university students in Japan to explore different ways of organizing for change. Go, Julie!
Chris Palmieri is getting ready to teach "Designing Everyday Life in Modern Japan" to art and design students at the University of Illinois. If you’d also be curious to learn from Chris, let’s exchange notes because I’ve been requesting that he organize something for his friends, too!
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Tomorrow I’ll hit the road, train-hopping from Paris - the French Pyrenees - Barcelona to cycle in the mountains and set up a design project for next year.
Take care and talk soon,
Tomomi