Today was my first day back in the real world after a pretty wild four or five days at Web of Change out on the beautiful Cortes Island in BC. I can't do complete justice to the experience via blog, but I owe at least an explanation of why this conference was unlike any other I've seen or heard of. (Short version: amazing people, inspirational setting, great facilitation/organizing, no technology.)
It took me a day or two at this summit/retreat to realize how completely insane our typical conferences and working lives have become. Having this opportunity to engage deeply with some truly incredible peers from the social change and tech worlds in an unpressured setting reminded me of what it must be like to be fully present and aware of both WHO you're with and WHERE you are.
Typically, we sit through conference sessions (or, sadly, many workday meetings) with our laptops open, partially working on email, IM'ing, checking blog feeds and whatever else until the session ends. We wait for that precious 15 minutes to have some real human interaction and conversation with someone who just might have something in common. A much richer, deeper type of interaction than our online social tools can offer.
What's more, all of the technology that we specialize in has enabled us to become almost completely place-blind when it comes to our work or our conferences: we connect instantly with people from all over the globe. If we need to connect with people in person, we hop a plane and, in many cases, end up in a in a windowless Marriot or conference room somewhere on the continent. And if you get a moment outside, you'll probably find all the same stores as if you never left. Perhaps that's why so many of us are desperate to let the world (and ourselves?) know where in the world we are by updating our IM status messages or automated tools with city names and geographies.
The journey that Roz, Justin, and I embarked on last week was a reminder in and of itself that we were going somewhere 'away.' After a full day of travel via car, jet, propellor plane, water taxi, and van, we arrived at the remote Hollyhock retreat center just in time for a piping hot, home-cooked meal in a lodge packed with almost 150 fellow web-of-changers and views of the Pacific and Vancouver Island.
Oh man, the people at Web of Change! I've never been surrounded by so many other smart technologists and organizers similarly interested in talking earnestly about technology, social change, and the ins and outs of online organizing and engagement. Get a taste of the conversation threads from the blog and session notes.
The informal space, conference structure, and mix of people really encouraged everyone to be collaborative, forward-thinking, and solutions-oriented. Of course, it helped that no phones, laptops, or crammed agendas got in our way either. But no one was there to prove their skills or make a pitch. Instead, we were all there to take a step back, share some common experiences and challenges, think through the possibilities for ourselves and for our movements, and make some new friends and allies on the way to bettering the world. It seems like almost everyone contributed to the group as much as they received.
I know, it all sounds very West Coast. Except for maybe 6 of us from the East, the group was almost exclusively Californians, Pacific Northwesterners, and Canadians, and that's just how they seem to roll out there (photos here). Which is fine by me. So thanks to all the other WOC'ers for a great and productive time -- see you next year!
