The Big Questions Institute shared an article recently written by the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria in Canada. The title of the article is “Intergenerational Responsibilities in Difficult Times: The Story of the Faculty of Education’s ‘Generational Bowl’.” Excerpts from that article follow:
“A ‘nexus event’ represents a critical juncture where multiple factors converge, often leading to significant change or impact. This term accurately captures the current complex challenges that our faculty, the university, broader society, and the planet are currently facing. These challenges form part of a larger meta-crisis affecting multiple sectors, particularly evident within education. Currently, the education sector is grappling with increasing mental health challenges among students and teachers, a rise in school violence, high attrition rates among educators, declining enrollment in teacher education programs and a growing disconnect between the curriculum and the evolving realities of schools and society. Similarly, the higher education sector is confronting serious budgetary constraints as many Canadian universities struggle with financial pressures due to external factors and shifts in public perception of the role of academia. In response to these pressing issues, in February 2024, most faculties and units at UVic were tasked with implementing budget reductions to navigate this complex landscape.”
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“We had faced budget reductions recently, and understandably, there was significant concern within our leadership team about navigating the complexities of the budget reductions once again. Dr. Vanessa Andreotti, our recently appointed Dean, was selected for her deep commitment to relational leadership, with a strong emphasis on equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and climate education. Recognizing the need for a different approach, Dr. Andreotti reached out to Indigenous knowledge keepers for their unique perspectives on decision-making processes that could align with her mandate. The consultation set the foundation for this ‘story of The Generational Bowl’, a narrative that reflects our collective journey through these tumultuous times.”
“Following advice form Indigenous mentors, we initiated our first budget-focused leadership team meeting with a smudging ceremony, intended to clear our minds and hearts. This practice, which aimed to help us to decenter our personal interests and instead focus on our collective responsibilities, would precede all subsequent meetings. We were also instructed to create a living symbol that would serve as an ethical compass for our decision-making process; that is how The Generational Bowl came into existence.”
“A red bowl was placed at the center of the meeting table, and we were each given strips of paper. The first task was to write the names of children we know personally who are under 17 years old (Generation A). As we placed their names in the bowl, we called their names out loud, evoking a personal and tangible connection. Following this, we identified broader groups of children we felt connected to or who were underserved – such as Indigenous children, non-binary youth, children caught in conflict zones, children with disabilities and mental health challenges, children in care and other groups – adding their names to the bowl in a second round. The third round extended our consideration to children who were not already in the bowl, children coming after the children in the bowl and non-human children who are integral to the life-support systems that the children in the bowl depend upon, broadening our perspective on whom our decisions would impact.”
“We then covered the bowl with petals from red and white roses, symbolizing a blanket of protection, compassion and healing – ultimately reflecting our responsibility toward the future. We were tasked with considering these children as witnesses to our budget conversations, urging us to make decisions that would benefit them in a decade.”
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“To inform and consult with faculty and staff, we hosted an in-person ‘Faculty Futures’ session with all faculty and staff invited to attend and participate. We brought the bowl with us, recounted its creation and encouraged participants to mentally add more names of children and groups they felt affinity with, extending the bowl’s symbolic reach. Members of the leadership team then took turns to present the immediate and broader budgetary challenges confronting our faculty.”
“We framed these discussions not as conflicts to be battled over across the table, but as shared challenges to be faced together, from the same side of the table. We also emphasized the need for a systematic approach to these challenges, discouraging the protective defense of personal preferences and territories.”
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“In the closing activity of our Faculty Futures session, we placed the bowl in the middle of the room. Participants were arranged in a fishbowl formation, with faculty and staff who self-identified as early-career seated in an inner circle around the bowl. This circle included an empty chair, referred to as the ‘ancestral chair’. The remaining participants, including mid-career and senior staff and faculty, were seated in an outer circle, playing a witness role to the conversations within the inner circle. The early-career group was tasked with having a conversation about the changes needed within our immediate Faculty community and the university at large – not for personal career advancements, but to enable them to fulfill their own responsibilities towards future generations as symbolized by the bowl.”
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“In the face of the educational sector’s crisis and unprecedented societal challenges, the bowl continues to serve as a constant reminder of who we ultimately serve. It encourages us not to shy away from adversity but to face it with resilience and a sense of shared responsibility, where, as leaders, we each felt both insufficient and indispensable to the task at hand. The Generational Bowl shows us that a different form of leadership and community building are possible, although both require more time and different intellectual, affective and relational work. Although we had to have difficult conversations and make difficult decisions, guided by the bowl, we managed to find a pathway forward that we believe could bring us all together around the common goal of serving the future rather than protecting the past.”
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“[Finding] a pathway forward that we believe could bring us all together around the common goal of serving the future rather than protecting the past.”
I couldn’t find better words to explain why we need a new system of learning.
Friday News Roundup tomorrow. SVB
A Better Path to Learning 
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