Social Impact Award is looking for scaling partners

>>> Invitation by Social Impact Award

Have you thought about running a social innovation program for young people in your country? Are you interested to launch a proven model that works in 18 countries so far? The call for implementation partners of Social Impact Award 2018 is now open!

Since 2009, the Social Impact Award has been developing an international community of students that transform intentions into action. We have worked with +13.000 students from 18 countries in Europe and beyond. In 2017, we organize more than 250 events and workshops, incubate around 150 early-stage impact ventures and provide seed funding for the best 50.

Now, we are open to new partnerships and regions, especially looking at Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. If you are an impact-driven organization with strong project management and fundraising capabilities that has broad experience in working in the field of social entrepreneurship and youth empowerment - join us! The application deadline for Social Impact Award license is June 30th, 2017. For more details, check out our website and get in touch with us: join@socialimpactaward.net.

Website: http://socialimpactaward.net/implementing-sia/

The unleash project: “It’s a bit like finding a watering hole in the desert”

Katalin from unMonastery participated at the kick-off of our new program the unleash project and is now engaged as part of the host team to organize the whole workshop cycle. In the following she shares her experience with euforia and the program.

You may not have heard about the unleash project, but you probably heard about euforia. And even if you have never heard of euforia, you have probably encountered the conundrum of work: a staggering number of people are unhappy in their working lives, while volunteering and activism is changing the way how the world deals with crisis situations - just think of the refugee crisis in Europe. In particular, young people are eager to engage and work very hard for causes they believe in. At the same time, Millenials are famously difficult to integrate into traditional workplace environments. the unleash project is offering solutions both for companies struggling with reinventing themselves in order to accommodate this new, extremely valuable human resource, and for people who are young or young at heart, finding it difficult to enter a hierarchical, competition-based, achievement-oriented workplace that does not offer purpose and satisfaction on a personal level.

The first meeting of the unleash project took place November 25-27, 2016, in Bern. Attending any Euforia event is a bit like finding a watering hole in the desert - familiar and unfamiliar characters come together to share their experiences and questions in a unique and nurturing environment. Workshops are designed to facilitate people with differing learning styles; delicious food and brief energising and meditation sessions break up the day, to nurture body and mind while learning; participants are encouraged to actively participate and share their own concerns and solutions to any given problem. Tools from The Art of Hosting are applied, including circles, world cafe, and other tricks, to maximise integration and collaboration. You meet highly successful business professionals, activists, artists, social innovators, students, freshly graduated young people searching for a better working environment, the employed and the unemployed, refugees, post-graduates. The overarching connection is the sense of community and shared values. It is a truly magical experience.

The unleash project will continue - if you missed the Kickoff, you can still sign up and participate in the rest of the events cycle. You can step into the cycle at any point, since it restarts in May 2017 as the current series come to an end.

Upcoming events:
20 - 21 January 2017: Personal Level: Focus, Mindfulness and Wholeness
Impact Hub, Bern

3 - 4 February 2017: Team Level: Creating a collaborative working environment, Share & Grow Night
Geneva

10 - 11 March 2017: Institutional and Societal Level: SDGs and Impact Initiatives, Share & Grow Night
Impact Hub, Bern

12 - 13 May 2017: Debriefing
Wylerringstrasse 36, Bern (Innovationsdorf)

Reinvening euforia: reflection day

Reinventing euforia: Come to the euforic reflection day and let's tap into all our potential - 11 December 10h-18h / 20.15h - Bern

euforia is all of us, partners, volunteers, staff, boosters alike. It's the changes all of us have co-created and experienced thanks to our involvement!
We have collectively felt many signals that it's time to completely reinvent euforia's form of organisation. For impact, wellbeing, sustainability and awesomeness (for us individually collectively and the world)!

What has happened so far:
If you have followed past announcements, you know that we have started our reinventing journey by re-imagining our values, purpose and principles.

What will happen now:
For the next stage, we invite you very warmly to Bern on 11 Dec in order to think further:

10h - 18h- for everybody
What is needed to unleash yours and euforia’s potential to get to our stars (Values, Purpose, Principles)?  
How can we tap into all the potential that is within us, all the resources that are both within us, between us and in our relations?

18.15 - 20.15h - for euforia ex-volunteers, etplers and experts in any domain
Would you like to be part of the support structure of our new transformative, collaborative, self-managed programmes The Unleash Project/Rev Lab?
Come and discover the new programmes, the structure inspired by holacracy/teal and the support roles YOU could fill to help teams & programme flourish!

Let's dream together, use all our sensing & imagination in a fun and reflective day!

You are important! Come and sign up here!

Hugs from and to all!

the unleash project – insights from the kick-off weekend

We sense there are more fulfilling ways of working at the personal, team, institutional and societal level. We want to explore together the attitudes, skills, knowledge needed to create new ways of working for the 21st century. This is why we developed the unleash project, an open source, transformative, cross-sectoral and experience-driven learning program that empowers people to thrive in the paradigm shift of work of the 21st century.

Last weekend, we started with the first session of the unleash project. About 50 people from different sectors (NGOs, Social Businesses, Co-Working spaces, etc.) came together and explored the attitudes, skills and knowledge it takes to move from careers to vocation. The goal of this kick-off was to dive into the topic, the euforia methodology and to co-create the program that will follow in the first half of 2017.

Thomas Vellacott, CEO of WWF and the changemaker and HR specialist Carine Leuthold gave valuable inputs to different questions: Why is a paradigm shift needed in organizations and the society? What trends are coming up in the working environment? What new capabilities do current and tomorrow’s leaders need? In a World Café we discussed possible answers and solutions.

Moreover, we gained deeper understanding about the different paradigms of organizational thinking with the most current one emerging: Teal Organizations. We learned how to work effectively without hierarchical structure and to see organizations as living organisms where the wholeness of individuals at work and Self-Management are in the center.

Different concepts and their implementation
During these two days we experienced the different methodologies we use at euforia, mainly the Theory of Group Dynamics from Will Schutz (FIRO), the PEMS model which helps us to approach the needs of different kinds of personalities (Practical, Emotional, Mental, Spiritual) from Daniel Sa Nogueira, Radical Collaboration from Tamm and Luyet or the concept of Experiential Learning. We experimented those and other concepts with facilitation, coaching and deep listening exercises.

We also treated the importance of wellbeing and purpose. We are convinced that personal wellbeing and an intrinsic motivation are crucial to flourish at the workplace. This topic goes beyond a good work-life-balance: it’s about seeing ourselves as part of an ecosystem where not only our personal wellbeing matters, but also the interpersonal relations and values are central. Greta Rossi from Akasha Innovation introduced us to the tool “The wheel of Life” with which we analyzed our personal wellbeing and dived deeper into the subject matter with a peer-to-peer coaching session.

In the evening, Tariq Al Olaimy hold a Share & Grow Night about Biomimicry, an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies.

And now? The future of the unleash project
With all those insights in mind, we co-shaped the future of the unleash project. Find here the program of our weekends in January, February, March and May.

We are extremely touched and grateful for these two days and want to thank everybody for collaborating, engaging and being fully present! We’re looking forward to having you all again in the January weekend and also welcoming new faces!

Find all information about the coming sessions and the registration form here.

Latvian youth workers and euforians share expertise

The “Agency for International Programs for Youth of Latvia” and euforia collaborate to organize a four days hands-on study trip in Switzerland. 26 Latvian youth center representatives will learn from and with other Swiss organizations and youth. The aim is to exchange experiences and good practices.

The exchange will take place in the French-speaking part of Switzerland from October 17th to 20th. It includes many activities, among others a World Café to get inspired by existing youth initiatives in Switzerland, and to have a picture of the Swiss social work structure. Furthermore, a learning exchange session with local youth centers and social workers in Crissier and Renens will make the participants experience field work with outdoor activities and give a safe space to brainstorm how some ideas could be adapted for Latvia. In addition, a “euforic programs fair” will make the participants experience our activities and unconventional methodologies, such as Radical Collaboration or Wellbeing workshops. An interactive rally will provide them with the opportunity to visit and discover organizations in Geneva and harvest the best practices, exchanging with locals and learning by experimenting.

Our program developer Natalia, explains, „we will use very inclusive, interactive and non-formal educational methods to create a unique learning experience for everyone so that the participants get to know and learn from the Swiss youth sector. Our common vision is to inspire and to motivate through Swiss initiatives while sharing experience and expertise.”

The study trip is part of the Latvian-Swiss cooperation program “Support for the Development of Youth Initiatives in Peripheral or Disadvantaged Regions”, funded by the Swiss Government. The program aims at providing personal and professional perspectives to young people living in peripheral and disadvantaged regions of Latvia. So far, 26 multi-functional youth initiative centers have been created in Latvia and more than 160 seminars for young people and persons involved in youth work have been organized. “We are thankful to the Swiss Government for funding this program. The study visit is important to see and to adopt Swiss youth center good practices in our 26 youth centers in Latvia”, says Vladislava Skele, head of the International Cooperation and Support Division of Agency for International Programs for Youth of Latvia.

The Latvian-Swiss cooperation program “Support for the Development of Youth Initiatives in Peripheral or Disadvantaged Regions” involves two components. Within the framework of the first component, 26 multi-functional youth initiative centers shall be created in different self-governmental bodies of the Republic of Latvia. The second component involves training and events for the youth and the executives working with the youth, as well as development of metodological educational materials.

In order to make this learning exchange a great success, the Agency for International Programs for Youth of Latvia and euforia collaborate with a variety of local partners, such as Unités d'action communautaire (UAC), Point Info, Pré en bulle, la Maison de Quartier Plainpalais, Villa Freundler, ACAB and Be You Network.

WWF-Pandaction-Challenge - an imp!act event with a twist

From 20 to 23 October, WWF and euforia are organising a special imp!act together: the WWF-Pandaction-Challenge. As a special twist it`s focused on the topic “house of the future”. This is a chance to dive deep into the topic, get inputs from experts and inspiration from changemakers working in that field. It is also a chance for people as young as 14 years to discover their changemaker potential.

WWF is opening the doors of their Swiss headquarters for us and will be working in this great location. Additionally WWF experts from different departments as well as those from other organisations will give feedback and support to develop the projects.

We are looking for young people who want to invest their time and talent to tackle the global challenge of climate change. At the WWF-Pandaction-Challenge young people meet to imagine, invent and start their own projects or campaigns together. It`s a chance to try out something new, learn skills for future projects and have fun.

So you are between 14 and 25 years old? You want to fight climate change? Then we are looking for you!
Take part in this unique event and be part of the change! Sign up here.

Resolving conflicts through Radical Collaboration

Radical Collaboration@work

Getting your project up to speed can be stressful. You have assembled a new team, you are working on your service or product, you are improvising left right and center and future planning and real-time communication can collide. When things go wrong, emotions can run high and a previously calm interaction can turn into a slippery slope in seconds. Soon enough you are butting heads with your team and spending more energy on conflict resolution than moving forward on solutions. Knowing that people will lapse into habitual behavior and reactions when conflict arises can help you to pull a stop before things get worse.  Some people blow up, other people turn silent, others get confused or suddenly cannot remember what was said or what they had agreed to. Remembering that all of this is human and pushing the pause button before things get worse can help to identify what the conflict is about. 

Setting a time frame in which to resolve conflict isn’t only helpful, it also alleviates the fear of things remaining unsolved.  To figure out how to move forward there usually are two components that need to be considered– like a missed deadline, a product that doesn’t function well or an idea that clashes with someone’s values. In addition there are the needs that aren’t met in the interaction. As a result of what happened you and the other party doesn’t feel heard or misunderstood or is scared to look unprofessional or feels disrespected which triggers stress and feelings that can be hard to process.  Finding out what the unmet need is, is half the rent. If the other person needs to be heard – give them the opportunity to be heard, if they are scared of embarrassment, help them figure out what would help them to show up in the way they want.  From there it will be much more productive to move into solution finding and come up with something that either resolves the problem or ends up something even better.

The principles and techniques described above are taught as part of a Radical Collaboration Training developed by Jim Tamm in Florida (http://www.radicalcollaboration.com). Our team member Chantal has been certified as a Radical Collaboration Trainer and took three days in the spring to train the team. We are now practicing the application at work and are – hick-ups and all – getting to know each others conflict styles better. 

Leading with Imp!act Teaserevent

Die steigende Komplexität, Unsicherheit, Ambiguität und Konkurrenz einer sich immer schneller entwickelnden Welt, die generation-übergreifenden Konflikte und die zunehmende Bedeutung der Nachhaltigkeit und Innovation verlangt von Führungskräften und Unternehmen ein tiefgreifendes Umdenken.

Leading with Imp!act ist ein Leadership und Change Management Programm, das jungen Menschen und erfahrenen Führungskräften die Werkzeuge, das Mindset und den Raum für Austausch und Erfahrungen bietet, um gute Vorsätze in echtes Engagement zu verwandeln. Wir kreieren ein innovatives, hierarchiefreies, kreativ-verrücktes Umfeld, in dem erfahrene Manager gemeinsam mit jungen Menschen ihre eigene Führungskultur hinterfragen, um die Generation Y als Kunden, aber auch als zukünftige Mitarbeiter besser zu verstehen, und ein innovationsförderndes Arbeitsumfeld mit zu gestalten.

Anders als bei traditionellen Weiterbildungen steht nicht Theorie, sondern erfahrungsbasiertes Lernen im Mittelpunkt. Im hierarchie-freien Austausch mit engagierten jungen Menschen lernen Teilnehmende, eine menschenzentrierte Führungskultur zu schaffen, die Innovation, Selbstbefähigung und Nachhaltigkeit fördert und so ihr Unternehmen langfristig zu einem attraktiveren Arbeitsplatz macht.

Interessiert? Erleben Sie in unserem Leading with Imp!act Teaser eine Mini-Version des Programms, um unsere Ansätze, Methodik und Euphorie kennenzulernen:

Mittwoch, 13. Juli 2016, von 17:00 bis 20:00
Stadthausquai 15, 8001 Zürich

Anmeldung und weitere Informationen bei Valerian Stalder: 077 432 14 88, valerian@euforia.ch