Creating Future Stories Together:
personal responsibility | professional viability | global sustainability
August 31, 1-2 September
Some of the story behind the conference development
As in nature, where innovation often springs from some of the most isolated places, this conversation will take place in Adelaide, South Australia. How did this come about?
The story of the organising team for this conference is relevant to answering this question – and this story also illustrates the connection between our personal stories and that of our unfolding global future.
My growing sense of concern about our global future emerged from inviting and meeting John Whitmore to ICFA’s second conference in 2003. My growing sense of unease was fuelled by subsequent reading and research. Further conversations with John and the establishment of Be The Change here in Australia put me in contact with people locally and globally, who were entertaining similar thoughts. What a relief!
I first met David Drake at the St Louis ICF global conference in 2006. We shared a concern for the future of humanity that was discussed so explicitly in the ICFA 2007 Melbourne conference where we met for a second time. At that time I also introduced David to Kim Lisson’s business partner, Michael Prince. They sponsored a narrative coaching workshop that David ran in Perth, where he met Kim.
Kim Lisson and I have known each other for approximately 10 years, through association with our coach training school. We have stayed in touch and over the last 18 months or so, our individual interest has grown regarding what is happening on a global scale and how we can individually respond. We have shared many interesting conversations. Kim wrote an article entitled The Inner Work of Sustainability in the ICFA newsletter earlier this year, that moved me to respond with my thoughts and we co-authored a second article.
With David’s frequent travel to Australia, all four of us found ourselves drawn together to discuss how we could support each other in our individual and business quests to ‘be sustainable’ and to promote sustainability. After clearing my desk and office of clutter in May this year, I answered a phone call from Corene Walker, Director of Events with ICFA, who was seeking a person to chair the development of a conference focussed on stories and sustainability.
I have been involved in the development of three out of four of ICFA’s previous conferences and I am familiar with the work involved. To be honest I hesitated because of this and yet the issue of global sustainability is such a compelling and important one, that I was unable to ignore the call.
I shared the opportunity with ‘the team’ that grew to include Fiona Toy, with whom I have worked closely in the past on previous conferences, and we came to an agreement that this was a project we would like to undertake together.
“Where talents and the needs of the world cross, therein lies your vocation.” ~ Aristotle
For each of the Core Conference Team members, the development of this conference is certainly a fulfilment of our vocation. It is the expression of our joy in working together, our friendship, our individual strengths and our combined wisdom. We look forward to your potential contribution in meeting what we see as the dominant need of the world and the most profound opportunity for coaching.
Significantly, we are not alone in our assessment that ‘sustainability’ has become the issue of our times. We acknowledge and honour the ICFA Board for its recognition of this issue and its leadership in developing the theme.
The conference venue, the Adelaide Convention Centre, is one of the greenest venues in Australia and suits our theme perfectly. It has a a range of initiatives to minimise the environmental impact of its business and our food will, as much as possible, be sourced from less than 100 miles around – all wines will easily meet this criteria, with one of Australia’s major wine growing and making regions on our doorstep!
We look forward to the opportunity to make this conference a special and significant time for you – for coaching – and with humility, for Earth.
We welcome you to join us in our expanding conversation.
In appreciation for coaching and on behalf of ‘the team’,
Josie McLean PCC, David Drake, PhD, Kim Lisson PCC and Fiona Toy
(Core Conference Team)
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