Tag: Imagination
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What Christchurch Can Teach Us About Participation, Place and the Power of Experimentation
At dinner last night after an AANZPA Executive meeting, Simon from Christchurch shared stories about a local initiative called Gap Filler – a creative urban regeneration social enterprise that emerged after the devastating earthquakes in Ōtautahi Christchurch. I found myself deeply moved listening to him speak.Not because everything succeeded. In fact, he said many experiments…
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🌿 From Data to Dialogue to Concert: How Lithgow’s Young People Reimagined Their Town
When we talk about regional youth development, it’s easy to get stuck on the familiar list of challenges – boredom, long distances, substance use, limited activities, employment scarcity, family pressures, and service gaps. It’s a story many regional towns know by heart. But what if the real opportunity lies not in what’s wrong, but in…
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🌿 Appreciative Inquiry: Asking What’s Strong to Inspire What’s Possible
In youth and community development work, the questions we ask shape the worlds we create. Developed at Case Western Reserve University, Appreciative Inquiry (AI) offers a strength-based alternative to traditional problem-solving approaches.Instead of asking “What’s wrong, and how do we fix it?” AI begins with “What’s working, what gives life, and what could be?” It’s…
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