In the second phase of the evening, Paul Ong from the Filipino community facilitated a fun learning exercise. He asked participants to build current and future value and action models representing the current state of relationships among service providers and community organizations.
Participants used LEGO® bricks to create these models. This unique 3-D engagement technique made it easy for everyone to see how core values are currently being lived and experienced by cultural communities in their relationships with service providers. It also gave people an opportunity to create models showing how they would like to see the core values being lived in the future.
“One of the objectives of this learning event is for service providers and community members to understand and know each other better. At the end of the day, both have similar goals and strengthening the relationship is important. Working together is essential to understand the problems that the communities face and tackle them effectively,” Tigst Demeke, a research scientist at the Canadian Grains Commission, who volunteers for Excel Family & Youth, said. “The CMCCF is doing a nice job in bringing together the cultural communities and service providers for their mutual working relationship.”
“Values mapping was a good learning exercise. The values discussed are essential and common to all the communities represented. It was nice to have the LEGO® exercise and other discussions with the service providers.” -Tigst Demeke, member of the Ethiopian community
Demeke said he will take the learning from the evening back to members of the Ethiopian community. He, like many others who attended the dialogue, would like to participate in future Coalition events.