URI staff gathering in Sarajevo, 2017
URI is a learning organization that is carried forward by the voices, values, feelings and experiences people share with each other. When asked in a written survey, URI staff wrote what they would most remember from a major URI global gathering in Sarajevo, Bosnia in September 2017. More than just sharing personal views, their perspectives are food for learning that enrich URI’s identity and help guide its future. Here is a sampling.
What we will remember:
"The power of the circle, I still have the image of seeing the whole URI global community sitting in circle. It is so great to experience each other as equals…each person is the same distance apart from the next participant. The sitting in circle brought wholeness and integration to our community."
"Spending time with the indigenous elders - seeing URI dedicated to indigenous voices in action and spending time with each of them was something I will never forget."
"The loving, caring, generous, harmonious, unified interaction and exchange among the URI staff."
"We are really a network, but not any network; one where love and care of each other are promoted and nurtured so we can truly talk about being a URI family."
"Youth at URI can teach us a lot of things that may update our way of working, and also teach us that experience and wisdom are keys for self-development."
"Personal relationships matter for long-term success and sustenance in this work."
"There was a mix of hard work but also pleasure which I find so worthwhile. This was hard work but there was fun, laughter, connections and strong bonding as a team."
"It helped me see URI as an organization that cares about its own learning and growth, which gives me patience to bear with it, as I do truly believe now that change will always continue in URI - it just takes time as all things do."