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The Powell Street Festival takes place on the traditional, unceded and occupied territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.
Inklings to Action: The Paueru Gai Dialogues Workshop
Event Recap
In 2021, the Paueru Gai Dialogues created an online space where we collectively considered contemporary issues—such as art as activism, food security, climate change, histories and decolonization—through a racialized lens. We sought to learn from differences, build solidarity, and discover everyday points of action.
On February 12, 2022, we came together for a series debrief to further unpack questions, themes, and foster online community. We pondered next steps, everyday actions at home, and ideas for future online events and gatherings. This event included a summary of the series, longer breakout sessions, and a new iteration of our Doukana generative questions in the form of collective Haiku writing.
During the session, following a video recap of the entire Paueru Gai Dialogues series, participants were split into two breakout groups and tasked with writing Haiku in response to the dialogues, with word clouds and lists of frequent topics and terms as a reference.
A traditional Japanese form of poetry, Haiku consist of three lines of five, seven, and five syllables. Originally a collaborative, dialogic practice, haiku are often written swiftly to record concrete experiences or personal observations, and incorporate seasonal references, a cutting word introducing insight or a shock of awareness, and for our exercise, a call to action or provocation.
We returned to one large group to share our poetic calls to action and finally, in a call back to our doukana generative thinking, built new haiku by stacking lines together from those made in the breakout groups. Read on below the video for all the original and re-purposed, generative haiku!
Workshop Video
Haiku: Small Groups
growing weeds and shoots, / what origin seeds to plant? / building together
shift to new ecology / decolonize my inkling / making art for change
pushing us forward / the wind and rushing water / hopes for the future
through child-like eyes / infinite pathways to choose / How do we keep that?
shift the abundance / ground me here in Paueru Gai / nurture inclusion
Hidden undergrowth, / Rushing forward together, / Restore community
build something with me, / a space to share among friends, / online connection.
Weeds versus trees – oh! / exuberant abundance / jump up to the sun
shift to new ecology, / connecting communities, / so we don’t burn out
Land of History / Generations Together / Gather for Sharing
power in silence, / holding safe space to listen, / now two become one
Art like food can hold / memory, joy, and friendship. / Be more resilient. (More resilience).
Complex truths shared / seeds stir in mud taking root / creates acts of joy
Seeing you each month / “how can we become better?” / through the pandemic
This underbelly / A beast of winter, yearning / For something more real
The winds of summer / Shake loose the hesitation / And ask us to give
Virtual dialogues / diverse but similar hopes / community strong
Spring rains in the park / On grass, on blue stubborn fences / We must drown them out
Questions in the void / Like fallen monuments reveal / Witness and rebirth
from spring into fall / internet community / vulnerable zoom.
How do we build change? / connecting communities / voices of elders
standing together / like trees in a forest / need community
Cedars and cherry / make a sediment sandwich / roll into sushi
communicating / feeling cared for by strangers / non-verbal gestures
make art and have fun / we need more joy and laughter / so we don’t burn out
As story makers / what origin seeds to plant? / Corn, beans, squash galore!
mycelium web / ground me here in Paueru Gai / nurture inclusion
Snow quiets violence / Do we choose to ignore it? / Or do we listen?
Generosity / Builds bonds heals wounds in gardens / through vegetables
Winter dialogues / bring us all together. / Build community. ( also understanding )
The ground remembers / More than Powell, more than me / It calls for justice
Dialogues series / bring us closer with questions / Whose land, who are we
Taiko Beat Echoes / Community for Justice / Meeting in the Park
All feelings come out / Grief anger gratitude joy / Far but close on zoom
Leaves turn over, rot / Then become food we don’t see / Can we look to dirt?
Through all the seasons / Listen share come together / Build Community
Haiku: Generative
The ground remembers / mycelium web / grow community
Taiko beat echoes / like wind in a forest / ground in paueru gai
meeting in the park / shake loose the hesitation / Jump up to the sun!
Shift the abundance / Exuberant abundance / Hidden undergrowth
Art like food can hold / exuberant abundance / Gather for Sharing
Jump up to the sun / ground me here in Paueru Gai / far but close on Zoom
Communicating / like trees in a forest / The ground remembers
make art and have fun / feeling cared for by strangers / nurture inclusion
The winds of summer / Like fallen monuments reveal / Land of history
Through all the seasons/The taiko beat still echoes/It calls for justice
Pushing us forward / infinite pathways to choose / How do we build change?
The ground remembers / Questions echo in the void / Spring forth art for change
All feelings come out / Builds bonds, heals wounds in gardens / From spring into fall
hopes for the future / ground me here in Paueru Gai / Restore community
Through all the seasons / Grief anger gratitude joy / Generosity
Land of history / How can we become better? / And ask us to give?
Hidden undergrowth / Community for Justice / Community together
Virtual dialogues / Feeling cared for by strangers / through the pandemic
Through child-like eyes / Decolonize my inkling / Hopes for the future
All feelings come out / do we choose to ignore it? / build community
Fallen monuments / burn out in the stifling wind / new seeds drink water (New seeds drink justice)
Calls ring like taiko / Heal, change, grow, include, rethink / Hopes for the future
Stories, art, reach in / What would make my mother laugh? / We heal together
Original Event Description
Saturday, February 12, 2022 1 PM – 3 PM PST / 4 PM – 6 PM EST (concluded)
Online Zoom Event
FREE, advance registration required
Join Inklings to Action: The Paueru Gai Dialogues Workshop to reconnect with the past participants, share the big and small take-aways, and brainstorm next actions!
In 2021, the Paueru Gai Dialogues created an online space where we collectively considered contemporary issues – such as art as activism, food security, climate change, histories and decolonization – through a racialized lens. We sought to learn from differences, build solidarity, and discover everyday points of action. The format included a generative-question exercise, dubbed Doukana, which disrupts our impulse to rush to answers and creates an opportunity for unexpected ideas and possibilities. Due to popular demand, we’re bringing you this series debrief to further unpack questions, themes, and foster online community.
What did you discover, think and feel about:
- the session(s) you attended;
- the series as a whole;
- the online space to connect and build community across the country and during COVID-19 restrictions and;
- what are your ideas about next steps, everyday actions at home, and future online events/gatherings.
This event will include a brief summary of the series, longer breakout sessions, and a new iteration of Doukana in the form of collective haiku writing!
You don’t need to have participated in previous Dialogues, but if you would like context for previously discussed themes, you can watch the entire series on our YouTube Channel