How to Write a Shared Vision Statement with a Roomful of People from Warring Tribal Backgrounds
With all of the belly laughter and back slapping it’s easy to forget that everyone in the room has been affected by the ongoing tribal war, on different sides. Those in attendance make up (most of) Peace Canal’s peacebuilding team, drawn together from the Nuer, Dinka and Murle communities of Lakes State and Jonglei-GPAA in South Sudan.
The saying goes that too many cooks spoil the broth, and there was certainly a kitchen-like heat in the room on this sticky Juba day, at the threshold of rainy season. We had come together to cook up a Vision, Mission and Values statement for Peace Canal - eleven of the sixteen-strong team, plus myself and Rob Lancaster as support from the Peace Opportunities Fund. The challenge: to consolidate all of this energy, enthusiasm, expertise and experience into three short paragraphs. Even for a roomful of seasoned facilitators this was going to be a test, but here is how we went about it…
Step one. Appreciative Enquiry
‘In pairs, take it in turns to tell each other about a time when you’ve felt most energised by your work with Peace Canal. Think about the conditions that enabled that, and what you valued about your contribution and about Peace Canal in that situation. Finally think about one thing that, if it were missing, would make Peace Canal a completely different organisation.’
Unleash the stories - trekking into the bush for days on foot, encountering lions to bring warring groups together for the first time; loading armed youth leaders onto aeroplanes; walking through unknown territory to connect with the chiefs from other tribes…
What, How, Who, Why
‘Based on the stories you’ve shared with each other, note down: what does Peace Canal do best; how does Peace Canal do those things, who is involved, and why do you do them.’
We talked about the ICGS - the Inter-Communal Governance Structures - which was established by local communities in partnership with Peace Canal and helped to soothe a swell of support for revenge killings; about the process of building Peace Canal’s own diverse team; about the ‘Youth Caravan’ which took armed youth leaders on tour to meet other, rival communities face to face. The room was alive as we reconnected with all that Peace Canal has done to help communities establish greater levels of peace and security, over the last four years.
Distillation
Having discussed the What, How, Who and Why’s as a whole, groups of three were then tasked with consolidating each element.
Peace Canal is stratified, but this was a democratic process, so the responsibility for leading each group was dished out at random, not by rank - an important detail to ensure inclusivity and buy-in on every level.
The groups rotated, giving feedback on each others’ summaries, before sharing a final statement with the room.
There were objections but, using a ‘consent based process’ we landed on a shared statement with only three minor tweaks. One very useful tool in the process was the question, ‘Can you live with this?’. Perfection is the enemy of consensus. Aim for something functional, not flawless; a description, not a definition.
Symbols
As the day’s caffeine set in dark circles under our eyes, the final task of the afternoon was to come up with 2-3 symbols that represent Peace Canal’s values. Why symbols?
Four reasons:
they’re more memorable
they’re richer in meaning
more distinctive
and easier for people to personalise than abstract buzzwords like ‘peace’, ‘community’ or ‘sustainable’.
Our minds had cut a little loose by 4pm, but the group came up with two profound metaphors, which I was still digesting over breakfast with Rob the next morning.
You might not get the meaning at first, but once I explain them I bet you won’t forget them. The group came up with two sketches…
A tree with outstretched branches reaching over contested arable land, offering shade to those who desire rest and resolution.
A pair of canoe oars that propel and steer the boat through the waters, towards its destination.
Peace Canal is like the tree, creating the environment for all to come to find peace. The tree can’t enforce peace upon anyone - that is up to the communities themselves. Nor can the tree make the communities want to meet in the first place, but her shadow is inviting and as patient as the scorching sun that hangs in the sky.
Peace Canal is like the pair of oars. The water, like peace, is an enabling environment, allowing the boat - the communities - to reach their destination together. Crucially, the canoe only finds its way with the direction and guidance of those doing the paddling - the communities themselves.
What could have ended up as a mess - where certain opinions and perspectives dominated - resulted in more back slapping, belly laughter and an organisation with a renewed sense of focus.