sharing values+feelings and spending time+$ together

Friday ii hosted the first #chilli4change and spent some time asking our community to finish a few sentences:

i want X
i value Y
i feel Z

To give a relavant to the room example, I proposed the following:

i want to eat Mexican food next time we talk about social impact
i value cumin, jalapenos, and innovation
i feel healthy and spicy when I discuss hot topics over food

We talked about the Maori parable behind te rourou: With your basket and my basket the people will live was brought to life via a shared community food basket program, where we asked our friends to give us two baskets and funds to fill them with fresh produce. One for each participant to keep, and another to give away.

Recipients of the free baskets wondered why someone would do such a thing? They would ask questions about what we were doing, and some even joined us. But the major impact came as feelings within those who gave. Experiencing generosity on a face to face level, without a third party mediating. Forcing those ‘Tena Koe’, ‘I see you’, and ‘I accept you as you are’ moments.

We want to do the same in face to face discussions over hot meals, allowing us to create buckets together for meaningful purposes and allowing each of us to fund them if we share the same wants, values, and feelings.

We gave everyone at the event a special invite to create shared baskets and spend the koha they gave towards the next event or elsewhere. For now ii will steward the funds in physical envelopes.

See how it works

We’ll keep you posted as we see what buckets the attendees create and fund. We hope to find a way to easily invite others to participate. For now just drop by 148 Durham St for a coffee and a chat and we will get you connected for the next #chilli4change