To the Left and the Right- Let's Meet in the Middle
Now more than ever, we need inclusive and good governance that takes into consideration all perspectives and experiences, as it is the basis for meaningful and successful community efforts.
At The Land Between charity, our decision making process, project planning and implementation, depends on collaboration with partners and communities. We use Original styles of governance; democratic Knowledge Circles which are open meetings without hierarchy but with a respectful structure, and public input surveys and interviews to support these goals..
What are Knowledge Circles
Knowledge Circles are traditional democratic and inclusive forums to gain insight, find solutions and also build capacity for our communities. They are based upon the Talking Circle, a Traditional Indigenous form of governance. In the circle, an object of respect or reverence, such as an eagle feather, is passed from one participant to another as a testament of truth, knowledge, and faith. The participant is able to vocalize their thoughts and perspectives while in possession of the object. In this way, Knowledge Circles enable meaningful sharing of experiences and also expertise. A diversity of perspectives can therefore be heard and used to find innovative and fair solutions to navigate the challenges our ecosystems and wildlife face.
The Land Between has hosted a number of Knowledge Circles over the years, with our most recent held in April 2024. To learn about future Knowledge Circles of ours that you can participate in, stay tuned to our Events page!
Knowledge Circles were hosted thanks to cooperation and support of our partners:
Knowledge Circles and Two Eyed Seeing
Two Eyed Seeing is an approach founded by Elder Albert Marshall, for which he was awarded the Order of Canada. It involves seeing conservation-related problems and contemplating solutions through a dual lens of western science and Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) equally. Talking Circles must work to embrace Two Eyed Seeing if they are to be a true and meaningful solution to any conservation initiative, governance structure, or social effort in the world today. Knowledge Circles can be used to bring together disparate groups, as forums for municipalities, for community and conservation groups, and even in school groups and classrooms. In fact, there is really no group venue within which Knowledge Circles can’t offer value!
The following resources are initial guides to the concepts, approaches and practices that are foundational to Two Eyed seeing, including ensuring there is a safe respectful space (sometimes referred to as Ethical Space) afforded in these venues in order to truly reach desired goals of empathy, integration, relationship and meaningful progress.
Note: there is a wealth of knowledge and resources shared by Elder Albert Marshall: A simple search will reveal these.
Related Guides
As part of the Knowledge Circles initiative, we have developed a toolkit that supports the adoption of inclusive, good governance in organizations and grassroots efforts. The complete toolkit provides knowledge, concepts, and materials to support all stages and elements of organizational development, management, and operations.
This curriculum manual concentrates on learning about the principles of inclusivity and good governance. It provides modules that enable you to practice these ideologies and provides suggestions and methods for you to integrate them within your efforts.
This document aims to assist in providing guidance to members of social sector organizations who seek to implement the tenets of inclusive leadership within their governing structures. It contains a series of policies and practices with an emphasis on diversity and inclusiveness that can be adopted by a wide range of organizations.
This resource outlines inclusive leadership according to selected Indigenous and cross-cultural teachings, perspectives, and worldviews.
Additionally, you can check out our investigation into governance structures for regional non-profit endeavours - Around the Circle in 365 Days - here.
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