Scaffolding on the Edge

It is extremely difficult to get people to give up deeply cherished beliefs and cast off deeply engrained behaviours in order to embrace the Unknown. Our metaphor is that of tearing down an old and dilapidated building in order to erect something new and more sustainable. The problem to be solved is “Where do we house the building occupants during the demolition and reconstruction process?”

Therein lies the interest of “Scaffolding” – the idea of providing a safe haven for those who are temporarily homeless, as they take that leap of faith into The Unknown. More prosaically, we must get our occupants out of the building that is going to be torn down and move them onto our temporarily erected structure so that they can wait out the rebuilding period while they learn to live with this uncomfortable feeling of uncertainty.

This process will be an unsettling one for its planners and managers. Throughout it, they will have to present their own beliefs in a very watered-down form, for it to be acceptable and palatable to those being temporarily housed on the Scaffold. In this process, we must put the purity of our beliefs and coherency of thinking on a back burner as we help others inch their ways towards something more flexible, creative, all-encompassing and sustainable.

We will examine this process and provide concrete examples of how to orchestrate the Scaffolding principle. But more important, you will have the opportunity to experiment with and expand this notion of “in-between spaces” that serve as temporary shelters, and we will exchange about our experiences of Scaffolding for the Edge.

We invite you to join us again for a monthly meeting on every second Monday of the month 10:00-11:00 am, and the following Tuesday 6:00-7:00 pm CET.

This Community of Practice Talk is also an IDG network event of the  IDG Facilitators’ Community of Practice  .

This community is open to individuals passionate about facilitating skills for the IDGs, as a means to achieve the SDGs. Our mission is to bring together like-minded professionals and activists, and provide a platform to exchange ideas, share resources and experience, and collaborate on projects. Whether you are a teacher, coach, consultant, trainer, or simply interested in fostering the IDGs, this community is a place to network, learn, and grow. With regular virtual meetups, webinars and workshops, the IDG Facilitators’ Community of Practice provides a dynamic and supportive environment.