On the Path to Belonging: A special day with Bruce Anderson and Befriend

"All significant change in the world has one deep root: the desire to belong" - Bruce Anderson

Belonging is a natural instinct for all living creatures and one of our deepest human needs. We all know what it feels like to belong. And not belong.

For those of us working and volunteering in communities, belonging is often at the heart of what we're trying to nurture, for ourselves and others. We create groups, programs, places and opportunities for people to connect. We welcome people in. We try to build communities where people feel seen, valued and able to contribute.

But how often do we have the opportunity to really explore how belonging happens and what each of us uniquely brings to creating it?

That question of what each of us uniquely brings sits at the heart of how Befriend works. We call it a gift ethos and it's infused in how we companion volunteers, walk alongside community members and support each other in our community practice.

We invite you to join us for a rare and deeply engaging day exploring the practice of belonging: in our communities, in our work, in nature and in our own lives.

We'll be joined by internationally recognised community leader, storyteller and facilitator Bruce Anderson, who opens the day live from the United States and appears throughout in conversations recorded especially for us.

Bruce is the Founder and Executive Director of the Core Gift Institute and a Faculty Fellow with the Asset-Based Community Development Institute at DePaul University in Chicago. For more than 30 years, he has worked internationally with communities, organisations and leaders, helping people uncover the gifts they carry, and tending the conditions in which hope and belonging can thrive.

Bruce invites us, "Join us this day as we take a well-earned pause to learn about the action each of us can take to increase our own and others' belonging. It seems simple and obvious on the surface, but there is much to learn when we make a commitment to encourage belonging in our work, in our community and in ourselves."

Bruce brings a unique combination of deep wisdom, soulful storytelling, warmth, humour and practical insight. The processes we'll be working with are his, designed to help us discover the deeper wisdom, gifts and experiences we carry and how we might use them to unlock new possibilities.

Across the day, members of the Befriend team will guide us on a co-learning journey through individual reflection, small group conversation and whole group activities, with Bruce alongside us on screen.

We'll explore the wisdom hidden in our own stories, including what our experiences of belonging and not belonging have taught us about belonging to ourselves, to others, to nature and to something bigger than us all.

We'll each uncover the unique abilities we naturally draw upon to help others feel welcomed, valued and connected... and notice what new capacities might be emerging in us.

We'll look at hope as a practice, including Bruce's distinctive approach to three different kinds of hope—and how they can sustain us when the work of creating change becomes difficult or exhausting.

And we'll consider how to carry forward what matters, translating insights from the day into practical changes in our work, communities and everyday lives.

Bruce's stories and ideas open the ground, and we'll learn as much from our own lives and from one another as we do from him.

If you're curious about what helps people belong, if you spend your time creating spaces where people can connect or if you could use some renewed energy, hope and perspective for what you give to others, this day is for you.

You don't need any background in this work. Whether you do it for a living, as a volunteer or simply because you're the person who notices when someone's on the edge of things - you'll find a place here.

Morning tea and lunch are provided as part of your registration. Please let us know of any dietary needs and accessibility requirements during the booking process.

This event is organised by Befriend, as part of the Community Building Co-Learning Network. Supported by Lotterywest.