A Journey Toward Collective Awareness

“In the unpleasant experience I went through, is there a part of me, a responsibility I haven’t acknowledged yet?”

The first session on the first day of The 2nd Learning Community International Life-Work Conference was led by Nurhayati Syafii, a member of the Indonesian School of Reconciliation, with this inner listening question. It wasn’t even the opening session yet, but it already felt like being invited into the part of myself I least wanted to open—being responsible for something I didn’t want to admit.

(Hayati Leading Quiet Time in the first day)

Not just on the first day, but every inner listening question in the following days felt like shaking the glass of life, making me aware of the parts of myself I hadn’t realized, the parts I needed to acknowledge, and the parts that had already been aligned with the life I wanted to live.

Reflecting back, the experience of attending this conference was like a journey of opening doors of self-awareness that eventually led to collective awareness.

At first, the door of awareness about self and family was opened through the speakers, who explained that in the process of learning, more and more problems will surface if we focus only on solving problems. What matters most is humility and learning from those problems. Then, how we can learn and grow beyond the wounds our parents inflicted upon us. When we are able to transcend those wounds, we rediscover the layers of good memories that may have been forgotten, and harmony can happen. We need to realize that self-awareness and action are two sides of the same coin that must go hand in hand. It is easier to hide when we are hurt, but by taking action, we progress into healing.

From the door of self and family awareness, we were brought to the door of struggle and how it can lead us to transform difficulties into positive impacts for the community. The speakers shared personal stories of their struggles, and how, when they transcended each wound, they were able to make an impact on their communities.

That door then led us to collective awareness: that as citizens of one nation, we can bring a new color to our nation, no matter how small. This can happen because we accompany one another. As some choose to face their wounds and accompany me, so I too am moved to give more to others. Then, to my nation, by accompanying someone else facing their wounds.

The doors of sharing, opened in each learning circle session, left an impact on everyone’s discoveries. There were nods of acceptance, listening ears, and empathetic hearts. The Open Space sessions validated what had been fought for all this time as well as opening some deep discoveries about the self. Even in lighthearted sessions, such as playing with our inner child, we found relief in simply being ourselves—and realizing that I am not alone in facing my wounds. Because I am not alone, I am together with those who are brave enough to face their wounds, and also brave enough to accompany others in theirs.

The journey of The 2nd Learning Community International Life-Work Conference ended with moving moments of witnessing each person’s declaration, reconciliation, and saying goodbye with love. We went home with the answer to the initial question: taking responsibility for our lives, activating our conscious adult selves, and moving together toward collective awareness

(Group photo with AKASHA Malaysia and the School of Reconciliation, by IofC Indonesia)

Writer : Rinni Meir

Editor : Ari Budi Santosa

Approval : Peter Heyes