The Global Collaborative Flow Funds

The Flow Fund

One of the main activities of the GC is to administer an annual flow fund. It puts resources into the collaborations and local work we are doing, or that other Jamily are doing, so that the Jam spirit can be nurtured and supported in other spaces. We collect a pool of funds each year that are equally divided and allocated among GC members. Here is how the flow fund was used for its first two cycles:

2006-07: Flow Fund One: 10 GC members / $3000 each

Coumba Toure (Mali/Senegal) used her Year 1 Flow Fund to launch the Invisible Giants project. She paid for the journalism schooling fees of her neighbor’s daughter, Mame Fatou Faty, who then, in turn, began interviewing older women in the community about the wonderful work they were doing. These stories were published in local papers, so that these ‘Invisible Giants’ could become more known in their communities. Coumba saw this as a leadership training program that infused fresh inspiration, action and intergenerational relationships into the women’s movement.

Evon Peter (Arizona and Alaska, USA) launched the Arctic Institute for Indigenous Leadership, a yearlong statewide program for young Alaska Native leaders in collaboration with World Jam alumna, Cathy Rexford. The Institute brings together thirty leaders 18-35 years old for two weeklong sessions to build a network, share knowledge, and reflect on best practices in effective social change and community building work. There is emphasis on traditional knowledge and practice, self-reflection, leadership development, and healing as major components of the program.

Kiritapu Allen (Aotearoa/New Zealand) used her funds to assist in organizing “Nice 'n' Native 07”, an event that brought together 30 indigenous peoples (10 international; 20 from the various parts of Aotearoa) committed to making change in their communities and exploring issues of indigenous self-determination. It was the first time that people felt they could be their full selves, where they could take down their shields, reflect and breathe. The gathering lay the foundation for the support group that aided after the police raids on activists in Aotearoa, several of whom were in the gathering. It created a community that helped in attaining justice and their release.

Malika Sanders (Alabama, USA) shared her flow fund with Coumba Toure to work on the Invisible Giants Project. She also gave $1000 to Native Movement, to lay the foundation for a Sustainability Jam. She helped to bring members of Native Movement and people from Mali to a 21st Century Leadership Initiative Camp in July. This was part of an ongoing commitment to build connections between the indigenous, African-American and African communities. In the present day, bringing oppressed communities and peoples of goodwill together, to celebrate differences and find their common interests, will help to turn the tide away from the focus on material wealth acquisition and towards a more spiritually-centered system, which values all life. With Evon Peter and Coumba Toure, Malika led a 7th Generation Exercise, to look at how ancestral history, present-day pains and struggles, and vibrant traditions and values are all linked. The idea was to show how new traditions, based on spiritual values, could emerge through young leadership, in order to re-shape our world.

Motaz Atalla (Egypt) traveled to India to participate in a learning exchange with Shikshantar, a YES! partner organization, of which Shilpa Jain is a co-founder. He was exposed to many ideas for healing the urban environment, especially around growing one’s own food, composting, living a zero-waste lifestyle, and cooking in healthy and communal ways. He returned to Egypt inspired and put together a small gathering of activists to show how little things can make a big difference. Though he had to leave for a year for university abroad, he hoped he laid the seeds for future endeavors when he returns.

Traversing 18,000 miles on the South American continent, with a video camera in hand, Osmar Filho (Brazil) used his Year 1 flow fund to visit all the alumni of the Latin Jam. He recorded their work and lives and interviewed them on how the Jam was supporting them in their struggles. Osmar felt the trip enabled him to gain a better understanding of common problems and solutions facing the continent, and how divide of race, ideology, nationality, sex and religion can be crossed, in order to make deep connections. It was an experience of jumping fences, so that neighbors could talk with, learn from, and share with each other.

Salim Mohammed (Kenya) used a portion of his first year funds to bring a young Brazilian activist, working on ecology and urban issues, to an international conference in Canada. He also used a portion to attend the Community Alliances Initiative meeting in Santa Cruz, CA, which provided a good reflective space for him, during a time of intense crisis in Kenya.

Shilpa Jain (India) used her Year 1 funds to host two Jams in the subcontinent: the Rajasthan Jam, which explored ideas of Swaraj (self-rule) with young activists from around the state, and an intergenerational gathering on ‘Sharing Our Gifts and Privileges for Social Change’. The Rajasthan Jam came together after a month-long journey, visiting young people and organizations around the state and inviting them to participate. The ‘Gifts’ Jam emerged when a diverse group of young people from around India got together to create this unique event. Both Jams addressed a need for reflective space that is severely lacking in the NGO and social movement sector in India.

Tad Hargrave (Canada) used his flow fund to travel to Arizona, USA, and spend several weeks in a learning exchange with Native Movement. As part of his interest and passion for recovering his indigenous Scottish Gaelic roots, he interacted with Navajo and Hopi communities, to learn more about indigenous culture and revitalization. He also put funds towards engaging youth in Nova Scotia who are committed to Gaelic traditions, in supporting their leadership and community projects.

Tiffany Brown (New Mexico, USA) used Year 1 funds to do a learning journey to Aotearoa/NZ spending 3½ weeks with GC member, Kiritapu Allan.  She learned about the Maoris’ grassroots movement for self-determination, which was heightened in response to the government surveillance and detentions.  The experience provided an incredible opportunity to learn about the similarities and differences in the grassroots movements for self-determination in the US and Aotearoa.  As a Black woman, conscious of the history of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movement (US), it was fascinating to witness such a powerful movement in Aotearoa, which has not been institutionalized.  This left questions regarding the pros and cons of non-profit organizations and reminded her of the power of self-organizing. Tiffany participated in protests, family time, beach time, work time, and found it incredible to go to the community of a YES! partner and live in her world.  She felt more connected and better informed about what is balanced, in terms of responsibility to community and context, for partners working with YES!.      

2007-08: Flow Fund Two: 15 members / $3000 each

Coumba Toure (Mali/Senegal) further built on her Invisible Giants project, by hosing a women’s circle in her community. Different generations of women gathered to share experiences; occasionally, it was ‘fishbowl’ style, with men listening in an outer circle on the outside. She also used money to support learning exchanges between Africans on the continent and ones in the Diaspora, bringing several youth from Africa to the 21st Century Leadership Initiative youth camp (coordinated by Malika Sanders, another GC member). Coumba feels there is so much to learn between us, and yet, often, so little space to make those meetings happen because of the resource expenses and the wide divisions. She hopes she has played a role in shrinking the gap.

Evon Peter (Alaska, USA) will be collaborating with Cathy Rexford to host the Traditional Peoples Gathering, which will be held in Fairbanks, Alaska in Spring of 2009. The gathering will bring together 15-20 Alaska Native spiritual and cultural leaders from across the State to build relationships, share knowledge, learn about common and distinct histories, and exchange best practices for revitalizing the use of traditional healing, ceremony, and philosophy. It will be the first gathering of its kind and a unique opportunity to support a growing movement towards the revitalization and use of traditional knowledge. It will be an intergenerational gathering rooted in the traditions.

Ibrahim El Ali (Lebanon/Palestine) used part of his fund to support Saima Gul, a World Jam alumna from Pakistan, to work through a family financial crisis. He used the remainder of his funds to travel to the Middle East Youth Jam in October 2008, in Jordan, to serve as a facilitator there, and to finance the travel of the other two participants from Lebanon.

Kiritapu Allen (Aotearoa/New Zealand) used $1000 to support a young indigenous activist and weaver, Bethany Edmunds, who is committed to making change by weaving together peoples’ history and culture through various mediums such as hip-hop, art and the traditional weaving of a korowai (traditional cloak). She also helped to lay the foundation for a Weaver’s Jam, to bring together indigenous weavers from around the world, who recognize the value of the medium as a form of dialogue. Kiritapu used the remaining funds to help support a project to revitalize a region decimated by chemical dumping.

Malika Sanders (Alabama, USA) used her flow fund to follow-up with the indigenous, African-American, and African youth leadership gatherings. She invited another African delegation to Alabama, and also took a delegation of African-American young people to Arizona for a smaller, more intimate event.

Motaz Atalla (Egypt) used his Year 2 flow fund to finance travel scholarships for participants to the Middle East Youth Leadership Jam, held in Jordan in October 2008. A very small portion was channeled to designing and setting up a website for an Egypt-wide online learning exchange.

Nuttarote Wangwinyoo (Thailand) is using his funds to organize and host a Thai Jam in January 2009. It will connect people who work with the arts and use it as a healing medium. Nutt feels that the arts and bodywork can really help to support people who have lost touch with their own. He hopes the Thai Jam will help people from countries in southeast Asia (Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, etc.) to explore what is really important for their lives, outside of simply ‘work’.

Ocean Robbins (USA) used his flow fund to support a 4-day gathering of ten Jam alumni and like-minded friends from throughout the Middle East.  The gathering, held in December of 2007, led to the visioning and launch of a regional jam in Jordan. The planning meeting was the first time that many of the alumni had sat with diverse people from the region in an intimate space of dialogue and bridge-building, and it generated a lot of hope for a meaningful and impact-full Middle East Youth Leadership Jam. 

Osmar Filho (Brazil) used his Year 2 Flow Fund to finish, edit and subtitle the film he shot last year, “All Aboard Latin Jam”, in which Latin Jammers’ stories are shared with others in South America and around the world. He also will use his funds to take a short film course and have an apprenticeship with a local or international documentary film company, to improve his skills in the area. Osmar feels that filmmaking is a wonderful way to share diverse points of view, change mindsets, open new dialogues, and ultimately build bridges of peace, justice, hope and understanding. He hopes to be part of the growing revolution to put the power of images in the hands of ordinary people, not just experts or directors in Western countries.

Puma Fredy Quispe Singona (Peru) used his funds to launch the building of a community hall in his village of Chinchero, Peru. He had hoped it would be ready in time to use for the World Jam in June 2008, but unfortunately, due to heavy rains and the rising cost of materials, it was not possible. He is still in the process of building this intentionally sustainable space. It will have adobe walls, airy windows and rain catchment mechanisms. Puma dreams the center will be a place for young people to interact, play music, share, dialogue, learn and grow together. He wants to see many gatherings, meetings and Jams happen there, for young people from throughout the community and beyond.

Salim Mohammed (Kenya) used his Year 2 funds to support a young man’s project to bring water for farming in a nearby rural community. This helped the community deal with the intense food shortages it was experiencing. He also enabled a young person from Africa to travel and participate in the gathering that Malika Sanders and Coumba Toure had organized. Lastly, Salim gave a young person in his community funds to run community dialogue meetings in his neighborhood, following the major violence that took place in Kenya this year.

Shilpa Jain (India) has realized that a little money goes a long way. She used her funds to support various Jam alumni over the course of the year: Tenzin Tsundue (India/Tibet) as he launched the Tibet Uprising movement to draw attention to the plight of Tibet before and during the Olympics in Beijing; for Kisha Montgomery (USA) for her healing work across the Bay Area, USA, and Tanzania; for Rana Bilal Ahmed (Pakistan) for a peace and dialogue journey for Pakistanis to come to India; for Enei Begaye and Wahleah Johns (USA) to travel to Denver as their organization, Black Mesa Water Coalition, protested further mining on the Navajo Reservation with the Office of Surface Mining. She supported the participation of Sukhmani Kohli, a theater activist from India to the World Jam in Peru. Shilpa also participated in a learning exchange with fellow GC member Valentina Campos and spend two weeks living la vida dulce in her community in Bolivia, following the GC meeting. Her funds covered her travel to help facilitate the Middle East Jam in Jordan in October. The small amount remaining will be used to co-host workshops on rethinking education with Malika Sanders in Selma, Alabama, early in 2009

Tad Hargrave (Canada) used his flow fund to support indigenous language revitalization. $2000 has gone to Marcus Briggs to support his trip to Aotearoa to spend time with some of the founders of the 'language nest' approach (which pulled the Maori and Hawai'ian languages back from the verge of extinction). The other $1000 went to Black Mesa Water Coalition to help its members travel to Denver to protest additional mining on the Navajo Reservation.

Tiffany Brown (New Mexico, USA) primarily spent her funds to support the leadership and work of people in her local/regional/national community: Yaiva of Native Movement towards the Peace and Balance Project, working with young, low-income folks of color doing art and music; towards a Be Present trainer in support of his leadership; and to Common Fire’s founders Jeff and Kavitha to attend some important regional events (LPSC Jam and Be Present’s June Celebration of the Work).  The act of financially supporting people in the local network was an interesting shift. It made Tiffany see people’s work with different eyes, like what kind of financial need may there be?  And what would it look like to model that with a personal budget?  The experience amplified her connection to generosity with all resources.  A new lens of acting from a place of abundance (and not of scarcity) is one of her greatest learnings this year.

Valentina Campos (Bolivia) used her funds to facilitate a project with midwives in her community. She, with her collective ‘Uywana Wasi’, began her efforts last year, by making a film about midwives using pre-colonial practices for welcoming babies. She also recorded a radio program with midwives, interviewing women talking about their knowledge and experiences. She did all of this without money, but then expand this project further, by starting an herbal garden to assist midwives in their work. Valentina also used some funds for Watanakuys — learning journeys in which she takes a group of young people, who are working with her in the city, to visit rural communities, learn from resident elders and families, and practice cultural affirmation. Lastly, some of her funds went towards launching ‘La Casa de la Totora’. This is with her cooperative, ‘Kunaymana’, which consists of Aymara farmers and artisans from the community of Copacabana. They will be exhibiting traditional crafts made with totora (a kind of reed) and their hand-made totora paper. The funds were used for the inauguration, for building furniture and printing and sending invitations. Afterwards, La Casa opened permanently as a community learning and exchange space.