Notes from the 'Innovate Symposium', Brisbane, August 2011

It has taken me a while to absorb everything that was going on at the recent 'Innovate Symposium' organised through Volunteering QLD and held at the Griffith University EcoCentre in Brisbane last month (18-19/08/2011) However, finally I have had time to reflect and can present my thoughts on the Symposium.

My First Impressions

Coming in to the Innovate Symposium, I was not quite sure what to expect. I had been looking forward to attending for months, ever since my friend Ehon (http://ehonchan.com/) who was one of the presenters, had invited me to participate.

Walking through the rainy bush to the EcoCentre at the Griffith University, Nathan Campus was like walking to another space entirely.

It is a lovely building, set in the bush near the main university covered by trees and vegetation. I felt that it was a really nice touch to arrange the symposium there. It somehow illuminated to all the participants, what the organisers wanted us to experience, an un-conference, where all would be possible.





On our arrival, we had to choose two pegs from the tree besides the registration desk that would represent us. During the day we would use these pegs to get to know the fellow participants better. It was a fun way of enhancing networking amongst the symposium attendants.





What stroke me most of the symposium was it's attempt to reintroduce to the minds of the participants the different ways of artistic expression and creativity that can enhance the innovation process.

That in it's turn reminded me that the original word technology derives from Greek and Latin 'techne' meaning the 'art' in a much broader sense as 'skill' or the art that derives from the knowledge of how to do things. It also reminded me that it is only in the last 200 years that we have separated the knowledge as science from the technology, it's practical art (McQuire, 2006).

It was a really welcome effort from the organisers to make us feel, in a practical way, the possibilities the artistic expression can and should be allowed to freely contribute in the innovation process. The artistic expression is a vital part of human creativity and can be applied anywhere, even in business.




The First Day

The first day of the symposium combined listening and learning through Panel talks, World Cafe type discussions and workshops.

We were introduced to several interesting projects, including the Community Gardens in Newcastle, Stratbroke Island Men's Shed project and North Queensland (Ingham) Rainforest Rangers by enthusiastic project leaders. All the experiences mentioned were products of the creative and innovative processes that in a wonderful ways respond to the needs of the members in different communities around Australia.

I could relate to each and everyone of the presented projects and immediately apply the knowledge of their experiences in my own organisation which is currently in the process of developing similar projects. It is really important to build new relationships based on inventive mindset.

I was very intrigued by the talk on the Creative Engagement in Action by Tal Fitzpatrick and also by our house artist Tashka Urban. They had a very practical approach to creativity and showed some very inspiring pictures that demonstrated creative inventiveness in action.

Suddenly, a poem, that was recited woke the historian in me. It was read as a demonstration of a new kind of approach to life as such, namely that 'life is not fair'. As a historian I, immediately, placed the poem solidly in the tradition of the Lutheran work ethics and was struck by the fact that, here, once again, the human memory shows it's shortcomings in failing to remember.

I discussed this with the participant sitting next to me. The question arose, should we forget or remember our history? Is in fact remembering, a way to stop us from innovating as we are naming the known and placing new potentiality in an old framework?

I have recently sat in a seminar on aging where the presenter reminded the listeners that it is only due to the progressive aging of humanity since the last 10000 years, that our technological inventions have come about in the first place. It is only due to the accumulated human knowledge that innovation is possible. Is it only the historian in me that grows frustrated when we blatantly miss a cue or is it something we should carefully think about in the process of innovation?




I chose to participate in Ehon Chan's workshop about the New Media. It was a really fun experience. Especially I enjoyed observing Ehon's wonderful enthusiasm and his thoroughly idealistic way of approaching subjects and issues. We should not be limited by our possible reluctance to learn about the new media. We should just embrace it as human potential.

The Rest of It

The second day of the symposium was spent in workshops on barriers to innovation, personal practice in transforming the barriers and applying design principals to practice.

What I took away from the symposium was the great stories that were shared by both the presenters and the fellow participants. There is a lot of experience that can be shared to aid the innovative process. There also was talk about the concept of 'living on the edge'.

Many of the participants I talked with felt that this has been our lot. Being there, on the edge, just about to fall to the precipice of the new and the unknown. The Symposium really brought forward the fact that 'living on the edge' is a happy place to be instead of the frightening place that we think it is.

Now, after a month, I still think about the Symposium. Suddenly, during a busy day, I stop and visualise the picture that was shown there of a huge war tank artistically covered with a pink knitted quilt. I smile and go about my day ready to continue my 'life on the edge' of it.

Reference:

McQuire (2006) Technology. Theory, Culture & Society, 23 (2-3)


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How to Bake a Finnish Style Layered Party Cake?

Recently I was looking for some pictures to take with me to my holiday to Europe.

I am visiting family and engaging in some compassionate traveling by finding locations that inspire compassion in action.

In some old piles of pictures, I found several that were of the cakes we have made over the years. Most of them have been decorated by my daughter who has an excellent eye for tasteful looking decorations.

I came to think that finding the pictures should mean something. That I should share the art of the Finnish style party cake making with everyone.

In Australia, there is a great variety of styles for cake making. People like them sweet, dry and moist, fruit filled or just plain. One of the most popular cakes in Australia are Lemmingtons, small square sponge cakes covered with chocolate and coconut. They are eaten at every occasions. They are sold for fundraising, too. They are easy to make and do not cost much.

A sponge cake is the base of the Finnish or Scandinavian style layered party cake.

This is my simple recipe for the cake base.

One class full of eggs
One class full of white sugar
One class full of plain flour. I substitute approximately 1/3 of the class with potato flour to make the sponge fluffy.

Beat the eggs and the sugar until it is fluffy and white, add the flour and ster. Bake in a cake tin in 225 celsius temperature for 10-15 minutes

I cut the cake in three layers and moist it with pineapple juice from the crushed pineapple can. I also use the pineapple in the filling.

There is an ongoing discussion going on about the moistening of the cakes. Some people like to use rum, others use milk. I prefer the juice because it gives the cake an edge with it's taste which blends well with anything.

I blend bananas with raspberry jam for filling on top of the pineapple.

There is another ongoing debate about the filling. The most exotic of the Finnish jams is Claud-berry (lakka). Many people like it a lot and use it in their cakes. It is a matter of taste. So everybody should experience with their favorite fillings.

If you like chocolate filling then 'Nutella' and cream is a really tasty variation for a filling. Then I use milk to moisture cake layers.

The most important part of the cake is the decoration. The Finnish cakes are covered with whipped cream and decorated with whatever is available. In Australia we decorate them with exotic fruits.


The first cake pictured in this blog is the birthday cake that has been baked for my younger daughter's 21st birthday in Finland this month. The filling is of caramel and cream and it is decorated with caramel. The two other cakes are some of our Christmas cakes in Australia. They are decorated by my older daughter and add the huge selection of Australian fruits to our Finnish tradition.

Experiment and Enjoy!


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Traveling With Compassion as a Criteria

Many people choose to travel the world in pursuit of great and famous sites and sights. I am much like that, also. But lately just traveling and sightseeing has not really been so attractive to me any more. What I want to do is to be challenged by what I see. I want to be immersed and fully participating in my travels. Otherwise, I feel the time is wasted.

I want to be able to tell a great compassion in action story. I want to be able to see something that really makes me think about what is special about the site where I visit. I also like to ponder about what it represents or how it relates to the transformation of human consciousness.

Many recommended famous places that are perused by visitors in thousands are great historical monuments dedicated to wars, fame and money. Generally, I am less interested in them.

I want to see the places and monuments that reflect compassionate actions. Something that has or is having a continuous effect in the changing human consciousness.

I am quite happy with small deeds. Lot's of small and less noticeable actions combined can contribute to the wellbeing of the humankind in a big way.

In the theory of apprehensive inquiry and strategic questioning it is determined that the questions have to be set up right to produce the desired results. It is better to start from the positive actions than try to fix the negative behavior. The positive strategic positioning will increase the positive result and outcomes.

My new blog at http://www.thecompassionateworldtraveler.blogspot.com/ is my answer to the quest. It records where I have been searching. In the beginning I will go backward in time to the places I have already visited but will also collect new interesting places or stories in preparation for visiting more places.

I hope this will prove to be an enjoyable journey that will enhance our understanding of compassion in action. Please, check it out and enjoy.

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Suomalaisuutta Australiassa monessa sukupolvessa

Artikkeli Toini Toivasesta ja hänen monessa sukupolvessa olevasta perheestään ilmestyi Australian Suomi-lehdessä perjantaina.

Meidänkin perheemme on ollut Toinin ystävä jo viidessä sukupolvessa. Hän oli yksi isoäitini parhaimpia ystäviä, vaikka heillä olikin ikäeroa melkein 20 vuotta. Äitini ja Toini ovat hyviä ystäviä.

Kun muutimme Australiaan 90-luvulla, asuimme Toinin alakerrassa ensimmäiset kuukaudet ja niinpä minunkin tyttärilläni on henkilökohtainen ystävyyssuhde Toinin kanssa. Se on niin vahva, että yksi vanhimman tyttäreni viimeisistä ja tärkeimmistä tehtävistä ennen Suomeen paluumuuttoa oli mennä Toinia tapaamaan ja tutustuttaa hänet uuteen vauvaan.

Suomalaisuus Australiassa on siis säilymässä vaikka se onkin muuttunut omaksi finnejen yhteisöksi, omine kulttuureineen ja käyttäytymissääntöineen. 'Suomalainen" suomalaisten itsensä määritelmänä australialaisten joukossa on tarkkaan rajattu tapa elää ja olla.

Monet niistä 20000 ihmisestä, jotka kuuluvat australian suomalaisten jälkeläisiin eivät ehkä identifoi itseään samalla tavalla, eivätkä siis kuulu joukkoon, ainakaan omasta mielestään. Monet tuntevat olevansa siinä välimaissa. suomalaisten joukossa vierata ja australialaisten joukossa suomalaisia. Toiset ovat 'unohtaneet' suomalaiset sukujuurensa ja mieltävät itsensä täysin australialaisiksi. Monet ehkä miettivät sitä, että missä se raja kulkee?

Kielen säilymiskysymys on tärkeä kriteria kun mietitään missä yhteisössä on mukavinta toimia. Toininkin viidestä sukupolvesta vain hän ja hänen tyttärensä, siis kaksi ensimmäistä sukupolvea puhuu suomea ja loput ovat vieraantuneita etnisestä yhteisöstään ja identifioivat itsensä australialaisiksi, joilla on suomalainen mummu.

Toini on kyllä ihanne suomalaisten mummojen joukossa Australiassa. Hänestä kannattaa ottaa oppia mummouden alalla muidenkin.

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