Activity 1.1 | Arriving as we are

Grounding ourselves and tools for staying connected and in the body during difficult conversations

In this recording from the 2021 Othering & Belonging conference hosted by the Othering & Belonging Institute (OBI) at UC Berkeley, Norma Wong shares a reflective talk blending meditation, ancestral stories, and the concept of interconnectedness, urging collective effort to bridge fractures and foster wholeness for a better world.

john a. powell (who spells his name in lowercase in the belief that we should be "part of the universe, not over it, as capitals signify") is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of civil rights, civil liberties, structural racism, housing, poverty, and democracy.  He is the Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, a research institute that brings together scholars, community advocates, communicators, and policymakers to identify and eliminate the barriers to an inclusive, just, and sustainable society and to create transformative change toward a more equitable world (Othering and Belonging Institute, 2024). On her website, Wong is described as:

a Native Hawaiian and Hakka life-long resident of Hawaiʻi … Wong led teams to negotiate agreements on the munitions cleanup of Kahoʻolawe Island, ceded land revenue for Native Hawaiians, and the return of lands and settlement of land issues for Hawaiian Home Lands. She was active in electoral politics for over thirty years. 

In recent years, Wong has been called back into service to facilitate … conflict between native culture/science and western discovery science … facilitating a path forward through mutual stewardship (Wong, 2024).

As you watch the video, consider how Norma Kawelokū Wong’s practices might support childcare managers and leaders toward holistic models of leadership.
Reference

Othering & Belonging Institute. (2021, April 6). Talk Story and Meditation - Norma Wong [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eiJ6F65UnI