Wor/ds (blog)

This documentary is the outcome of a collaborative work between my university BUas with Fiocruz, UFF , The Observatory of Sustainable Territories and the Forum das Communidades Tradicionais. Together we created a powerful narrative to share. In the Atlantic Rainforest of Brasil, Indigenous, Caiçara and Quilombola communities fight together to preserve their culture and territory.

This documentary, created by our partners—the Brazilian youth themselves—follows their journey from individuals to a collective force, demonstrating how their joint efforts foster empowerment and protagonism. Using participatory methods like the Innovation Games and design thinking, the film highlights how local interventions create ripple effects in environmental sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and social equity. It showcases how youth-led initiatives are shaping a more resilient and sustainable future by valuing local culture, creating jobs in non-urban areas, and maintaining strong connections to their communities. For nearly ten years, Breda University of Applied Sciences has partnered with these youth and the Silva Jardim

These workshops on systemic leadership were offered to the managers from the ministries of the Netherlands – as part of the – Zomer Programma at ABD. See the description below:   Can you craft powerful questions that lead to impactful discussions? Are you skilled in reframing topics to captivate your audience’s attention? How about navigating the intriguing terrain of uncertainty? Do you deny, accept, or embrace the unknown? Have you discovered the potential of uncertainty as ground for innovation? Join this interactive workshop rooted in the principles of Design Thinking and Social Construction. These approaches, when combined, offer a framework

This interactive workshop focuses on the power of systemic leadership. The first part delves into conceptual aspects, during which I share transformative principles inspired by ‘Bem Viver,’ a systemic cosmovision rooted in Indigenous wisdom that celebrates interconnectedness and holistic inclusion. Together, we challenge conventional paradigms and embrace a systemic, integral, and relational approach to leadership, paving the way for a harmonious and sustainable future. The second part is more applied, where I invite participants to engage in exercises exploring core skills for navigating complex systems with grace and efficacy.

We recently had a meaningful meeting with the traditional communities of Bocaina, in Brazil’s coastal region of the Atlantic forest. We discussed the premiere of our upcoming documentary and the continuation of our partnership. Breda University – Buas –  has been fostering a partnership with these communities through the support of the Observatory of Sustainable and Healthy Territories (OTSS) and the Forum of Traditional Communities. One of the outcomes of this partnership is a documentary that explores the intertwined relationship between nature and culture. Our hope is that this film will spark inspiration and encourage us all to rethink our

Sheila McNamee and I were invited to record a conversation about Design Thinking and Social construction as part of the EMCC – Global Coaching Seminars. Coaches in training will learn from our innovative framework on research as intervention. Watch here the presentation:  

One approach to designing our global future together involves connecting to a network of cross-cultures and cross-borders, inspiring individuals to comprehend and to embrace the diversity of the world and its knowledge. By doing that we engage participants, create a community of learning and thus co-create inclusive solutions for various matters. Over two days, participants from Breda University and the University of São Paulo collaborated in a hybrid setting, leveraging their international mindset, fostering cross-cultural exchange, and promoting transdisciplinarity to tackle pressing, complex issues. The design sprint had as a general topic:  Glocalization: Bridging Global Issues with Local Solutions and

  #WE COMMIT United Nation Civil Society Manifesto for Nairobi, Kenya. Embarking on a Natural Experimentation Journey of Learning in Parelheiros, São Paulo, Brasil United Nation Civil Society conference: our manifesto of commitment The UN Civil Society Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, is collecting experiences from all of the world related to our commitment to a brighter future to the planet. Our team – Breda University, University of São Paulo, Federal University of São Carlos and some artists and entrepreneurs – made our commitment. We got immersed for a weekend in the nature of Parelheiros, a  region in southern São Paulo

This interactive workshop discussed  the principles of the Constructionist-Design Research framework,  a transformative approach that integrates the theory of social construction with the powerful tools of design thinking. The workshop presented the Constructionist Design Process, providing a structured framework for fostering creativity, transformation, and innovation. Experience an interactive workshop divided into two essential segments. The first segment delved into conceptual aspects, introducing a relational theory of systems. The second segment offered a hands-on, practical experience, allowing participants to apply the concepts in their unique contexts.  Participants engaged and  expanded their perspectives, learning some tools to drive meaningful transformations in their professional

Small video about our ideas and practices on education at Performatory – a specialization on social innovation. Click here to watch our video

Our TDM Master students embarked on an inspiring research expedition to immerse themselves in the world of research methodologies, directly engaging with “the real world out there”. Their destination: the vibrant city of Amsterdam. This field trip was designed to provide students with a unique learning experience that extends beyond the confines of a traditional classroom, fostering a direct connection with real-life issues. We kicked off the day with a visit at the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam – MRA. Our hosts gave us a great overview of the positive and negative effects of tourism as well as the goals of

With such a world in flux, how can we engage with places, people, and systems to generate relevant resources, practices, and knowledge, thereby fostering a flourishing society? To tackle this pivotal question, a new logic needs to be adopted, a paradigm that embraces the dynamic, diverse, and uncertain world in which we live. If we aspire to innovate in systems, we need more creativity, an abundance of imagination, and methodological innovations that can generate both novel practices as well as new theoretical insights. This is just a six weeks course on Social Construction and relational approaches.  Learn more at: https://www.taosinstitute.net/education/workshops-courses/introduction-to-social-construction

Have you ever wondered what happens when you connect knowledge from academia with the cosmovision of traditional communities? Or when you connect students from different countries to work with indigenous and quilombola youth? At the “Faces of Bocaina” project, we’re on a journey to find out . We are experimenting with education that trusts the process as it unfolds, paying attention to the co-creation of knowledge and how learning happens in interactions and relationships. We spent two weeks amidst the lands of the Guaranis Mbya, Quilombolas, and Caiçaras in the Atlantic Region of Rio de Janeiro/São Paulo (Bocaina Region). We were

Uganda: A Global Learning Journey Designing Impactful Futures   This academic holiday has been an enriching journey of collaboration, growth, and heartfelt connections. I embarked on a learning journey in Uganda that transcends borders and expertise. Team Together, a non-profit organization of which I am a board member, invited collaborators from diverse corners of the world to join us in our work in Uganda. For ten days, we immersed ourselves in collaboration, co-designing solutions alongside the NGOs and the communities they serve. Since 2014, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with an NGO called Hope for Youth – H4YU, nestled

Design Thinking naar toekomstscenario’s voor complexe locaties Creative training and facilitation at the Municipality of Zaanstad, known as the Gemeente Zaanstad. The group included social workers, urban designers, and strategists. Together, we delved into the challenges of the region using the Constructionist-Design Framework, which was inspired by my latest book(https://designingconversations.us/design-thinking-e-social-construction/) . Around 20 participants engaged with the topic of “How can  Design Thinking  approach impact the Olan factory and how can we come up with some ideas and translate that into an innovative action for this place” . The goal of the exercise was to use design thinking and the

More than ever the world needs a relational approach!
I have published at the The Taos institute Newsletter some ideas connecting the concepts of Social Constructionism with our challenging times.

More than ever the world needs a relational approach!
I have published at the The Taos institute Newsletter some ideas connecting the concepts of Social Constructionism with our challenging times.

More than ever the world needs a relational approach!
I have published at the The Taos institute Newsletter some ideas connecting the concepts of Social Constructionism with our challenging times.

In this podcast I share some ideas on the potential of dialogue, learning processes, design and social change.

More than ever the world needs a relational approach!
I have published at the The Taos institute Newsletter some ideas connecting the concepts of Social Constructionism with our challenging times.

More than ever the world needs a relational approach!
I have published at the The Taos institute Newsletter some ideas connecting the concepts of Social Constructionism with our challenging times.

In this course, together with my colleague Ken Gergen, we discuss relational theory and practice. This course taps on the shift from the traditional focus on individuals to the relational processes that are co-produced. This 6-week online course introduces common premises and orienting ideas central to relational theory. The course consists of six modules with online conference meetings, readings, videos and online dialogues. On the first call the conceptual framework of relational theory will be developed. This will be followed by five additional conference calls to explore the material from each module. During the week, participants will be asked to

When can we say a leader has a Global Thinking? If your team leader has travelled to several countries is he/she a global thinker? If you work for an international organization do you have the global thinking? If your company has a foothold in several countries, is it a global company? What does it mean to be a global company? Must the company have products and processes that are consistent with the culture and values of each country? The questions above do not have one simple answer as Global Thinking is quite a complex topic. It is also a trendy

Embracing the assumption that all research is relational enables the researcher to be more present and attentive to the research process, paying attention to what the context urges and offers, and to what participants need. In  relational research, the plurality of voices are fundamental to produce knowledge that can be useful and transformative.

I am very excited to announce the launch of the new The Sage Handbook of Social Constructionist Practices. After three years of hard work and 60 chapters complete, this new book offers a major review of social construction showcasing showcases the latest theory and application across a range of disciplines. The sections of the book hold the topics of Research Practices; Practices in Therapeutic Professions; Practices in Organizational Development; Practices in Education; Practices in Healthcare; Community Practices. The focus in each chapter is on real-world practice in addition to theoretical work, thus making it useful for advanced students, scholars, and practitioners

Internacional Seminar on Environmental Sciences / Seminário Internacional em Ciências do Meio Ambiente, Universidade Veiga de Almeida, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. In this symposium I present together with Cleiton Ferreira, the founder of Quilombaque an NGO situated in Perus, a neighborhood on the outskirts of São Paulo. We present the the fieldwork activities that we do together every year, bringing community and students together to co-create sustainable destination. It serves as an illustration of how tourism and leisure can create a sense of place while at the same time increasing the livability of the region/destination.  Furthermore, the partnership between Universities,

Strategic Placemaking – How to design places and spaces that promote a sense of belonging and connect people in communities? Prototypes were created based on interaction with the locals of Breda, showing elements that are most important and relevant to innovate in their neighboorhoods. We end our module with successful presentations, each of them with their own challenges and potentials.  The course now will head into implement these ideas with the community, promoting more quality of places and consequently quality of relationships and quality of life.

With the grant of Erasmus Program of Scholars Exchange I had the opportunity to spend a week at the University in Leiria teaching and facilitating workshops.   One of the workshops was called “Designing Research: Innovative approaches to research”in which Masters in International Business were learning aboutinnovative approaches that unfolds from Social Constructionist principles. By presenting examples of collaborative, relational and participatory research practices, students learned some innovative research methods that has the potential to generate transformative practices. My host was professor Tania Marques and together we are envisioning further collaboration between our universities, specially in the field of Leadership.

Innovation Games in Brazil – an immersive program for social impact in the region of Rio de Janeiro.

Is it possible to generate social impact in community/organization through playing? A big YES is what the methodology of Innovation Games has to say. Twenty-five youngsters of a region called Silva Jardim, close to Rio de Janeiro-Brazil came together to spend five days playing with collaborative methodologies while solving four challenges defined by local actors of the region. The challenges were all related to Placemaking – making their communities  a livable place to live while attracting visitors. The participants wanted to find ways in which the preservation of the local nature is guaranteed while promoting some entrepreneurship in the region. In order to

This interdisciplinary field has been investigated by researchers at the Breda University of Applied Sciences. Together with research, a course is given to students where they learn concepts and resources to make places a better more liveable while at the same time increasing the potential to become a destination. Furthermore fieldwork takes place where international challenges are set up for students to work together with local  communities. The PlaceMaking Shaping Destination field trip 2018 brought 44 students from the Netherlands for a challenge in Brazil. The challenge was:   “How to facilitate the sustainable development of two different destinations in

Innovation Games in Brazil! A workshop at the Dutch Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, presented innovation games and the community Silva Jardim where we will playing in April 2019 to develop youth entrepreneurship.   Through Innovation Games, we are inviting business to become Social Ambassadors, enabling communities with high energy and great initiatives to thrive. Together they can learn from each other, tap into their collective creativity and therefore florish on both sides. It was great to facilitate the workshop together with Mariette Huizinga from StudioWhy, presenting the concept of innovation Games, showing its relevance and inviting the participants to join

Event: World Leisure Organization Field School August 24th until 1 September 2018. This was a one week project organized by the World Leisure Organization that combines a field work experience with the international congress that happens every two years. 2018 was the turn of Brazil and the field school happened in the outskirts of the large city São Paulo, called Perus.  Perus is a poor community that suffers from lack of governemental attention, black youth genocity and threat of indigeouns displacement. Despite of that, there is a creative group working together to resist and to transform the community into a

The 2nd Global Conference on Positive Change, happened in Amsterdam during the 15th – 16th November, 2018 and I was invited to present on the topic of: “Organization as conversations: positive change through art and play”. Arts-based approach is a well establish method that involvesphotovoice, storytelling, pictures and visuals. By embracing such methods, from the field of arts, one can enable powerful narratives that go beyond rational linguistic representation, thereby amplifying stories and providing a more complex view of a situation. As a consequence new organizational realities are to be engineered, catalyzing the potentials of the conversation and heading into

I feel so privileged to be part of a collaboration between the Dominican University in Chicago, USA and the NGO HENU (Health Nest Uganda) in Entebbe, Uganda. I was invited to join the planning research team by bringing my designing research expertise into the field work in Uganda. As Kristin Bodiford my friend and colleague at the Taos Institute was preparing for the field work of her students in a course on Community Based Participatory Research, she consulted me on research strategies to collect lived experiences of health services based upon shared stories of older persons and dialogues with health services

Students from  Breda University of Applied Sciences partner with UNIRIO November 27 – December 12, 2017 Text translated from www.unirio.br. To read the original article, please click here. For three weeks, 19 students from the Breda University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands will be working on sustainable tourism, developed in partnership with UNIRIO. From the day of arrival, November 27 until December 12, when they will return to the Netherlands, several activities will be carried out under the coordination of the UNIRIO professor Michelle Sampaio (responsible for the discipline Sustainable Development). One of the most expected actions by students is the one

Place Making Shaping Destination in Brazil November 20 – 23, 2017 From November 20th to 23rd, I, on behalf of Place Making Shaping Destination Minor and the SER office (Strategy, Education and Research) organized a conference on Making and Shaping Destinations in Brazil at  Breda University of Applied Sciences. During this conference, questions such as How to develop sustainable cities? And how to balance urban and nature? were answered. Brazilian scholars and professionals working with Brazil conducted guest lectures and round table meetings during the Brazilian Week in Breda. Topics such as Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, Branding, Digital Technologies, Sustainable Developments, Art, Culture and Education

Guest Lecture – Cathy Salit (CEO, Performance of a Lifetime) November 2017 I love teaching the course “Team Performance and Creative Leadership“. This course is offered to the international master students of Tourism Destination Management and together with my colleague Wesley Put we bring many tools and resources to help young professionals to perform better in teams, to learn a more relational way to lead and also to become the professional that the 21st century needs. Last week we had a very special guest with us (digitally) : Cathy Salit. She is the CEO of Performance of a Lifetime, an

Culture, Sustainability, and Place: Innovative Approaches for Tourism Development 11 to 13 October 2017 Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal   Overview:  The United Nations has designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. In this context, this conference will explore the place and roles of culture within sustainable tourism and local sustainable development. The conference follows from transdisciplinary work on investigating cultural sustainability across Europe and other international efforts to highlight and understand the roles of culture in sustainable development, and to develop and strengthen our cultural bridges to nature. It aims to bring together

Brief Encounters with the Taos Institute August 2017 Reflection on… Social Construction: Premises and Practices – Working within the Global Context Visit the taos newsletter: http://www.taosinstitute.net/the-taos-institute-newsletter Read the full story:  http://www.taosinstitute.net/Websites/taos/files/Content/5695186/2017-8_Brief_Encounter_-_Celiane_Camargo_-_online.pdf

Social Construction: Premises and Practices Tue, September 5, 2017  through Mon, October 23, 2017 A Taos Institute Online Course – Fall 2017 Dates: September 5 through October 23, 2017  (A 6-Week Online Course) Facilitators: Celiane Camargo-Borges, Ph.D. and Dawn Dole, MSOD, M.Ed. Description: This 6-week online course introduces common premises and orienting ideas central to dialogues on social construction. The ways in which constructionist ideas differ from traditional, realist understandings of the world are explored. The course will consist of six modules with readings, videos and online dialogues via text chat groups. The course is facilitated by Taos Associate, Celiane Camargo Borges,

CELIANE CAMARGO BORGES, IMAGINEERING – SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM – COLLECTIVE CREATIVITY – EDUCATION, DESIGNING FOR LEARNING (NHTV BREDA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES) Talk #2: Relational Technology My talk will offer alternative ways of looking at learning processes, specially collaborative methodology, which is more suited for the new demands of the 21st century, an era in which the global landscape, internationalization and the technology revolution are reshaping the educational landscape. In this context students have to be prepared not just to learn the content of the field but also in mastering a portfolio of fundamental competences. Technology can help with innovation in

This course on  Soft Technology,  is about providing relational and interactive tools for teachers and facilitatores to use in education. In this specific course, I was invited by Ocean Samsung lab, to work with professors from the State University of the Amazonas, management as well as teachers from the public school in the city of Manaus. The focus was on  active methodologies to promote engagement in learning. As an outcome of this event, a network of professionals interested in more relational forms of learning will be formed in order to gather together  ideas and exchange expertise. In case you can

Toolkit for Design Research & Interventions is a  publication with a collection of tools and methods for innovative research and/or interventions. It is a collective effort of Breda University colleagues working with such design research methods and innovative tools for interventions. This little book, in combination with the matching, has the aim to help students as well as professionals interested in expanding their resources when working in a research or in a project, using interactive approaches in which communication, collective creativity and co-creation can be triggered. The selection was inspired by the Imagineering design approach, which is also introduced and

Research project NUFFIC-CAPES NHTV-UFPE Brazil and The Netherlands united in research and practice NHTV and the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) have been research partners for already six years through the NUFFIC/CAPES projects. The last two years the group is engaged with the umbrella topic: “Creative Economy in Tourism, Culture, Sustainability and Destination Identity: a study on Northeastern Brazil based on the Dutch experience”. This research project has an integrated research agenda based on an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach and on exchange of scholars and students. This month, NHTV is receiving three Brazilian professors from this project: Lilian Wanderley,  Debora

International Conference –  Performing the World, New York City   I had the privilege to attend the International conference Performing the World in New York City last September. The event gathered professionals and practitioners from all of the world, such as performers and performance scholars, psychologists and social workers, physicians and nurses, educators and youth workers, community organizers and activists, and all others for whom performance offers a new kind of tool in their human development, community building and political organizing work. I was invited to present two workshops: one on research entitled “Collaborative and Participatory Research to Create New

THE KNOWLEDGE BOX   October 7th 2016 (Starting at 3 P.M.) NHTV and Performatory would like to invite you to the Knowledge Box. An inspiring set of presentations within the program of Drive In Festival, an event which has its backbone in social innovation. This is the line- up for the Knowledge Box: Celiane Camargo-Borges ‘ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCES’ Marisa de Brito ‘THE FUTURE OF EVENTS’ Marianne Dagevos ‘TAKE BACK THE ECONOMY’ Evert Jan van Hasselt ‘DIFFERENT LEVELS IN CO-CREATION’ Download brochure for more information here: knowledgebox http://drivein.performatory.nl/

Brazil Encounters Topic: Innovative research designs : what are we really talking about? On the 6th September 2016 a workshop was given in Breda by two PhD researchers from The University of Sao Paulo Brasil. In this workshop, different ways to look at research were explored. The facilitators asked the question: What counts as innovation, and for whom? The workshop emphasized specific ways of innovating, which is not about creating something entirely new, but rather making new connections among elements there are already there. The facilitators called the attention on how these new connections can be accomplished by means of

Science as future forming – research shaping the future! Oct. 19-20 2016  Facilitators:  Celiane Camargo-Borges, Ph.D. &   Astrid Frischknecht M.A.   Download brochure for more information here: workshop in Zurich Registration: lisa.lenherr@aeb.ch

This July 2016 I had the pleasure to sit on a committee of three PhD defenses at the University of Twente, connected to the Taos Institute. The three candidates were promoted by professor Celeste Wilderom from the Twente University and professor Sheila McNamee and professor Sally St. George from the Taos Institute.  After the defense we had a great celebration all together. Congratulations to: Dr. Shelly Bonnah; Dr.  Kelly Swauger; Dr. John Lafayette Granger Coppola They successfully defended their dissertations the last 14th and 15th of July of 2016. For more pics click here  

When I think of the Amazon, I always think of this gigantic rain forest which is one of the world’s greatest natural resources we have. Because its vegetation continuously recycles carbon dioxide into oxygen, it has been described as the “Lungs of our Planet” having about 20% of earth’s oxygen being produced there. I also think of its indigenous people, living in the depths of the amazon rain forest with no contact with outside world, even though learning about some tribes in at risk of extinction from disease and land loss where Illegal loggers and cattle ranchers are invading their

Social Construction: Premises and Practices  Oct. 31 – Dec. 12 (A 6 – Week Online Course) Facilitators:  Celiane Camargo-Borges, Ph.D. &   Dawn Dole, MSOD, M.Ed. Description: This online course features videos and writings of Ken Gergen, Mary Gergen, Sheila McNamee, Harlene Anderson, Barnett Pearce, John Shotter, Saliha Bava and more. This 6-week online course introduces common premises and orienting ideas central to dialogues on social construction. The ways in which constructionist ideas differ from traditional, realist understandings of the world are explored. The course will consist of six modules with readings, videos and online dialogues via text chat groups. The

Collaborative inquiry: a methodological exploration 29th  & 30th September 2016. VUB, Campus Etterbeek, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.  A TAOS workshop in collaboration with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel         From a social constructionist perspective, research can be seen as a form of social practice that produces a particular kind of knowledge. An important idea thereby is that knowledge – also academic knowledge – is always co-constructed in & through relationships.. This approach on researchhas important implications on the way a research is designed. These two days workshop focuses on social constructionist inquiry and invites the participants to

PERFORMING THE WORLD 2016 September 23-25 2016 New York City   Since 2001, Performing the World is an international gathering to explore & celebrate performance as a catalyst for human and community development and culture change, and thereby, to create a new and more humane world. Read about more the presenters: PresenterBios recreating learning and development Here more info about this Conference:http://www.performingtheworld.org/

Summer International Exchange Programme 2016 Destination Shaping and Experience Design  04th -14th July 2014 Breda, The Netherlands Goals and objectives to build up students’ knowledge and experience on place-making, destination-shaping, and attractions and theme parks management.. to enlighten students with examples of how to turn “customers” to “fans”. to educate student’s about the importance and power of brand management. to develop students’ interpersonal skills and team spirit through international exchange activities. Download brochure here: 2016 Summer course NHTV Read more about this programme: http://www2.ift.edu.mo/summer2016nl/index.php

13th and 14th May 2016 Visiting  Rio de Janeiro  – Brasil While in Rio de Janeiro, our NHTV team had two full days of activities. Friday morning we went to  the Federal Fluminense University UFF – LATEC (laboratory of technology, governance and environment ) for  a meeting with  professor Osvaldo Quelhas, professor Marcelo Meirino and professor Sergio França. Besides having a large experience in system management and people management, innovation and sustainability Latec has a large number of MBA education (http://www.latec.uff.br/mba/) We discussed about having publications together as well as developing some open courses in which LATEC could offer to their students

12th May 2016 Visiting Co-Viva  São Paulo – Brasil On Thursday, the 12th of May, we spent our day with the team of Co-viva (http://www.co-viva.com/), a consultancy and training agency based in Sao Paulo and working with the Imagineering principles of design and co-creation. The founders are alumina of the Imagineering academy in Breda  – Clara Bianchini and Itamar Olímpio.  Zare Ferragi is another member of the team and has been recently to NHTV giving a workshop on non-violent communication. In the morning we visit their space at Vila Madalena where we discussed how we can collaborate better in developing courses

10th and 11th  May 2016 Visiting USP Ribeirão Preto & Ourofino  – Ribeirão Preto – São Paulo – Brasil We had two great days in Ribeirão Preto visiting the USP University and Ourofino, a Brazilian Company  in the business of agro-sciences and animal care. At the University we had a great meeting with three professors from the Psychology Department: Carla Guanaes-Lorenzi; Clarissa Corradi-Webster and Laula Vilela e Souza. At the meeting we talked about the interface between Leisure, Tourism and Psychology focusing on the knowledge and practices that aims at the wellbeing of individuals and communities. Furthermore, we shared our

09th May 2016 Visiting “Escola Técnica da USP”  – São Paulo – Brasil The “Escola Técnica da USP” (Technical and management School  of USP http://www.usp.br/escolausp/)  was established in August 2012 to provide ongoing training for professors  in management positions as well as to the supporting staff of the University. The training and development processes are offered at a strategic as well as tactical level in order to prepare professionals to handle the dynamic changes demanded by significant changes of the environment in which the University operates as well as to keep the university values. The school has partnership with other universities

03rd  May 2016 Visiting “Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia ” Bahia  – Brasil On the 3rd of May I had the pleasure to visit the Federal University of South Bahia, campus Porto Seguro. This is a young university in Brazil holding a very innovative structure and pedagogical format. The university intends to be developed responding to the current changes in the world being socially, culturally and economically relevant. The curricular organization is in cycles and considers steps and stages of learning and development of the students. The Cycle System offers forms to students to gain more independence on their

Since the begining of 2016 I am a Registered Educator at the National Institute in the Netherlands for the CRKBO . CRKBO (Dutch “Centraal Register Kort Beroepsonderwijs”) CRKBO is the Central Register for Short Vocational Education. Admittance into this register is exclusive to educational institutions and educators that operate within the quality code and regulations set forth by the Dutch government for tax legislation and within the European Union guidelines for quality vocational education. Registration only occurs after an institution successfully passes an audit by an independent body designated by the Dutch government (the CPION – Centrum Post-Initieel Onderwijs, or Center

Conference theme: Social Construction and Design Exploring & Applying Design-Inspired Social Construction in Practice  and  Organizing for XXI century January, 22nd-24th 2016, Madrid, Spain Participation at: Plenary: Panel on Social Construction and Design: “The Design Lens” with Diana Whitney, Sheila McNamee, Celiane Camargo Borges, Luc Verheijen,  Jacob Storch and Luiz Botella. Design facilitators share their ways of understanding and practicing design. Workshop: Camargo-Borges, Celiane & McNamee, Sheila.  Co-creating the Taos Europe through designing research principles.    

The  Second  International Relational Research  Symposium: March 14-15, 2016 Conversations About Relational Research  for Social Transformation. blended/online Symposium – Coordinator of HUB Netherlands More Information

January, 22nd-24th, 2016, in Madrid, Spain. PROGRAM: At the 1st TIE Meeting in October 2014, in Prague, the TI Associates in Europe gathered, focusing first on exploring a theme of shared interest through a seminar on Relational Research, and second, together dreaming about the future of the newborn TIE. In Prague we generated multiple ideas. In this 2nd Meeting of TIE Future Forming in Madrid, our topic for shared inquiry will be Social Construction and Design, and the TIE-Board together with the design process team, have co-created the following agenda: Jan 22nd, Friday (9.00-14.00) Conference: Presentation of Social Constructionism (SC)

I had the chance to add my perspective on research and design in this great book called  “Change Ahead. How research and design are transforming business strategy” by Carola  Verschoor. The author brings great material on the intersection of business strategy, research and design by sharing innovative literature on the topic plus inviting creative professionals to share their own ideas on it. At the end you have a collection of meanings and insights on how to promote change in a more creative, innovative and more importantly inclusive way. Find the book here

  My PhD student Paul Leslie successfully defended his dissertation  last Tuesday, October 13, 2015. Me and Nadine Engels were his Promoters at Vrije Universiteit Brussels. Paul’s research was about narratives of Learning, in which he developed an e-portfolio Approach for collaborative learning. “The portfolio approach to teaching and learning supports the educational practitioner in their lifelong quest for learning. Through the intentional sharing of knowledge and narratives within the practitioner’s overlapping communities of inquiry, all participants in these communities can benefit from each other. “ Congratulations to Paul. To access his dissertation: http://www.taosinstitute.net/paul-leslie1            

Paul Leslie, my PhD student from the TAOS-VUB program just submitted his dissertation, leaving me with a big smile on my face. His defense will be happening in September 2015  at the Vrij Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. It was a pleasure to guide him through this PhD journey. Besides being a great researcher his topic is very appealing to me.  His research focused on the exploration of what he calls The portfolio approach to teaching and learning. The portifolio aims at  supporting  the educational practitioner in their lifelong quest for learning. Through the intentional sharing of knowledge and narratives, all participants

This June 2015, the EURAM conference has happened under the inspiring and provocative title  of “Uncertainty is a great opportunity”.  The conference was hosted at the Kozminski University, Warsaw, Poland. It was a great conference in a great city. I had a wonderful time attending the sessions, presenting a work and exploring the city. My work was part of a Development Working Group (DWG) with the title of Governance, Sustainability, and Emerging Economies.  The session was chaired by professor Lilian Wanderley, from the Brazilian University UFPE (Universidade Federal de Pernambuco), Brazil, a colleague and a friend. She had worked at the NHTV Breda

Today I got the results of the call for “visiting professor in Brazil”. I was granted by Propesp, a government program that invests in students and professionals to go on scientific missions. I will be working in Brazil for two weeks , with professors and students at the Federal University of Pernambuco, in the city of Recife. The grant also aims at establishing stronger collaboration between two universities. I’m very excited to be in Brazil, working with interesting people, co-creating novelties for the field of management, tourism, leisure and social innovation.

For a more explicit process of the research proposal in my Imagineering research class, I facilitated students to work in a group and to create a visual research proposal to visualise their process in conducting a research. I found it more interesting which students were not only learning step by step, however, they were also persuaded by their peers to creatively design their research proposal. At this phase of learning, this activity introduced an atmosphere of an enjoyable research process for the master’s students.

When: 5 – 7 March, 2015 Where: Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium Facilitators: Celiane Camargo-Borges, Ph.D., Jasmina Sermijn, Ph.D. and Gerritt Loots, Ph.D. Please register via Celianeborges@gmail.com

Summer time in Brazil – Paraty – National Historical Monument in Brazil. Beautiful colonial city, considered a National Historical Monument, it preserves until today its countless natural and architectural charms. The historical Center of Paraty, free of cars , travel back in time, where walking has to be done in a leisurely pace due to the irregular rounded cobblestone pavement of its streets. The construction of its old housing and churches reflect a certain style of that time and the mysterious masonry symbols which decorate its walls, lead our imagination back to the old times of Brazil. The prohibition of motorized

This year I was inspired by my Ph.D. student Paul Leslie who is writing a thesis on Narratives of learning using a e-portifolio approach to teach and learn and then I decided to apply some process oriented reflection  at the discipline I teach in the Imagineering Masters. Based on a lifelong learning approach I created an assignment called The Narrative Matrix,  where the students had to develop a matrix of their learning throughout the discipline. A  matrix is a network of lines (in our case, concepts and tools that cross one another to form a series of nodes that interconnect

I have spent this summer to Uganda working with two NGOs: Health Nest Uganda in Enttebe and Hope for Youth Uganda in Mukono. Together with professor Kristin Bodiford from the Dominican University in Chicago (also our collaborator at NHTV) and  the Imagineering Masters alumina Shirley Jane, we developed a project based upon photo-voice and storytelling.  These are methods embrace the perspective that life is multifaceted, polysemic and complex where meaning is always created and re-created. However, even though there are many ways to give meaning to life, sometimes dominant (negative) discourses prevail. Appreciative and strength-based approaches aim at introducing other

Lecture: “Dialogue, Imagination and Co-Creation as Resources of Change” The lecture was given in collaboration with the School of Humanities at Nkumba University, the NGO Health Nest Uganda and Hope for Youth Uganda. Based on my published paper – Social Construction in the context of organization development: Dialogue, Imagination and co-creation as resources of change the lecture focused on offering a relational view on social change. After the theoretical speech given by myself, Kristin Bodiford and Shirley Jane, working groups were formed in order to discuss the concepts given in their local context. some pictures of the event here!

  March 21st – April  25th 2015 Facilitators: Celiane Camargo-Borges, Ph.D. and Dawn Dole, MSOD, M.Ed.,   Description: This online course features videos and writings of Ken Gergen, Mary Gergen, Sheila McNamee, Harlene Anderson, Barnett Pearce, John Shotter, Saliha Bava and more. The live calls will also host guests such Ken Gergen, Sheila McNamess, Mary Gergen, Harlene Anderson in order to provide a first hand experience with the authors from the readings. This 6-week online course introduces common premises and orienting ideas central to dialogues on social construction. The ways in which constructionist ideas differ from traditional, realist understandings of

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Cristiane Ribeiro Costa (CV), Celiane Camargo-Borges (CV) y Anderson Gomes de Souza (CV).
Vol 7, Nº 16 (junio/junho 2014)

Collective experimentation is at the heart of creativity and innovation. At the Imagineering Masters we work in this direction in order to enable the co-creation of sustainable future scenarios. Through our learning-by-doing curriculum, as well as learning-in-context approach we provide environments in which our students can experiment and find innovative ways to deal with contemporary issues. The annual field trip plays an important role in this process, expanding students’ learning through active hands-on experience with the rich resources of the local community. Field trips increase student knowledge and understanding of a subject, adding realism to the topic of study. That

Highly regarded contemporary philosophers will be in Amsterdam for a summit discussing important topics in society such as education, sustainability, healthcare, government, etc, etc. The focus will be the power of thought and dialogue in addressing all these fields. The Netherlands will be taken as the case study to help with the philosophical reflection. And the location will be one of my favorites in Amsterdam – Beurs van Berlage, also the place where Im giving a workshop in July!!!! I’m so much looking forward to this day!!! Check it out: G8 of Philosophy

Using art and fiction in research can be a good mix to produce and spread knowledge to a bigger audience. This recipe can produce meaningful knowledge capable of involving regular people, going beyond the academic group. I believe that this approach is powerful in producing social change, inviting all the community to engage in social change. Patricia Leavy is a sociologist who invest her time and energy developing such approach. Check it out!

The first Czech and Slovak symposium on collaborative and dialogical practices was organized and facilitated by Narativ: group of young psychologists, therapists and students from Brno. „Transgressing borders“was the title of the event and the aim was to establish a platform where local dialogical and collaborative practice can be introduced and discussed. I had the privilege to attend the main guest and co-facilitator, contributing both by a introductory speech on creating participatory spaces and by a workshop on research as social inquiry. Leoš Zatloukal and Pavel Vítek from nearby Olomouc (organization Dalet) introduced their way of coaching that interconnects solution-focused

In my last business trip to Brno, the Narativ group (http://www.narativ.cz/) brought me to the wonderful landscape of South Moravia to taste the local wines. There is nothing more culturally enriching then explore a region with locals. I was there with four Czech people visiting a friend whose’s parents own a winery. The village of Hustopece is full of local wineries, mot of them in the back of family’s houses. Very cozy with a bucolic atmosphere …. But more importantly than learning about the Moravia’s climate (widely continental but with occasional maritme influences when weather patterns blow in from the

A participant of an online course I’m facilitating shared this video with the group. I saw that as a metaphor to think of conversations that matters. From a Constructionist perspective language creates worlds. Going along with that we can think of which voices are invited in when we start a conversation and what kind of worlds we are creating for us and our surroundings. How can we recognize opportunities when they are in front of us and dare to invest in them, creating something interesting and useful and comfortable?   click here to check it out!

The workshop at seatstomeet was a success. We had around twenty participants from seven different countries who joined us for a weekend of serious play on research. Together we investigated possibilities to blurry the borders of research and theory and with a “real” case the participants actively tried many forms of collecting date and making sense of findings. I’m grateful for such a wonderful group and the learning community we created together.   Check it out some pics of the workshop!

There is no “good” experience or “bad” experience, but the way we understand and name the situation will define the label, qualifying it. When naming a situation we are immediately framing a certain meaning. From the meaning a reality will emerge and paths for life. Pleasure and displeasure are a very subjective experience and that will also dependent on the values of the individual experiencing it. Our sense of what is good and bad come from the empowerment of our past experiences. Have you ever tried to re-frame something, to turn displeasure into pleasure?

Check it out! http://www.posgraduando.com/blog/holanda-oferece-bolsa-de-estudos-de-ate-32-mil-euros-para-brasileiros

Sentidos produzidos em grupos comunitários no contexto do Programa de Saúde da Família (2005)