As the Joburg CBD 2023 workshop came to an end, the final day started with a feedback session that revisited the first day’s task. The participants were asked to reflect on what they had learned and experienced over the past week. The framing of the feedback was initiated in three themes: “What was left and taken with,” “What went well and what could have been better,” and “How the workshop met expectations.”
At the beginning of the session, reflections from the participants were slow to start. Most of them were still a bit shy and tired from the previous days’ work. However, once the framed questions started, responses became clearer. Most feedback was largely positive, with insights shared around fears that had been averted through the process. The organisational team was thanked on a well-organized workshop that made participants feel safe.
Participants also made comments on the success of the tools and methods used during the workshop, as well as the surprising success of how it all came together. However, they noted the challenges of the shortened time period and the limits of such work in the face of bigger issues. A discussion on ethics was covered with the general response of participants generally being a new realization of the complexities in the space and leaving with more accurate questions rather than expected solutions.
To close the workshop, a wonderful braai was organized, with a cultural exchange of boerewors vs. braaied pineapple. During this time, the facilitators reflected on the success of the CBD workshop and the long-lasting impact it will have. The connections made between participants, visitors to the exhibition, and interviewees have had an immediate impact on the work of both 1to1 and ASF-UK. The understandings unpacked through the process have unearthed specific questions and points of departure for the future of the partnership, and of 1to1’s collective work with their Johannesburg-based partners such as SERI, Planact, and ICRC.
Overall, the CBD workshop felt like a success, and the final day brought together all the work done during the week, allowing for a collective reflection and the creation of actionable next steps. The feedback session allowed for the participants to express their thoughts and opinions on the process, leading to improvements for future workshops. The closing braai provided a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange and further connections between participants.
Change by Design Joburg 