New World Pulse Community Circles left me Inspired

I've been fortunate to be a Global Advisory Network Member and Mobilizer for a little over a year now. It has been a joy to help the network learn more about and with the World Pulse Community, and to seek new ways to connect all of us across time, borders, and experiences.

Last month we brought together, for the first time, community leaders and GAN into small circles to have live discussions about key pressing topics. The topics we chose were

(1) Technology & Wellbeing, attended by

Dr. Sadia Javaid - Health Bridge Pakistan (Profiles: World Pulse, LinkedIn)

Simone Lima - Product Leader; What in the Tech Hell? (Profiles: World Pulse, LinkedIn)

Leslie Funk - ERG Operations, Google (Profiles: World Pulse, LinkedIn)

-- AND --

(2) Environment and Sustainability, attended by

Dr. Sadia Javaid - Health Bridge Pakistan (Profiles: World Pulse, LinkedIn)

Linda M. Ryles-Lockley - elockley001@msn.com

A sincere thank you to those who participated!

In the Technology & Wellbeing Circle, we opened with one-word check-ins on everyone's relationship with technology right now. One person described the feeling of standing on rocky water skiis, trying to stay standing, while being pulled by a speedboat at super high speed. Even though I've never been on water skiis, I found I could truly relate to this feeling!

As we talked about the evolution of technology, something jumped out at us. Just a couple decades ago, digital tools and new technologies were designed with the idea of 'disruption,' and to address needs that were not yet being met. At least that was at the forefront of initial discussions, much more often. Many of those in the room got into the tech field because they were attracted to a disruptor mindset rooted in values, hoping to serve the underserved. Somewhere along the way there has been a major shift toward growth for growth's sake. Which left us all asking, who is doing the work of bridging us back to purpose? Can we, collectively as the World Pulse community, help regain that voice?

It was amazing to have people from different geographic areas all in one room, to share their own context. And those navigating different economic conditions. We discussed the very different regulatory philosophies each country has taken on, and how it impacts the people disproportionately.

We also named enforcement as a real gap. Even where guidelines exist on paper, there's often nothing behind them. We discussed how we might contribute, and lead by example, a UN-style approach which is less about penalties, and more about the social pressure and building a shared culture around universal protections.

And if we didn't have enough incentive to spark change already, the financial lens was raised: better technological boundaries lead to better businesses, which support the growth of healthier communities, which leads to better long-term outcomes for all. Making that case in those terms is one practical way to move companies that ethics alone doesn't always reach.

This conversation felt like it was just getting started. The group's clear takeaway was to keep building community advocacy for healthier tech boundaries, together. I look forward to continuing the conversation with continued and new voices!

In the Environment and Sustainability Circle we discussed head on the challenge of multi-generational collaboration in support of environmental initiatives. We highlighted the importance of bringing universities, seniors/elders, and communities into the same room, with a strong preference for in-person connection wherever possible. We uncovered so much value in connecting students with grassroots initiatives so students gain real-world experience while grassroots work gains visibility and support.

We also talked about the power of bite-sized, shared experimentation, where small groups meeting regularly, maybe even weekly, to actually try out one another's sustainability practices together rather than just discussing ideas in the abstract. Perhaps one week, someone learns a way to reduce waste, or makes a small effort to move away from plastic materials.

In that same spirit, we talked about story-driven learning, and the idea blossomed to build future World Pulse Circles around an Initiative or Story Award already shared with all of us on the World Pulse platform. What a great way to bring our stories and initiatives to life in a new light!

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There's so much more we can do together as we continue to connect with one another and build on our collective actions and wisdom.

I'd love to hear thoughts and reactions to our circle discussions, and hope our energy is contagious enough to bring more voices in to the mix. We are planning to schedule (2) two more Community Circles in the coming month. If you have topic ideas and / or would like to participate, please do let me know with a comment or a message directly.

The focus of the World Pulse Community Circles is on peer learning, practical insights, and cross-context exchange. What makes us especially unique, is that we pull together actionable items we can all take home, both as individuals and as a collective, to keep making a positive impact in our network and across the globe. If that's not using technology for wellbeing, I'm not sure what else is! :)