Power of Imagining & Power of Facilitation

Nilish Sewmar and I co-facilitated the online workshop, “Thinking about Climate Refugees with the Next Generation,” last Thursday as part of the Facilitation Summit of International Association of Facilitators (IAF) . For me, it was yet another opportunity to realise and appreciate the insights of young people and the power of conscious imagination in one’s inner journey of reflection, enabling new ideas and thoughts to emerge. Yes, I had the ORID facilitation method (Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, Decisional levels) in mind, a method I learned from Jo Nelson five years ago online and onsite in Toronto. It remains my favourite—simple yet powerful.

A key moment was the “dream journey” that Nilish led. He began by saying:

“I would now like to take you on a dream journey where you should use your imagination to put yourself, for a brief moment, in the shoes of a person from Somalia. To do this, close your eyes as soon as I say, and empathise with what I am going to read to you. Try to imagine what is before your eyes and feel what the person might feel. The point is to get an idea of their daily life. If your thoughts drift off, don’t worry, just try to bring yourself back into the dream journey.”

With our eyes closed, we began with the image of a typical tent in Somalia, accompanied by the sound of a gentle desert wind. Through Nilish’s words, we glimpsed the life of a child, the eldest of four siblings, whose family was once living in a harsh environment with limited crops and water. The child has not been to school for many years. That sweet home had turned into one of displacement, the family now searching for what they had lost.

Here are some personal insights and reflections from our dialogue that followed the dream journey, assisted by AI ??

• Lack of visibility: We recognised that the issue of climate refugees is not sufficiently addressed in mainstream media. One participant remarked, “I’m not sure we hear enough about climate refugees—we mostly hear about economic or conflict refugees.” This lack of visibility often leads to misconceptions, with many not associating environmental factors with forced displacement.
• Building empathy: Another key aspect of the dialogue was the need to build empathy towards displaced people. One participant asked, “How do you build empathy towards people suffering due to climate-related displacement? How do we address this in a polarised world?” The discussion emphasised the importance of humanising refugees' experiences instead of viewing them as part of a competition for resources.
• Reflecting on personal experience: Participants noted how people in developed countries often fail to recognise the urgency of climate displacement, even within their own borders: “People are not paying attention… this is literally happening right now. Floods… in both developed and developing countries. In the US, people are not receiving enough support; how then can they support incoming refugees?”

☆ This made me reflect on the people in the Noto region of Japan, who were displaced due to an earthquake earlier this year, only to be displaced again by floods from their new temporary homes recently.

• Superficial knowledge: In some regions, students and educators tend to have a superficial understanding of climate refugees: “People are not really seeing… they take it only at face value. Even those studying SDGs don’t seem to care deeply.” This highlights a disconnect between awareness of climate change and its direct human impact, particularly in educational settings.

One of the workshop’s key objectives was to shift the narrative around climate refugees—from viewing them as a burden to recognising their resilience and the trauma they endure. Discussions frequently touched on how society stigmatises refugees and how we can change this perception.

• From competition to empathy: One participant discussed the prevailing notion that refugees compete for limited resources, particularly in countries like the Netherlands, where housing shortages exacerbate tensions: “People think they have to compete for resources… Refugees become an easy target.” This narrative not only dehumanises refugees but also hinders a more compassionate response to their plight.
• Reframing perceptions: Another important point was shifting how refugee stories are told. Instead of viewing them with suspicion or resentment, we need to focus on their strength and trauma. As one participant said, “It’s about moving from ‘you should be grateful’ to ‘it must have been difficult for you’.” By reframing refugee experiences with empathy, we can challenge populist and xenophobic narratives.

One of the most impactful aspects of the workshop was the actionable steps participants committed to taking after gaining new insights. We expressed interest in introducing discussions about climate refugees into their daily environments, such as workplaces and academic settings.

We had five participants in the virtual room, with just three besides the co-facilitators. Initially, there was a slight disappointment at the small number, but this quickly transformed into an appreciation for the intimate dialogue and the bond we developed, thanks to the energy brought by Tanya Nash , Jihyun Lee , and Christine Bell (our amazing tech support turned participant).

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When I first saw the call for proposals for online workshops at the IAF Facilitation Summit earlier this summer, I hesitated. I thought, “Why stress myself when I need a break after experiencing burnout during the first half of the year?” Since becoming certified as a professional facilitator by the IAF in April 2021, I had not been actively engaged in what I considered ‘genuine’ facilitation. While I had lectured and conducted training sessions, these roles didn’t quite feel like true facilitation to me (and they are not). In the end, I’m glad I embraced this opportunity at the Summit and grateful my workshop proposal was selected. Thank you, IAF ??

Tribute to the group of students, including Nilish, who developed the original version of this workshop. I was their ‘client’ earlier this year who suggested the topic of climate refugees, and they did a fantastic job!

Let’s use this workshop more often! I'm available to facilitate it online or onsite, whether in the Netherlands or occasionally in Japan. Nilish, Jihyun, and I have already agreed to work together on holding another online workshop soon for a global audience. Anyone interested to attend?