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Every second month, we meet for a virtual group process—a Worldwork session on a pre-selected or spontaneously emerging hot topic. Afterwards, each of us writes from our own experience, guided by a few prompting questions that deepen reflection. There is no right or wrong, and every writer decides what and how much to share. A small editing team then shapes this collective storytelling into an article—so that its multidimensional beauty can be felt on the page.

@poster credits to Cynthia and Patricia

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On 2nd of November, for the second time, WW journalists joined a live event virtually - an Open Forum in Nairobi. At the same time, several WW journalists were on the ground in Nairobi. This hybrid setup let us weave together voices from the room and from around the world into one shared piece.

The Kenyan team chose the theme Colouring outside the Lines.

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1- What was your experience of the GP?

2- Is there a voice / role that you’d like to describe more and deepen?

3- How does it connect to earlier experiences / moments in your life?

4- Has anything shifted for you?

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Thank you online participants for bringing your voices from the UK, Italy, Spain, Poland, Egypt, Thailand ... thank you Philippa and Patricia for facilitating the online participation and Mildred and Cynthia on-site in Nairobi! It was an amazing hybrid flow that a respected the 'local process' and opened up for cross-regional learning on a globally relevant topic.

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Eldership, Wait What ! Am I one of them?

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Eldership, Wait What ! Am I one of them?

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“What I've learnt from the ocean ,Hard to dance and rejoice in the motion
Let the sun have its moment The moon will come
What I've learnt from a soldier Every man is a son to a daughter
And we only remember When we see the blood

Don't grow up on me Keep that backstroke in your Afro
Don't you grow up on me Slow up homie
Don't you grow up on me Keep it OG sipping slowly
Don't you grow up on me
Slow up homie

Don't you show off on me
Don't you grow up on me
Show off on me”

This topic is just triggering, coz it brought back so many memories, and so many edges, i had and others i hadn't gone past them yet.

The most triggering role for me was the Status Quo millennial, I am sorry, but i can’t handle it, why? Coz till now, I can see how they are ruining our revolution narrative, skillfully, it feels like betrayal more than a different point of view.

Betrayed was how I felt going on the streets and hearing the bullets, the tear gas cans, betrayal of a system and of a generation that refused to see anything but its glorified plastic peace. What peace and to what price? We warned them, we didn’t have a plan, we had our ideals, but what happened? What was the point? What rebellion and what to price?

Betrayal is when you see your idols, refusing your right to speak because “they are not sure” so they need to be neutral. Neutral MY ASS I told myself, neutral? With all those bodies? Neutral?

Today I pushed back to genZ about the plan, they might have heard: “you are wrong”, but that's not true, my question was about: “the plan” as in “your heart is enough and it knows the way, the plan”.

This is what we did as millennials back then, we didn't see the help, hiding in plain sight, we didn't need to have a huge 100 pages plan, we needed a clear set of demands, and we needed to see them through.

And what breaks my heart everytime, everytime, is the ghost role of “the system”. I just can’t wrap my head around it, when the question was asked, what is the government? A mix of excitement and anger came to me.

When Peppa spoke about how in her part of the world, elders are not needed, and no one wants to hear them it broke my heart as well, its like i never want to hear this from my parents, and usually dismiss this small voice when they share it, it broke my heart that i was actively breaking their hearts, and many of their generation in the process. I am sorry for that.

The stories, the personal stories- someone mentioned them, and I believe they are leeway in this mess of a system.

I hope I won't grow up on me.

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Jacob Banks - Slow Up (Live at Roundhouse London)

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This was amazing seeing generations (z, millennials, y, x, whatever) getting into a shared google.doc together, in a big conference room in Nairobi and spread over Europe, Egypt, Thailand …to deepen what has happened. Is this not just the way to go? Finding out how we can bring sth new in the world and if it is just a way to write, to speak out, to listen … to connect across continents.

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How do you feel after the Open Forum ?

After the open forum, I feel relieved because I feel I've broken the silence.

Is there a moment / voice / role that you’d like to describe more and deepen?

The voice of the older generation.  I feel we owe the younger generation but they also owe us something that they do not take cognisant of. We've done our best, sacrificed everything to see that they went to school to get the knowledge they're now using to fight us with strongly. Hey, I'm a millennium but I can't raise a voice at my parents nor grandparents because of the situation I am in right now. I have to reaize that I am because of them and I'm their hope for a better tomorrow. Just like in relays, they've passed the baton for me and I have to ensure I pass the baton to you, of which I've faithfully done. Go on son and shine

with it. Make us proud 👏

How does it connect to earlier experiences / moments in your life?

At some point I thought my parents never did a lot that's why we didn't have what other families had. As I grew up I realised that they actually out did themselves to even survive. J lived to appreciate their efforts and ensured that the baton they passed would not fall down but get passed on with pride and confidence.

Has anything shifted for you?

Yes. I am relieved that I have done my best and I no longer blame myself nor anyone for anything.  I'm more aware that I owe myself happiness,  success,  growth , It was a nice session and happy to facilitate it.

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The process felt amazing. I really enjoyed the voices that came up from us all. The intergenerational conflicts that we've had, are also catalysts to bringing us together, forcing us to open our eyes to the same sentiments we share.

The worries that older generations might have had are similar or relatable to the younger generation, even with different bandwidth amongst us, with a fire from the young melting with calm from the older generation.

Towards the end I felt a sense of completion. A cool spot that welcomes all voices to one forum, to understand each other. I loved seeing the world channel unfold!! That was big for me.

Thank you, friends. 😊

Much Love from Nairobi 🇰🇪

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Thank you for this interesting open forum. I understand the strength of those who spoke as Gen Z. We want to be heard, and I'd like this role to express what it wants. We need people who contribute to building useful policies that can rally enthusiasm. How can an alliance between generations develop on this issue that transcends bias? How can we listen and be curious? Resisting any attempt to divide us

Honor the people who lost their lives in the name of a collective ideal that aspires to the common good.

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I take responsibility as a Gen z and Millennial and accept the Eldership from my Grandparents who fought for independence and our freedom from slavery and acknowledge that I need to be part of the process and mourn the death of my fellow comrades here in Kenya who fought for our voices while I was busy being distracted by Capitalism. I take responsibility and don't blame the government all the time but take the responsibility within myself and see how my ancestors wisdom can flow through me. I believe Kenya we are rich and our country is beautiful and in future I look for a Kenya and Africa that will not receive Aid that constantly paralyses my growth to be empowered  and remove the shackles that have been planted to always blame and look up to the government or look for  Aid abroad.

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I felt very moved by this topic from the beginning, I also feel the privilege to be part and witness the process all together across different generations, countries and experiences. Intergenerational conflicts as the name of the topic brings a lot of different declinations in my mind and I was impressed by the power of each voice. About “fighting the silence” I believe that it’s important to also stay with it and to try to go beyond words. Let’s continue to stay together in this and be part of it actively.

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I loved how much care the generations had for each other and how much learning one could from the different roles that came up. I especially loved how a voice from one of the older generations spoke up and said how much they would love to learn from whatever happened in the past so that we can fix this together. What was even more humbling was that this should have been a reminder as to how privileged it is to have so much support from generation to generation to be who we are till date and have a voice that is listened to. It's all touching to see how the different generations came together to fight the silence of the topics that weren't spoken about as well as the pain and how much you need to change to grow together as a generation and it made me appreciate how far we've come and how much there is to look forward to while growing together.

I felt carried and supported by the many beautiful voices that came up and all I could do was embrace the warmth and the calmness that this whole process brought. In a way while fighting the silence I embraced the inner peace that the silence brought to listen to other beautiful voices that came up today and for that I can only express immense gratitude having experienced this today and carry this with me for the rest of my life

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This was an interesting topic of exploration. I have never really seen these intergenerational differences come out so strongly, perhaps because it is not something I had always paid attention to as intergenerational. I have related with different generations from the perspectives of these generations without having to be aware of the terms used to classify these generational boxes. I just feel it's okay to be proud of your generation and rightly express its role, while at the same time not really getting stuck in the box of your generation, and instead extending a friendly arm to understand other generations while remaining authentic to your own.

I think this intergenerational conflict has always been there but has somehow not been given enough attention as something that needed to be addressed with urgency. The accessibility to information from avenues outside mainstream media has made it impossible to continue living in ignorance of the fact that generational differences do matter and need attention, so that we can seek to harmonize these differences for families, communities, nations, and even global communities to experience cohesion in growth and development. I also think the differences are an opportunity for each age group to evolve these generational boxes into something that consciously preserves the state of the human experience for the generations that follow, while also inheriting from the older generation what needs preservation.

I have heard especially from Gen Z, and to a lesser extent millennials, that the older generation should retire from positions of governance and let the younger generation be in charge. I see this as not the right approach to the conflict, because people from all generations, regardless of their position in the scale of generations, are part of the current collective human experience, and therefore they do matter. I think that the idea of needing the older generation out of positions of governance is, in a way, quite immature. It is one thing to know something and an entirely different thing to be able to handle it.

However, in the seminar, we did see the disregard for these generational differences consciously start to dissolve as we worked together to identify points of curiosity and create plans that would allow us, as communities, to progress in the union of different generations.

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-Sleepy and dazed among the midnight time in Southeast Asia

-The Ghost role of surviving and not becoming another version of slavery towards Technocracy and ‘People who control the Narrative’ in their locality so they are Winners of the powers that ‘Were’, But still heavily in the ‘Coloniser’ worldview paradigm. (I always laugh when I think that colon also means large intestine😂) How can we change toward a world that leaders are more caregivers, sensitive wise eldership with empathy and authority to make more power-sharing worldview and lifestyles. Because We Are One

-Labels and names explain differences and also when I read books from across the globe, I feel empathy towards different lives, generations and cultures. No wonder I like to understand dead people more than the living

-I am still with Wednesday energy and mesmerized-in-trance by Edgar Allen Poe’s Poet life in USA during 1809-1849 which is the same time of the greatest Poet of Thailand too “Sunthorn Puu” สุนทรภู่

-Is everything all related or I am in a bit in altered state from Spirits or just listening to my inner voices and is silently contemplating in my good head-space time while listening to the stories from the biggest African DDI community and excited to see familiar faces and new voices

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I really appreciated the different roles in our group process, I could especially feel the role of the elder who is so often grouped with all elders as “you are the older role stopping us moving forward”. No! I was part of the fight for the rights that younger women in the UK now have. We are far from being there, we could have done more, there will always be more to do and we are still fighting. I can share how I fought and what I have learnt but I feel you often forget to ask me. I love learning from the younger generations, witnessing your passion your power and your strength to go on the streets and fight with and for your lives, I am in awe and I feel all the roles in me. I am the young activist and I am also the elder. I want to sit together and learn from each other. I am heartbroken hearing how people have and continue to lose their lives in revolutions fighting against governments, it wakes me up to the seriousness of our conversation…. It’s a life and death situation.

I could feel us deepen our understanding of each others worlds… a deepening in me… how amazing to do this across our different generations, countries, cultures, communities, online and in person. Thank you friends! I feel so grateful we had this opportunity!

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Really interesting to delve in the topic of Intergenerational conflicts, while fighting the silence.

It was a triggering topic for me especially navigating the several Hotspot that came up for me.

I had a cool spot when pepa and gabrysia spoke bringing in the roles of accountability also the view from an older generation that made me reflect on my role in trying  better. it was triggered with the role of the blaming the government and pointing me out in regards to joining in, and felt this as an edge. I got to work on these two roles and moved from my edge to allowing myself to experience but also holding my space of knowing what should happen afterwards.

I got to feel the ghost role of the government and how it was deepened and resonating with what I'm doing, and that made me experience it from another view.

I also appreciated the role of the older generation in regards to what they have done and understanding their limitations, while also opening up to their eldership and a mutual space of sharing and learning.

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To be honest, the whole process work was an interesting experience. Getting to hear people's views actually changes one's perspective of life and mostly on the motion on generational differences. I was made to understand that by the end of the day everyone has gone through that stage in life. I mean sure…different stages come in different shapes and sizes and we have all been through them. It's the circle of life. Something that connects us all. That we're all human. From different perspectives…I could understand that we're all misunderstood in one way or another but what matters is that we communicate.

Explain what we feel and how to move on from there because that is what has saved so many generational differences. We're not different. Quite the contrary. We're one kind…in fact…we're one of a kind.

I got into process work blank as someone’s face when they're pretending they understand the assignment but their brain’s on vacation. Yes. That blank. But shaky feeling that I got because of something I can relate to isn't something you see everyday and so I'm thankful for the Deep Democracy Institute for that.

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I feel like the difference is not because they dont see an issue but rather the older generation is the leave it to God and karma kinda ppo. And rrunning away from facing the issue head on ………but the younger gen is tiredof waiting fr karma and God and doing sth to actually change the injustice.  Its not a problematic gen its just not a quiet n foolishly obedient gen.

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After the open forum, I felt a mix of relief and clarity. Speaking openly about the tensions between generations felt like breaking through a wall that had been there for a long time. The moment I’d like to deepen is the voice of the younger generation asking for action now, not in some distant future. It reminded me of times in my own life when I wished for quicker change but found myself caught between respecting elders and pushing for progress. This connects to earlier experiences of feeling frustrated when older relatives avoided confrontation, choosing patience and faith instead. I now understand that both urgency and wisdom are needed and that one without the other can leave us stuck. What shifted for me today is the recognition that generational labels can sometimes divide us more than unite us. I left with a stronger desire to find common ground, listen deeply, and carry forward the lessons of those before me while also creating space for the energy and courage of those after me.

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I thought the topic didn't affect me, but suddenly, my body reacted with a sharp stomach ache. This topic is affecting me. It's not easy being older. I've always worked with teenagers; I don't think the generations that come after us are any worse (although this phrase is often heard in schools). I love being with young people, and at the same time, I'm older.

Life has just presented me with a challenge: how do I become a grandmother? What is my place? Sometimes I feel like no one sees me, like we, the older people, don't exist.

Deep down, I feel young and deeply connected to the struggles of young people. It's painful that sometimes this isn't seen; it seems like we don't want the same thing, that it's not clear that we're also trying to find the best for the world.

At the same time, I see that we all share a concern for everything that happens around us.

In reality, the phantom role of capitalism (perhaps its voice loomed a little through the government in the open forum?) has us distracted by fighting.

I found this very revealing. It's true, the system is very interested in Gen Z, millennials, boomers, and so on seeing ourselves as something different and not learning from each other.

I was comforted to hear the recognition some people gave to experiences and everything that having lived longer can bring.

All ages together contribute: energy, strength, experience, passion... all of this together can make a difference.

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Hi I am belvin …I have learnt alot today so much that I know I am wiser  now I am going to approach matters differently…matters of my country…of my life and my generation …I don't blame millennials at any point …what I meant is that we are all one and at some point we are all suffering and we all want better we need to work together for a better tomorrow.This forum has been helpful and am thankful to be a part of it thanks for all having me here and treating me like family God bless you.

Has Anything shifted ..

Yes my thinking  has changed my blaming attitude ..because I just realised every generation took part in building what we are now …..

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Amazing and interesting topic to indugle in. I picked up alot from the session and it proved we could all work together towards a concesus. At the moment each generation is placing importance to where they think they are right overlooking opionions from other generations and noticing largely on what is wrong with a particular generation. This loudly screams we only interact with our specific generations on matters that affect us all.I am positive if we allowed ourselves to learn from each and all generations we interact with, not overlooking or invalidating their experiences. It would be a bold move forward for each individual and generation to understand and converge the indiffferences to a common goa

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I am a thief

I take what I need

It is a matter of life and death

It was a matter of life and death

I am a thief

I take from who has enough

I took from who had enough

Now I have enough

I take whatever I can get

The world is made for rich people

The world is made for me

The world was made for me

I take from everybody

No power to the streets

I rule the streets

I rule the world

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On 9 August, for the first time, WW journalists joined a live event virtually: the Open Forum in Nairobi. At the same time, several WW journalists were on the ground in Nairobi. This hybrid setup let us weave together voices from the room and from around the world into one shared piece.

The Kenyan team chose the theme Intergenerational Conflicts—Fighting the Silence, and WW journalists joined in.