History of the Down Under Institute
The first Down Under Institute (DUI) was held in Hamilton, February 2009, hosted by Interactionz in association with Disability Resource Centre Hawkes Bay Trust (DRCHB). This event was inspired through attending the Toronto Summer Institute and experiencing, first hand, the value in providing community with a forum for dialogue around the subjects of inclusion, diversity and community strengthening. It’s envisioned that DUI events will be hosted annually, split two-yearly between Hamilton NZ and venues in Australia – hence the name ‘Down Under’ for this southern hemisphere collaboration.
DUI 2009 in Hamilton, New Zealand, was attended by 120 people from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and USA. Read more
DUI 2010 in Lismore, NSW Australia, was attended by 150 people from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. Read more
DUI 2011, planned for February, was cancelled in Dec 2010 due to low registrations, pointing to the global recession still hitting hard particularly in community sectors.
DUI 2012 is planned to be hosted in Sydney, Australia.
DUI Community: The most important part of the Down Under Institute is the community created while participants are together. Like any community, it takes many people in a wide variety of roles to help it thrive. Cultural advisers and others facilitate cultural contributions throughout the event. Many people contribute as facilitators, reflecting their unique gifts, skills, passions, and experiences. There are an array of hosts to offer hospitality. Leadership comes from throughout the room; responsibilities of management are clear to ensure the event runs smoothly. It is expected that everyone present contributes to the ceremonies, the conversations, and to the ultimate success of DUI. This makes DUI unique – as much a learning forum as a conference, with a difference that has the potential for significant personal and professional ‘shift’.
DUI Format: Down Under Institute is quite a different learning experience. While there are some themes, practices and content introduced and facilitated by key contributors, much of the content unfolds as a result of conversations that the community has throughout the week. As a participant, there are daily opportunities to choose area(s) to focus on, to deepen understanding and personal practices. DUI embraces the knowledge and collective wisdom of all participants. This happens through contributing stories, questions, thoughts and aspirations. There are a variety of learning forums and processes used throughout the week to invite and facilitate this sharing of knowledge.
