What does it say about our society when no one understands what you do? What does it say about you?
Its kind-of a funny job title but I get it. I finally get what it means. After 4 years mobilizing knowledge I finally understand what it means to share academic knowledge for the betterment of society. It really has a beautiful underpinning doesn’t it? To share knowledge for the betterment of society. For a better society. To better society. God knows, there are enough problems out there to fix! Homelessness, poverty, violence against women, clean drinking water, HIV, cancer, name your poison. I believe academia is aptly placed to fix those problems. The brightest minds. The Aristotelian children. The onions in the caramelized onion soup (?!). I believe we need knowledge mobilization managers to take that knowledge and put it to work.
For four years I have been working to bring the knowledge of Memorial University of Newfoundland to the people of this great province, and back from the people to the experts. The two-way flow of knowledge, in a reflective circle, to build new and better knowledge. To do what we talk about in theory – creating processes to position academic knowledge to have impact. Putting Memorial’s knowledge to work. At The Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development where I work, we stand on the shoulder of a giant…Dr. Leslie Harris, who stood for all that was good. Dr. Harris was a dazzling writer, blessed with exquisite penmanship. He also had a heart for Newfoundland and Labrador, and as former President of Memorial University, did everything in his power to make the University a change agent. Of all the great things the Harris Centre has done (and we have done tons of great things, informing policy, helping rural communities, changing attitudes, building research programs – come see more at www.mun.ca/harriscentre), we are at our best when we subtly (but effectively) challenge the paradigm. When we force the populous to think in different ways. In fact, as Aristotle said, we all have an obligation to contribute to the state (our chosen society). I believe the Harris Centre is leading a modern day knowledge renaissance, awakening people’s conscience to reflect on the state, and their place in it. To understand what it is to be a citizen in a weird democracy, that often cares more about power than dialogue. To unlock citizenship. (I love the words change agent – there rests the punch in KMb)
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So now in its fifth year, the Harris Centre reaches two roads diverged in a yellow wood. On one road is the blazed path of great things we have accomplished (look no further than www.yaffle.ca - a one of a kind research search engine), on the other is the wild, unbeaten trail ahead. There is so much left to do. So much knowledge to position. I best leave this blog in the hands of Dr. Harris who programs our GPS for the unbeaten path:
“Our history shows us that we are survivors. But, as we think of creating the New Jerusalem for our children, and our children’s children, we must be clear that mere physical survival is not enough…what is more to the point, as we take command of our own economic and social destiny, we must also ensure the survival of civility and of strong cultural traditions that inform a distinct identity; the survival of neighbourliness and of a caring and sharing society; the survival of shared community values of hardihood, and honesty, and independence and hard work; and, the survival of what is a very special Newfoundland characteristic, the ability, even in the hardest of times, to see the funny side of life, and to be ever ready to take up the arms of humour against a sea of troubles…”
There lies the greatest insight of all! Knowledge mobilization (solving all the worlds problems) is serious business. But, relationships between academics and community leaders are not only built on knowledge, they are built on the subtleties of laughter! “But of all the elements that contribute to the warm atmosphere of a good relationship, there is one that seldom gets translated into advice or even therapy, yet is something that everyone desires and most people would like more of: Laughter.” (Marano, 2003).
David Yetman
Photo was taken at UBC by Phillip Jeffrey @NCIE
To cite:
MLA format
Yetman, David, "Knowledge broker stories: Laughter-the secret ingredient in being a change agent." Weblog Entry. Knowledge Mobilization Works Blog. Posted October 30, 2009. Accessed (enter date).
http://bit.ly/4zXoEi
APA format
Yetman, D. Knowledge broker stories: Laughter-the secret ingredient in being a change agent. Retrieved (enter date) from http://www.knowledgemobilization.net [http://bit.ly/4zXoEi]
If you would like to contribute a story to the Knowledge Broker Series, please contact Peter Levesque
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