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On the day I departed Sydney, things seemed a little weird. The day was hot, but my bags were full of winter clothing. I was heading to the winter climes of Georgia in the Middle East. I dressed for summer but prepared for winter. I was looking forward to the flight as it was my first time flying with Qatar Airways, and they were recently awarded the world’s best airline. I have a few favourites out of all the airlines I have flown with, so I was keen to compare Qatar with the others. The flight from Sydney to Doha is a little under 15 hours. It was the first time I had been on such a long flight in quite a while. A couple of movies and a sleep passed the time before arriving in Doha. After a couple of hours of layover in the transfer, I was off to Tbilisi, Georgia.
A member of the Georgian Deaf Association met me at the airport and took me directly to the hotel where all other WFDYS and WFD delegates were staying. It was really good to see all the board’s new members again. We used some of this greeting time to warm up to each other, knowing that we have four years together in a working relationship to come. Over dinner, we continued getting to know each additional time, discovering more about each other’s backgrounds, skills and interests.
The following day we spent with the WFD board in a training session where we got to know each other and learnt how to represent our respective organisations best fairly and consistently. We carried on some discussions that had begun in France last July, drilling down further to set expectations for each board member. It was a positive session, interjected with some games and activities. One quiz game was called Kahoot, in which players used their smartphones to answer questions to gain points quickly. The game was well-received throughout our training day.
On the second day, the WFDYS board came together to review the elements of our plan achieved in the last period and take a closer look at our action plan for the next four years. Our strategy consists of four main pillars of activity. They are: Collect, Empower, Build and Grow. We spent time closely examining each element to devise how to measure achievements and supplement those tasks to achieve outcomes. We used a strategy called SMART. I was pretty impressed with how well the team got along. The dynamic was evident even in this our first working meeting. We had only just met each other for many, but that was not obvious. Mark and I offered several contextual insights to the new members throughout the day, which helped bring them up to speed. There was also a natural source of enthusiasm and ideas, which kept the discussions lively.
Our meeting was held in a building run by the Deaf association of Georgia, and on the third day, we were joined by a small number of youth. We focused on fun activities, communication, leadership, teamwork skills and how they can become a YOM. Georgia did have a YOM some time ago, but the group collapsed, so we hope that our presence inspired them to have an active association again one day.
By the fourth day, we had spent a few social evenings together and business during the day. The evenings allowed us to let our hair down, switch off, play some crazy games and have fun. Especially fun was a Danish card game called Hygge, a game without rules and based on a way of being, thoughts and asking questions. It brought the group together even more.
Although the evenings mainly were fun, we did have the task of preparing a short seminar where we worked with a member of the WFD board. The seminar was planned for the end of the week and given to a few members of the Deaf community and some government officials. I was paired with the vice president of the WFD, Kasper Bergmann. He has a wealth of experience with developing the CRPD. He knows his stuff! So it was really stepping out of my comfort zone but a great experience. So too, I observed many great pairings of the other board members. Each pair spoke really well and provided examples of how their work or ideas fit with the goals of the WFD and WFDYS on topics like human rights and education. The community learned a lot. One man, who attended the seminars, is the chief advisor to the government on disability. He told us that we were each invited to meet the president of Georgia. Quite a memorable occasion. The advisor prepared us a few hours before the meeting on etiquette and protocol—a great experience.
The next day we wrapped up our meetings with the WFD and WFDYS, and I can’t fully explain how gratifying the week was. The energy was high, the work was productive, and everything was positive. I am looking forward to our next meeting in May 2020.
Aside from the work, Georgia is an exciting place. Eastern European and Asian countries influence the culture and food, but they have their style of dumplings that are pretty delicious. The weather was cold but I was not bothered by that. Products and services seem cheaper than in Australia. Customs such as dancing is influenced by Russia, naturally as Georgia was part of the former Soviet Union. I managed a few short trips to the country’s north for some sightseeing before heading home.
