Networking for Well-being (N4W) Jan 2024

The following was written by ChatGPT from a bunch of notes.  The original notes appear further down this page.  I (Elaine) think this is not a bad summary - what do the rest of you reckon? 

N4W, or Networking for Well-being, is a social movement that fosters networking and collaboration for social good. Here's a breakdown of the key points in the notes 

1. Nature of N4W:

   • N4W is not an organization but a social movement.
   • It emphasizes networking to support and work toward social good.
   • Focuses on caring for the well-being of future generations (mokopuna).

2. Major Stands of Activity - Three Strands:

   • Thriving:

     • Involves individual and collective support for mental well-being and collaborative efforts for caring communities.
     • Example: The Seven Plus (7+) network within N4W.

   • AoNZ (Aotearoa New Zealand):

     • Aims to foster the well-being of New Zealand as a nation.
     • Focus areas include poverty, inequity, Te Tiriti, racism, environmental change, and violence against women and children.

   • Networking:

     • Emphasizes the formation of informal and formal networks, groups, and teams.
     • N4W is not an organization but a worldview supporting good citizenship.
     • Provides support for emerging networks and interest groups.

3. N4W's Approach to Collective Well-being:

   • Addresses issues at global, environmental, national, and local levels.
   • Supports individual growth in understanding, adaptation to change, and collaborative efforts.

4. How N4W Works:

   • Operates through networks formed by people with shared interests or purposes.
   • Examples include Seven Plus, Te Reo Plus, Puna Hapori Plus, and N4W Plus networks.
   • Aims to develop direct links with existing networks and organizations with similar goals.

5. Getting Involved:

   • Open events for all.
   • No fees or commitments unless chosen.
   • Active members are encouraged to support N4W in some way.

6. N4W+ (Networking for Well-being Plus):

   • A subgroup that focuses on fostering networking.
   • Involves activities such as promoting N4W, developing communication strategies, supporting emerging networks, and fostering links with other organizations.

7. Wider Goals and Evolution:

   • Evolving into a self-organizing movement rather than a top-down organization.
   • Recognizes the diversity of interests among participants.
   • Aims to strengthen communication technologies, develop purposeful principles, and foster meaningful conversations.

Overall, N4W is about fostering connections, collaboration, and networks to promote well-being at individual, community, and national levels, with a focus on addressing various social issues.

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THE END - the rest of the writing is about editing the above and talking about how it emerged from ChatGPT.  

 

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N4W 2024 is fresh writing I (Elaine) copied N4W2023 and kept some bits and deleted other bit (deleted NOT because they are wrong - but because I wanted a simple 2024 statement - the plan is that the N4W development team tidies up the wording and we end up with one document and either footnotes OR eventually, hyperlinks to details.  Meantime - this is my insight for today (22 Jan)

This draft is especially those who are envisaging the future of N4W and especially, Bron. 

What is N4W? (Whakatauākī would strengthen these ideas - as I see it the ideals of N4W are Māori)

• N4W is a social movement, not an organisation.  It fosters networking as a way of supporting and working toward social good. 
• Social good involves working together (mahi) to care for the well-being of future generations (mokopuna). 
• N4W forms alliances with organisations that promote the social good.  
• N4W fosters fresh organisations and networks that emerge out or our working together
• The idea of "Networking to help each other" has been fundamental to the development of N4W over ten years - a recent critique is that it suggest we each need "help" I think this is an English language problem - perhaps to do with charitable helping related to privilege  
  

 

What ideas underpin N4W? - what are the major stands of activity?

N4W finds it is helpful to think of three strands of activity

• Thriving: "Thriving" refers to individual and collective sharing of ideas that support both mental well-being (brain health for individuals) and working together, collaboratively to foster caring communities.  
• To thrive, both individuals and communities need to be able to address issues that damage or discriminate, or limit the potential of individuals or networks.  
• Seven Plus is an example of a network, within the N4W movement, that is thriving.  3AF and WEA are examples of organisations that promote thriving.
• Volunteering within the community supports thriving, both for the individual and for the community.    
  

• AoNZ:  "AoNZ" refers to fostering the well-being of Aotearoa New Zealand as a nation.   AoNZ promotes meaningful, ongoing discussion and action related to current issues and wicked problems.  It is not party political.  (Wicked problems cannot be solved - they simply need to be re-solved, over and over again.) Current wicked problems that impact on the : 
• Addressing poverty and inequity
• Clarification of the place and role of Te Tiriti - and addressing racism
  
• Environmental change 
• Endemic violence (both physical and verbal) against women and children Note - I admire the ability of Māori to assemble and address questions in ways that resonate and promote higher values. What would happen if women did the same, and assembled to challenge the patriarchy? The request to address the issue would be a request for good men to step up and address the issue.  
  

• Networking: "Networking" refers to the fact that humans assemble in a great variety of informal and formal ways to form organisations, teams, groups, etc. Networks, groups and teams emerge within N4W: this leads to fresh friendships, greater social engagement, the building of trust, all sorts of shared learning - and fresh networks emerge, or groups, or teams.  To clarify:
• N4W is not an organisation or even a network - it is a way of seeing the world - looking toward the long-term future - and supporting god citizenship. It does not control money or keep minutes.  It has no rules - but it has guiding principles related to justice and equity, aroha and etc.
  
• N4W does, however, foster provide social and technical support for emerging networks and interest groups. 
  
• Networks or groups that emerge within N4W create their own guideline into their activities, and where appropriate can handle money and organise their networks as they wish.  
  

 Here endeth my thoughts for teh day - Elaine

 

The following is what I cut out of N4W2023

 

 

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• N4W fosters collective well-being related to issues that global, environmental, national and local - in other words, all spheres.
• For individuals, N4W supports and fosters growth in understanding, the skills of adapting to change, and working together to help each other.  

How does it work, and what does it do? 

• N4W works through its networks.  Networks arise when people with a shared interest or purpose get together to support each other. 
  
• The Seven Plus network (7+) arose when a group of seven people got together to share experiences related to moving out of paid work (some call it retirement, others hate the term).  It has evolved into a network of friends who meet for various activities at various venues on Wednesday mornings.  Those involved spontaneously do other things together at other times.  Seven Plus has supported the evolution of N4W.  
• The Te Reo Plus network (TR+) arose so that those of us who knew very little Māori language could become more confident in taking part in conversations where we could learn more, not only about the language and its pronunciation, but also about the culture.  We have evolved into a network that meets fortnightly on Zoom and where we explore ideas and go together to various local cultural events - and where we each set our own goals about developing our skills and understandings. 
• The Puna Hapori Plus network (PH+) arose from a Savings Pool (PHSP) which has been running for many years.  Some members of (PHSP) have a longstanding interest in the ideals of N4W and have recently formed PH+.  This is easily our least active network - simply because most members are involved in full time work and family commitments - but our ideal is to foster and support alternate economies (such as Timebanks, green dollars, savings pools) and ...  The ideas behind N4W grew, partly, through the work of these people.
• The N4W Plus network (N4W+) has arisen from within 7+.  This is a network of people who foster and care for N4W as a movement.  It is currently working on developing the ideas about N4W and how it can grow and evolve. ** (see the waffle at the end of this Page!)
  

• N4W is working to develop direct links with existing networks, organisations and groups that have similar goals and ways of working.  We do not want to reinvent the wheel.  We link with the wider community through our individual, personal networks: this provides direct access to all sorts of organisations and ideas.  In addition, we are beginning to develop more formal connections with:
  
• The Third Age Foundation (3AF) - through Flourishing and the series of 12 workshops that 7Plus ran during 2022. 
• Workers Educational Authority (WEA) - we see this organisation as being a possible home base for opening up future possibilities. 

How can I get involved and what is entailed? 

• Come along to an event - our published events are open to all.  Or contact us through our email address (sevenplusfg@gmail.com).  If you email us we will make contact with you and figure out where to from here.
• What is entailed is simply: get as involved as you wish, with whatever you wish. There are no fees, no commitments (unless you choose to take on a commitment).  We do expect active members to be active in supporting what we do in some way - but we recognise that people, nowadays, are unable to take on additional commitments - we work together to help each other. 

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More waffle about what N4W+ might be doing .....     

As 7+ has evolved we have seen that people's interests are varied - only some of us are interested, or have the time, to support the development of N4W.  At the start of November, 2023 there are 12 people who belong to 7+ who have an interest in fostering networking and we are currently developing N4W+.   Our work includes such things as * letting our wider communities know about N4W and working with those who are interested to see how they might be involved;  developing ways of sharing information and communicating with each other (including skills in using Zoom, email, blogs, cellphones etc.);  supporting emerging networks (so they can share resources and ideas; fostering links with other community organisation that have similar values and goals; identifying our values and goals etc.; recognising that good things take time and this is NOT a topdown organisation - rather the aims are to do with becoming self-organising - becoming a movement rather than an organisation etc. (See the point about the fact we are evolving!);  strengthening understandings of communication technologies; developing purposeful principles; fostering meaningful conversations; and various other things;  .  . ,  and it extends beyond 7+.  This is our most recent network.  It has arisen from within 7+ and includes others who do not know about it yet.