Intergenerational Weaving II

With Mohini Govender, Adrija Jana and Lilitha Buti, 4 Sept 2025

Image created by Weaving Lab

Summary

This session is part of an ‘intergenerational’ series of action-research conversations in partnership between Weaving Lab and YouthxYouth (YxY). The aim is to move from tokenistic youth representation with adult mentorship into an egalitarian dialogue between global youth activists and adult allies. Sessions focus on live testimony, silent breakout processing, and participatory harvesting. The session’s primary goal was to collectively reflect on and draft an initial set of principles (dos and don’ts) for intergenerational weaving.

The session featured a panel discussion with members of the YouthxYouth team, followed by small-group breakout sessions to generate and then harvest the principles.

Key Learning Points

• Intergenerational Weaving involves: relearning existence in relation, acknowledging that collective well-being depends on interdependence, and requires humility and a willingness to make mistakes. It centers the belief that wisdom flows in all directions
• It is NOT fostered by: Hierarchies, set ideas about roles, and age segregation in systems (e.g., schools, workplaces) all conspire against collaboration. Additionally, unprocessed collective trauma creates barriers between generations
• It is important because: It allows for the powerful synthesis of different experiences and worldviews (using differences to unite rather than divide). It enables young people to lovingly challenge rigid structures and traditional ways of doing things, driving the necessary change. It is a way of remembering and bringing back an ancient, inherent way of relating that has been lost in modern structures

Key Action Points

(the “dos” and “don’ts” of intergenerational weaving)

• DO use Deep listening
• DON’T rush connection, relationships take time
• DO centre humility and admit when you’re wrong
• DON’T Be tokenistic and confuse representation with participation
• DO embrace reciprocity instead of hierarchy
• DONT use exclusive language that creates barriers
• DO co-design from the beginning
• DON’T force consensus or avoid uncomfortable tensions
• DO use inquiry-based learning, where answers are created collectively and nobody is the expert
• DON’T Assume you are all-knowing or possess the only correct answer.

The session concluded with participants committing to intentionally practice one principle from the list within the next week.

Image created from transcript in Wordclouds.com

Knowledge Base Categories: 1) Decolonisation, Equity & Inclusion 2) Weaving Methods