Values and Principles

At the initial convening of the Canadian Pilot Cohort, a process was facilitated to create and articulate values and principles to guide the work of the CPC. While the dynamic conversation was short, there was an astonishing amount of consensus around the way the cohort wished to guide its work together, and how it wished that work to align with the community engagement work each institution is currently doing. These values were revisited and reaffirmed at a Mid-Cycle Convening in January 2020 and again at the Closing Convening in June 2021.

  • Reciprocity, grounded in respectful process of sharing and give and take without judgement.
  • Reconciliation, owning the discomfort of colonialism, and working towards a future of equal footing, shared power, and partnership.
  • Fun, encouraging enjoyment, celebration, and humour.
  • Courage to commit to values and be advocates for institutional change by ensuring a “brave” space to take action, follow through, and share power of convening with others.
  • Accountability in action, engaging discomfort, and serving as champions and defending this to others.
  • Collaboration based on open communication, trust, working through conflict, ethics, acknowledgement and management of power imbalances, self-awareness, and different pathways toward shared goals.
  • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) as an outcome by questioning who is not present and why, ensuring all voices are heard and valued, and appreciating difference within and across institutions.