Social Justice Camp DC- #SoJuCa

It's been a long time since I've considered Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to be part of a holiday weekend- and this year is no exception. Yesterday, I spent the day on the campus of George Washington University downtown for Social Justice Camp DC, an un-conference which brought together advocates, activists, non-profit leaders, and students around a single topic: social justice. 

The un-conference format maximizes attendee participation. In fact, the topics for the conference sessions are determined that morning, and are run entirely by the participants. Collaboration is key. Conversation is crucial. Networking comes naturally. All of this is done in the hopes that the take-away will be more meaningful than a traditional conference setting. 

The organizers of Social Justice Camp DC did a fantastic job setting the stage of the event for months. I first found out about the Camp at a networking reception in October at the home of Georgetown University social entrepreneurship professor Dr. Sarah Stiles (one of the great and most innovative minds in DC). I've been looking forward to the format, and to meeting fellow participants, since then. 

Leaving the un-conference, however, I had a similar feeling of malaise as I usually do when leaving a traditional conference -- unsure of what I actually learned that was new, innovative, different or (my favorite phrase) game-changing. Although I've come to believe that repetition is crucial, (i.e. asking the same question at different events in different ways by different people) I was looking for the un-conference to be a little different. I'll go as far as saying there was too much collaboration. Too much patting on the back. Not enough dissent. Not enough disagreement. I would have liked to defend why I feel so passionately about my work, and our approach of using social media & new technology to achieve our goals. 

Therefore, my only suggestion to future un-conference organizers of similar issues is that they make a conscious effort to reach out to "the other side" and get a wide range of opinions in the room. Make those of us who came together wanting to be together sit next to and discuss with someone who really doesn't. In the end, that's where the strongest results will come from. 

Here's a list of the conference sessions that we came up with yesterday. I led a discussion in the morning on how Social Media is Changing Engagement. 

For more information on Social Justice Camp DC, visit www.socialjusticecamp.org/dc and follow @SocJustCampDC on Twitter.