
I've been learning and practising community building as an activist, artist, writer, and organizer my whole life.
I've been part of electoral politics, academic research, civil dissent, community organizing, fundraising, facilitation, and board work.
I publish academic articles about colonial resource extraction in British Columbia, Canada.
I've published three books - one feminist graphic novel and two books of poetry.
I love to write about art, especially weird, erotic, uncomfortable feminist art. I make visual art and give it away.
I believe in radically inclusive governance and courageous, empathic, collective leadership.
I live and thrive in a housing co-operative and I am committed to co-operative organizing and living.
I am comfortable talking about sensitive issues, and I care about how people experience conversation, collaboration, and creativity. I'm a queer, mouthy, compassionate, feminist. Trans women are women.
I engage in reconciliation in an ongoing way. I am always learning, and I am motivated to help other settler-colonial people learn the importance of decolonial labour. Residential schools were genocidal. The Canadian state is built on violence, land theft, and exploitation of people of colour. Settler-colonizers have a lot of work to do.
Above all, I believe that people can and do build a better world every day. Community building is a joyful project.
I work and live on the unceded Syilx territory of the Okanagan Peoples.
I've never met a community connector like Norah. Her facilitation style is expansive and inclusive, not only bringing people in but strengthening our shared commitments as a result.
The presentation was very clear and was specific to our organization. Norah welcomed questions and comments and was thoughtful, professional and clear in her responses.
Norah handled the sensitivity of the topic and issue very well, and I felt that she took this facilitation very seriously, understood the objectives and worked very hard to meet our needs.
Chris Mushumanski, BC Tracking Association
The informed consent session made me think about things I take for granted.
It took me a while to be open to the topic but it was definitely worthwhile and I will incorporate what I learned into my tracking exercises.
Susan Fussell, BC Tracking Association
Norah Bowman is a stimulating, engaging and effective educator and facilitator. I’ve had the pleasure of participating in sessions that she has facilitated where participants have rated her presentations very highly. Norah demonstrates an ability to design and facilitate workshops that meet the needs of programs and participants. She offers scenarios and conversations that ensure the sessions meet the learning outcomes of the program, and the diverse interests of participants from many sectors.
Norah also has a tremendous capacity to effectively manage coalition building in addressing systemic community issues. She has a unique ability to identify issues, form coalitions of community influencers, and develop ways to bring about community change.
Norah has been an exceptional source of inspiration and collaboration for me. What sets Norah apart is her ability to translate her knowledge into action, actively participating as an activist and a representative of the people, driven by politically-rooted transformative community building.
Norah is an incredible facilitator. She genuinely connects with participants, engaging them in clear, honest dialogue that allows people to overcome their fears and barriers and truly lean into the learning. Her session as part of the Disruptive Leadership program was a participant favourite and elicited comments like, “I didn’t want it to end” and “I could have stayed all day to learn”.
Norah Bowman's Community Building Blog
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