At the risk of being accused of someone with WCCI envy, I was hoping to share my reflections on my time at the World Conference in Education at Antalya. As a first time attendee of this conference I was immediately aware of a well established culture of diversity and inclusion within this group. Symbol and rituals such as the world flags and the inter faith opening sent a clear message that everyone is welcomed. The Cultural Bazaar, while performing a fundraising function, also highlighted the diversity of the groups represented. The diversity of this group was further reinforced at the conference dinner. I was pleasantly surprised to witness the diversity of national costumes, a stark contrast to other events where delegates adopt a common style of evening wear that provide few insights into their culture.

The other thing feeling that remained with me throughout the conference was the warm nature of the community of delegates. At every break, there was always a smiling face to talk to. On our tractor ride to the inter-faith centre outside Belek, the conversation were animated and filled with laughter. I believe it was the warmth of this community, that made so many people feel comfortable enough to pose freely during the marathon photo shoot at the dinner, perform a local song or act alongside people they had recently met or dance uninhibited to song they were hearing for the first time. A defining moment for me concerning the genuine warmth of this group was the willingness of the delegates to attend the special presentation session created for the group from Nigeria, who arrived on the last day. This is the first time I have seen such empathy exhibited to others. 

I feel that the organizing committee should be congratulated on the way they managed the running of the conference. At many of the conferences I have attended it is easy to spot the Chair of the Organizing Committee. He or she is the one that looks the most stressed out. In Antalya, I saw only smiling faces greeting us at every well structured event. One of the strategies that impressed me most with the organization was the selection of the venue. This was the first time I had attended a conference at a venue with an all inclusive policy. This choice was a great strategy for avoiding over-catering for each day. As an international participant, it was a pleasant feeling not to have to reconcile and convert my daily expenditures based on the currency rate for a particular day. Additionally having all sessions at the same hotel, which backed onto the ocean, allowed me to use the time saved by the absence of a commute, to enjoy a swim between day and evening sessions

Finally I would suggest that one of the most effective conference structures was the strong emphasis on the Special Interest Group (SIG). As a chair of one of the SIGs, I found that this proved to be an excellent way to meet delegates, share ideas and establish new networks. The Monday evening SIG session served as an excellent introduction to WCCI and provided me with a very clear brief on the purpose and expected outcomes for each SIG. The purposeful scheduling of SIG meeting time slots, which did not compete with speaker sessions, provided our SIG with sufficient time to discuss our expectations, clarify our focus and draft a resolution for presentation at the General Meeting on the Thursday. The attendance levels at this meeting reinforced for me the value people saw in the SIG process. As one who was given the opportunity to present our group’s resolution, I felt that this culminating event not only provided some accountability for our SIG but it also was a great forum to acknowledge the work that the group had completed throughout the assembly.

As I mentioned at the outset, this was my first WCCI conference. Given the positive experiences I had, I am confident that I will be attending the 14^th World Conference.  ▲