Recreate More

Cheryl Francisconi and Hector Rodriguez couldn’t be further apart in the world, and yet they couldn’t be closer in how they work to bring people together to make a difference. That’s why the Vallarta Institute has chosen them as the second pair to receive the Vallarta Institute’s Annual 2X2 (Two by Two) Recreate the World Award.

The 2X2 Recreate the World Award comes with a $2,222.22 donation that Cheryl and Hector can designate to one or two non-profit service organizations of their choice. Award receptions are taking place for Cheryl Francisconi on September 23 at Vallarta Institute headquarters in Oakland, CA. Hector Rodriguez will be in Oakland on October 22 to receive his award and a reception is planned to coincide with the next International Conference on Work Teams in Guanajuato, Mexico in July, 2007.

“Both Cheryl and Hector embody the spirit of what we created the award for” says Maurice Monette, principal of The Vallarta Institute. His work/life partner Jeff Jackson continues, “we want to celebrate how any two people, from any two countries, who speak any two languages, coming from any two walks of life can work with others to recreate the world in a way that they could not do by themselves”.

Cheryl is the director of the International Institute for Education’s Leadership Development for Mobilization program. From Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she leads a team of 5 reproductive health leaders from Pakistan, Philippines, India, Nigeria and Ethiopia to develop leaders in the field of reproductive health and family planning.

Hector is the director of the school of Organizational Development at the University of Guanajuato in Mexico. For each of the past 10 years, he and his students have convened an annual conference on how to form better work teams in organizations. The student-run conference attracts 300 to 500 participants from Mexico, and Central and South America.

Cheryl and Hector are receiving the 2006 2X2 Recreate the World Award for no less than two reasons. First, they both share a passion for creating networks of people to tackle some of the most important issues in the world. They both embody the word “empowerment”. Second, both Cheryl and Hector have been highly instrumental in the conception and development of the Vallarta Institute. Hector was part of a dialogue session in Mexico that launched the idea of the Institute. Cheryl, on her part, played a key role encouraging the two principals, Jackson and Monette, to let go of their secure day jobs to dedicate themselves fully to following their dreams to create the Institute.

Hector and Cheryl have not worked together before and have not yet met each other, but they are soul mates. Both are dedicated to making a difference in the world. While Cheryl is helping thousands of men and women in Africa and Asia to receive critical life services, Hector is helping to make sure the work world in Latin America is more sustainable and life-giving for human beings. Both are networkers who inspire people to work together. Both know it takes community to make a difference.

The 2005 recipients of the Vallarta Institute’s 2X2 Recreate the World Award were Patricia Arenas of Havana, Cuba and Diana Whitney of Taos, New Mexico. The two met through the Vallarta Institute and are two of 12 Cuban and US authors that are co-publishing Cultures of Participation at Work in Cuba and the US which will be released by OD Network in October, 2006 in English and in January, 2007 in Spanish. Their award of $2,222.22 was given to the United Religions Initiative to support Hurricane Katrina victims.

The Vallarta Institute (vallartainstitute.com) was created by Jackson and Monette in 2005 to “recreate more of what’s best in the world”. Through the Vallarta Institute, Jackson and Monette invite small groups to enjoy the “living room” of their retreat center in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for week-long Salon conversations on a variety of topics. Salons, hosted by leaders from around the world will be open to the public starting in November, 2006. Other Vallarta Institute services include consulting, facilitation, training, coaching and retreats for work teams, individuals and the community.