Evaluation Via a Form

Responses to Prepared Statements
The evaluation form contained 8 statements. The participants were asked to respond to these statements. They were given five choices for each of the five statements: “Strongly Disagree”, “Disagree”, “Neutral”, “Agree”, and “Strongly Agree”. As of August 20, 2011, we received 25 completed forms from the participants. The responses were converted to percentages of the numbers of responses for each statement. The following is a summary of the responses for the eight statements:

  1. “The conference met my expectation and I am satisfied”: 48% responded “Agree” and 52% “Strongly Agree” comprising a unanimity of agreement to the statement.
  2. “The conference helped me in globalizing my mind”: 20% “Neutral” responses, 44% “Agree” and 36% “Strongly Agree”.
  3. “The conference helped the participants in globalizing their minds”: 8% “Neutral”, 46% “Agree” and 57% “Strongly Agree”. Please note that the number responding to the question was low perhaps because of an oversight of omission of the check boxes for this question. Many thought that they did not need to respond to this statement.
  4. “The conference was promoted well to seek participation from all sections of the community”: 4% checked “Disagree”, 39% “Neutral”, 35% “Agree” and 22% “Strongly Agree”. The response to this statement perhaps points to a weakness in our ways of spreading the word about the conference. We had two ¼ page newspaper advertisements and two articles by newspaper reporters in addition to countless e-mails and multiple Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter insertions. We perhaps need to take a personal approach on a year round basis to advertize the event. Ideas are requested.
  5. “The conference helped me with ideas and outlook to bridge across racial/religious divides”: 16% checked “Neutral”, 40% “Agree” and 44% “Strongly Agree”. Positive responses totaled 84% of the participants who felt that the conference helped them with ideas and outlook to bridge across racial/religious divides.
  6. “I will recommend this type of conference to family and friends”: 54% checked “Agree” and 46% “Strongly Agree” leading to a unanimous agreement that the participants will recommend this type of conference to family and friends.
  7. “I will seriously consider volunteering to help SHEN programs in the community”: 7% checked “Disagree”, 46% “Neutral”, 40% “Agree” and 7% “Strongly Disagree”. The results indicate a significant reluctance to volunteer to propel the SHEN goals.
  8. “The conference affirmed in me a sense of human identity as my prime identity”: 12% checked “Neutral”, 32% “Agree” and 56% “Strongly Agree” resulting in an 88% agreement that the conference affirmed in the individual a sense of human identity as prime.

General level of Satisfaction
The participants were asked a question, “What is your general level of satisfaction with the conference in achieving its goal?”: 64% responded that their general level of satisfaction was high and 36% responded very high leading to the conclusion that everyone was satisfied with the extent to which the conference was successful in achieving its goals.

Responses to Specific Questions

  1. What aspects of the conference did you like best and what aspects the weakest? How and why?

    2.

    Strengths: Speakers were knowledgeable; complimentarity of lectures; diversity of speakers; sharing sessions; the youth panel; mix of meditations, lectures and group sharing; inter-generational nature of the participants and the involvement of youth; affirmation of human connectedness and commonality.
    Weaknesses: Low in heart energy in some speakers; low number and diversity of participants.

  2. What do you think you have gained from this conference in globalizing your mind?

    3. Learning how a global mindset can be taught; more confidence; insight and awareness; deepening the awareness that I am not alone; experience of working with very diverse group of people on large question and issues; an awareness of how vast are the challenges and the opportunities; individual transformation guidelines; fearlessness of expressing my true feelings, empowerment by the spirit that moved; learned more about different religions, saw same truth and expressed from different perspectives; an increased sense of unity; knowledge from various traditions and cultures presented in a single minded fashion; networking opportunities; broader view; importance of globalizing peoples’ minds; an understanding of the need of a common framework of engagement from different perspectives to globalize the human minds.

  3. What should be changed to increase the effectiveness of future conferences in bridging the minds of the people?

    4. Master email list of participants; not as much lecturing; portable microphones with extra batteries; more opportunities of brief small group interactions; give speakers only 45 minutes and not 60 minutes; packed lunch to save time; continue the variety of speakers; shared meals; more youth involvement; more advance advertisement to public; musical interludes; more extensive advertising campaign based upon personal networking and a consistent agent working on promoting the event; a diversified speaker search committee taking advantage of wide range of social networks; increasing the level of activity and outreach between annual conferences; action groups involving the youth to apply the learning.

  4. Has this conference been instrumental in creating more respect for all human beings?

    5. Definitely, in the spiritual and cultural sense; It can be; Yes; Absolutely; Yes; Yes; Absolutely; Yes; Yes; Yes; Yes; Yes; Yes; Absolutely, the enthusiasm was palpable; It has affirmed my personal beliefs and given hope because there are others of like mind; It has been so with me; “Definitely. Personally I look at the world in a different way and more positive way.”

  5. What other comments do you have about the conference?

    6. Good conference setting, conference was well organized, enjoyed the breakouts – helpful to gather my thoughts; It was a great success; Mingling with leader, role models will be long remembered; The dedication of the organization and the volunteers need to be greatly admired; In order for SHEN to thrive into the future, I think it will need a move of a balance of spiritual and intellectual in its leadership and shaping; Good speakers like today’s speakers who can reach the heart are best; Excellent! A+!!” My special thanks to the organizers, volunteers and speakers; Work. Wonderful opportunity for growth and encouragement; Participating of 3 students was mind-blowing experience. I would suggest more students from different countries should be invited in the next conference; Have it annually please – uninterrupted; Thank you Shiv, Graham and all the organizers; The youth were wonderful. How about a similar forum for them to interact with each other?; Cannot over state the importance of the quality A/V recording and going online with the material, but also making advertisement of conferences in all manner as a priority. How about DVD’s of speeches for sale, info at conference and sign up sheets for shipment even weeks later? Spending resources to reach out globally is more important now that the SHEN message has a proven resonance in the minds accessed so far; An opening evening, Meet and Greet Party might be good; It was a pleasure to see and enjoy this year; Met young people whom I will not otherwise meet.

The Evaluation Form: