The World Cafe |
Tuesday Mar 11 2008
By Shae Hadden | Bio
Conversations
can change the world. When we speak openly about what matters most to
us, we can build authentic relationships. We can tap into the wisdom
and collective intelligence we need to address our problems. We can
create the future together.
I’ve been excited in the last few weeks to learn about The World Café
through conversations with Juanita Brown, co-founder of the World Café
and Anne Dosher, who at age 85 serves as the “elder” of this global
movement to create cultures of dialogue. Based on living systems
thinking, this relatively new technology (discovered in 1995) works
especially well in large groups where a traditional dialogue circle
would not normally be possible. Like a microcosm of the macrocosmic
“world as café”, each World Café gathering allows participants to
inquire into powerful questions at multiple tables. Participants
contribute to several table conversations, freely build on others’
contributions, observe patterns in the dialogues and create new links
between ideas. An expert graphic recorder/facilitator often captures
the key thoughts and connections between ideas, and the visual ‘graphic
harvest’ produced can be used later for planning. Fundamental to the
process are the values of mutual respect, inclusiveness and generosity.
This
conversational process has been used by conferences and groups—from
large multinationals like Coca-Cola and Intel Corporation to
educational and community-based organizations like the Fielding
Graduate Institute and the Girl Scouts of America—in a wide variety of
cultures in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and
Australia. World Café participants have developed innovative approaches
to healthcare, education, environmental protection and sustainable
development.
The design of every World Café event relies on these principles:
- Clarify the context of the conversations
- Create a hospitable environment
- Explore questions together
- Encourage everyone’s contributions
- Cross-pollinate and connect diverse perspectives
- Listen for insights, patterns and deeper questions
- Share the group’s collective discoveries
To learn more about the principles, process and history of this exciting social innovation, I’d recommend reading The World Café: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter.
If you’re interested in attending a World Café event, check out their calendar of events or contact a Café steward in your area.
More on this tomorrow…
Sincere thanks to Juanita Brown for being in conversation with me about this innovative way to support multigenerational collaboration.
Written by eldering at Fearless Aging
Tagged with: conversation dialogue generosity inclusiveness respect the_world_cafe
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