Welcome to Sustaining Community
Families, community engagement and environmental sustainability – for parents, students, practitioners and anyone who wants to make a difference. By Graeme Stuart from Newcastle Australia.
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Tag Archives: Art of Hosting
Join me at an Unconference in Victoria (24-27 November)
If you are interested in exploring strengths-based processes like asset-based community-driven development and appreciative inquiry, or inclusive group processes like circle work, open space or world café, why don’t you join me at the first Victorian Unconference? In November this … Continue reading
The Unconference: a participatory, inclusive gathering
Last week I participated in the second Unconference near Newcastle. According to the Unconference website: An ‘Unconference’ is a participant-driven gathering. Delegates actively contribute to the agenda sharing lots of dynamic open discussions. Rather than a single speaker at the … Continue reading
Posted in Facilitation & teaching
Tagged Art of Hosting, Facilitation, Group processes, Unconference
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World Cafe as a research process
I recently used World Café for a focus group to gain insights into the experience of international students at a university. While it wasn’t a formal research project (the focus was more on marketing), I can see that it World … Continue reading
A World Cafe in a school – a step-by-step description
World Café’s are interactive, inclusive group processes that encourage conversation-like discussion of things that matter. (It might help to read an overview of World Cafés available HERE.) I recently facilitated a couple of sessions at my daughter’s school to help … Continue reading
Setting the context for a world cafe
Over the next couple of days I’m facilitating some conversations at my daughter’s school which are essentially part of a visioning process. As with any school there are some parents who will attend with specific concerns. I want to ensure … Continue reading
What is a World Café?
In a World Café we host intentional conversations around a question or issue that matters. The basic concept is to create a café like atmosphere (e.g., tables of 4 or 5 people, refreshments) where participants have a series of conversations … Continue reading
Posted in Facilitation & teaching
Tagged Art of Hosting, Definitions, Examples, Practical tips
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A website on resilient communities and community leadership
I’ve just been looking at the blog/webpage of Bob Stilger “Healthy and Resilient Communities“. His focus is on resilient communities, community leadership and hosting conversations that matter. His blog has some very practical reflections about the successes and challenges of … Continue reading
World cafe on steroids
Today I hosted an interesting World Cafe at a conference of Adolescent Family Counsellors. It demonstrated that facilitators need to be pretty flexible and we ended up doing a World Cafe on steroids. The theme of the conference was “Conversations … Continue reading
Posted in Facilitation & teaching
Tagged Art of Hosting, Practical tips, Working with communities
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Reflections on the climate change networking meeting
Last month I helped facilate a climate change networking meeting. I discussed some of my thoughts before the meeting but realised that I haven’t commented since the meeting. There were 29 people from a variety of groups including Transition Newcastle, … Continue reading
Council consultation
I attended a Ward Forum hosted by Newcastle City Council through Newcastle Voice this week. Council holds occasional forums in each of their four wards to “provide opportunities for local residents talk about the opportunities and challenges facing their ward.” It … Continue reading
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