How to host World Café gatherings in highly polarized situation?

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Permalink Reply by david isaacs on April 10, 2010 at 2:05pm

Hi Jose,
a few thoughts and ideas to check out... in no order of priority.
google "transition towns" and "transpartisan alliance" ( both are using the World Cafe

from my point of view... it's essential that the design of the World Cafe include "all" the sponsors and stakeholders who are affected by the challenge at hand...

move from "problem solving" to "possibility seeking"
one way to do that is to change the problem or challenge into questions that will engage collective conversations.

look for "something" that the polarized groups have in common... two of the best ideas here are
conversations about children and the future... and disaster planning... both can be transpartisan World Cafe conversations

review the 7 world cafe principles and consider using them all as a template or guide for your design process.

suggest you put this question up on the group " Cafe Latino" ... there are over 70 members of this community in that group... also, you might directly with Maria de Los Angeles Cinta, who originally set up that group.... she might have some good ideas from her extensive work in Latin America.

Be Well,

David Isaacs

Hope this helps... and sorry it's taken so long...

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Permalink Reply by John Inman on April 21, 2010 at 5:58pm

Love your ideas David. I sure look forward to our conversations next month. Take care.

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Permalink Reply by John Inman on April 21, 2010 at 5:50pm

Ah a challenge for sure. To host such a cafe is indeed an important step. What is a setting that you can arrange? The setting will be important. Neutral, casual, warm and welcoming. Try not to have a rigid framework. The process will bring participants together if they are there to create a new future together. Then there is the participants...are they dogmatic or have real concerns that through conversation others will understand? I just suggested on another post that a question that I like is What is the future story that we want to live into? We live our stories, good or bad. I like to honor where people have come from and then focus on where they want to go together. I understand the deep divides in Venezuela. A very very long history. This is not a one two hour session. I suspect you will have to craft some surrounding processes. You may want to hold multiple cafes over a period of time. In the story net section I just posted a case study that may be useful to you. Certainly not to high levels of mistrust that you are experiencing. But good never the less. May give you some ideas. Jose, I really believe in this process. It honors non European ways of knowing and is respectful and democratic. From an indigenous perspective it is collaborative, it neutralizes power differentials found in most settings, and is dialogic all very important to letting the wisdom of the group emerge. I am very excited for you. I would also say trust in the process. It can feel stilted and uncomfortable as people feel out the situation and process. By the end though, you will usually have some major changes in relationships. Such as wow we are not so different. Wow, we really want the same thing. Wow, your experiences as like mine. I am not saying to take this process lightly in your charged setting. Craft well, set up well, and then let the process do the work. Your question or questions are going to be so important. What question will draw out the innermost stories of people that when combined will create a new future together? Now there is where your work is. Good luck. I am always at your service and happy to talk. Skype is wonderful and you can find me at wetherhaven.

Take care. John

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Permalink Reply by John Inman on April 21, 2010 at 5:57pm

Here is the case study.

http://www.theworldcafecommunity.org/forum/topics/case-study-of-lea...

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Permalink Reply by Jose Alvarez-Cornett on June 2, 2010 at 7:05pm

David,
Thank you so much for your reply. After I posted the question I got distracted for this forum to deal with some nagging issues. I am back!

Yes, indeed, it is essential to have the whole within. Otherwise, if relevant people are left out, the circle will be left open with cracks and the energy will seep away. Some degree of learning will be achieved but healing will not occur.

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Permalink Reply by Jose Alvarez-Cornett on June 2, 2010 at 7:13pm

David, John

Thanks for your input.I am seeking ways to create public spaces for dialogue in highly polarized situations where people haven't yet started to kill each other but where social and political forces are piling up high. We are approaching a singularity...anything can happen, nobody knows when.I am not yet ready to face this challenge. I am studying and learning for others.

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