Hosting Conversations about Questions that Matter
Introductions
There are people gathering here in the World Cafe community from literally all over the world, and it is so exciting!!! I really want to meet everyone, and I know I'm not alone. Would you please tell us a little about yourself here, just as an introduction, so we can start to learn about each other? Where do you live? How did you learn about the World Cafe? What are your interests and passions?
NOTE: The convention on this part of the site is that the responses are in chronological order, so you have to click forward to the last page (at the bottom of this page) to see the latest introductions.
Tags: community, introductions, stories
Replies to This Conversation
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Permalink Reply by Sami Sunchild on -
Yes, Jan Erik! Thank you.
Sami
Peacefulworldconversations.org
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Permalink Reply by Alida Bedford on -
My name is Alida and i work in the Academic Skills Unit (ASK) at the University of Portsmouth. I learnt about the World Cafe as the Technology faculty ran a discussion event at its summer learning and teaching conference. I got involved by being a table host. I like being able to interact with people and share ideas. I don't think I have any burning passions, but I do enjoy practising Yoga, listening to world music (live and recorded), talk radio and travelling. I also enjoy knowing when I have been able to help people learn - there is a moment when something positive has happened, like a key unlocking a door.
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Permalink Reply by Tonnie van der Zouwen on -
Hi Amy, hi all,
What a great initiative, this online community. Just a little about myself. I live in the Netherlands, I work as a self-employed consultant/facilitator/writer/researcher/teacher/trainer in the field of participative change processes in organisations (whish I could explain that more simple to my kids). I learned about the World Café through internet and articles when I was asked in 2004 to develop a training course for consultants in the education sector. They wanted to learn more participative ways to involve their clients in strategy development. I participated in the World Café in Vienna in 2005, hosted by Juanita and David during the SoL Global Conference. I still benifit from the new relations with people I met there. It realy works! Since then I got deeper and deeper into Large Scale Intervention methods. I give training for consultants, work as a facilitator for organisations, and I am doing scholarly research at Tilburg University about success factors and effects of LSI, including World Café, Future Search, Open Space and hybrids. When does it bring sustainable change? When is it worth the effort? How do you know? I am working on an assessment/evaluation instrument. If you are interested: you can follow this research on www.tonnievanderzouwen.nl/wiki Comments and ideas are welcome.
My hobbies are playing the piano, singing, reading books and playing internet poker. The last one turns out to be very good exercise in containing anxiety :).
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Mixer on -
Your research is of great interest. I hardly know you and like you already!! This is exactly what I want to help our business leaders learn and embrace. Do you have a sign-up to get alerts of your progress?
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Permalink Reply by Sabine Soeder on -
Hey Amy, wow - it's so great to meet all this different people from all over the world here in this space! Thank you so much for this!
Here my short introduction: My name is Sabine, I live with my husband and our 2 kids in Dresden, Germany. I'm half German half Italian and working as architect spezialised in Lighting Design.
I met the World-Café-World in 2007 here in Dresden at the Dresden Gathering. I 'm deeply touched by seeing, what can emerge when many people listen carefully to each other and get into dialogue, begin to talk to each other in this new, old way. When my husband began to host World Cafés I asked myself, if I can try to record. I've seen Chris Chopyak and Ulric Rudebeck here in Dresden recording the Gathering - and this was so amazing!!! so vibrant, supporting, clearing thoughts, a very powerful tool - there it was - a common language beyond different languages!!! So I started to work as a graphic recorder myself - and now I love this work - I love it so much, that I'm going through this new business door and I've started to offer the services of graphic recording from 2008 and with the beginning of this year in collaboration with Chris Chopyak we are offering workshops on this themes.
I feel this like my contribution to the whole. :-) And I'm here - curious and open to learn from others experiences and sharing my experiences.
warm greetings from Dresden
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Permalink Reply by John Epps on -
I live in the Inland Empire in San Bernardino just east of Los Angeles. I am a trainer with over 30 years experience in IT and Organizational Development. I currently teach Communications, Leadership, and Teambuilding courses for a local University Extension program. I work with a national mentoring program and I will be concluding a year of service as an AmeriCorps member. I have assisted community and faith-based organizations with strategic planning and capacity-building. I believe in the ability of people to reach their potential and achieve their dreams and I believe that communities like the World Cafe can help in that process in many different ways. I first encountered the cafe at a planning seminar for nonprofits about three years ago and I am excited to have this opportunity. I am looking foirward to learning from each of the people in this community and I hope I can make some contributions that help others as well.
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Permalink Reply by juanita brown on
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Hi Antoinette,
This is Juanita Brown here--co-founder of the World Cafe and long time friend (more than 30 years!) and collaborator with Emmett. I know he'll be excited to hear of your wonderful thoughts abut his work. You can contact him directly via e-mail at: Emmett Miller
with warm regards and best wishes,
Juanita
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Mixer on
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Juanita, reading the book was like lighting a fire! Experiencing and doing World Cafe is changing my world. Thank you!
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Permalink Reply by diane nancekivell on -
hi everyone Im Diane Nance-kivell and i am passionate about living life and experiencing the wonders of being a human being.
Im curious about lots of aspects of life and am lucky to be able to sample them. I make music, love to dance, have a great vege patch and orchard and have recently returned from being in Morocco the last 2 years and before in Scotland in the Findhorn Foundation Community.
I love my work -yoga and meditation teacher, lifeskills coach, educator for NSW Institute of technical and further education and custodian of a property in the very green and lush Tweed Valley in northern nsw. Lots of travellers have heard of Byron Bay -Im 1/2hour from there. looking forward to connecting with this community
see ya
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Permalink Reply by Martine on -
Hello, I'm Martine Vanremoortele from Antwerp, Belgium.
I'm a crew member of new shoes today. www.newshoestoday.com
New shoes today is a growing number of soulmates in business who give support to people and organisations on their road to creation, innovation and change. Together with clients we take on 21st century challenges. Our values: open - drive - unity - fun - care - today.
I'm working in the field of coaching ( creativity coaching, meaning coaching), facilitation (creative sessions) and hosting.
I'm fascinated by curiosity, wonder and the power of questions.
Some time ago I developed a 'game' - meandering meaningful conversations, which is based on the archetype of the labyrinth and powerful questions around creation.
I hope to contribute to this growing community.
Martine
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Hi Martine,
Welcome!! I loved your website---very fun, very creative. And, did you see the conversation on Questions by Uric Soeder here on this on-line community? It would be great if you could jump into that conversation or create one yourself. And, I'd love to see your game as well...
We also have a very close colleague and friend in Belgium-- Ria Baeke. You can also find her as a member of this community so you can begin communicating.
Warmest regards,
Juanita Brown
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Permalink Reply by Martine on
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Juanita,
thanks for the welcome.
Yes, I met Ria Baeck, during an Art of Hosting event. And I think I will meet her more in the future.
Although the game is a prototype, I played it different times with a group of people. And I got good feedback. Later this year I would like to develop it further, better design, more sustainable materials,...
I will look at the conversation about questions. Thanks for telling me about it.
Kind regards
Martine
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