Hi Amy,
Thank you for maintaining this online community. I have not visited it for a while and am very pleased that it is continuing and great to meet all the people who are joinng ... the World Cafe is presious to me. I first came accross it and Janita at a Pegasus event in San Francisco in 2005. I did some work with a large group in Romania with it and found it a fabulous process and a great way for people 'Thinking Together'. My background has been in dialogue workshops which I learnt from a dear friend Evan Root who I believe is also part of this community. You were conducting some world wide conference calls a while back which I very much enjoyed and wonder if you will be organising any more, I would love to join in. Thanks again.

Hello,

My name is Lorraine (say “Loren”). I live in Paris (yes I’m French) and after 15 years of experience both in the private and public sectors, I’m doing research and networking in order to start a new career as a facilitator –eventhough it’s not a common job in France !

My professional life includes 10 years in the telecom industry, first as a “Big Five" consultant and later as an economic expert with the French regulator. I was involved in a number of international assignments and what I remember the most are the seminars and workshops I had the opportunity to work on during that time.

Then I lived in the US (second time, the first being my year abroad at Georgetown University), where I worked on 2 different topics: I helped the migration service of Philadelphia (organization, fundraising, help to refugees) and immigration lawyers (translation for asylum seekers). I also became project manager for writer Tom Reiss, while he was working on a book that was published last September, “The Black Count.” I kept working for Tom when I moved back to Paris.

After a few months with a small consulting firm when I decided to get involved in change management, I’m not narrowing my focus: I’m thinking I might start a new business as a facilitator. You have to know that there are very few facilitators in France and we still have to explain their role to potential clients!

I’m wondering whether I should take Amy’s course starting in February, it might be a plus to convince corporations to rely on my skills.

I love meeting new people and new ideas, which is one more reason for me to get involved in the world of facilitation. I'll be happy to keep reading what other members of the World Café community have to tell. :)

Hi, I'm Ann, living near the Northsea at Ostend, Belgium. I enjoy as much as possible the beautiful sunsets, as the rain as well ;-). In deep connection with nature I live and experience it deeply with all my senses. In my personal and professional life you will know me as a cultural creative: fostering new participation methods in the company and organisations I am part of. Back to basics, gardening, veggie, downsizing use of energy, consuming less, swapping goods and services, local products and services, initiating a company garden and orchard, , etc ...
My mission and passion exists about helping professionals and my environment in developing a more ecological and sustainable way of doing business, organising labour, lifestyle ... As such I am always interested to get in touch with people with the same mission ...

I just joined the distance learning course of World Café, and it gives a lot of energy to be connected with people all over the world, looking for the same thing: how can we bring people to change, by more participation and organic workmethods.

Waow, we are all part of a community now! Great! Hope we all together can fertilize with our knowledge and shared passions, as a bunch of bees flying from flower to flower :-)