Conversation Cafés are partnering with other conversation initiatives in the Café Collaborative aimed at overcoming the barriers between us so we can—individually and collectively—develop the compassion and wisdom to create a positive future. Our forms vary but our visions, intentions and passions are aligned. Read about our partners below.
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World Café Conversations are an intentional way to create a living network of conversation around questions that matter. A Café Conversation is a creative process for leading collaborative dialogue, sharing knowledge and creating possibilities for action in groups of all sizes. A collection of articles from the World Café
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Tools for Change is a multi-cultural organization that promotes healing, leadership development, and sustainable democracy. We sponsor a network of Circles for Change throughout the country. These are designed to facilitate people discovering and living into their aspirations. They offer a loose structure which people can use to bring the power of spirit into daily life and support one another to develop the clarity, strategies and courage needed to effectively take action on their values.
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| Commons Café |
The purpose of the Commons Café is to bring people together, past the barriers that separate us, for meaningful dialog on fundamental issues that affect society. They start with people who do NOT previously know each other and who are different from each other in some fundamental ways (race/ethnicity, culture, class, ideology). A typical Commons Café includes 40-80 people who meet in conversation-sized groups for 6-12 hours over a weekend or series of weekly meetings. Talk becomse intense, people may disagree, but they stay connected. The purpose is NOT to "solve problems" or form "action groups." These things may happen, or may not. The purpose of the Commons Café is to connect people who not otherwise be connected, to dissolve the barriers that separate us.
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From the Four Directions is a global leadership initiative of the Berkana Institute and serves its vision: a world where people experience themselves as whole, healthy, sacred and free. From the Four Directions accomplishes this through creating and supporting local, on-going leadership circles focused on life-affirming leadership. We organize
at the grass-roots level to support life-affirming leaders of all
ages and in all places. We do
this anywhere in the world, wherever there is a group of persons
willing to act as hosts. In these circles, local leaders develop
and refine their ideas and practices, and support one another to
act courageously. As they link
with others around the globe, their individual practice changes,
their courage grows, and an exponential force emerges, strong enough
to create powerful changes at the global level. To do this work,
we depend on diversity, knowing every person's uniqueness is a gift
to us. And we rely on human goodness. We know that human nature
is the blessing not the problem. |
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PeerSpirit is an education and service company. The core of our work is an original group process methodology, PeerSpirit council. We believe council, or circle, to be the common root of all cultures, a tradition that can take us from the campfire to the future. Council facilitates a level of conversation that allows groups of people to accomplish goals through an integrated experience of heart and mind. PeerSpirit councils have occurred among people in businesses, corporations, non-profit associations, universities and schools, religious and civic organizations, and personal groups. PeerSpirit methodology is working throughout the US, Canada, and in thirty-five other countries.
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IONS' mission is to support the exploration of the frontiers of consciousness, socially and individually. Our Community Groups program is an active and dynamic collection of people dedicated to exploring the frontiers of consciousness. The groups sponsor lectures, conferences, and experiential events in their respective locales..
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New Stories helps groups learn and collaborate effectively using appreciative processes - circle, world café, open space, online collaboration. We work in a wide variety of ways with people to help them create the new stories in their lives. We believe many people are operating from a new vision of how deep change can occur in the world. Ordinary people everywhere are leading the way, not a privileged elite. Many of us seem to believe that if we can find clarity about what we can do, and then do it, the world will become a better place for everyone. We are at a time for the creation of a new culture, where words like partnerships, sustainability, spirituality, balance, enoughness, and abundance are a normal part of the stories of our lives. These times call for creative local work, connected globally. |
