Conversation Cafés are...
well, Everywhere

by Vicki Robin

Deliberation Conference in August I learned that the 54 Conversation Cafés listed on the website is a small fraction of the number of CCs happening around the world. I'll tell you about several exciting, concrete ways I discovered that CCs have been used in communities, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Many people at the conference referred to CCs as a simple, accessible way for people to enter into issues, communities, organizing efforts and more. The method is now part of the public process toolkit and most practitioners don't even think of writing home to CC central with the news.

CCs are Empowering Oregon Citizens

In Oregon , Ashland 's Constitution Project www.ashlandconstitution.org wanted to make the voice of "We the People" count in local governance. Their strategy for empowering the people as decision makers has three parts:

Heal the Hurt - heal the anger, fear, distrust, disgust and disconnect with city government by offer a safe space for all to be heard.

Connect the Divided - articulate common values and facilitate emerging agreement

Empower the Decision - develop consensus ballot amendments to the city charter and make the product of dialogue the law of the land.

To Heal the Hurt, they hosted over 20 Conversation Cafés, and have one ongoing location still where people can speak, listen and learn among others in the safe structure of the CC process and agreements.

This mirrors my experience. Through years of hosting Conversation Cafés I've learned that they are an important way for citizens who've lost hope in having a voice to reengage. The first step is simply being heard without interruption or feedback in the opening talking object rounds. Yes, I have a voice! I am heard! Then, in the open dialogue, people see what they say shaping the conversation without having to push their point or agenda. Yes, I have influence! My voice matters to others! This is the soil needed for new ideas to sprout and the will to make them happen grow. Once people get up from the table and out in the community, they're citizens again. Ashland had the wisdom to start with the CCs in their quest to make the voice of the people count.

CCs and Orange Bands Converge on College Campuses

Orange Band www.orangeband.org is an amazing campus dialogue mobilization started by Kai Degner and friends. To spread the invitation to a public lecture and discussion about the pros and cons of a campus issue, they distributed orange strips of fabric that students wore on their arms or backpacks indicating they wanted to dialogue. Soon, "Orange Band" jumped to other campuses. It came to symbolize forums that presented at least 2 views, that significant discussion would follow and at least 2 cosponsors would host it. Orange Bands came to symbolize people open for talking about issues that mattered. What's your "Orange Band"? now means what's your passion? The rapid adoption of Orange Bands told Kai that people long for three things: civil discourse (respectful, meaningful conversation), social capital (building relationships) and civic engagement (making a difference). He did an experiment, using Orange Band as the marketing tool and Conversation Cafés as the method of engagement once the conversation started. Worked like a charm. We are exploring more ways to make this happen.

CCs are Cultivating a Culture of Conversation in Vancouver, WA

Heather Tischbein of Vancouver, Washington was also at NCDD. She is one of those tireless moms willing to do ANYTHING to make the world better for her kids. Turns out community conversations are what she's picked. She's hosted a number of Conversation Cafés and World Cafés www.theworldcafe.com and dreams of a large scale initiative in Vancouver Washington to create a "culture of conversation." She asks: "What would "it" look like?  Is "it" already emerging?  If so, how, who, where and what can be done to nurture and grow "it" in sustainable ways?  If not, how could "we" co-create the necessary and sufficient conditions to allow for "its" emergence and sustainable growth?" For now her efforts are with the libraries and the Youth Adult Advisory Board. Their first conversation in the library asks, "What does freedom look like for a teenager?" She says, "Three more Young Adult Advisory Boards (the teenagers!) [now] want to host conversation cafés in October...two of them in more "rural" branches of the regional library system.  It's very exciting and I hope to support the library in building their capacity in this regard through their youth programs director."

From these exciting conversations - and more - an idea was born here at CC Central. What about a CC-wide Conversation Week in January on the 5-year anniversary of the Conversation Week that launched the Conversation Cafés in 2002?  Then we were talking about 9/11 and the Power of Conversation to Change the World. 250 people attended out kick-off gathering and 26 Conversation Cafés happened that week, each with a trained host and a local dignitary attending not as an official but as a citizen. The New York Times, National Public Radio, Utne Magazine and even Readers' Digest covered the story and now CCs are all around the world.

We're thinking of the theme being, "What if everyone asked the same question?" And what will that question be? And how will Conversation Week in January unfold. It's up to all of us. Stay tuned. And Save January 22-28 for Conversation Week !