Variations
on Conversation Cafés Found Here!
We are not the first to discover drop-in,
hosted dialogue in public places! We also notice that some
Conversation Cafés themselves evolve their own unique
traditions and stop using all the elements of the CC model.
In order to bring a wealth of conversation possibilities
to you — while keeping our own calendar ONLY for face-to-face,
inclusive conversations that use our process and agreements
— we bring you THE COUSINS PAGE. We don't guarantee
what will happen at our "cousins" homes, but any
intentional conversation among people of good will about
questions that matter will surely be worth your while.
Please contact the group's representative
to learn about specific meeting times. And if you participate,
feel free to let us know about your experience! Or, contact
us to nominate another "cousin" for this page.
INTERNATIONAL
Bed & Breakfasts Around The World
WorldConversations.org
at the Red Victorian Peace Center and Bed & Breakfast
Hosted by Sami Sunchild
Sunday mornings at 9:00 am
1665 Haight St., San Francisco, CA 94117
Contact [email protected]
Visit www.WorldConversations.org
World Conversations are hosted conversations between people, often targeted towards independent travelers and hospitality centers (B&Bs, hostels, small hotels, Cafés). World Conversations is made up of conversation hosts, leaders and participants, both experienced and emerging.
A Model: World Conversations are hosted every Sunday morning at 9:00am by Founder Sami Sunchild at the Red Victorian Peace Center in San Francisco's famous Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
Peace-Building: World Conversations brings strangers together , building communications between people around the world. We encourage the traveling public to use World Conversations as a peace-building tool during their travels, teaching them to explore new ways of thinking as a means to understand and to aid each other.
Training: World Conversations is a contact and training service to the conversationalists of the world, to be used when they are traveling and when they are at home. We offer personal instruction and mentoring to anyone interested in learning how to host their own World Conversation at the Peace Center or any other location to which they may travel.
Resource: World Conversations connects and publicizes Cafés, b&bs, and other venues where conversationalists meet. WorldConversations.org provides a web-based directory of conversations taking place all over the world.
World Conversations makes possible
A way for residents of underdeveloped and overdeveloped countries
to meet their counterparts from other places
to communicate and converse with the world's people
to explore new ways of being and of thinking
to understand and to aid each other
A way for travelers to hook up with locals wherever they travel
To become involved in local cultures, thinking, and projects
A base from which to "hang out" when paying a visit to a new place
Conversation Tele-Café
A conversation by conference call! It's not face-to-face, but it does use the Conversation Café process and agreements.
Hosted by Mahalene Louis
[email protected]
1st Thursday of every month
8:00 PM Eastern / 5:00 PM Pacific
To sign up, click here.
It's free, of course!
AUSTRALIA
NEW SOUTH WALES, Sydney
Conversations for the 21st Century
Contact Noel Winterburn at [email protected]
Web site: www.conversations.com.au/c21c
Parallel philosophy, more dialogue, less circle. 3-4 events per month.
"A very important quality for a facilitator is to have no attachment to who comes or what the outcomes should be. I see my job as just to hold the space even if no one comes. This is a critical time on the planet and I believe that we serve in a vital way just by creating the place for people to experience the healing that happens in the listening and the respect."
CANADA
BRITISH COLUMBIA, Vancouver
Conversations for Consumers and Survivors of the Psychiatric System
Vancouver / Richmond Mental Health Network Headquarters
109-96 East Broadway, Vancouver, British Columbia
Contact: Ron, 604-733-5570
Drop-in conversations on all sorts of topics--mental health related and anything else participants bring to the conversation--guided by the Conversation Café Agreements. Open to anyone who has or is experiencing mental health challenges or concerns. Free; with snacks, munchies and drinks included.
Sundays, 2-4 p.m.
ONTARIO, Toronto
Toronto's Craving for Conversation is ever growing! You are welcome to join the mix and experience the magic for yourself.
Where It's Happening in Toronto, Ontario - Conversation Café at Butlers Pantry ~ every Wednesday from 5.30 to 7pm. | Café Scientifique ~ third Saturday of every month | Java Knights Conversation Café & Multi-Media Fest at Gladstone Art Bar ~ last Tuesday of every month | Socrates Café at World Class Bakers ~ every other Wednesday evening | Toronto Debating Society | Wilde Chats (Philosophy Café) ~ first Saturday of every month and Toronto Trampoline Hall ~ Monthly - Full Details www.geocities.com/torontodigitalq/
SWITZERLAND
Geneva
Conversation Cafés Language Exchange, Les Grottes, Mondays, Tuesdays Wednesdays, 19.00-21.00, Improve Language Skills, French, English, Spanish, Hungarian, (We can add a language if you would like to become a language host) Contact Shawn Berlin, +41(0)78 880 7610, [email protected] , OR see under "Members Activities" at GLOCALS.com. These are free of charge and you are welcome to collaborate!
UNITED STATES
CALIFORNIA, Petaluma
Literary Pub Crawls
Not about drinking, pub crawls are gatherings of open-minded, connected people who meet in pubs and/or restaurants once every two months or so to talk. Themes (e.g., bring a book that changed your life and give it away to someone you haven’t met before) act as conversation starters, and help people expand their circle of friends and have fun. Read an article on the Literary Pub Crawls. Sign up for the newsletter at www.aqus.com.
COLORADO, Denver
Money Talks
Weekly Conversation Café on money-related topics for women of all ages, careers, and backgrounds, free.
Panera Bread, 3700 Quebec Street, (303) 398-5200
Wednesdays, 6:30-8 p.m.
R.S.V.P. to Jennefer Walsh, (303) 252-0852 or www.moneytalksdenver.com.
ILLINOIS, Elgin
A Sort-of-Salon
Inspired by the concept of a neighborhood conversation salon promoted by the Utne Reader--in the home of Kathy and Robin of Elgin, Illinois, two Saturday evenings a month. "Most of the time, we take a topic as a point of departure and see how far we can go with it. It's never an 'ain't it awful party' -- rather, the group attitude reflects competence, potency and vision ... We usually get a crowd of 20-35 people per salon and arbitrarily divide into two smaller groups." Lots of information on their website, www.elginsalon.org.
MINNESOTA, White Bear Lake
Lecture & Conversation at Bikram Yoga, Summer 2005
Summer series sponsored by Bikram Yoga and Just Be It. Format: (1) a featured speaker (approx. 20 minutes), (2) a question/answer period (approx. 20 minutes) and (3) small discussion groups inspired by Conversation Café.
White Bear Lake Bikram Yoga Center, 4788 Washington Ave., next to Ace Hardware. Future meetings may be moved to The Chocolate Spoon Café directly across the street from Bikram.
Tuesdays, 8-10 pm
***Contact: Randy and Jane Johnson, [email protected], (651) 762-1143, www.bikramyogawbl.com/4436.html
NEW YORK, Great Neck
Socratic Conversations, and Socrates Salon
These conversations are based on Socrates' practice with his pals in the
streets of 5th century Athens, which launched the Western tradition of critical
thinking and civic discourse. These are discussions among equals, about
subjects that matter and on which every person can contribute based on their
lifetime of experience, reading, and reflection. In a Café-like atmosphere, the
discourse is propelled by questions designed to encourage all participants to
speak, listen, connect, and stretch.
For a full description of Socratic Conversations, please visit www.SocratesWay.com , especially the link to "Join a Socratic Conversation".
Location: Socratic Conversations are headquartered in Greater New York, at Columbia University; Socrates Salons are conducted at the Great Neck, New York Public Library, and elsewhere around the country and internationally
(see website SocratesWay).
Meeting Times/Days: Columbia University, second and fourth Tuesday of each
month, 4 pm.; Great Neck Public Library, first Friday of each month, 3 pm. Please inquire about exact location and to confirm a specific date.
***Contact: Ron Gross, [email protected] , author of Socrates' Way, and Conversation Café newsletter columnist.
WASHINGTON, Bellingham
Socrates Café
Facilitated discussions of the big (and the not so big) questions that affect our everyday lives, using the Socratic method to help participants become better critical thinkers, re-examine our assumptions, and study the chosen question by probing it from different angles and perspectives. Civility and respectful listening are essential. However, we are not aiming for consensus (although we occasionally surprise ourselves and arrive there), but rather for the airing, sharing and deep consideration of diverse points of view. All are welome to drop in.
Village Books, 1200 Eleventh Street
1st and 3rd Sundays, 10:30am-noon
***Contact Jim, [email protected], (360) 733-6542
WASHINGTON, Seattle
World Language Conversation Groups
World language conversation groups meet weekly in the University district. They provide an opportunity for international language speakers to keep their language and culture alive in Seattle. People of all ages, walks of life and corners of the globe attend. Czech, German, French and Spanish speaking groups meet every week and plans include the addition of other foreign languages. Articles in the German press have remarked about the groups' diversity and high intellectual quality of the discussions.
The groups follow the Conversation Café agreements. However, since people come and go as they please, there are no Round One, Round Two or Closing procedures. For further information please visit their website.
http://language.stammtisch.us
Socrates Café
Facilitated discussions of the big (and the not so big) questions that affect our everyday lives, using the Socratic method to help participants become better critical thinkers, re-examine our assumptions, and study the chosen question by probing it from different angles and perspectives. Civility and respectful listening are essential. However, we are not aiming for consensus (although we occasionally surprise ourselves and arrive there), but rather for the airing, sharing and deep consideration of diverse points of view. All are welome to drop in.
Uptown Espresso, 2504 4th Ave. (@Wall St. in Belltown), Seattle, WA 98121
Wednesdays, 7:30-9:30 pm
***Contact socratesCafé[email protected] or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/socratesCaféseattle/
7th Grade Conversations in Church School
Seattle, Washington
Leslie Schneider, [email protected]
Leslie and Joann teach Unitarian Universalist
7th graders for a bit over an hour every Sunday, and the
curriculum is a Conversation Café-style discussion every
other week, interspersed with other religious education
and social justice activities. They use the CC process and
agreements but have a shortened time (about 45 min), and
the conversations are obviously not open to the general
public. See the article
Leslie wrote on her first experience trying these conversations
with this age group in her 2002-2003 class. Leslie is happy
to correspond with you if you would like to try something
like this.
