Moving right along with the idea of co-creating a Conversing Community

Underpinning the essence of diverse religious is supporting ways and means by which people of diverse backgrounds can be brought together in activities related to the idea of development of communities.
In which a fundamental premise – underpinned by a belief in an overseeing deity – is that ‘We are here to treat other well’.

What I am proposing here is that this can be done with secular approaches too.

With two novel features to provide:

1. experience of engaging with people not met previously, ie strangers. In pairs. For an extended period of time, up to an hour.
This is what I have called Conversare. For what this is, how it came into being and reports of participants’ experiences see www.conversare.net . And within this https://conversare.net/introducing-conversare/. Also https://conversare.net/feedback/

2. insight into what was ‘going on’ during these encounters, ie underpinning conversational processes.

Given that both of these are ‘unusual’. The likely only occasion in which the first happens is when sitting next to a stranger on an extended aircraft flight.
And that most of us have no training in conversational skills. For nothing in our education from primary to tertiary and beyond has covered the essence of social skills  and how to have well developed competencies in these. Starting with ‘listening’.

Now underway is a new approach to provide insight, experience – and sense of potential personal and professional value – of conversing 1:1 with someone not met previously.

To be followed by an input on ‘What are conversational skills and how to develop them’. With particular emphasis on ‘listening’.

This is being offered with the idea in mind of developing a ‘Conversing Community’ in a particular geographical area. Where in this place residents will come to experience that talking more confidently and often with their fellow neighbours – and others who come to work in the area – brings a new spirit/dimension to their everyday lives.

In practice, this will be offered as a one day workshop for people in the particular area who have responsibilities, in diverse ways, for community health/development.
In which the two components mentioned above, viz an experience of Conversare and the input on becoming a more confident and competent conversationalist will be covered in the morning.

To be complemented – post ‘socialising’ during lunch – by consideration in small groups of ‘How may we put these conversational ways of engaging with each other into practice?’

And later, at a time to be determined – likely at least a few months – participants who wish to do so come together again to share their observations and experience arising from what they learned in the ‘Conversing Community’ learning event.

To add:
The next steps, currently underway, is talking with some of the potential attendees about their feelings about the prospective offering.

Looking forward.

Al   

Al (formerly Alan) Stewart, PhD
Process Artist
Facilitator of conversations that matter and participatory fun

Blog:  www.conversare.net

New website: Under construction. 

Senior Fulbright Scholar

Member:  American Society for Cybernetics

Member: National Trouble Makers Union <smile>