When Women Gather
Facilitating Empowerment through Dialogue
Kari SolbergMarch 4, 2010
Antioch University SeattleSenior Synthesis Presentation
Kari SolbergMarch 4, 2010
Antioch University SeattleSenior Synthesis Presentation
Opening Exercise
“Setting Your Baggage Aside”*
*From Cool Tools for Hot Topics by Ron Kraybill & Evelyn Wright [Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2006]
The Women’s Group
A multi-generational group of women that meet to discuss cultural and community related topics.
The learnings that inspired this project
What sustains the group?
The future of the group
What has my role in the group taught me?
Inspired by studies in…
Storytelling for collaborative action
Dialogue
Group Facilitation
Narrating Change: Stories for Collective Action
Winter 2009
“Oral Testimony
can give
communities more
power to set their
own agenda for
development.”
Hugo Slim and Paul Thompson Listening for a Change
Reading that demonstrated the effect of narrative practices in a
community
The book The chapter
Chapter 11
“HealthPromoting
Conversations”
by Bev McKenzie
Individual Stories for Change:Women and Money
When: February 8, 2009 Participants: 12 (women aged 16-72)
The First Meeting of
The Women’s Group
The Power of Storytelling
Support, validation, collaboration, reframing of experiences, healing, restoration of
confidence, enthusiasm…
The Circle Process
“The circle is a
mechanism for
empowerment
and action, and
the organizing
power within us.”Christina Baldwin
Calling the Circle: The First and Future Culture
The Circle ProcessThe 10 Constants*The 10 Constants*
1. Honor the circle as sacred time and space.
2. Create a collective center
3. Be informed
4. Express gratitude
5. Create a container for full participation
6. Listen from the heart
7. Speak from the heart
8. Make room for silence
9. Empower each member
10. Commit to an ongoing relationship* From http://www.wisdomcircle.org/format.html
The Art of Dialogue
“Dialogue is about
expanding our
capacity for
awareness and
learning with and from
each other.” - Glenna Gerard
Group Facilitationincluding active listening, strategic questioning and group decision
making
fa·cil·i·ta·tor
• one that facilitates; especially : one that helps to bring about an outcome (as learning, productivity, or communication) by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance, guidance, or supervision.
• a content nuetral guide to the process of group work.
1. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facilitator2. Ron Kraybill and Evelyn Wright Cool Tools for Hot Topics
What sustains the group?
1.Democratic participation
2.A sense of community
3.The engagement of participants
4.A belief in the ability to create change
How does this result in empowerment?
em·pow·er
•To invest with power.
•To equip or supply with an ability.
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/empower
The Rules
Just kidding!
•We will speak for ourselves and from experience.
•We will not criticize or judge the views of other participants.
•We will respect each others opinions.
•We will challenge each other!
•We will participate within the time frames suggested by the facilitator.
•We will not interrupt each other.
•We will hold each other accountable.
•We will “pass” if we don’t wish to speak.
•We will respect the confidentiality of the group.
EMBRACE ANXIETY!
“We must
acknowledge that
confusion, anxiety
and digression often
precede clarity,
excitement and
focus.” - Marvin Weisbord, Sandra Janoff, Jack MacNeish
Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There!
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