Finding a support group that meets regularly or can be activated when you need it, can make all the difference. Women’s circles Women generally meet to share about their lives, support one another, perform rituals and celebrate. Men’s circles According to the Mankind Project, this is a place to learn and practice conflict resolution, communication skills, relationship development skills, how to make and meet big goals. Other examples of support groups or networks: Gay, Lesbian, … Read more
Rank Understanding how power and privilege operate within and between individuals and groups
Amy and Arny Mindell, in Process Work, have outlined 4 types of rank and power (social, psychological, contextual and spiritual) and the signals that flow from those who have ‘high rank’ and ‘low rank’ in different situations. This is married with an understanding that rank is fluid, situational and by no means fixed. Developing rank awareness then becomes a lifelong, almost spiritual practice, leading to the development of mature, integrated and competent individuals and … Read more
Process Work Framework A multidimensional framework and set of tools that highlights the importance of inner work and indepth awareness in the facilitation of social change.
The framework and tools of Process Work facilitates deeper understanding in a wide range of human experience. It does this by tracking communication signals, somatic experiences and synchronicities until their meaning is revealed. It provides tools that allow us to unfold the embedded meaning in unintentional communication signals, facilitating indepth social change processes, informed by enhanced awareness. Process Work also addresses the social, psychological and contextual influence of … Read more
Pro Action Cafe Bringing the wisdom of a group to the support of an individual’s task, project and vision
using a blend of World Cafe and Open Space processes, we can create dynamic, creative and fluid spaces in which we support each other to interrogate more deeply the plans and projects we are already working on. Focusing on questions such as, ‘What is the deeper question you are addressing?’ or ‘What is missing?’ can enable us to go deeper into the true nature of our vision. It also helps to maximise the contribution of group members, who actually love to support one another given … Read more
Open Space Convening meetings on what interests us most
Harrison Owen created a social technology that enables people to convene meetings about the topics that are most alive in them and allows for crossfertilisation of ideas. Participants make sure they do what inspires them most, as they move between the spontaneously emerging landscape of conversations and interactions arising from the group. References: www.openspaceworld.org Handout on Open Space Submitted by: Kosha and Robin … Read more
Non Violent Communication Connecting Communication
Non violent communication was developed by Marshall Rosenberg, and invites to practice empathy with ourselves and the others by focussing attention on four components observation: an observation specific to time and context is recommended the facts instead of an evaluation of meaning and significance feelings: emotions or sensations, free of thought and story careful: “I feel I did not get a fair deal.” is not a feeling! needs: universal human needs, instead of particular strategies … Read more
Holistic Business and SelfOrganisation The Emergence of the Global Village
We can view humanity as being separate from Nature or being an integral part of it. If we choose the latter view, then we ought to look to Nature to be our teacher. If we do this, we see the following principles at work: ● holism : where all parts of a system are recognised and the parts together add up to more than the whole. ● emergence : we can try to plan for every eventuality and control external events (people, situations and so on) or we can allow ourselves to be led by life and … Read more
Empathy The ability to really understand others
To step out of the assumption that mankind is “evil” and that people have bad intentions helps to really understand people’s motivation and intention. This means understanding on a rational but also on a heart level. If you reach a level of connection where your heart begins to warm to them that’s what it is. It is like putting yourself into the shoes of another person, role or societal group and not only knowingthis role or acting like this role but really to feelit. Understanding … Read more
Cooperation Dynamics Promoting cooperation instead of competition between individuals, groups and organisations, and across sectors.
However, the idea of a Solidarity Economy and the cooperative movement generally challenges this logic and proposes an alternative. Instead, the idea and logic is that cooperation can help us to strengthen the organizations and projects although it is important and necessary to design appropriate structures and dynamics to help this unfold. Design of structures for intercooperation at different levels: Reproductive Cooperation: are the dynamics of support that require us to share … Read more
Conflict Transformation Theory and Practice of Working with Conflict
Welcome conflict and embrace it as an inevitable part of human experience. See the other as yourself and sense the feelings and needs that underpin the outer expression. Create a sense of safety, possibly by bringing in a facilitator, in order to hold a bigger perspective and allow winwin solutions to emerge. Bring compassions to the conflict and see it as an opportunity for learning and deepening intimacy. Would you rather be right or happy? References: ● Exercise: Working with … Read more
