The World Cafe

Becoming Wiser Together

by Juanita Brown | Oct 9, 2017 | Collective Wisdom, Stepping In, Wiser Together

The most profound gift that I’ve received from the World Café is seeing this “accidental discovery” spread from 24 people in our living room to supporting a global dialogue movement that has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people on six continents as they engage in courageous conversations and wise action around the most critical issues of our time.

I feel honored and blessed that the World Café has enabled me to meet people who care about our common future from all corners of the earth. Experiencing their incredible love, skill and commitment gives me hope that we can face these challenging times in ways that retain our common humanity and show that we CAN become wiser together even as we work across the boundaries that so often divide us.

Conversations among wise Elders

by Michaela Sieh | Oct 6, 2017 | Collective Wisdom, North America, Stepping In, Stories

Richard Durning shares about his experiences in hosting “Boomer Cafes”:

“About ten years ago, my wife Lina – an experienced World Cafe practitioner – was about to turn 60. She, as with many of our circle of family and friends, was frequently in conversation about what this big 6-0 (and beyond) means. These upcoming “golden years” promise to be much different than those of our parents. Our life expectancy is much longer. “How do I spend this bonus time?” “What will our community (ies) look like – certainly not a gated community. And, most of us do not play golf.”
“These conversations beg for a Cafe,” Lina declared. “We’ll call it a ‘Boomer Cafe’”.

Her invitation was met with a terrific response. We hosted three Boomer Cafe gatherings with over 45 participants. Our questions ranged from post-retirement: “If retirement is not calling you, what are your priorities for your next phase of life?” to our well-being: “How do we take care of ourselves and prepare for inevitable changes in our lives?”and to our future community: “How do we create a community that supports our well-being?”. These questions generated lively exchanges. One participant insisted that she did not want to be “around old people all the time.”

I was fortunate to host a table and witness the elegant simplicity of World Cafe conversations. Within minutes my small groups were in the space of shared inquiry, stories, playfulness and sudden insights. One individual’s comment stood out for me. “Where is ritual?” In the Western world (United States) there is no place for ritual that allows for the celebration, reflection, and acknowledgment of our entering “the third stage.” We can, and should, learn from other cultures that honor their wise elders.

At the end of the third Boomer Cafe, I commented to a fellow host, that I often marvel at the scope of World Cafe – corporations, organizations, governments, and faith communities. Now add another application: Conversations among wise elders.”

Richard Durning

Chicago, IL USA

Introduction to Magic in The Middle – Part One

by Amy Lenzo | Oct 4, 2017 | Europe, Finn Voltofte, Stepping In, Stories

By Finn Voldtofte, 2005

The magic in the middle begins with a shift in awareness, from parts to relations between parts.

Imagine a circle of people in conversation. When we are interested in understanding the processes that take place in the conversation, we can pay attention to the individual in the circle, to the circle as a whole (group or team), or to the relations between the participants. All three realities coexist at once, but we can choose to let one of them come in the foreground.

To pay attention to the field of relations is not the same as paying attention to the whole. The parts are still important. The whole is still important. But we are particularly interested in what goes on in the interaction between the parts, and let that reality come in the foreground.

“Magic in the middle” may be found everywhere, where we choose to pay attention to the relations between the parts.

Example: Ants are the parts. The anthill is the whole. The ability of the anthill to maintain itself emerges as a magic in the middle of the ants, when they relate to each other. For instance, ants interact by leaving scent trails of their activity while they search for food.

Inter-Connectedness

by Michaela Sieh | Oct 2, 2017 | Africa, Community, Stories

David Isaacs, co-founder of the World Cafe, reads a letter, written by Chris Ahrends about his experiences during the “Ubuntu Cafe”.

“… held in the gentle embrace of intentional community and enlivened by energy of uniqueness – for me, the Cafe experience was a profound homecoming…”

Moving Forward Together

by Michaela Sieh | Oct 1, 2017 | Relationship

We received this beautiful note from Dr. Edna Pasher – one of the pioneers of the global World Cafe community. She writes:

This is a great timing to step in and create a great future for all of us. It is at the end of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish year, which is a magic timing to reunite! I consider myself lucky to have been one of the pioneers in this great movement. It is all about love and caring which result in wonderful outcomes. Best wishes for health and happiness and success in moving forward together.

Hosting Difference

by Paul Boraswki | Sep 29, 2017 | Business, Collective Intelligence

In my career, as a Chief Executive Officer in a large nonprofit organization, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in meetings with my counterparts around the world. Forty cultures all in one place. Forty leaders common in their vision. And forty different worlds to work in realizing those visions. How do you hold a meeting that unites, energizes, and appreciates the nuances of our very real differences despite the ties that bind us in common purpose? I’ve sat through the Board room meetings frustrated by the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the “one person talks at a time” approach, while everyone agrees the real value is during the break, and meals.

When given the opportunity to apply World Café approaches to this group, the outcomes were stunningly different. Relationships were deepened, energy was created. Agreements were forged. Partnership emerged. Collaborations were ventured. And in the end a standing ovation in response to the peak pleasure of the experience. It’s hard to measure the impact, yet easy to contract the difference of potential from days wasted of formal agenda, preliminary rule and “one at a time” communication compared to the excitement, vitality, and energy present in a World Café.

It was breathtaking to watch people from forty cultures exploring their futures. I’ve wondered a lot over the years how the World Café might serve the United Nations. A dream.

Paul E Borawski
Chief Executive Officer, (ret)
ASQ (American Society for Quality)