This workshop will focus on sharing stories and inviting insights and reflection from grassroots efforts to bring the new economy to life at the regional level. Many local grassroots groups working for resilience in the new economy are realizing the need to collaborate across communities and municipalities, and even states, as we need to address regional systems of transport, energy, water, food, and challenges of equity between communities.
Three different approaches in three different regions will be shared from those organizing in the Mid-Atlantic, New England, and the Great Lakes regions. All three approaches begin with grassroots organizing, a vital part of the emergence of a new economy/ economies, creating space and structures for new paradigm thinking, innovation and community leadership.
Our goal is that the workshop embody the organizing work of ensuring grassroots voices are heard in the decisions that shape our destiny. In a highly participatory format using World Cafe facilitation methodology in hybrid with Open Space as participants choose their key questions, there will be space for further story sharing, reflection, and discussion. In “World Cafe” mode workshop participants will be invited to share stories and reflections on working in a strategically defined region with grassroots groups--World Cafe allows rotation between tables and maximizes spaces of dialogue between participants. We would share our insights and lessons as a group using an innovative “fishbowl” report back method: four people sit in the center of the group and pass a microphone as they share lessons and reflections - prompted by key questions from wkshp facilitators; anyone in the outside ring can tap the shoulder of one of the four and take a seat to enter the conversation. This playful report back is more informative and contains more depth than standard methods, and from experience leads to laughter and keeps folks engaged.
Outcome - sharing key insights and areas of convergence and areas for further exploration, we would seek to keep the conversation alive and to meet again as learning community. Collaborative live notes: https://commonbound.hackpad.com/Organizing-for-Regional-Resilience-Prote...
