A nice reading.

Wishing a Happy Deepavali to all our Indian colleagues and a well-deserved holiday for the rest of us!

Warmly
Sheila Damodaran
Singapore:  +65-94790526
Botswana:  +267-71330343
http://www.lopn.net
http://www.loatwork.com/aboutme.html
----- Forwarded message from WorldCafeAdmin@... -----
    Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:00:05 -0700
    From: World Cafe Community <WorldCafeAdmin@...>
Reply-To: World Cafe Community <WorldCafeAdmin@...>
 Subject: [World Cafe] Digest from StoryNet
      To: World_Caf=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=E9?=_Stories@...

This is a digest of messages posted to: The World Cafe Community[1]

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  StoryNet[3]

  Geneva Trade and Development Forum on Inclusive Globalization

  Initial Message[4]
Posted by: Admin Amy  Date:  Oct 25, 2008.

  From World Café host Kathy Jourdain, at Co-Creating Futures[5]:

  Hi there,

  I am en route home – in the Newark airport – still absorbing and
sitting in amazement, deep gratitude and appreciation for what
transpired in Crans-Montanna in Switzerland at the 4 day international
conference put on by the Geneva Trade and Development Forum on
Inclusive Globalization where I was asked to host two World Cafés –
one for a ministerial caucus on steps that need to be taken for
inclusive globalization to be real and another more open forum on
trade partnerships for inclusive globalization.   

  These 250 participants from 60 countries from around the world had
not, except for the odd individual, even heard about the World Café
prior to this, much less participated in one.  Let me just say that
the World Café was one of the main buzzes (and a growing one) of the
conference at the end of the three days and the concrete actions that
call for paradigm shifts in how partnerships and inclusive
globalization are created was partly, maybe largely, inspired by the
Café conversations.

  Prior to leaving to do this work, I had to work on my own
insecurities resulting from the level of the participants I would be
hosting - trade ministers from a number of countries, senior
governmental advisors and high ranking officials in international
trade and development organizations - and my complete ignorance of the
subject area.   

  Many of my friends in the World Café and Art of Hosting communities
were a sounding board for me, asking me great questions to get to the
heart of my self-doubt and offering me support – which I certainly
felt while I was in Switzerland.  I never felt I was hosting alone and
the right people literally showed up at my door when I needed them.
In fact, observers were surprised to find out I’d only met my
strategic thinking partners at the conference, the energy and
collaboration was so strong.  We were able to create the right
conditions and questions in a few hours prior to the cafes - because I
had hosting knowledge and experience and they knew the audience and
the content.

  The Ministerial Caucus Café was the biggest risk – with trade
ministers and high ranking officials from around the world (complete
with police and security guards) – and no desire to have their time
wasted.  Not only did I stand my ground in the planning process as the
planning team got nervous about the on-the-spot planning, but the
event itself was a resounding success with concrete action steps
emerging.  While my contact was a little nervous when I began to tell
the ministers how to be in conversation (café etiquette) it was well
received.  In the end, it was so successful that when some of the
ministers left to go to the end of some panel discussion I was told
that their contribution there was more honest and open than anyone had
heard publicly from them before.   

  The second World Café had fewer people than was originally hoped,
the room was too large and the tables too big – and it was still a
huge success.  For the people who were there, they moved quickly into
deep conversation, they were passionate and engaged, leaning into the
conversations and learning things they didn’t know before, including
that other people had the same thoughts. Imagine that!  Both cafes
involved on the spot translation in French and English thanks to a
wonderful interpreter and whisperers at tables where that was needed.

  Prominent participants spoke of the Cafés and their results at the
larger plenary sessions and before I knew it, the buzz had picked up
momentum.  I had a conversation with one guy who had started in the
second Café and left because he thought it was just going to be a game
– only to hear the power of it from people who stayed.  At the end of
the conference, the Café was commented on by each of the 5 panelists
charged with on the spot evaluation and with listing the action steps
– and even the conference chair impromptu-ly commented on his
participation in the World Café.

  I ended up in deep conversations with a lot of people about the
methodology, and about the Art of Hosting.  Quite a number of people
asked me if I had developed the methodology and I gave credit where it
was due.  I do not know exactly when or how, but at least some of this
international community concerned with making trade more inclusive and
development a key output will be looking to incorporate conversational
methodologies into their work.

  It was even mentioned in the press release that you can find
here[6].

  I have made some fast friends in places I certainly could not have
anticipated.  How do I feel?  Grounded.  Centered.  Knowing I was in
the right place and was the right person for this work.  More
confident.  More clear.  Grateful.  Ready for what’s next.  Thank you,
thank you, for your love and support as I continue to grow my
knowledge of who I am and what it is I am called to do in this world.
 

  From Newark… Love and light,  Kathy

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[4] http://www.theworldcafecommunity.net/webx?13@@.1adfe98d
[5] http://www.co-creatingfutures.com
[6] http://www.gtdforum.org/downloa/Press%20release%20final%2020.09.08.pdf
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Juanita Brown
Mill Valley, CA. 94941
http://www.theworldcafe.com
415/381-3368