2019-06-21 XR FDH

Meeting 1: An initial planning meeting for holding Empathy Cafes/Circles with the Extinction Rebellion community.

Work Group to bring Empathy Circle Practice to Extinction Rebellion

View Video On YouTube and On Facebook

Proposal Put together Empathy Circle training material for the XR Network Hub. Hold a series of Empathy Cafes, initially online with people interested in XR. An Empathy Cafe is any number of people coming together and then dividing into smaller Empathy Circles of 4 people to take part in mutual empathic listening dialogue. Empathy Circles are based on mutual empathic (active) listening. These circles are perhaps the most effective gateway to learn and practice active listening. This skill and mindset is a foundation of many other practices. For a moment like XR, it would be very beneficial for all participants to be able to do empathic listening and facilitate Empathy Circles.

More at: EmpathyCircle.com What is an Empathy Circle? http://bit.ly/EC-WhatIs Why Participate? http://bit.ly/EC-Benefits How to Empathy Circle? http://bit.ly/EC-How Empathy Circle Facilitator Training http://bit.ly/EC-Facilitate

June 21, First XR Empathy Cafe - Friday, 10 AM PST/ 6 PM BST (2 hours)

Signup on Facebook Event

Location: We use Zoom video conferencing Meeting Room URL: https://zoom.us/j/9896109339

Click on the link to enter the Zoom video conferencing room.

Topic: How might we incorporate Empathy Circles, Empathy Cafes, (Active Listening) practice in the XR community?

Agenda: Friday, June 21, 10 AM PST/ 6 PM BST (2 hr)

(We can record and post the call.)

1. Empathy Circle -

• 1. Personal Introductions

  2. Agenda for today

     1. Empathy Circle practice

     2. Brainstorming

  3. Introduce the Empathy Circle practice

  4. Topic: How might we incorporate Empathy Circles, (Empathy Cafes, Active Listening) practice in the XR community?

  5. (2 circles) Do it for 45 min. So everyone experiences the empathic listening practice.

  6. Comeback to full group

  7. Get short feedback on the practice.

2. Planning: Then for an hour we talk about

• 1. next steps,

  2. - tasks to do

  3. - what everyone would like to do as tasks going forward.

  4. - set us schedule for online Empathy Cafes, and topics.

  5. How to promote?

     1. Add to XR calendar

  6. - etc

3. Close

For our Empathy Circle, Friday, June 21st meeting.

Goal is to address the question: How might we incorporate Empathy Circles in XR?

The meeting is for a smaller group to;

a). hear from everyone and dialogue about how might we offer and incorporate empathy circles as a resource for XR.

b). bring us together to form work group.

c). for people that would like to host/facilitate empathy circles for XR, online or locally to come together.

Meeting Participants are from these 3 groups;

1. Several people from our Empathy Team.

2. Sam and a couple of others from the XR Network Hub group.

3. You(Ceri), Toni and your community of XR people. Do you have an idea of how many people are interested?

Goal:

1. Try out the empathy circle practice.

2. Create some ideas and steps for incorporating empathy circles practice as a resource for XR.

Some ideas so far.

1. Create some training material that Sam will post to the XR ‘Future Democracy Hub’ group. (I understand the Network Hub to be a central resource they are developing for social technologies and trainings. )

- Sam mentioned they also want to hold some trainings and talked about including Empathy Circles somehow. I would like some ideas and clarity of how that might look?

2. Schedule a series of Online Empathy Cafes for XR.

The Empathy Team could facilitate a weekly (or so) online Empathy Cafe for global XR community.

Topic: (not sure of what topics, are needed, are of interest or would be most effective?) I would like to hear ideas of what would be an effective topic.

What ideas does XR community have for topics:

Tony “ I'm hearing requests for conflict resolution techniques.

Currently in the UK, we have a conflict over strategy. Many conflicts are over strategy, so particular strategies can be effective topics, but the circles need to be held well.

It's not difficult to find topics.I find the challenge is more about how to frame the topic. Effective topics are anything that concerns most people in XR, especially when there are different approaches or understandings.

Topics can be related to any of

• • our demands,

  • principles or

  • values.

Examples might be

• • NVDA (Non Violent Direct Action),

  • Arrests,

  • legal concerns,

  • individual efforts to care for the environment (eg. veganism, recycling),

  • XR efforts to care for the environment (policies/practices),

  • Nonviolent Culture,

  • issues regarding gender relations,

  • diversity/inclusion,

  • money matters,

  • dealing with the media,

  • climate science,

  • problems,

  • Questions…

  • the kind of things that people post on Facebook! “

  • Topics

    • How might we use empathy circles to address conflicts over strategies?

3. Local groups can learn and hold Empathy Cafés.

Support Empathy Circle training for people that want to facilitate them in their local community. IE.

• • Karolina holding them with XR Poland

  • Edwin, Bill, Lou holding them with XR San Francisco Bay Area

  • Ceri mentioned UK XR groups have requested Empathy Circle facilitation.

4. your ideas here… etc

• • Belinda Hopkins Sounds like a great use of Circles. So many people are so distressed and need a chance to be heard

  • Karolina - 1. Hold monthly empathy circles with core group - xr leaders

  • Karolina - 2. Participate in XR groups/ we facilitate outside empathy workshops for them.. Offer support services.

June 21 MEETING NOTES

Takes time to get familiar with the practice

Takes about 1 hour to settle in

Arrestee was worried about arreses - good for arrestees to talk about their experiences online. To explore their experience.

We need an online forum for arrestee spaces

Enjoying the experience - refreshing that it is not a debate, and people can have time

Need a wide variety of entry ways into XR - different levels of participation. Action, dialogue, etc

• • 1 to 1

  • 1 to 2

  • 7 people

Enjoy the space - people can express the full thought.

• • The embodied practice,.

  • This can be used as a tool and be used in local groups.

  • Exploring conflict -

  • These things do not need experts - and having resilience building

Takes time to settle into the practice.

• • Gives a sense of possibility and hope.

  • Offer to specific groups.

Still not sure how to bring it into national working groups.

Imagine the next big empathy circles - at the next empathy circles - post square.

It is crucial for well-being. - could be helpful to embed in future actions.

Have done similar things to empathy circles

• • There hasn’t been reflecting back.

  • Noticing how - the advantages and disadvantages of the practice

  • It teaches listening.

Lost voices get heard

Indra- decision making

Bill -

Paul -

• • foundation practice

Lou

• • pausing. - after

  • mutual understanding

Sam

What do we do next?

Topics: good questions: what is more relevant in the movement?

What are typical XR questions and answers you get in xr?

Could we get on the XR Facebook Events

Do some empathy circles with core organizers to model the practice.

• • Address some woolly issues.

  • What are the values and principles?

We are here to facilitate empathy circle online?

• • Train Facilitators

  • Empathic listening, deep listening, active listening.

Is a gateway practice to other practices.

• • Empathy building

Create Tips

Are there guidelines about ho