2020-01-08 XRFDH

"I just took part in an Empathy Circle. It was gripping. I was nervous but was able to express that and loved being heard and accepted... thanks to those who facilitated and took part."

― Nadia Franchi - Participant

"Hi Edwin, thank you so much for your work and the beautiful and skillfully led Empathy Cafe. It was so inspiring... I want to do more of this."― Dita Vizoso - Participant

I enjoyed the conversations and process very much!!

― Peter Macfadyen- Participant

"Was able to slow down life a bit here and really listen to this wonderful dialogue. and yes, and yes!! "For democracy to work, we need to understand conflict resolution"."and I don't think we have been taught much about that . . . the interpersonal part" Thanks Edwin! How to I join it on this?? and this interfaces so much with the couples' therapy that I do which is really a kind of Peace Work. "

― Judith Kennedy - Watched Video Recording

Cafe Outline: 2 hours.

  1. Short Participant Introductions

  2. Intro to XR Future Democracy Hub & Facilitator Network (10 min) (by Paul Thistlethwaite)

  3. How To Empathy Circle (6 min)

  4. Breakout Empathy Circles: How might we best build an XR facilitator network and what tangible action steps you will take?

  5. Full Group Debrief: (about 30 min) - everyone can share any ideas and their tangible steps forward that came up in the empathy circle.

  6. Overtime 30 min - pose some question: How might XR use the Empathy Circle process.

This free workshop used the process of the Empathy Circle to explore how Extinction Rebellion can best build a facilitator army to embed new democratic tools into the DNA of society. After setting the context, the session will explore deeply the ideas we all might have and harvest the results for taking tangible steps forward. - Learn and practice the Empathy Circle process for constructive dialogue. - Contribute to deepening democracy."

Participant Contact ListOn Arrival, Add Your: Name, Location, XR Group, Contact Info.

(Willing to *facilitate an Empathy Circle in red)

    1. *Edwin Rutsch, SF Bay Area XR, CA, XR Empathy Work Group, EdwinRutsch@gmail.com

    2. *Karolina Kubiak, XR Poland, XR Empathy Work Group, karolina.l.kubiak@gmail.com

    3. *Bill Filler, SF Bay Area, XR Empathy Work Group, seacat3@icloud.com

    4. *Lou Zweier, North Bay Area, CA, XR Empathy Group Work,

    5. *Adrian Oertli, Zurich,

    6. *Sofia Tvedby, Sweden Malmö.

    7. Paul Thistlethwaite, XR Future Democracy Hub,

    8. Dita B Vizoso, Dartmoor, Devon UK, XR Rewilding

    9. Joe Milton, XR Future Democracy Hub,

    10. Debbie Leigh Cardiff XR

    11. Liz Tufte, Fort Collins CO,

    12. Peter Macfadyen XR Frome. Future Democracy Hub along with Climate emergency XR circles. https://www.flatpackdemocracy.co.uk/

    13. Adam Floater, London, Ealing XR + London Political WG,

    14. Mags Mulowska, Staines XR, Rebel Ringers, Three Demands Bill, People’s Assembly/FDH

    15. Andrea Grainger, Horsham UK, Horsham XR,

    16. Clare Hedin, London, Hammersmith & Fulham, FDC, PC, SST, Vision Sensing.

    17. Nadia franchi brighton

    18. Alison Donaldson, Brighton UK,

    19. Tom Newman, XR Haringey London,

    20. Diana, Moscow, Russia,

    21. Richard Schut, Germany, NVC, impro-theater, Virtual Reality, www.powerofmoo.com

    22. Nikki Kennelly, xrnorth devon uk,

    23. Sian Cox; Brecon, Wales, UK;

    24. Carlos Alonso: Machynlleth, Wales UK,

    25. Peter Anderson,XR Hackney, London UK

    26. Martina Finn, Galway, Ireland

    27. Ivy Czekanski XR chicago

    28. ?

    29. ?

    30. ?

    31. ?

    32. ?

Empathy Circle #1: Facilitator: Edwin Rutsch

Lots of initial questions on why we are doing this (ie building a facilitator network) ? What’s the need…

What is purpose of FDH and Empathy circles?

    • Don’t have the connection with climate change and FDH/ED

    • How to explain to other members on how it is relevant.

    • Enjoy the process, but what is the effectiveness with XR / climate change

Everyone a facilitators - yes, empathy circle is easy.

Actively listening - that we have a circle is important for community building and taking action ourselves. This is a good place to start

Appreciation of this empathy circle process here tonight. Perhaps this in itself is part of the process?

Engagement and interest is much greater when we are not put off by intellectual language… a ‘common language’ a ‘language mindfulness, is what we need. Eg ‘Embedding in the DNA’’ is a mixed and confusing and distracting use of language….

‘Radical inclusion’ means making sure that language does not exclude! (‘radical inclusion’ itself is unclear!)

Empathy circle facilitation..minimal bar! Anyone can do it! Entry point.

If everyone had experience of Empathy Circle it becomes a foundational experience ...meets the ‘active listening’ XR principle.

Other layers - such as really tapping into ‘felt experience’ can be built on.

Feels good/Being arrested and on the ground action.. Can see the connection to democracy network.

Taking action on the ground - versus being conceptual.

Sitting with the question. To get into something need to see the relevance.. Need to really be clear about the FDH network.

Stimulated by Debbies question of what is the connection. To FDH, empathy circles. processes.

Fits into the 3rd XR demand.. Creating a real democracy.

Need to respond to an actual emergency to the other end.. Have dialogue, practices, etc.

We need to design ways to do things better.

Switzerland has more direct democracy. Really like it.. Need to build community from the ground up

Recognition that direct action can work alongside developing a new politics. Not mutually exclusive.

Within the empathy circle process, expressing and identifying feelings is another level (also true of NVC)..

Feelings behind the feelings. How do we identify and name the feelings we are having? Skills that need training…

How about an action to do empathy circles ...demanding that politicians take part. Especially with people from all parties and around those on either ‘side’ of climate change.

Already focused on: Radical inclusivity, active listening, trust in the processes/ourselves & each others. Flatpack. In context of CEE. CA, PA, FD.

P.S. from Peter

(Point I was unable to make at the end was that the one thing we have not heard is that this process is good for doing what we tried to do tonight! Ie take a specific question and get it answered! I think that without better preparation, that’s a big ask. I’ll talk to paul about how much this has added to our answering the question (how to roll out a facilitator network).... And I enjoyed the conversations and process very much!!

Empathy Circle #2: Facilitator: Karolina Kubiak,

Empathy Circle #3: Facilitator: Bill Filler

.

Empathy Circle #4: Facilitator: Lou Zweier,

Empathy Circle #5: Facilitator: Sofia

Empathy Circle #6: Facilitator: Adrian

Ideas on How Extinction Rebellion (XR) Might Implement Empathic Listening and Empathy Circle?

See the Implementation Page

At the end in the over time, we asked participants how XR might use empathic listening and the empathy circle process.

Below are some ideas that came up. Text Pending.

Question: How might XR use the Empathy Circle Practice?

Other Comments

Hi Edwin, thank you so much for your work and the beautiful and skillfully led Empathy Cafe. It was so inspiring... I want to do more of this.

One thing that I found interesting in myself and perhaps intuited from other people's comments, is that the active listener can feel under a lot of pressure. I had the feeling that I was listening better when I was passive, haha. And yes, that's all down to practice (or lack thereof). In the version of this that I'm familiar with (which I'm sure you know as well), the active listener is actually a scribe, taking notes, and the speaker can flow without much stopping (and still needing to slow down). The speaker talks to the passive listener (usually only one, but there could be more) and at the end the "scribe" reads the notes. I think that for a short café, where perhaps what is important is that people feel heard, this could be "faster"? I mean faster in the sense of getting people in a place of ease and trust. After everyone has talked, the insights are shared with the larger circle (if there's any).

Of course, as a way of discussing a topic, this may be slower? I'm eager to try it, though, as it has the added advantage of written notes.

Somehow this came to my mind while journalling and I had the impulse to share it with you...

Looking forward to the next café I can take part in...


Dita Vizoso

hi Dita,,

thanks for comments. I see the empathy circle as a foundational practice and it is something to keep building and iterating on.. So glad to see you building on it.

I am in the process of posting material from our circle here.

https://sites.google.com/site/empathycirclehub/empathy-cafes/2020-01-08

can I post your comments to that page so others can see and build on it.?

We could hold some empathy circles on how to keep developing and building on the empathy circle process. would you be interested in that?

here is a growing list of other practices that are based on empathic listening. https://sites.google.com/site/empathycircles/gateway-practice

Edwin

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