2020-03-27 Support

Empathy Circle/Cafe facilitators support drop-in group. A weekly call to talk about;

  • * Learning and deepening the Practice

  • * Developing, Promoting, Improving the Practice

  • * Tips

  • * Experiences

  • * Successes

  • * Challenges, Problems

  • * Case Studies

  • * Designing Training Material

  • * Connecting with Co-Facilitators and Coordinators

  • * Feedback and Support on Projects

  • * etc

Participants (* presenters)

  1. * Lou Zweier - Empathy Circles Petaluma, CA

  2. * Martin Rein Holtz - Empathy Circles XR Norway Regenerative Culture - Am facilitating- starting up

  3. * Marta Costa Neto - Empathy Circles Ireland and Portugal

    1. What is my particular role in creating a culture of empathy within XR and the wider world?

  4. * Mary Ann - Empathy Circles Calgary, Canada

  5. * Ann Jordan - Empathy Circles UK

  6. Edwin Rutsch

    1. How can we best support people in becoming Empathy Circle facilitators?

  1. James Green

  2. Neli

  3. Richard Schut

  4. Danielle Epifani

Empathy Circle Facilitators Support Intro

View video On Facebook or On YouTube

Google Document
Google Document
Google Document

Having to justify the Empathy Circle Process: Questions Participants ask.

    1. Why 2 hours?

    2. Why reflecting all the time?

    3. Can’t I just ask a question? The value of not asking questions.

    4. Why can’t I interrupt

      1. The agreement. I am not going to be interrupted.

      2. My 5 minutes is mine

      3. Problem of interrupting the flow.

    5. Wanting emotional depth?

      1. Peak experiences.

    1. Validating - thank you for sharing.

      1. Thank you.

"There are many ways we can hold sharing or empathy circles, and many names we can give them. Some require a particular kind of training. What's great about this one, is that it doesn't!"

- Sinéad Renu Sheehan

Sinéad Renu Sheehan

Hi... Just listened to Marta's piece here and maybe this point comes up later on in the call...its one that is on my mind.

For me I think it's really important to emphasis the beauty and simplicity of this particular kind of ec process.

There are many ways we can hold sharing or empathy circles, and many names we can give them. Some require a particular kind of training. What's great about this one, is that it doesn't!

There is little doubt that the support offered to each other by the facilitators is invaluable and no doubt things come up from time to time, as with everything else.

At the last xri regen call quite a few people were slow to want to facilitate because they said they don't have the training and had the understanding that some form of training needed to be undertaken.

My understanding is that the training for this method is attending an empathy circle. Is that right? And that what we need is a peer support group for facilitators? Id also like to keep empathy circles going in Ireland and feel people need encouragement and confidence.

Edwin Rutsch

Sinéad , Glad you mentioned that. I hope to use your quote on that.

”There are many ways we can hold sharing or empathy circles, and many names we can give them. Some require a particular kind of training. What's great about this one, is that it doesn't! “

One aspect of the Empathy Circle is that it is relatively easy and someone can facilitate it by just seeing the introductory material and doing it once. Actually, you don’t even need to have done it, just see the material and follow the steps.

We need to explain that better and not make it feel like one needs a lot of training to do it. Or at least the basic process.

Any ideas on how to support people in creating peer facilitation support groups?

I think we can help people to connect and support each other in peer facilitation support groups.

Chloë Janssens

I just wanted to share with you my first thoughts and experiences on hosting XR Empathy Circles.

I 'discovered' empathy circles two weeks ago, right before the outbreak of the corona pandemic here in Belgium. I think this is such a great tool to work on relations between activists in (and outside of) XR. So I decided to host a first Empathy Circle in my local XR group, here in Antwerp. Since then, I hosted 5 EC. I've seen many different people in these circles, from in and out of XR.

I noticed that the topic of the circle (for us it was: How is the corona pandemic influencing your life) is very defining for the stories that come up. After doing two weeks on this topic, I started to wonder if it's still the right question to ask.

Overall I think this is a great way of connecting and understanding people's motives. I have planned three more circles this week. You can find them here: https://www.facebook.com/events/201085904531632/ They are all Dutch speaking

Notes

Marta Costa Neto

It is very easy and supportive

    • Ireland

    • Portugal

    • Regen - IST

What support is needed.?

Having to justify the process.

    1. Why 2 hours?

    2. Why reflecting all the time?

    3. Can’t I just ask a question?

      1. Why can’t I interrupt

      2. The agreement. I am not going to be interrupted.

      3. My 5 minutes is mine

      4. Problem of interrupting the flow.

      5. The value of not asking questions.

    4. Wanting emotional depth?

      1. Peak experiences.

    1. Validating - thank you for sharing?

      1. Thank you.

      2. It’s not about them

How can the person stay with their own thoughts and be generous.

Timing Card feels like school.

Martin Rein Holtz -

Its been working great so far, but until now just been working if I have been modelling, so the training part I think more people need to join international trainings, but difficult with the language.

Notes: What I found useful

Make a strong case for the empathy circle and what it's useful for, why it's needed within the framework of XR, especially with focus on seasoned activists.

    • Open Floor dance as a regenerative practise sounded great.

    • Trust in the process of the empathy circle was very needed.

    • 10 Principles empathy cafe and engaging all the different groups of XR in the process, with 1 principle each cafe.

    • The phrase: Looking for a community builder - When looking for new facilitators.

    • Not saying Thankyou when listening to someone when they finish, when not appropriate.

    • I Choose to model the reflective process before going into breakout groups to give it more structure and make it easier on early facilitators. Otherwise the Process is very good and accepts a wide range of participants.

    • I like the description of the facilitator sitting on a chair and imagining he/she is intervening when things don't go to plan, and then realise that there is no need to do it physically.

    • Maybe show physically what empathy is not during the introduction process.