CA 11-Mark DeSaulnier

Project Planning page.

PROTECT CARE: ACA Empathy Circle

with Congressman Mark DeSaulnier and Constituents

Congressional District CA 11 - http://j.mp/CA11Desaulnier

Date:

Time:

Length of Time: 90 minutes of dialogue.

(We need 10 to 15 minutes on each end for prep, mics, etc.)

Location: In the Empathy Tent at in the Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804.

Instructions for taking part in an Empathy Circle.

An Empathy Circle is a dialogue process for practicing and experiencing empathy in a small group setting and uses mutual active listening to deepen the shared understanding of participants. It slows down the conversation and gives each participant a chance to be more deeply and fully heard.

In this process, a participant selects who they will speak to and the listener shares back their understanding of what the speaker says to the satisfaction of the speaker. The speaker goes on until they feel they have been fully heard to their satisfaction or 5 minutes has passed. Then it is the listeners turn to select who they will speak to and the dialogue continues between participants for the time allotted for the circle, (90 minutes in this case).

Participants

• Congressional Representative: Mark DeSaulnier

• Participant 1: Joy Pinsky

• Participant 2: Jillian Elliott

• Participant 3: TBD

• Facilitator: Edwin Rutsch - Director: Center for Building a Culture of Empathy

• Videographer 1: Djovida djovida@gmail.com

• Videographer 2: Lou Zweier lou.zweier@gmail.com

Participant Preparation

We are inviting three participants who are most vulnerable to the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (aka, ACA or Obama Care) to have an opportunity to have a deeper and intimate recorded dialogue with their congressional representative about their concerns, feelings and needs around healthcare.

Participants will also take part in a recorded pre circle, to be heard and to become familiar with empathic listening before the main Empathy Circle.

The dialogue with their Congressional Representative takes place privately in the Empathy Tent with only the participants and videographers present. The recorded Empathy Circle will be posted to YouTube and be made publicly available.

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Staff

• • Jessica Angulo,

  • Scheduling

  • Jessica.Angulo@mail.house.gov

  • Shanelle Scales-Preston

    • District Director DeSaulnier

    • Shanele.scales@mail.house.gov