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Dynamic Facilitation Training for Activists

 

 

You are invited to get trained in "dynamic facilitation" -- the remarkably powerful process that works especially well with "impossible problems" and "impossible people" -- two things that we KNOW you have to deal with. It is designed to generate breakthrough insights and solutions, using the energy, knowledge and creativity that are latent in every group. Dynamic facilitators actually see conflict as a positive resource for creativity. Every organization, group and community that's trying to do good work in the world would greatly benefit by having this tool.

Community activists who took the dynamic facilitation trainings in March and June 2000 were enthusiastic:

"If all meetings were as vibrant as these, you wouldn't have any trouble getting people to come." -- Tree B.

"The four days were deeply bonding." -- Win S.

"These are great techniques and well worth learning. It was fun participating in shared problem-solving and creative solutions." -- Dianne B.

"Very worthwhile! I can use this process for situations where my usual process (consensus) isn't well suited -- groups that are stuck or that don't have a common purpose, etc. It has really opened up my thinking." -- Lysbeth B.

"This seminar put me at ease with the art of facilitation. It creates the possibility to dissolve any boundaries your mind has ever constructed." -- Alexis R.

"The seminar pushed me to an amazing place." -- Sarah L.

"These techniques are useful for ANYONE in a leadership role." -- Cynthia B.

"This method helps people move beyond their conceived notions into a new, creative space." -- Keith B.

"It tapped into my source of life. It really is a new way to conduct meetings. -- Liz B.

"Here are tools we need so that we can thrive on the energy generated by a creative diversity of opinion. Here are ways of meeting together that are alive, inspiring, energizing, real, powerful, and fun." -- Rosa Z.

Dynamic facilitation has an impressive track record outside of the activist community, as well. It has been used by major corporations like American Airlines, I.B.M., Lockheed, Chevron and Westinghouse, as well as government agencies from the IRS and the Air Force to the Port of Olympia. It is a proven and powerful method. It is time for communities, nonprofits, and social change groups to start using it to generate breakthroughs for a better world.

It is hard to convey in words what is remarkable about this process. You can read some attempts to do so at http://www.co-intelligence.org/P-dynamicfacilitation.html.

 

Several of us have been working with the originator of the process, consultant Jim Rough, to make dynamic facilitation training more available to more people -- especially to people doing social change, cultural transformation and community-improvement work. Jim's usual four-day facilitation trainings are designed (and priced - $800-1200 per person) for institutional employees and consultants. Trainings for activists, community workers, volunteer citizens and less affluent nonprofits are available at lower cost from an activist colleague of Jim's, Rosa Zubizarreta. Rosa works in partnership with other students of Jim's to offer lower-cost four-day dynamic facilitation classes.

In order to schedule such a class, you or your organization would need to:

This means the course will either have to be subsidized by a sponsoring person or organization and/or that students will need to pay between $200 and $350 per person, to cover the full costs (sliding scales recommended).

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