Learn to Organize as you Organize to Learn

 Co-operation:

                There is a hope among many that we can effectively co-operate for our mutual well-being; co-operate for the well being of our health, education, economy, civic life, and more. We know about co-operation, but too many of are out of practice.

Organize:

                In order to organize for fair and practical results, we need to learn to co-operate better than usual. Better co-operation takes talk which includes better listening and hearing; it most often takes face to face communication. To get on a well understood same track or same page usually takes an ongoing conversation or dialogue. Carrying on a dialogue effective takes some practice. Such practice takes place in a dialogue group.

Practice:

                You can practice such dialogue as we teach each other the nature of the dialogue, as we teach one another, say, active citizenship, self governance, participatory democracy, appropriate mutual trust.

Learn:

                Learning to practice the dialogue effectively can be an important first step to more effective co-operation. Learning to to use the dialogue is a very useful early step in many collective activities and may be vital throughout those activities. The practice of the dialogue makes us more understanding co-operaters and more effective doers. 

Dialogue:  

                Use of the dialogue is a great aid to organizing to learn, as we become more effective organizers. The dialogue leads us to be more meaningful listeners and understanders. It is a democratic way to think together so as to be thoughtful and effective individuals of useful action. It is a democratic way to think together so as to be free, thoughtful, and effective people of good and useful action. Powerful, beautiful, broadly meaningful, and good action results when you so will.

Action:

~ Powerful co-operation results for those who practice learning to more truly understand one another.

~ Practicing democratic listening results in more powerful understanding.

~ We develop powerful understanding by practicing the dialogue and so coming to better use it.

~ The dialogue is simple, but it does take practice.

~ The practice is effective when it takes place in a dialogue group.

~ I dialogue group begins when two people find a third person to practice with them.

Check out these two sites;

~ Governance With RCS

and

~ Dialogue With RCS

                

                Thank you for reading; may it lead to reasoned action.

                                                                                                rcs

                                                                                                        

                

            

  

                

A Democratic Meeting: Hints about it's nature (The people have fogotten that it is about them)

Dialogue With RCS: Meetings and perhaps especially democratic meetings can benefit from the kind of dialogue we have begun to look at.

 

            Here are some hints for recognizing a democratic meeting. Can you see where bits of our dialogue methods are being used. Can you imagine where the needs and purposes of people might be better met through to use of our dialogue skills and methods?

           

             As you look over the hints below you may find it useful to keep in mind that all democracy is participatory and that each democratic meeting can be a powerful learning experience for those attending. Some participants may be making some intrinsic rules for effective and just communication more evident to themselves. That is they may be learning about effective and fair communication through observation. 

 

On to the hints. A meeting is more democratic the more it is: 

~ of, by, and for the participants.

~ free from outside powers.

~ autonomous. 

~ in a neutral place.

~ tending to be inclusive.

~ understood to be an important listening experience.

~ designed to keep leadership roles to a minimum and of wide participation. Take turns.

~ is a "teach in" and a learning experience.

~ a time more for understanding and less for decision. (decision is easier where there is understanding first.)

~ less authoritarian and hierarchical and more horizontal and egalitarian. 

~ a time for thinking together. 

~ a time when your comments and and communications are best addressed to the group as a whole.

~ a time to practice good manners and honesty.

 

Here are some happenings that may occur at a meeting whether it is democratic or not: 

~ Politics may be being practiced.

~ Some may be consciously practicing dialogue skills, methods, and techniques.

~ Some are finding that their respect and courtesy are good for them and for others.

~ Others may be increasing their understanding of the vocabulary of the business at hand. 

 

            These hints are less about arrival and more about orientation.

             

            Thank you for reading. Read again on this blog whenever you like.

 

 

                                                                            rcs