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Community Dialogue and Leadership:
Learning experiences that represent the real world reflect the complexities, conflicts, and inconsistencies that exist in society. Many segments of the business, non-profit, and governmental sectors have addressed these needs by incorporating processes that enable groups to work together more effectively, manage information and change, and achieve results. They practice such group facilitation skills as conflict resolution, consensus building, information management, strategic and action planning, all in pursuit of solutions. Central to these processes are clear interpersonal communication skills, critical thinking, and respect for diverse viewpoints.
Cooperative Planning: Organizations that apply the systems approach to problem-solving, team dynamics, and information management have discovered that each person holds a piece of the overall puzzle and that together a group will create an energy (synergy) that is greater than the sum of its parts. Increasingly, community-planning processes involve more citizens and a broader range of interests than were previously included in shaping community vision and public policy. By gaining input from diverse stakeholders, better decisions can be made, and conflict mitigated at the outset. The PCSD report, Sustainable America, suggests that this may help reverse our society's drift towards cynicism and disengagement. In addition to providing historical grounding in our country's history and values, schools need to provide tangible tools for effective citizenship and leadership.
Application to Community Projects
The PCSD's Agenda for Action considers wise planning, constructive community dialogue processes, thoughtful, competent leadership, and group facilitation training to be important components in developing sustainable communities. Students can apply these processes to their projects in various ways:
Identifying areas of concern within their communities, such as ecosystems (water, forests, vegetation, wildlife) and human needs (economic development, transportation, access to water, air quality, housing, etc.)
Assessing and hypothesizing the issues related to an area of concern
Researching and interviewing stakeholders to ascertain their values and perspectives about the issues
Role playing the positions of the stakeholders
what to study, why it is important and how to solve problems based upon incorporation of diverse points of view
Group Facilitation Processes.
Group facilitation is a growing profession. Increased numbers of individuals experienced in organizational development and management are entering this field and a growing number of organizations are seeking facilitation and leadership training for their employees. There are a variety of methods currently used, with approximately 12 recognized, distinct facilitation processes. TCSF has worked with the Kettering process, effective in helping groups identify and discuss politically complex and sensitive issues in a respectful fashion, and the ICA Technology of Participation methods that lead groups to consensus and concrete action.
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