The workshops can be conducted as dialogical, interactive working groups. In this case they can orientate themselves on the U-process of Claus Otto Scharmer. All participants should be able to participate.
What is the size of the workshops? Each group usually consists of between 20 and 50 participants, working partly in plenary sessions and partly in small groups (with 4-5 participants each). To encourage empathic listening, the workshop will be conducted in two languages if possible. All instructions are given in two languages (continuous consecutive translation is essential).
What is the aim of the workshops? The aim is to create an exchange through discussions in small groups, in which understanding is sought together and all participants can actively participate. In this way one gets to know each other; the common question ignites the exchange and learning from each other. In addition, new insights and impulses can emerge.
What are the prerequisites for leading a workshop? The task is to enable the participants to immerse themselves in the workshop theme and the process by perceiving what is happening in the room. It is not about presenting something, but about the participants learning from each other through questions and contributions, and developing their own new questions within themselves.
How is a workshop put together?
The workshop leader: With the professional competence the workshop leader gives impulse contributions to open the topic and to take care that the course of the whole process remains professionally competent and this, present, in cooperation with the moderation.
The moderation: The workshop can be accompanied by a moderation trained in the dialogical method. The moderation does not need to have any professional competence; it will lead the social process.
The participants: Actually, with this dialogical method all participants are also active or leading in the process. The participants should actively participate and not just wait for the knowledge they have acquired.
You can download the guidelines for workshops at the Agricultural Conference as a PDF here.
Example of the daily structure of a workshop
1st day
Goal: To find one’s existential concern in relation to the topic and to grasp it through the other more consciously. To perceive other aspects of the topic through the others. Taking stock.
1. introduction
1.1 Brief welcome and orientation (what is being done today)
1.2 Introduction to the workshop topic (describe the topic openly and broadly as a suggestion) and the goal of the first day
1.3 Introduction to the method (see document "Method" - World café, 4 types of the method)
speaking, 4 ways of listening)
2nd World café: 2 rounds (20-25 min each) with questions (possibly related to concrete experiences):
2.1 What moves/touches/shocks me about the topic?
2.2 What inspires, interests and inspires me about this topic?
3rd plenary session / review - write important aspects on the blackboard and arrange topics together.
2nd day
Goal: To turn personal consternation(yesterday's results) into a question and open up to the future.
1. introduction
1.1 Summary of the previous day (with clear structure, which the workshop leaders have worked out in between from the results of the previous day).
1.2 Introduction to today's questions and methods (plasticizing, dialog walk or journalling, see separate document)
2. sculpting or dialogue walk or journalling: What do I feel with the picture from yesterday? What is my question? What do I want to create?
3rd plenary session / synopsis
3.1 What questions, directions, images have emerged? Important aspects on the blackboard and arrange topics together.
3rd day
Goal: To find concrete steps for further work with his question on the topic.
1. introduction
2nd World café with the following questions:
1. how can I continue working on my question?
2. what impulses for the future have arisen?
3rd plenum / synopsis:
3.1 Which topics / questions / projects have arisen?
3.2 Creation of posters to present the results: People with similar
Questions / projects meet and discuss:
Which common image/objective emerges?
What other allies do we need?
And present their common questions and results in a poster so that other conference participants can see the results of the workshop at a glance.
4. conclusion
4.1 Review of the 3 days
4.2 Questions and answers
Available material:
On request, we can send instructions on various methods (e.g. dialogue walk, World-Cafe).
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Contact:
Sektion für Landwirtschaft am Goetheanum
Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum
André Hach
Hügelweg 59
4143 Dornach
Switzerland
+41 61 706 4134