Solidarity is an act of love

I DON’T know how many of you readers of Green Shoots attend conferences and workshops.

- ASHLEY GREEN-THOMPSON

They are usually accompanied by a detailed programme outlining the sessions and the “expert” speakers, with every minute of the day planned to the last detail.

Too often, these speakers have to be told their time is running out because they inevitably want to say more things, blissfully unaware that half the audience has checked out and stopped listening, and the other half are almost finished writing that overdue report. Or they’re playing Candy Crush.

Imagine, therefore, arriving at a two-day conference of 100 people to be told that there is no agenda.

The participants, instead, will spend the first couple of hours of their time together discussing and agreeing about what topics they will cover.

The facilitator used a flexible facilitation technique called Open Space Technology. It was developed by Hartison Owen to help large and diverse groups to collectively create an agenda that would enable deep engagement on an issue or issues.

The meeting this week focused on solidarity, and the community organisers and activists in the room were invited to reflect on what this might look like for them and their communities.