Here’s a fellowship opportunity that’s suitable for those working on planning and stakeholder engagement around environmental issues: The Alcoa Foundation (www.alcoa.com/global/en/community/info_page/foundation.asp) has announced the third round of Practitioner Fellows for its Conservation & Sustainability Fellowship Program, an $8.6 million program that funds fellowships for the study of conservation and sustainability issues. The results of those studies are then shared in order to promote sustainable best practices. (more…)

The Bay Area Society For Organizational Learning is sponsoring a workshop with Mitch Saunders on “Sensing & Shaping Y/Our Future: An Experiential Lab. ” Mitch, who is co-creator of Wisdom Labs, will facilitate an experiential inquiry designed to support Sue Higgins, Deputy Director of the Cebrowski Institute for Innovation & Information Superiority at the Naval Postgraduate School. Sue has offered to share some of the vexing dilemmas she faces in leading change within one of the world’s most complex and influential organizations. In the course of exploring this case, Mitch will introduce principles, concepts, and practical tools for discovering and shaping what’s emerging, what’s needed next, and how change leaders can remain agile and resilient as conditions shift over time. The meeting will be held on Friday, May 25, 2007 from 10 AM – 3 PM at Saybrook Graduate School in San Francisco. They ask for a donation of $20 for this meeting to offset the cost of the room (Saybrook is keeping its doors open late on a holiday weekend for us). However, they will not turn anyone away for lack of payment. Please RSVP to by Tuesday, May 22, if you plan to attend.

The World Cafe has launched its new website! The website contains an extensive resource section, an events calendar and searchable global directory, an easier-to-use online community space, and a collaborative blog on Conversation as a Co-Evolutionary Force. The contents of the global directory are entirely user-generated, so feel free to go in and add your details so others can find you! Check it out at www.theworldcafe.com.

The Western Justice Center Foundation (www.westernjustice.org) and the City of Pasadena will present a Community Facilitation Training from May 3-5 and 11-12, 2007 at the Western Justice Center Foundation, 55 S. Grand Ave. in Pasadena, California. The training is open to anyone who is interested in improving facilitation skills in the areas of interethnic/interracial/intercultural dialogue and in times of community crisis. By taking part in this training, participants will be joining a group of volunteer facilitators for community-wide dialogues. Renowned facilitators and trainers Diane Burbie, owner of The ASPIRE Group, and Najeeba Syeed-Miller, executive director of the Western Justice Center Foundation will lead the sessions. This intensive, in-depth training is valued at $650, and will be provided for free to people committing to the entire training and to 150 volunteer facilitation hours for the City of Pasadena within the next 3 years. A certificate will be awarded once this community service is complete. Participants will be chosen through an application process. There is space for 25 adult Pasadena residents. Please contact Emily Linnemeier at 626-584-7494 or for an application.

The International Organizational Development Association of Canada (www.iodacanada.com) has opened registration for its 2007 annual conference on the theme of “From Canopy to Forest Floor: Organization Development in the Global Ecology.” Held in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Canada from August 21st-25th, 2007, this year’s conference will feature

• Keynote sessions presenting challenging ideas from local and international thought leaders.
• Focused learning tours with opportunities to explore complex systems and how local community and business realities are influenced by global trends.
• Greenhouse conversations, (indoor AND outdoor) action learning sessions, as well as truly Canadian food, arts and music each evening open up the space we need for networking with colleagues and peers, and supply all kinds of FUN!

Early bird registration is open until May 31st. For more information on the conference, visit IODA Canada’s website.

Conflict Resolution Network Canada (CRNC) is hosting its 2008 conference on the theme of “Interaction 2008 – Building Bridges of Understanding. The conference will be held in Ottawa, May 7-9, 2008 at the Marriott Hotel. They have just issued a Call for Proposals to provide educational workshops in the area of conflict resolution to a variety of constituencies including: the justice system, restorative justice, health care, education, Aboriginal issues, mediation, youth, the elderly, French language workshops and international issues of peace and conflict. CRNC welcomes members, new constituencies and the general public to send in workshop proposals. New presenters may include unions, ministry, social services, workplace, the public sector, the private sector, and the general public. Please send your outline including your bio to Wendy Walton at her e-mail address: by May 3, 2007.

Recently people on the NCDD members discussion list have mentioned the possibility of going to the US Social Forum this June (visit www.ussf2007.org for details). If you are in need of a scholarship for travel consider applying for one from the Third Wave Foundation (www.thirdwavefoundation.org). The Third Wave Foundation’s United States Social Forum Fund provides full scholarships (registration, travel, lodging, and food) for young women and transgender activists between the ages of 15 and 30 to attend the United States Social Forum, June 27-July 1, 2007, in Atlanta, Georgia. (more…)

Sandra Janoff & Marvin Weisbord, Co-authors of the popular Berrett-Kohler book, Future Search: An Action Guide to Finding Common Ground in Organizations & Communities, will be holding a workshop June 3-6, 2007 called “Managing a Future Search.” Sandra and Marv are co-directors of Future Search Network (www.futuresearch.net), a non-profit voluntary association of 350 practitioners worldwide dedicated to learning, colleagueship, and community service. This workshop in Bryn Mawr, PA will teach executives, consultants, strategy planners, facilitators, and meeting managers the theory, philosophy, techniques, and minimum conditions for turning dreams in to action plans. For more information, visit their website.

Middlebury College (www.middlebury.edu) has just announced the establishment of the Middlebury College Fellowships in Environmental Journalism, a program designed to support intensive, year-long reporting about environmental issues by journalists at the start of their careers. Funded by an anonymous gift of $1.5 million, the program will annually select ten journalists — two of whom will be Middlebury College seniors whose projects contribute to senior work for the baccalaureate degree — and work with them to report and produce news stories for print, the Internet, and radio. Graduate Fellows will receive $10,000 for research expenses and participate in week-long residencies at Middlebury College in the fall and at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in the spring. Interested applicants should visit the Middlebury College Web site for further information. The deadline for applications is May 15, 2007.

Those of you who know Lars Torres may already have heard of the Peace Tiles Project (www.peacetiles.net), which creates opportunities for cultural exchange, community service and awareness raising through art. Now the Peace Tiles Project is offering two workshops to help train people who would like to use this approach to dialogue about community issues. First, the group is offering a “training the trainer” workshop through which educators learn to use the Peace Tiles process. For information on this workshop, visit www.tagstudio.net/peacetiles/peacetiles_tot_intro_2007.pdf. Second, Peace Tiles is offering a community action-reflection workshop overview – this is a basic workshop on how to engage communities around issues using Peace Tiles. Information is available here: www.tagstudio.net/peacetiles/peacetiles_arw_intro_2007.pdf. For more information on booking one of these workshops, contact Lars at 802-563-2757 or .

The Building a Culture of Peace Conference will be held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on May 16-17. This working conference will call together 500 local, national, and global peace leaders for inquiry and strategic thinking on the question: “What would it take to transform the current culture of violence in our societies to a true culture of peace?” The conference will be structured around Peace Councils on the themes of “Our Youth, Our Promise,” “Demilitarization and a Peace Economy,” “Knowing the Other as Ourselves,” “The Living Spirit of Peace,” and “The Politics of Peace.” In addition, prominent peace leaders will address the conference’s plenary sessions, including Arun Gandhi and Nobel Peace Laureates Rigoberta Menchu Tum and Jody Williams, plus H.H. the Dalai Lama by video. For more information and to register, visit www.worldpeaceconference.org.

Sandy just posted a summary of the book Beyond Public Meetings: Connecting Community Engagement with Decision-Making on NCDD’s Learning Exchange. Written by Vivien Twyford, Max Hardy, John Dengate, Stuart Waters and Dr. Vicki Vaartjes and published by Twyford Consulting, 2007, the book challenges myths and assumptions associated with community engagement. It provides organisations, including all layers of government, with a comprehensive guide to why and how communities can be engaged to make better decisions.

Written by five internationally recognized experts in the field of community engagement, the book provides a best practice guide to community engagement, building upon the successful framework developed by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). To read more from Sandy’s summary visit NCDD’s Learning Exchange: www.thataway.org/exchange/resources.php?action=view&rid=2714. To order your copy or for more info on the book, contact Twyford Consulting on 02 4226 4040 or . The book is $29.95 per copy plus postage ($8 in Australia, $12 in New Zealand/Asia Pacific, or $17 in the rest of the world).

Cynthia Gibson emailed me today about a new report on the future of democracy from the UK Power Commission called “Power to the People.” She noted that “finally – someone’s asking about the system, rather than continually talking about “apathy.”

The 175-page report is the result of the work of a politically diverse commission tasked with questions such as: How can democracy survive when we feel politicians don’t listen? How can politics be revived when fewer and fewer of us support political parties? How can voting be encouraged if millions see elections as a charade? The conclusion: The problem is not apathy. Widespread participation in civil society organizations proves otherwise. The problem is the political system and the commission proposed serious reforms.

Each year the Arsalyn Program sponsors a national conference designed to serve as a respectful, neutral forum where diverse individuals promoting youth civic and political engagement can meet as collegues. In addition to opportunities for networking, Arsalyn’s national conferences enable participants to look at ways to get involved in the democratic process and develop a sense of common purpose in working toward their goals.

Arsalyn’s national conferences are open to individuals and organizations that identify with Arsalyn’s mission and are working to promote youth civic and political engagement. Arsalyn will invite approximately 120 young people ages 16-20 to each conference for an intensive day-long program devoted to learning the art of political deliberation. Arsalyn will provide food, lodging, conference materials and a travel award to help defray travel expenses.

(more…)

A Nonviolent Communication (NVC) training is coming up in St. Pete Florida, May 4, 5 & 6 with CNVC Certified Trainer & Author, Kelly Bryson, MFT. Nonviolent Communication is a language process created by global mediator, Marshall Rosenberg, PhD which supports us in learning how to listen more compassionately and express in ways that are more likely to inspire connection. For information on the training, call 941-492-9279 or visit www.nvcsarasota.com.