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WELCOME TO CONVERSATION OF THE MONTH

WHAT IS CONVERSATION OF THE MONTH?

In cultivating effective grass roots democracies the XR FDH aims to enable conversations to happen in society. The CoM is just one way we think might help. It is a ready-made discussion package that anyone should be able to pick up and run with a little application. Get started below.

WHAT IS THE BASIC MAKE UP OF A DELIBERATIVE DISCUSSION?

Each discussion has three stages

  • Input: Some content to introduce the topic, provide information and stimulate discussion

  • Deliberation: A process with which to carry out the discussion

  • Integration: Sharing and sometimes gathering of results and opinions, post discussion

THAT SOUNDS A LITTLE PRESCRIPTIVE. WHY CAN'T WE DECIDE THE TOPIC AND PROCESS?

The CoM is just an offering to help get people started, something we think might help such sessions become more common. The reality is that designing a session with content and a process does take time and we are just helping by removing some of that burden. We aim to crowdsource topics and processes that are most popular and then, in time, empower people to create their own resources.

COM NOVEMBER 2019: GENERAL ELECTION

Here it is. The Conversation of the Month in households across the country, and also at the XR UK Future Democracy Hub: The General Election.


We’re encouraging our Facilitator Army - a nationwide network of facilitators embedded in XR local groups - to run People’s Assemblies (see below) on various topics around the General Election, and to feed these back into a national digital conversation so that local perspectives and decisions can be shared across the country. You might want to promote these events with a Facebook event through your local group.


For information on setting up and running People’s Assemblies please see the links below.


Suggested discussion starting points:


What should XR’s general election strategy be, at the national and local level? (Note the following guidelines from the general election team: do not use XR to promote individual candidates or parties; ensure candidates and parties are questioned about the climate and ecological emergency; no direct actions at candidates’ homes.)


What would this local group like to do around the general election?


How can we raise the profile of the climate and ecological emergency in our constituency and ensure it is at the forefront of people’s minds when they cast their ballot?


Hustings, local direct actions, symbolic actions


Supporting democracy campaigns such as UpToUs,Demand Democracy, Make Votes Matter (and how to do that at local level)


Comparing manifesto commitments on the Climate and Ecological Emergency (could be the focus of a hustings, or individuals prepare a presentation as input to the assembly)


Feeding back:


We invite individuals to take up the role of collating the minutes of the above discussions and uploading to the General Election conversation: https://www.loomio.org/d/fL7AEk1s/the-xr-general-election-conversation


Resources:




For information on how to run a People’s Assembly please see the PA manual: https://rebellion.earth/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/XR-PeoplesManual.pdf

COM SEPTEMBER 2019: KEY XR MESSAGING, QUESTIONS AND CRITICISMS

In this session Paul from XR provides a take on XRs approach alongside key questions and criticisms aimed at XR participants during the April rebellion. It is your chance to reflect on these and what the best responses are and to provide feedback to XR via a survey at the end.


You can either watch the feature presentation on key XR messaging and then complete the online form to feedback. If you want to run this as a full Thinking Box session you will find the program and all instructions to do so below.


Input video: Key XR messaging, questions and criticisms

Feedback here: bit.ly/xrquest



 


FACILITATOR GUIDELINES


The programme can be seen below but we recommend downloading the following facilitator notes which will provide direct links for the videos along with supporting notes to help you host the session.


XR FDH September 2019 Conversation of the Month (click to open and then you can download it)


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS PDF


CoM Discussion questions (click to open and then you can download it) Alternative video versions can be found below if easier.


EQUIPMENT AND PREPARATION

To run this session with a group you just need to make sure the videos can be seen and heard by everyone. You could gather around a laptop but better to have either a TV screen or an LCD projector to show the videos on. Sound can be amplified via a TV connection or by connecting your laptop to speakers via a 3.5mm plug connector. Some digital radios can be used as amplifiers. You will also need a broadband connection.


PROGRAMME


An introductory short video (3 mins) (optional) An introduction to Thinking Box Process (2 mins) A feature discussion video (7 mins) Discussion questions for small group discussion Small group discussions (20 mins) Plenary discussion (20 mins) A final heart-warmer videos (3 min) (optional)



Introductory Short (optional)



Thinking Box: this is how a session works



Feature Presentation: Key XR messaging, questions and criticisms



Discussion questions Pause this video (twice) to display the discussion questions and survey instructions


Small group discussions: see facilitator notes Plenary discussions: see facilitator notes



Heart Warmer (optional)







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