Australian Study Circles Network

Did you ever wonder how Citizens Juries are different from Deliberative Polling? When should you use World Cafe, rather than Open Space? Or are Charrettes what’s called for? First developed in 2005, NCDD’s Engagement Streams Framework helps people navigate the range of dialogue and deliberation approaches available to them, and make design choices that best [...]

In April 2011, Dr Mark Brophy, director of ASCN presented and participated at the Kettering Foundation Multinational Workshop Week – Civic Organizations Around the World in Dayton Ohio.  Mark presented a case study of the Australian Dialogue to Change Program to community and civic organisations from around the world. A film of the presentation is here.

Fashioned after the successful poverty fighting efforts of the Horizons initiative in the nation’s northwest region, Turning the Tide on Poverty seeks to involve a wide range of community members in seeking a “place-based” solution to poverty grounded in local talents and concerns, and led by local voices. Beginning with a five-week Study Circles process, [...]

It is estimated that between 1.2–1.6 million Swedes take part each year in various study circles. These are considered to be significant for democracy. The empirical evidence for this claim is scrutinized in this text. The theoretical basis for the interpretation is meanings given to the concept of democracy in the discourse on democracy. Seven [...]

The National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD) is an active network and community of practice centered around confl ict resolution and public engagement practices. Our 1,300+ members help people work together across partisan, ethnic and other divides to address today’s toughest problems, and NCDD provides them with much-needed support, connections, and resources.

Study Circles are another technique that has a variety of different uses and variations. At it’s core a study circle comprises a small group of people, usually between 5 -12 who look at a particular subject in depth and develop some recommendations or decisions from their study. Variations include: Who establishes the Circles? Who provides [...]

In late March, Mark Brophy will be attending the Kettering Foundation’s Civic Organizations Around the World seminar in Dayton Ohio. This will be a small seminar with civic engagement participants from around the world. The seminar will focus on the role of civic organisations in public life. As reported in Kettering Foundation publications, many civic [...]

Richard and Linda Stover had more time on their hands after they stopped working. So they started working again — this time to help their community.  More here.

A community garden, a bus shelter, a small business incubator, a plan for local homelessness. What do these things have to do with ending poverty? They are steps along the way — opportunities for communities to build trust, to experience successful partnerships, to more deeply understand local issues and talk openly about difficult community problems.   [...]