April 23, 2012 Sarah Byrnes, Resilience Circles Organizer

Resilience Circles Before we get started… Please use a PHONE to call in to this webinar unless you have a headset connected to your computer. This will allow you to verbally participate. (We want to hear your voice!)

Resilience Circles Before we get started…

Resilience Circles Core assumption #1 The world is changing.

Resilience Circles Core assumption #1 The next 15 to 20 years are likely to be very different than any recent period in our history. We will most likely be facing deep, destabilizing challenges in our communities.

Resilience Circles Core assumption #1 Growing economic difficulties from an increasingly destabilized global economy Rising oil prices dramatically affecting food and transportation costs, as well as other basic needs Disruption and stress from increasingly frequent extreme weather events, locally and globally, and general environmental depletion on many fronts

Resilience Circles Core assumption #2 Community connections that support resourcefulness have weakened over the past 50 years. 25% of us report having no one to confide in about personal troubles. We need to rebuild our collective community muscles.

Resilience Circles Resilience Circles are one response… Seven initial sessions using the Resilience Circle Curriculum, a free & open-source tool Learn about challenges together Build community connections Provide support for one another Take action together …structured but flexible tool…

Resilience Circles

Resilience Circles Resilience Circles build security…

Resilience Circles Resilience Circles build security…

Resilience Circles POLL Sprout: interested/excited by idea; want to learn more Seedling: preliminary conversations with a few others; possible partners identified Sapling: one or two organizing meetings under yr belt; on your way to an Intro Session Branch: under way -- committed group has met

Resilience Circles Download the Organizing Kit Our Webinars - An Ongoing Experiment TOPICS Ingredients for Starting a Circle Communication and Publicity The Curriculum & After the Curriculum

Resilience Circles INGREDIENTS FOR STARTING A CIRCLE One or two facilitators 15 – 20 initial participants A space to meet The dates and time of day you’ll meet How to find all this… ?

Resilience Circles INGREDIENTS FOR STARTING A CIRCLE Using the Introductory Session Things to Consider: FAQ for Organizers Finding an Organizing Partner Growing Your Group Finding a Facilitator

Resilience Circles Using the Introductory Session Hour-and-a-half long agenda designed to introduce the idea of a Resilience Circle. Gives people a taste of the benefits of being in a Resilience Circle without requiring any commitment. Can be used with an “open invitation” group, or with a specific group considering the idea of a Circle. Provides some new ideas mixed with personal sharing.

Resilience Circles Using the Introductory Session Option #1: Hold an Intro Session with at least 20 people in attendance. Option #2: If 15 – 25 people commit to forming a circle, go straight to Session 1. The agenda for an Intro Session overlaps with the agenda for Session 1 in the Curriculum, so it may not make sense to do both with the exact same group. Once you have scheduled an Intro Session, tell us about it at Resilience Circle Network!

Resilience Circles Things to Consider: FAQ for Organizers Number of Participants Timing Food Geographic Area Cost Longevity

Resilience Circles Finding an Organizing Partner Excited by the idea of a Club Good chemistry Magnet for other people; not an obstacle Dependable

Resilience Circles Finding an Organizing Partner Experience with facilitation Connected to circles of interested people

Resilience Circles Growing Your Group Tip 1: If possible, work within an existing base community.

Resilience Circles Congregations – Churches, Synagogues Transition Initiatives Neighborhood Associations Community Projects or Clubs – Community Gardens, Cycling Clubs, Book Clubs Community Organizations – Neighborhood Development Corporations, the YMCA Activist Networks Time Banks Unions, Labor Groups Co-Ops – Food, Worker, Housing

Resilience Circles Create Your Own “Base Community” A regular dinner/discussion group A group of friends who decide to watch a series of thought- provoking movies together A community project group LATER: a Circle intro session

Resilience Circles Growing Your Group Tip 2: Use the Linking Method

Resilience Circles Look for Leaders from the Base Communities Ask to Learn from Them Facilitator Support: Six-hour Training Workshop Phone Calls With Other Facilitators One-on-one Coaching For Basic Facilitation Tips: circle/ circle/ Finding a Facilitator

Resilience Circles TOPICS Ingredients for Starting a Circle Communication and Publicity The Curriculum & After the Curriculum

Resilience Circles COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY What attracted you to the idea? Why are you interested in starting a Circle?

Resilience Circles COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY Think about who you are talking to. What do they care about? How is what they care about connected to the idea of a Circle?

Resilience Circles COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY Get your elevator speech down! Seven 2-hour get-togethers over a couple months…? Learn about the roots of the economic turmoil we’re facing and think about how to create more security with one another…?

Resilience Circles COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY Talking points… Structured but flexible group meetings that are… Very participatory Help people get to know one another A place to read and learn things together Good for brainstorming ideas

Resilience Circles COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY Read stories from Circles: from-resilience-circles. from-resilience-circles. Watch the video and check out stories from other Circles. Look for tidbits that seem inspiring to you and commit them to memory. Show the profiles and video to others.

Resilience Circles COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY What to call your Circle? Resilience Circle or Common Security Club More ideas… Resource Sharing Groups Neighbor Groups Unemployed and Anxiously Employed Worker Groups Economic Security Circles

Resilience Circles COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY Sample Materials publicity-2/

Resilience Circles TOPICS Ingredients for Starting a Circle Communication and Publicity The Curriculum & After the Curriculum

Resilience Circles THE CURRICULUM Session 1: Our Resilience Circle Sessions 2 – 3: Change the Story Sessions 4 - 5: Create Community Session 6: Change the Rules Session 7: What’s Next?

Resilience Circles THE CURRICULUM Follow it step-by-step OR Use it as a treasure chest to pull ideas from as you invent your own meetings OR Adapt it around the edges to suit the culture of your group

Resilience Circles THE CURRICULUM What matters: Space to talk, both comfortable and contained No dominance, no preaching Whole selves: mind/heart/body Exposure to new ideas Focus on taking action together Sharing food/rituals

Resilience Circles AFTER THE CURRICULUM Ideas to continue learning, mutual aid, and social action Session modules, books, films, activities, social action campaigns, project ideas… Tips for making the transition from us and other facilitators

Resilience Circles TOPICS Ingredients for Starting a Circle Communication and Publicity The Curriculum & After the Curriculum Your questions and comments…

Resilience Circles Webinar Discussion: Small Group Facilitation Next Session TBD We’ll talk about facilitating and leading a circle, including: - How to handle strong disagreements (including from co-facilitators) - How to be a more effective “participant leader” - How to interrupt when necessary - Following up on absent members - When and when not to adhere strictly to an agenda Register for the free webinar at [link coming soon] When you register, please be sure to enter any other topics of interest. We hope you’ll plan to join us and share your thoughts and insights.