A COMMON HUMANITY

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Created on Tuesday, 02 December 2014 14:07
Written by Marian Moore

Marian @ Krysan

THE WELLBEING CONSULTANCY

Planting golden seeds in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, and Durham

__________________________ 

 

 "It is at this moment that we must decide whether the illusion that creates judgment is to be seen as appropriate. It is now that we are faced with a choice: whether to judge or whether to appreciate... whether to ask for service or whether to be an agent of infinite service."

- Hale Makua

 

 

A  COMMON  HUMANITY

So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing

by

Marian Moore (& David Gurteen)

 

In case you are wondering, David Gurteen is a virtual friend.  He is one of the many people who add colour and texture to my life; David is also one of the great unsung teachers of the Internet.  He, too, is involved with e-learning and thus a man after my own heart.  That he gives his intellectual property away for free is what the net is traditionally all about.  

Lest we forget.  

David Gurteen has chosen to be an agent of infinite service.  Be under no illusion, it is a choice.  And, to my way of thinking, it is a choice based on his belief in a 'common humanity', a belief in 'equality and diversity'.  I'm with him there - all the way.  And, in a way, that's what this blog's all about, our common humanity.  Yours (and mine).

E-learning

This is where Gurteen Knowledge and a bit of e-learning comes in. I'm always ready, as of now, for the Conversational Blog.  What about the Conversational Meeting?  Or, even, the Conversational Conference?  For me, this would be a conference that celebrates our common humanity, but also invites, supports, and encourages participants to converse around a chosen (maybe controversial) topic.

A Conversational Conference?

I'm not intent on inventing (or even re-inventing) the wheel.  And so, below is David Gurteen's description of the Conversational Conference.  Please, do note that my virtual friend is well-versed in the Conversational Conference, and much else besides. Indeed, as a much-sought-after speaker, he travels the World in person (though not at Christmas!).  What a great virtual friend to have and I'm sharing - as is he - privileged information straight into your Inbox!

e-learning: participatory and free of charge.

"It is at this moment that we must decide whether the illusion that creates judgment is to be seen as appropriate. It is now that we are faced with a choice: whether to judge or whether to appreciate... whether to ask for service or whether to be an agent of infinite service." - Hale Makua

 

THE CONVERSATIONAL CONFERENCE

by

David Gurteen.  Gurteen Knowledge

 

  • Creation starts from a place of LOVE.
  • Loving what IS, and loving what is to come! 

 

The Conversational Talk or Conference

In a traditional conference (or an internal organisational meeting), although there are often interactive sessions, the dominant style of presentation is the PowerPoint talk. The speaker talks for a period of time, supported by a PowerPoint presentation and then 5 to 10 minutes is allowed for questions from the audience. 

In a conversational conference/meeting however, the dominant style of talk is the Conversational talk where time is allowed for the audience participants to discuss the talk amongst themselves. Here each speaker presents for a period of time - usually 20 to 30 minutes - and concludes their talk with a question to the participants. 

The participants are normally seated at small round tables, 4 - 5 people per table but the format still works well with larger tables and even in lecture halls or in banked auditoriums though the smaller grouping is more conducive to conversation. 

The participants then quietly reflect on the talk for a minute or two individually, before discussing the talk and the question in small groups before going into a traditional Q&A. Even, in a lecture theatre it is not too difficult for people to form groups of 3 or 4 by turning to their neighbours. 

The conversation is seen as more valuable than the Q&A and usually 10 - 15 minutes is allowed for the conversation and only 5 - 10 minutes for the Q&A. 

This conversational format is intended to create an informal, relaxed atmosphere in which the conference participants engage with the topic; get to know each other; learn from each other; and build relationships. 

One of the attractions of this style of talk for both the speaker and the conference/meeting organiser is that it involves minimal change as quite simply just a short period of time for conversation is inserted between the talk and the Q&A. This time can be taken from the speaker's talk or additional time can be allowed by the conference/meeting organiser. 

One of the nice things about the "conversational talk" is that any speaker can choose to adopt this format. They do not need permission from the organiser. Its worth forewarnng the chairperson but apart from that - just do it. 
  • David Gurteen,
  • Gurteen Knowledge

 

A Common Humanity.

(Extract from book of the same name)

"Our sense of the preciousness of other people is connected with their power to affect us in ways we cannot fathom and in ways against which we can protect ourselves only at the cost of becoming shallow. There is nothing reasonable in the fact that another person's absence can make our lives seem empty. The power of human beings to affect one another in ways beyond reason and beyond merit has offended rationalists and moralists since the dawn of thought, but it is partly what yields to us that sense of human individuality which we express when we say that human beings are unique and irreplaceable. Such attachments, and the joy and the grief which they may cause, condition our sense of the preciousness of human beings. Love is the most important of them."  - Raimond Gaita

  • Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
  • Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
  • Just walk beside me, and be my friend. 

Be the change.

My thanks are winged the way of David Gurteen of Gurteen Knowledge and to all who have joined me (and kept me company) throughout the day, as once more I went 'Live on the Net'.  Without your watchful eyes, real interest and continued support, I would be bereft. I have enjoyed the day and leave satisfied with decisions taken.

Here's one last Gurteen quote: "The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove loving and friendly and helpful to you. The world is what you are." Thomas Dreier

Good advice.  

Changing times.

We live in changing times, all struggling to keep up

An individual having unusual difficulties in coping with his environment struggles and kicks up the dust, as it were. I have used the figure of a fish caught on a hook: his gyrations must look peculiar to other fish that don’t understand the circumstances; but his splashes are not his affliction, they are his effort to get rid of his affliction and as every fisherman knows these efforts may succeed.

Karl Menninger   

 

 

Marian Moore, BA/BSc (Open)

A Common Humanity - So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing - TSE

Wednesday 3 December 2014

 

 

DON'T MISS OUT ON THESE RESOURCES

:::

Buy A Common Humanity: Thinking about Love and Truth and Justice by Raimond Gaita (ISBN: 9780415241144) from Amazon's Book Store. Free UK delivery ...

:::

LINKS TO USEFUL PAGES ON DAVID'S WEBSITE

:::

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/conference-ideas 

and 

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/conversational-confere

 

 

Watch out for SWEET CONVERSATION ... coming soon ...

 

ENDS - 2,457 reads @ 2017-05-06

 


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