Examples of Art of Hosting in the Central & Eastern European Region
Strengths of Slovenia (SOS)
16 – 17 August, 2013, Statenberg Manor, Slovenia
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As a collective response to the severe social, economic, and spiritual crisis that affected Slovenia, 70 people (50 from Slovenia, 20 from abroad) gathered for a 1.5-day event to inquire about the DNA of Slovenia – the core that sustains its people and land in tough times. Using Art of Hosting methodologies, with a special focus on Appreciative Inquiry, participants inquired into the country’s unique strengths, found like-minded people, and built coalitions for further actions. The event also inspired many participants to learn, and transfer, participatory processes to their own contexts (in communities and organisations). The government of Slovenia invited Marjeta (the caller) to later host public engagement for a vision of Slovenia 2050.
https://sosslovenija.wordpress.com/ |
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Public engagement for Vision of Slovenia 2050
Spring 2016, seven events across Slovenia
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In seven events across the country 450 people from all walks of life participated in a government-initiated co-creation of Vision Slovenia 2050. Using a mixture of Art of Hosting methodologies – such as Appreciative Inquiry and the World Café – it was powerful to witness how aligned participants across different locations were towards a green, sustainable vision that honours the humans as well as the planet. Participants joined the visioning process either by invitation (representatives across sectors), or of their own interest. The vision serves as a basis for the strategy for Slovenia with a 2030 perspective, and concrete action plans till 2020.
http://slovenija2050.si/vizija-2050/ |
Wiener Salon für Wandel (Vienna Salon für Change)
organised monthly, since March 2013 in Vienna, Austria
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The Wiener Salon für Wandel was founded to create a space for meeting people who share the burning desire for societal change. People who are open to think from a desirable future back to the present and who want to shape the new in a joyful and passionate way. The tomorrow will already be yesterday today.
Since its inception, the Wiener Salon für Wandel has hosted over 30 evenings using the Art of Hosting. Its core team of five comes from diverse backgrounds including researchers, activists, organisational developers, systemic coaches and sustainability consultants. http://wienersalon.com/ |
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Participatory Leadership in Crisis
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Steve Ryman shares his experiences of applying the Art of Hosting in Eastern Europe during the height of the 2015 refugee crisis in his paper "Self-Organisation, Open Source Learning and Participatory Leadership in Crisis - Reflections of a Sacred Outsider" published in the Journal of the Association for Management Education and Development (AMED), Volume 23 (Number 1, Spring 2016)
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Examples of Applications Around the World
All around the world there is a growing community of people from many walks of life who are learning, practicing and reflecting on the Art of Hosting Conversations that Matter. This community of practice is engaged in fascinating projects around the world. Below are some examples of how the Art of Hosting is being applied in different sectors and communities. For more examples and stories, check the global AoH website.
Education
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All around the world, education is both touted as the foundation for civil society and seen as an on-going challenge. Too many students are failing, teachers are challenged with packed classrooms, and many parents wonder if what their children are learning will help them navigate in a world of ever growing complexity.
Art of Hosting practitioners are taking the practices into the classroom with great results. This approach recognizes that students need to be active learners and encourages teachers to host the learning, rather than being solely responsible for the content. The result is a field of learning where everyone is engaged. The Master's in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability in Sweden is one among many examples of successful implementation of AoH in education. |
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Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
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Art of Hosting practice is a powerful way to work collaboratively on intractable and multi-stakeholder issues. These types of problems have no quick fix, instead they demand the ability to work with emergence and complexity. In addition, there is a need to make sure diverse opinions are heard and people feel they can contribute.
With the guiding question of "How can we create a financial system that sustains people and planet?", the Finance Lab is a project that started in the UK and has built a diverse community of over 2,500 people who are committed to contributing ideas and taking collective action for changing the financial system. |
Civil Society - NGOs
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Civil movements around the world have put the focus on collaborative community conversation and the need for new styles of governance. But how do you move away from more hierarchical ways of working to allow more people to participate and contribute?
At the heart of the Art of Hosting lie participatory processes and building capacity to engage constructively with differences and diversity. Worked with in this way, conversation can be the medium for both transformation and for taking personal responsibility for action and change. Examples include the Bush Foundation’s drive to build local capacity to host change through its InCommons initiative. |
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Business
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So many resources are available within any organization, which never seem to get tapped. The rich experience of people outside their job descriptions, the synergy when people begin to work together with commitment and passion, the innovation that happens when diverse personalities, skills and perspectives come together…
The Art of Hosting offers a way to unleash this untapped energy for transformation within any system. Equally suited to both strategic and practical implementation work, the practice of Art of Hosting offers a way to access rich resources lying beneath the surface of organizational life. |
Public Sector |
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Just as organizations are talking about working differently, many in the public sector have long been searching for more innovative ways to grapple with intractable problems. Societal issues and financial challenges demand new ways of working that encourage and support a diversity of views and solutions.
Art of Hosting practice helps both citizens and public sector people step in and collaborate. It is being used within the European Commission and other EU institutions, in hospitals and a variety of other places seeking to better serve people and their needs. |
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Public Pro Action Cafés (PAC) organised regularly since 2006, Brussels
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The Basic principles and practices of Art of Hosting, if applied consistently, can change people's life. Based on this conviction and also in order to make AoH more widely known in the region, Ria Baeck and Rainer von Leoprechting founded the first Pro action café in Brussels in 2006. Since then many other PACs have been open in many other places, the hosting team in Brussels has changed a couple of times but the basic principles remained the same: shall you have a question or a subject that really matters to you, shall you desire to share it with others so that you get a new insight - please come to the PAC! Are you more eager to listen and to ask meaningful questions, your place is with us, too! In any case, this is a learning process for everyone and an occasion to connect to open minded people and to your deepest inner truth.
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