Session 7 – Discussing “I am because you are” in today’s world using Lewis Deep Democracy

Date:  Monday 12 October 2020                                Time:   12 noon                       Length:   2 hours 

Presenter/s
Cath Elderton and Gillian Cochrane

This session is designed for:         
Emerging facilitators                      Still developing                   Wisdom Keeper                  Everyone

Will this session be recorded?                                       Yes  if all attendees agree

Important to note:
Session is limited to 25 attendees.

Session Outline

Participants will be invited to use theory and tools from Lewis Deep Democracy, including  Role Theory and The Debate, to discuss a topic that is relevant to our current world. 

The process will enable an appreciation of movement, of the shared roles within us, and of the connections and awareness that can be achieved when polarities are activated consciously and carefully.

Participants will be invited to explore how such a process connects with what we understand as “Ubuntu”. 

Lewis Deep Democracy translates well to Zoom on-line participation and participants will experience that connectedness can be obtained whilst online, the diversity that online fora can bring to groups and will witness how collaboration may be forged during a strong and safe process.

Key Learning Objectives

Participants will gain:

  1. an introduction to some of the theory and tools of Lewis Deep Democracy
  2. an understanding of Arnold Mindell’s role theory, and the lens it brings to group dynamics
  3. an awareness of the transformative potential available from amplifying rather than avoiding difference
  4. decision making that accesses minority wisdom
  5. confidence in using movement when facilitating in the on-line environment

How this session contributes to the AFN Community of Practice

  1. by bringing deep democracy tools into the online space.
  2. the facilitators will encourage feedback that suggests how these tools can be joined with, or augmented by, other methods, and vice versa.
  3. by providing and encouraging use of tools for robust dialogue responding to the current climate of immense change in our world today in 2020.

Toolkit takeaways

  • A digital handout entitled “Introduction to Lewis Deep Democracy”
  • Online resources
  • A way to incorporate movement on screen

Speaker Biographies

Cath Elderton, Lewis Deep Democracy Practitioner
My facilitation practice is informed by Lewis Deep Democracy, a method that works with the transformative potential of tension, and seeks to build consensus by surfacing and exploring opposing views. My development practice interests are in place-based, multi-disciplinary projects. I’m experienced in the areas of First Nations community development, learning and development and aspects of public health. My psychotherapy practice is informed by Arnold Mindell’s process oriented psychology, one of the founding disciplines of the Lewis Method.  Recently I have been adding my head, heart and hands to campaigns for renewable energy and the need for radical policy change to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change.

Gillian Cochrane, Collaborative Vision
Hi! I was born in Scotland and lived throughout Africa and India before arriving in Australia in 2002. I work primarily in prevention of avoidable blindness in low resource settings. Originally an optometrist diversifying into public health eye care and international development, I found that facilitation is the key ingredient to enable everyone’s voice to be heard. I have enjoyed learning from Lewis Deep Democracy, Groupwork Centre and Zenergy. My passion is collaboration and participation that enables diverse folk to realise their individual and collective potential … especially that they can forge and drive their own outcomes.