Imagine entering a community meeting with dim lighting, candles, beautiful flowers on the table. The warm smells of fresh coffee and popcorn. Gentle samba music is playing in the background. A facilitator brings the group to attention with the gentle ring of a bell. As you fill out your name tag you join a table of community members you haven’t talked with before. Guided by the facilitator, you agree to listen intently, speak sincerely, and show respect for everyone in the room.

There are four people at your table. When the discussion question is unveiled, you think for a minute. When you have something to share you pick up a stone, signaling to everyone that it is your time to speak. When you put the stone down, someone else shares their ideas, and you write down them down with bright markers on the butcher paper tablecloth. After 10 minutes you join another table and begin the process with a different question.

Conversation Cafes are a format for community meetings that use a relaxed, non aggressive approach to communication. Past meetings have focused on building a sustainable community in many facets. Recently, the Café has taken on a challenge to work with other issues in our community. Please join us for the next Cafe!

Download our Latest Conversation Cafe flyer
May Cafe on Developing a Local Sustainable Economy
April Cafe on Resolving Community Conflict
March Cafe on