In this podcast, we bring you insights into circle holding, whether you are an (aspiring) circle facilitator or attendee, through interviews with experienced circle holders and conversations between Julia and Tessa, the founders of Circle Holding.

In this episode, Julia and Andy covered:

• Participatory democracy is about a deeper level of democracy .e.g Citizen’s assembly to listen to diverse voices and find common solutions

• Danger of spiritual bypassing when engaged in spiritual practices at the expense of everyday relationships in society

• ‘Deep democracy’ tries to draw inner voices into democratic process as microcosm of outer world

• Talking in circle ‘until the obvious arises’ leads to real solutions

• Facilitator balances aim of meeting with making people comfortable to take part

• Appreciative enquiry to use imagination through crafts or drawing so that people have chance to express themselves through different methods

• Dynamic facilitation to reflect back what you’ve heard and to create a safe space where creative solutions can emerge rather than fighting about different opinions

• Diversity in facilitators to match diversity of participants and to ensure that there isn’t a power imbalance

• Parliament as opposite of circle holding – paradigms that current society build on makes collaboration harder

Find full details in the show notes.

Our book Circle Holding: A Practical Guide to Facilitating Talking Circles is available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Circle-Holding-Practical-Facilitating-Talking/dp/1805013157/

Find details of the next free mini training and Q&A here and all our upcoming trainings on the Training menu above.

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