The Pro Action Café version 1.2

The Pro Action Café is a space for creative and action oriented conversation whereparticipantsareinvitedtobringtheircall‐project‐ideas‐questionsorwhatevertheyfeel

calledbyandneedhelptomanifestintheworld.

TheconceptofProActionCaféisablendof'WorldCafé'and'OpenSpace'technologies.ItwasfirstconceivedbyRainervonLeoprechtingandRiaBaeckinBrussels/Belgium.

WhatisProActionCaféGoodFor?

Asaconversationalprocess,theProActionCaféisancollective,innovativemethodologyforhosting conversations about calls, questions and projects that matter to the people that

attend. These conversations link and build on each other as people move between cafétables,cross‐pollinate ideas,andoffereachothernewinsights intothequestionsor issuesthataremostimportantintheirlife,work,organizationorcommunity.

Asaprocess, theProActionCafécanevokeandmakevisible thecollective intelligenceof

anygroup,thusincreasingpeople’scapacityforeffectiveactioninpursuitofgoodwork.ProAction Café can be used with a network of people and/or as a methodology for specificgroup / organization / community to engage in creative and inspirational conversation

leadingtowiserandmorecollectivelyinformedactions.

GeneralFlowofaProActionCafé:

Aquickcheck‐incircletoconnecttopurposeofthesessionandwitheachother.Ifcheck‐inhasalreadytakenplaceaspartofalongerprocessgostraighttobuildingtheagenda.

Youneed2½to3hoursforagoodProActioncafé.Inviteparticipantstostepforwardwiththeir call and in that way they ask the community for the help they need tomove their

projectintoaction.Peoplewithacall/projectstandup,speakitandwriteitontheagendathatcorrespondstoanumberedcafétable.

Counttheamountofparticipantsdividedby4thatgivestheamountofcallerswithprojects/sessionsthatcanbeworked‐with40peopleyoucanhavemaximum10callerswitheach

theirownproject.Theprincipleisfirstcomefirstserve.Ifyouhavelesscallersaddchairstocafé tables but no more than 5 at each table. During this process each contributingparticipant(thosewhodidnotstepforward)gettocontribute/supportto3ofthedifferent

calls/projects.

Whentheagendahasbeencreated invite thecallers togo to theirnumberedcafé tables.Therewillbe3roundsofconversationincaféstyleof20to30minutes‐eachguidedbyafewgenericquestionstohelpdeepenandfocustheconversations:

Round1:

Whatisthequestbehindthecall/question/project?‐todeepentheneedandpurposeof

thecall.

Round2:

What is missing? – when the quest has been deepened, explore what could make theprojectmorecompleteandpossible.

Round3:

Whatam I learningaboutmyself?–Whatam I learningaboutmyproject? ‐Whatnext

stepswillItake?‐WhathelpdoIstillneed?–tohelpbringitalltogetherforcallerandhis/herproject.

This3rdroundisin2steps:

First20‐25minutesforthecallerstoreflectbythemselvesonthe4questionsaboveandharvesttheirkeyinsights.

Thenalastroundwhere3newcontributorsvisitthetablestolistentotheharvestofthecaller,theirlearning,theirsteps,helpneeded–andthenofferanyinsightandanyfurthersupporttheycanoffer…

Betweeneachroundcreatebreaksforthecontributorstohaveadrink,relaxtogetherandgetreadytosupportanothercallerintheirquest/project.

Laststepistomeet inthecircleandinvitethecallersfromeachtabletoshareanswerstothese2questions:

• WhatamIgratefulfor?

• Whataremynextsteps?

If there is time thewhole group call reflect shortly on:What applications dowe see forpracticingProActioncaféinourcontexts?

EndtheProActionCaféwithacollectivegesturetoappreciatetheworkdoneandthegiftsofferedandreceived.

MaterialsandSet‐Up:

Ideallycreatealargecircleinonepartoftheroomandenoughcafétableswith4chairsin

another part (if the size of the roomdoes not allow this, then participantswillmove thetablesandchairsthemselvesassoonastheagendaiscreated).Dressthetableswithflipchartpaper,colourpensandmarkersasbasiccafésetup.

Preparethematrix fortheagendasettingofthesessionwiththerightamountofsessionsaccordingtothenumberofparticipantsdividedby4.Havefunanddogoodworktogether.

http://sites.google.com/a/pro‐action.eu/pro‐action‐caf‐/how‐to‐become‐a‐host/hosting‐kit,

Therealvoyageofdiscoveryliesnotinseekingnewlandscapes,butinseeingwithneweyes.

MarcelProust