​​Live conversation with Ben, Brian and Jock: follow-up to 1/25 Open Space Session 
​​for "DandDTrans," a "community of inquiry and action" regarding the role that Dialogue & Deiberation can play in addressing the mega-crises of our time
​​Image courtesy of www.NewStories.org
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​​Ben Roberts, Brian Dowling and Jock McClellan got together for a Zoom call on 1/28, from 11am-12:30pm.
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​Conversation Notes

​​Great appreciation for what is being done with DandDTrans. It's a gift to the community. It would be nice to have a write-up of all the various tools and processes being used here in DandDTrans.
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​​Ownership vs. entitlement. And the issue of having something imposed upon you.
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​​Online vs. in-person. 
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​​How much can we/do we want to "control" the process, so it doesn't go too far off the rails.
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​Opportunities for supersaturating solutions now
  • ​​Lessig's May Day campaign?
  • ​​Bringing top Down and Bottom up leadership together
  • ​​Business Alliance for the Future
  • ​​Appreciative Inquiry opportunity
  • ​​Participatory budgeting
  • ​​a trans-local opportunity
  • ​​Climate Justice Alliance & Divest/Reinvest (out of fossil fuels and into the "new economy")
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​​Climate: have local governments pass resolutions, then share approaches. 
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​Everyday Democracy
​​Helps local communities set up dialogues on community issues, lasting ~6 weeks. ~2hour sessions. Whole system in the room(s). Starts with getting to know and trust one another, then moving on the the issue at hand, and to action, Policing, smart growth, racial issues, etc. A lot of learning about what works. 
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​​Jock was a good friend of the original funder (Paul Aicher), and is on the board. 
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​​There is now a network of people who have done dialogue with one another and know its usefulness in local problem solving. They're a ready "solvent" for working with, thogh far from satruated on the whole. Some communities are more saturated than others. Portsmouth NH now uses Study Circles as the default mode. Works much better than traditional confrontational approaches.
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​​If lots of communities were used to doing this, that might prepare the way for a time when the crisis comes and people look for better ways.
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​​One of the few dialogic models with a specific action focus. And it's hard to do, and indirect. The circles don't have legal power, so the government still needs to buy in. Martha McCoy is the ED--could talk to her. 
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​​Overwhelming feeling of frustration in the US about our existing modes of governance. That's HEAT! the Tea party feels it as much as the Left.
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​​Cass Sunstein's work on the things that polarize us. ED and most deliberative approaches look for non-polarizing ways of addressing issues.
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​​A core question around polarization: can we (must we) all come together, or is this a battle that we need to accept and win?
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​​Bifurcation of participatory vs deliberative democracy. Would people make the same choices if they were part of the solutions and the decision, rather than picking reps/experts?
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​​Chevron opportunity? Ben has connections to both the grass roots, and to Chevron, in Richmond, CA.
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​​Can capitalism be saved? Is it the only thing that can save us?
  • ​​A carbon tax
  • ​​Post Carbon Institute
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​​Fossil fuel Divest/Reinvest movement as a possibility to address "stranded assets?"
  • ​​Jeremy Grantham, Amory Lovins say the market will do this anyway
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​What we've heard and learned today
​​We have a long way to go.
​​We need time to absorb things and consider them
​​The Business Alliance opportunity seems exciting--business is the power holder
  • ​​Hunter Lovins' stance on how (transformed) capitalism being the only thing that can save us.
  • ​​Our power as consumers may be greater than our votes.
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​​Appreciating the conversation. Let's keep in touch!
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​​Thank you, Ben and Brian.
​​Jock
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