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A Forum generally starts with a shared light meal to create a friendly atmosphere. Emphasis is put on people getting to know each other. Participants then move into a circle (or circles, if there are more than fourteen people) and the facilitator introduces the process. The topic may be directly related to a session in one of the Forum’s dialogue guides or an issue of Open Space. Alternatively, it might address the particular needs or focus of the group.
Participants are invited to listen to each other. A talking stick or microphone is used to put emphasis on the speaker. Everyone has the opportunity to speak for a few minutes, but anyone can pass.
A second round of sharing invites participants to add a comment or reflection on what someone in the group has said. Importance is given to each person’s input, ensuring that topics come alive and are enriched by each person’s experience and the energy generated by the sharing.
Through active listening and dialogue, a small group builds trust. The hope is that this trust-building approach will counteract the growing privatization of people's faith and deepest convictions and will instead foster friendship, energy, enthusiasm and a deeper understanding of the world in which we live.
Tea picking,
Kericho region, Kenya (0°23’ S, 35°16’ E).
While tea is a hugely popular drink the world over, the tea industry is an example of commodity industries where workers struggle to have access to decent wages and living conditions that would cover some of their basic human rights such as housing, healthcare, access to water and education.
Field cultivation,
north of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India (26°22’ N – 73°02’ E).
Food sustainability has to be envisioned from “farm to fork”. Industrial agriculture is contributing to the depletion of natural resources and biodiversity loss at great speed. New agricultural models are needed to preserve the natural capital while feeding the planet’s population.
Participants generally say the process leads to a greater sense of belonging to a wider community of people seeking the common good - they feel less alone in their struggle to find meaning and effective ways of acting.
They also feel affirmed and receive new perspectives on their experience, enriched by the meaning they have uncovered for themselves and shared with others. They also express regaining a sense of agency and creativity.
The groups that have journeyed together beyond one or two sessions attest to the gradual deepening of that commitment. Participants express the desire to take on responsibilities or to get involved in projects.
The process also builds trust and energy among a group in a way that makes it more effective in its mission. A group practicing the process regularly becomes able to consistently recognize and choose the path leading to a greater positive impact.
Participants usually leave a Forum discussion enriched by the contribution of others and by what emerged from the group conversation. They may also feel empowered and hopeful about the possibility of bringing about change in the world through their life and with others.
Participants might feel inclined to adopt new attitudes or commitments, including a desire to seek out similar experiences of sharing and listening with others.