[Ailist] AI at 2008 NCDD conference in Austin

[Sandy Heierbacher]

Hi, everyone!  I'm looking for advice from the AI community on a  
couple of things.

The planning team for the 2008 National Conference on Dialogue &  
Deliberation (in Austin, October 3-5) is really interested in  
incorporating Appreciative Inquiry into the conference design in some  
way.  We haven't done this before, and it's high time we did - but  
I'm not as up on AI and the AI community as I'd like to be.

We're going to be scheduling some informative calls for interested  
members of our planning team (which is 80 people strong this year!)  
so they can learn about some of the methods we are considering using  
at the conference (AI, wisdom council, polarity management, as well  
as some we've used before like Open Space and World Cafe).

I'd love some ideas on who would be a great "guest speaker" on a  
conference call introducing people to AI and to how AI can be used at  
conferences.  We'd also like to consider having one of our pre- 
conference workshops focus on AI, so if you have ideas about who  
would be a good facilitator for a day-long or half-day AI workshop,  
please send those my way as well.

And if you know of any written materials on how AI has been  
successfully used specifically at conferences, I'd love to see it.

If you would email me your ideas directly (sandy at thataway.org), I'd  
really appreciate it!

And I'll include some additional details about NCDD Austin in case  
any of you are interested. We'd love to have a larger AI contingent  
this year!

Best,
Sandy

Sandy Heierbacher
Director, National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD)

e: sandy at thataway.org
p: 717-243-5144
w: www.thataway.org

Mark your calendar: NCDD's 4th National Conference on Dialogue &  
Deliberation is set for Austin, Texas, October 3-5, 2008. Watch our 5- 
minute video at www.thataway.org/8bc723 to see why you should join us  
in Austin! Details at www.thataway.org/events.


Join us at the 2008 National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation!
Deep divisions in society show a pressing need for better  
communication, collaborative action, and smarter decisions. NCDD's  
high-energy, highly participatory conferences bring together those  
who practice, hone and champion the “arts of democracy” that enable  
us to work together to make our relationships, our communities, and  
our world more aligned with our hopes and values.

The 2008 conference will draw practitioners, scholars, public  
leaders, trainers, artists, activists, teachers, and students from  
across this critically important field. Join us in Austin, Texas for  
our fourth National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation, October  
2nd through 5th, 2008!

Why Attend the 2008 NCDD Conference in Austin?
Although the approaches, philosophies, venues, and even our purposes  
for doing this work can be very different, we all share a common  
vision: a future where all people--regardless of income, position,  
background or education--are able to engage regularly in lively,  
thoughtful, and challenging discussions about what matters to them,  
in ways that have a positive impact on their lives and their world.

Making this vision a reality is no easy feat. To truly make the  
impact we believe we can and should have on the world, we must work  
together rather than just working simultaneously, and we must build  
on each other's knowledge and expertise rather than starting from  
scratch in our own silos.

NCDD's biennial conferences provide people who are committed to  
helping dialogue and deliberation flourish in the world with the  
opportunity to increase their skills and knowledge in these  
processes, share their own learnings and innovations with others, and  
develop supportive, collaborative relationships with their peers.  
Most importantly, NCDD conferences leave participants feeling more  
motivated, supported and prepared to do this vital work.

What is an NCDD Conference Like?
NCDD conferences are chock-full of opportunities to network with  
colleagues, experience innovative group methods first-hand, share  
learnings, hear from leaders in the field, and explore key issues  
together. Our conferences are not your typical panel/keynote-riddled  
conventions. Some people say they've never attended better  
conferences. Here is what Dave Joseph, Director of Project  
Development at the Public Conversations Project, wrote to us after he  
attended the last NCDD conference:

     "I have gone to many, many, many conferences over the past 30  
years. NCDD was by far the best conference I have ever attended. It  
was 100% isomorphic and congruent with our practices, with a focus on  
developing a sense of relationship, connection and community. The  
activities all contributed to making it extremely easy for  
participants to get to know each other by focusing on shared  
purposes, interests and goals. Plus, you had a wonderful mix of  
people, of course. The structure really contributed greatly to  
getting to meet a large number of very diverse people and have fun  
doing it."

And Avril Orloff, Project Manager for Canada's Philia Dialogue on  
Caring Citizenship, had these kind words for us:

     "I'm still coming back to earth after the amazing NCDD  
conference! It was packed so full of wonderful information, ideas,  
resources and people that I came away utterly inspired and  
energized.... You've created something that's going to leave a big  
legacy, and whose effects will just keep rippling further and further  
out into the world. To say nothing of a great community of practice -  
one that I'm honoured to associate myself with."

Learn More...
Go to www.thataway.org/events to read more about how NCDD conferences  
are vastly different from most conferences, and see videos and  
summaries of past conferences. You can also sign up to get involved –  
as a planning team member, a workshop leader, a co-sponsor and more.  
Or just email ncdd at thataway.org and ask us to keep you informed about  
the Austin conference.  Hope to see you there!