[Ailist] Helping Each Other Thrive - Appreciatively

[Malcolm Odell]

Mike,

Greetings from Southern Sudan!  I'm here for a month training Winrock 
community development staff in the APA process for doing just what 
you're talking about:  using AI approach to solve problems, create 
opportunities and generally helping those resettling in their 
destroyed communities after a wretched civil war to "help each other 
thrive."  (For more on APA: <www.apaconsulting.org>)

This may be far afield from your groups in Vancouver, but the largest 
network of groups helping each other is the WORTH women's empowerment 
program, now working with about 200,000 women in perhaps 8,000 groups 
across about 8 countries of Asia and Africa.
Check out:
	<www.worthwomen.org>
And see attached research summary done on the original Nepal program, 
looking back 7 years, right through a Maoist rebellion and collapse 
of governance from which the country is only now emerging.
These groups start their regular meetings by sharing and celebrating 
their successes, dreams, and action plans for change.

I agree; the first D - Discovery is the key, what I call the 'Super D.'

If we get that right, then the rest flows naturally.

Good luck and best wishes,
Mac Odell

At 3:38 PM -0700 4/24/09, Mike Sands wrote:
>Does anyone know of any groups of people who meet and to use 
>appreciative process to solve problems, create opportunities and to 
>generally "help each other thrive."
>
>When I say meet it includes face to face, by telephone or other 
>means and can include "one with one" or larger numbers.  I suppose 
>such meetings could be called self-mentoring, or reflective practise 
>or other.
>
>I am starting some groups in the Vancouver BC area for this purpose 
>and would be very interested to hear about other such groups.
>
>In my experience simply the exchange of D1 - Discovery  - being able 
>to extend "appreciative attention" and to receive it  - provides an 
>enormous boost to life quality. In informal group circustances the 
>other 3 D's don't necessarily get formal attention - but are 
>evidenced throughout the conversations.
>
>
>
>
>Mike
>
>
>
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-- 
Malcolm J. Odell, Jr., MS, PhD
Sudan BRIDGE Consultant
Appreciative Planning & Action
Winrock International
Juba, Southern Sudan
Gemtel: +256-(0)477-259-465
Zain: +249-(0)197-290-937
-----------------------------
2712 Poplar St. NW
Washington DC 20007 USA
603-770-6006
<macodell at verizon.net>
<www.macodell.org>