Input on 'Listening' Tool kit for Deep Hanging Out

Hi Josie

I work for a local authority and here is a guide for working with people with a disability that I came across.

Hope that this is useful.

Love and rage

Nigel

I can't see your guide ☺️

Hi

I have attached the guide. I hope that you can see it

Nigel

Hi Josie

Sorry but nearly all the words in your email have no meaning. They are either jargon or nonsensical. Perhaps you can send me another email simplifying the first. I really would like to help if possible

Kind regards

Paul

Hi Josie. It would really help if you could describe what the aims of a Community Assembly could be and how that differs from a PA.

It may also help to understand what you would ideally achieve and how much time you are designing for. I'm assuming a tool that takes a full day is not what you are looking for.

Rebellious Ed

“Action is the antidote to despair” Joan Baez

Hi Josie! Thanks for your question... one thought/question in response... I have just finished reading and re-reading the current People's Assembly manual, in preparation for a local online training here in the U.S. that we recently hosted. While I edited the manual a bit, I thought that overall it was a fine manual, specifically for People's Assemblies. And so I am wondering if what you are wanting to create, is an entirely different manual, one that includes a variety of different forms for having large participatory gatherings?

If so, would love to help with that...

That would be wonderful! The aim is to expand on what we have already created and yes, ideally to include a variety of different forms of participatory gatherings.That was going to be my next line of enquiry!

Thanks for your responses,
Apologies for any confusion around the expressions I've used. I'll try to explain exactly what I mean and give a little more information.

So the XR People's Assembly Manual here https://rebellion.earth/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/XR-PeoplesManual.pdf is in it's second edition and was written to support the use of People's Assemblies throughout XR. As such it is very 'XR' and Direct action focused.

The use of People's Assemblies within XR has meant that a lot of people who have attended an XR local group, or large scale action, will have found themselves taking part in democratic decision making. Peoples’ assemblies, especially, have drawn people into this within XR, but now we need to expand their reach to include  the wider societies in which we live. This is how we develop the self-organising communities which are our best hope for survival as climate and ecological breakdown unfolds.

A Community Assembly is a PA, or similar process. It's not the process that needs reworking, its the manual.

The aim of a Community Assembly Manual would be to offer a framework for running Assemblies and other participatory practices within any community or organisation. The aim of any Community Assembly would be determined by those convening it, but examples of a Community assembly could include groups looking to create community projects such as Credit Unions, Cooperatives, or Flatpack style Council takeovers, or as a more general community building exercise focused on finding shared concerns and solutions to local issues.

The redrafting of the PA manual to remove XR specific references, and shift the focus from direct action to supporting existing and emerging communities is part of the work of increasing democracy from the ground up. The XR PA manual will still be used within XR itself.

The term 'Deep Hanging Out' was coined by anthropologist Clifford Geertz  to describe the anthropological research method of immersing oneself in a cultural, group or social experience on an informal level. Basically listening and engaging with the Community you are focused on, on their own terms. So not trying to recruit or persuade them of anything, just immersing yourself in engaging and listening to the people you are hoping to connect with. Its a phrase used in Community Organising, and I use it here as I feel it really sums up the first necessary stages of engaging with any community.

I use the word 'tool' to refer to any method or practice. An example of a 'tool' in this instance would be attending a local event and talking with those you meet there, door knocking to listen to the concerns of the people in that area, or organising a community event such as a shared meal or a seed swap to bring people together.

To answer your question Ed, I am looking for any ideas around listening and connecting with a community. You can add ideas that take weeks if you like! It's about giving people a wide range of ideas on how to approach this that they can pick and chose from depending on what works for them as a group or organisation. Like a connection buffet! The more input and ideas I can get, the more I have to work with.

The term 'brain dump' simply means just 'dump' whatever ideas around this come to mind here.

I hope any or all of this helps!

Josie

@Josie Holt you may already have this as it's quite a few of the other docs already, but just in case..

Perfect. thank you