January 26 | 12-1pm Eastern

How to Deal with Mess in Community: Raising Children and Other Contentious Issues [Webinar]

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Join consensus expert Laird Schaub for a webinar on how to handle difficult dynamics in community.

One of the primary tests of any community decision-making process is how well it works with messy issues.

In this free, one hour webinar, we’ll be wrestling with the complexities of an issue in community living that is known to be a minefield: What is expected and allowed in the way of adult members setting limits for community children, not their own, in public spaces when the adult is not comfortable with what the children are doing and their parents are not present?

We’ll delve use this issue as an example for handling complex topics collectively, as well as the ways in which groups often struggle with reaching consensus. We’ll also explore good responses to these challenges.

What you’ll gain from this session:

• Insights into how to unpack and frame complex topics (Hint: ignoring them doesn’t work)
• Insights about the primacy of working at the energetic level when that’s a known element
• Understanding better how the boundary between private and public shifts in a community setting
• Greater appreciation for the social skills needed to address issues well and make community thrive
• Whether you think Laird knows what he’s doing and is someone you could learn from!

This is a one-hour teaser for an upcoming 5-week course, Consensus 201 for Cooperative Groups. This immersive program will include how to respond constructively when people go experience strong reactions, how to balance inclusivity with efficiency, how blocking functions in a healthy group, and much more.

Course Instructor

Laird Schaub

Laird’s specialty is up-tempo inclusive meetings that engage the full range of human input, teaching groups to work creatively with conflict and diversity—all the while being ruthless about capturing as much product as possible. Laird lived for four decades at Sandhill Farm, an income-sharing rural community that he helped found. He also helped found the Foundation for Intentional Community, where he served as the main administrator for 28 years. In 1987 he created a self-insurance fund for healthcare among income-sharing communities called PEACH (Preservation of Equity Accessible for Community Health) that he ran for 22 years. In addition to his expertise in community living, he’s parlayed his passion for good process into a consulting business focused on cooperative group dynamics, styled CANBRIDGE (Consensus And Network Building for Resolving Impasse and Developing Group Effectiveness), since 1987..

 

Registration

The Online Event Experience

 

Live Zoom Sessions

Nothing pre-recorded here! When you sign-up for an event with FIC, you’ll have the opportunity to join a live session on Zoom with the event presenter/facilitator and other participants.

Affordable and Accessible

All our events are run on a sliding scale basis. Generous donations cover the costs for low-income attendees. FIC is committed to making our programs accessible to people of all walks of life.

Watch the Recording

You’ll receive the recording of your event to view for up to one month (unless otherwise noted). So don’t worry if you can’t attend a live session. Watch or listen whenever it is convenient for you.