Nov 5, 2012 John Lord – Facilitating an Everyday Life

September 30, 2012

Written by Ernie

John Lord, in Vancouver, Monday, November 5, 2012 from 9:00 to 4:00 at the Centre for Peace, hosts a workshop based on his newest book.  Seating is limited; group rates are available.  Register now! 

Independent facilitation  frees facilitators to be dedicated to citizens who experience vulnerability because of labels, disability, chronic illness, poverty, or aging. Facilitators are independent of biases from others such as service systems and funding bodies.   Whether you are a facilitator, a family that engages with facilitation, or a person who sees the  benefit of someone walking with you in community, this workshop is for you!   One of the biggest questions in our field is how to “facilitate” within an agency or governmental role – this is an opportunity to examine this question.  

This one day workshop will explore the values, principles, and strategies that are key to facilitation. Participants will have opportunities to reflect on their  own practice, and consider how to facilitate collaboration with families, social networks, and the wider community.

Independent facilitation puts belief and hope in community because that is where relationships and safeguards play out for all of us.

Independent facilitation builds resilience and capacity in individuals, families, and communities.

Independent facilitation flourishes when it is embedded in community, in facilitator networks, and is supported by local action and government policy.

John will lead us through a day of discussion, engagement, skills building and stories, based on his latest work, Facilitating an Everyday Life: Independent Facilitation and what really matters in a New Story, by John Lord, Barbara Leavitt and Charlotte Dingwall, a book for “people like us, people who want to make a difference, who want to feel free to be dedicated to a person; to citizens who experience vulnerability. People who want to use an effective process that is a change maker.  Independent facilitation is an emerging craft. Facilitators in the New Story believe that community is always the answer. We reject approaches that do not lead people to relationships in their community. And while independent facilitation may touch the service system to access supports for a person, it is independent of agendas, expectations, and accountabilities of service systems.

Each participant will receive a copy of Facilitating an Everyday Life: Independent Facilitation and what really matters in a New Story, by John Lord, Barbara Leavitt  and Charlotte Dingwall.   Most of John’s books, and other materials on best practices in the support of folks with intellectual disabilities, community leadership and creative facilitation, are available at www.inclusion.com – one of Canada’s great resources!