Community Group Coordinators' Handbook
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At the heart of IONS emerging mission is a vision of an increasingly engaged, creative and capable worldwide community of members and colleagues committed to helping catalyze the awakening and shift of global consciousness in our world.
The IONS Community group Network was formed organically to strengthen those elements of the community that have already made this commitment as well as to launch new activities designed to bring members and potential members with similar interests together in the service of inquiry, vision and creative action.
This handbook was created to support and help you as you initiate your group and as it develops. Most of the material has been contributed and reviewed by Community Group Coordinators and group members.
The first section, "Getting Started," suggests ways you can develop a vision and a focus for your group, as well as plan for and facilitate your first meeting. It also gives you a wealth of information about a wide variety of dialogue processes, including wisdom circles, appreciative inquiry, Bohmian dialogue and café style conversations. And there are web links to help you discover more about these processes.
The second section, "As Your Group Grows," addresses such issues as shared leadership and shared responsibility, and networking. It also looks at how to deepen your group process, the place of rituals in community groups and the natural ebb and flow that occurs in all groups.
The handbook material is for the use of all IONS community group members. Please contact Ann Frost at annfrost@shaw.ca and she will send it to you. Please put "CG Handbook" in your subject line. And, please, feel free to share this material with others.
Finally, remember that your own experience and creativity are important, and your group, like all of IONS community groups will develop its own special character.
