Book tip by Manal Sayid:
This book is a collaboration project. Mapping Dialogue: Essential Tools for Social Change, was written by three women and one man who met, in the summer of 2005, to talk about supporting the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Dialogue work in South Africa.
In the midst of this globalized world in which we live, the book invites us to think about Dialogue as a tool to generate democratic spaces with shared meanings. The objective, as described in the introduction, is to share “dialogue methods applicable to face-to-face gatherings of groups of people meeting to address collective social challenges”.
This book does more than provide a theoretical frame for dialogue; it reads as a handbook for practitioners. The first section includes some necessary principles to take into account as we embark in the process of facilitating social change for groups, organizations and communities independently of their size. In the second part the authors describe, step by step, 10 different methods including examples of their use and a brief discussion of each one. In addition to these, they introduce us briefly to other ways of being with each other that run from Deep Ecology developed by Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess, to the Theatre of the Oppressed as practiced since the 1950’s in Brazil.
The last section, called Epilogue, engages us with their reflections on dialogue and community and its meaning in Southern Africa. The book is a must for those of us who are deeply involved in the process of co-constructing a better future for all.
It is a comprehensive guide on how to include voices that need to be heard in dialogue. It was a timely read as, I have been working with a community health centre on a longer term project. As you can imagine, the complexity of this sector is beyond anything one can imagine especially in these times! This book provides a comprehensive library of possible strategies I might use in my designs to facilitate important conversations that require innovative solutions!
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in designing dialogic strategies to help improve the way we humans work together.
Sustainable social change is increasingly dependent on successful dialogue. This book provides a closer look at transformative dialogue tools and processes for social change. This is a gem!
Manal Sayid has over eight years of business, change management, and strategic planning experience where she provides consulting services to help develop, refine, and scale programs. She is an active member of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF), and she has received training at the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) in Technology of Participation (ToP)® Methods. Manal has worked with post-secondary institutions, non-profits, and sporting organizations. Her facilitation engages stakeholders in developing effective plans. She works with clients to develop a tailored process based on unique needs and issues and has extensive skills and experience to adjust either the design or implementation as the process unfolds. Inspired by human-centered change and participatory approaches, Manal designs processes that foster authenticity, build community, and harness collective energy for a more creative, collaborative, and conscious world. As a process expert, she designs a wide range of sessions including stakeholder engagements, retreats, conferences, strategic planning, operational planning, public consultations, debriefs, and decision-making meetings.
Contact her here.
