Encounter

To enter an encounter group is to enter the unknown: to meet oneself and others as we are, in this moment. It is an invitation to openness, to sharing experiences and emotions as they arise, and to allow something new to unfold in the space between us. Such encounters can be rich, challenging, and unpredictable, offering opportunities for growth, learning, and deeper understanding of ourselves and others. The encounter group is an open space for all participants. There is no agenda, preplanned content, or assumed outcome — themes and directions emerge organically. We do not know what we will do or how we will be; this is for us to create together.

There are no designated facilitators. All members may be facilitative at any point, and no one holds more power or responsibility than others do by assigned roles. The “encounter group preparation committee” will open each meeting, welcome everyone, then participate equally alongside all.

We invite participants to:

·       Commit to being present and engaged within our differences

·       Risk expressing emotions as they arise

·       Remain open and attempt to understand others’ responses

·       Be as congruent as possible, expressing what is alive in the moment, being ourselves rather than talking about ourselves or others.

To encounter is to express oneself openly, honestly, and clearly while being open to experience the other. These groups offer the chance to explore power, identity, and difference, including differences of language, within an environment free of structural hierarchy. Encounter groups are an opportunity to practice being present to oneself and others whilst trying to empathically understand and value our interconnectedness.

Encounter groups are unpredictable and may be exciting, risky, and powerful experiences. We warmly welcome everyone to join in this opportunity to meet oneself and others — and to discover what can emerge from our shared human diversity.

Community Meeting

The Community Meeting is an open space for all conference participants  to come together as ourselves and connect. No one leads — the space is shaped collectively, alive with everyone’s presence. It brings together the threads of our diverse conference-experiences, creating a shared moment of reflection, connection, and co-creation.

As part of the Main Conference, they take place in the Main conference room at the end of each evening.

For participants of the Pre-Conference that means: The Community Meeting at the end of the Pre-Conference is an open gathering for all participants of the pre-conference. It’s a shared space where we come together as ourselves and connect with one another. This is not a guided session – no one has the function to direct the interaction. Instead, the space is shaped together, alive with the presence and contributions of everyone. It offers a moment for shared attention and collective presence, allowing participants to engage with the richness of diverse experiences. For some, the meeting marks the conclusion of their Pre-Conference journey; for others, it contributes to the ongoing formation of a community that will continue into the Main Conference.  The gathering unites participants from different Pre-Conference micro-cultures — those who have attended Workshops, those who have spent several days in Encounter, and those who have moved between both.