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What happens in a Forum?

The following is a description of how the Forum in practice tends to operate. There is a fairly casual start, and the Forum group collects around one very large table with a second rank of chairs available if numbers are heading towards the room maximum of 30 or so (the photograph on the right depicts Forum participants gathering just before the start of the 'roundtable Forum on climate change: interpretations of resilience, irreversibility, urgency, and political will to act', Friday 15th of August, 2008 - photo P. Deane). There is generally little facilitation by the convener beyond initial setting up (plus going around the table for brief introductions) and a basic preamble on the theme being addressed. Further, there is no requirement for whomever turns up (in the Forum group itself, outside of the chairperson/leader/facilitator) to necessarily participate directly or sit in on a full session. It is largely up to the presenter/leader of the discussion for the session to state to the Forum (or simply just do) how they want the session to operate (detail on taking a forum session is available and provides a number of models for running a session). The discussion generated tends towards elucidating reasoning and is usually less focused on defending factual or belief statements/positions. Often too, there is a tendency towards questioning (just about everything - so there are few topics that can't be approached) and (at its best) Forum sessions are supportive of everyone having the opportunity to talk without being sanctioned/criticised (although you may need to explain an argument/position - agreement to disagree is a norm). This is not to say that at times, we get lost, drive up a dead end or fall over the falls into introspection and sometimes spaces of ego and aggravation. To allow for open discussion as best possible, amongst a widely divergent group of people, does carry some degree of potential risk and challenge. Towards that end, we offer the following principles*:

Throughout the dialogue/discussion...

• commit yourself to the process.
• listen and speak without judgment as best can.
• identify your own and others’ assumptions of reality.
• respect other speakers and value their opinions.
• balance inquiry and advocacy.
• relax your need for any particular outcome.
• listen to yourself and speak when moved to.
• take it easy; go with the flow; enjoy; be convivial.

*Source: Drawn/modified from Bohm (1996) by Gang, P. and Morgan, M., (2004). The Institute for Educational Studies (TIES).

We close on time, but there is generally space after closing for people to chat on if they desire.

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Photography courtesy of Alan Fox