Climate Circles are built on sharing a sense of vulnerability, but this is not always easy. By framing people’s stories and experiences as the key contribution to the circle, along with using some additional basic community principles, we can create a supportive and comfortable environment to make this sharing a little easier.
Step up/Step Back
Part of sitting in discomfort is asking ourselves to act outside our impulses. If you are someone who tends to not speak a lot, challenge yourself to move into speaking. Everyone brings their own gifts and knowledge, and we want to witness and learn from yours. For those who find comfort in speaking, we invite you to move into more of a listening role, it’s important to allow for silence so others can speak or process a thought/emotion.
Active Listening
The Climate Circle seeks to foster a space where all voices are heard and respected, free of distractions. We ask that all of the participants be mindful when others are speaking: take turns, don’t interrupt, and stay off phones to remain engaged and present within the space. Allow room for everyone to talk without interruption. Be mindful that there is a limited amount of time that we are meant to share with each other.
Acknowledge Creative Power of difference
An ethic of non-judgment is essential to the vulnerability and honesty that the circle asks of us.
The circle will bring together diverse opinions, expertise, and different levels of engagement. By approaching this difference in good faith, with empathy and curiosity, new and more robust knowledge can be formed. This is a practice of humility, we believe in the inherent value of everyone’s story and experience, there is something to learn from everyone in the room. No one knows everything, but together we know a lot.
Billion Worlds Lab 
Leave a comment