links for 2011-08-06

I am a big fan of simple formats that let people "just" talk. Just in sneer quotes because I think talk has the potential for richness and complexity that most black bock processes can only dream of. David's running this workshop to share his own particular flavour of cafe style meetings.

"The most surprising aspect of the results is how basic the expressed needs were, and yet how profoundly unmet many of these needs went. Asked what would have helped them with their grief, the survey-takers talked again and again about acknowledgement of their grief. They wanted recognition of their loss and its uniqueness; they wanted help with practical matters; they wanted active emotional support. What they didn't want was to be offered false comfort in the form of empty platitudes. Acknowledgement, love, a receptive ear, help with the cooking, company—these were the basic supports that mourning rituals once provided.."

" whilst innovation is of course our bread and butter, I increasingly dislike the word in many ways, because it is something that everyone wants without quite knowing what it is. " Amen