The Lighthouse Café

A relaxed space to meet and explore significant ideas and themes in a welcoming atmosphere, with people from around the world.

What on earth is a << lighthouse cafe >>?

The lighthouse café is about mindful exchange of different perspectives. We are not seeking consensus, and it is not a pedagogical exercise or lecture. Rather we are seeking a generative dialogue exploration in hopes of creating something that was not there at the beginning, for and by everyone together.

Some suggestions for letting this happen

• Arrive a bit early to ensure that everyone can get connected and present.

• Remember, every Lighthouse Café is an experiment,

• Use gallery-view instead of speaker-view on Zoom, this is better for remaining part of the group especially when speaking.

• Balance listening and speaking. Honouring the space and all voices in it: a breath between speakers. Some people may need to know that no one else is speaking before they can speak, so we leave space. Silence is our friend. •

• It’s a conversation, everyone takes the initiative to contribute.

• Each person speaks from “I” … avoiding “we” ; take it as an exercise if nothing else.

• Memory work-out: who has spoken? Who has not?

The Café is asking you Questions

• What about this topic are you uncomfortable with? What are your areas of uncertainty as well as curiosity?

• What might your expertise blind you to? What alternative perspectives would you value hearing?

• What do you think might be true here, but you have no evidence for it? What does your intuition/gut say?

• What have you reconsidered in light of today’s explorations? How has your position shifted? Where is the new centre of gravity?

• After focusing on what this thing is or is not, consider what it means and how that is of value?

• After a minute of quiet contemplation, what new thoughts come to mind?