What is a Gathering?
A grassroots movement for imagining and shaping the future together
In what we call a "Gathering", you bring a small group of 5 to 12 friends or neighbors together to explore what matters most to them, and to imagine practical, hopeful possibilities for the future.
In a time when many people feel isolated, overwhelmed, or divided, Gatherings offer something different: a facilitated space where every voice can be heard, where concerns and hopes are welcomed equally, and where new possibilities can emerge through genuine human connection.
A prepared facilitator carefully guides the process and listens deeply to each person. Participants move beyond debate and polarization into shared insight and collaborative thinking. Rather than trying to "win", a Gathering creates conditions for new understanding, unexpected connections, and creative ideas to emerge naturally from the group itself.
Gatherings are not town halls or political meetings. They are grassroots conversations designed for ordinary people to influence the future of their communities, neighborhoods, and lives — together.
There are two formats for Gatherings:
1. Short format. 3 1/2 hours with 5-7 participants
2. Extended Format- 9 hours with 7 -12 participants (Friday night and all day Saturday).
Prepare to Facilitate a Gathering
Learn Advanced Facilitation Skills
These resources show the potential of facilitated Gatherings.
Some of these projects were initiated by governments to engage citizens in problem solving and decision making. Others were initiated by citizens at the grassroots level. We want to explore the possibility that a growing movement of Gatherings initiated at the grassroots level can alter the evolution of governance.
"In these spaces, citizens (community members) define the problem and rethink it; develop and experiment with feasible solutions; generate knowledge and networks; and evaluate and refine their approaches...
...Citizen spaces emerge from civil society through the actions of everyday people and are wholly independent (at least initially) from state or market support..."
From the National Civic League
A model project on municipal citizen participation
"LOSLAND developed tailor-made participation processes in cooperation with municipalities, inspired by citizens’ assemblies and other forms of citizen participation.
... Engagement between people who think differently can result in completely new ideas that resonate with everyone...These ideas are then fed back as recommendations to politicians and administrators – the initiators of the citizens’ assemblies..
From www.losland.org
