Charity No
313712
Bulletin
number 7 – February 2003.
4th
International Conference, Birmingham 2002: Ethics and Socratic Dialogue in Civic
Society
Nearly 100 people from 20
countries gathered at Newman College in Birmingham for the 4th
International Conference of the SFCP, PPA, GSP and the Dutch Socratic Network, held from 28th July-3rd August 2002.
The theme was ‘Ethics and Socratic Dialogue in Civic Society’ and the
week included keynote presentations, panel discussions, workshop and poster
sessions, with the final 3 days given over to one and 2-day Socratic Dialogues.
Dialogue sessions focused on a range of challenging questions, many dealing with
issues of individual responsibility with regard to work in the voluntary sector,
ideas of community and engagement in public life.
In addition to the cultural diversity of the conference, especially
exciting was the range of professions and backgrounds represented, demonstrating
a diversity of applications of Socratic Dialogue in different parts of the
world.
The
campus setting at Newman provided an excellent opportunity for delegates to meet
informally outside the busy daily timetable and there were welcome opportunities
to forge new working relationships and renew old friendships. Evening highlights
included an interview with Susie Miller, the well-known German labour historian
and long-time member of the PPA, a lively, hands-on introduction to Asian music
with Harjit Singh, and a memorable
evening of song with world music expert David Lawrence, which provided the
opportunity for many to demonstrate hidden vocal talents – or at least
energetic enthusiasm and high spirits.
Feedback from conference
participants was overwhelmingly positive, some of which is now available on the
SFCP website (www.sfcp.org.uk). Returned evaluation forms have been analysed and
the results collated – this information is invaluable in planning future
events. Editing of the Conference Proceedings is well under way and they are due
to be published and distributed during 2003.
Fees were kept deliberately low
for the conference so as it make it as accessible as possible.
In addition, travel costs and in some cases free places at the conference
were awarded to a number of participants, particularly from Eastern Europe, who
would otherwise been unable to attend. The
final cost of the event was within the planned budget and, as previously agreed,
the PPA and the SFCP met the deficit jointly.
Future
Conferences
Colleagues
from Dutch Socratic Network have agreed to run the 5th International Conference
in 2004 in the Netherlands, to be planned jointly with the SFCP & PPA/GSP.
Please check the SFCP website for further details as they become available in
the near future.
Following
on from the Birmingham conference, participants from Belarus
are
organising a
similar conference in Minsk during the spring of 2003, with the co-operation of
colleagues from the PPA.
The
PPA has expressed interest in working with the SFCP initiative for a new event
to encourage East-West dialogue, focusing on issues facing countries in Eastern
Europe. The conference is currently scheduled for 2004 and will bring together a
multi-disciplinary group from several countries for 2-3 days.
New Development
Manager and Editorial Assistant
In June 2002, the SFCP trustees
appointed Simon Bayly to the new post of Development Manager. Simon recently
completed his PhD on the topic of theatre and philosophy and comes to the SFCP
with a background as the artistic director of an arts-based charity and a
long-standing interest in practical philosophy. His key tasks involve the
implementation of the Society’s development plan and the creation of new
initiatives to increase public involvement with the approach and methods of the
Critical Philosophy and the Socratic
tradition. Simon would be pleased to hear from potential volunteers interested
in working with the Society in any capacity and can be contacted via email at:
simon.bayly@ntlworld.com
Heidi Mason has recently
joined the SFCP as a sub-editor, working with Pat Shipley on the Society’s
publications programme. Heidi is a freelance editor with a background in
editorial work and arts management and has a master’s degree in philosophy.
Socratic
Dialogue Facilitators’ Training Programme
The Society is currently
finalising plans for the provision of UK-based training in the facilitation of
Socratic Dialogue (SD). The initial pilot programme will be aimed primarily at
professionals working with young people between 11 and 18 and will equip them
with the skills and experience to integrate the SD approach into their own
working practice. The emphasis is on practical experience with facilitation,
planning and managing a dialogue, strategies and techniques for facilitator
intervention and the innovative adaptation of SD to “real world” situations
both in and outside the classroom. The
Society has set up an international consultative group
of facilitators with an interest in training to advise on the design and
implementation of the programme. Experienced facilitators from the UK and abroad
will deliver the training. Venue and dates will be announced in the near future.
Forthcoming
Socratic Dialogues
Prior to the start of the
training programme, there are three opportunities for potential trainees to gain
some experience with SD. The first is a 6-day residential Easter School (11–17
April 2003) in Würzburg, Germany
(English speaking group alongside German ones - a good opportunity to mix with
some of our colleagues the other side of the Channel). Dorothy Moir will be
facilitating the English medium Dialogue, assisted by Kirsten Malmquist, and the
topic is: How do we recognise an
irresponsible act?
The other SD opportunities
are two one-day Saturday events in May (London – facilitated by Rene Saran)
and in July (Isle of Wight or a town on the South Coast – facilitated by
Dorothy Moir). Suggestions for topics are welcome from those interested in
taking part.
Please contact Rene Saran
at rene.saran@virgin.net for application forms or further details about
any of these events. Applications
for the Easter School are urgent.
Socratic
Dialogues in Greenwich Schools
In March 2002, SFCP trustee Rene
Saran facilitated a series of Socratic Dialogues for the South Greenwich
Network, which fosters cross-Borough co-operation between secondary schools in
the area. Three one-day dialogues were held with around 10 pupils from different
schools, each one addressing the question “How should a breach of school rules
be dealt with?” The question proved very successful in provoking a vivid range
of examples from the students’ own experiences and set the scene for lively
dialogue. The students’ own evaluation of the sessions evidenced the benefits
of the dialogue process itself in developing many of the “thinking skills”
now at the forefront of current national priorities for education.
Publications
As part of the training
programme, the SFCP is working on an SD reader, focusing on using the approach
in educational settings. The book will be an edited volume gathering together a
number of relevant articles previously published in English or German, as well
as offering some newly commissioned chapters. This text will accompany a course
workbook and will offer trainees in-depth material relating to the practical use
of SD with young people.
The proceedings of the
Birmingham conference are due to be published shortly and contain several
articles by SFCP trustees and fellows.
Grants to
Individuals
The SFCP is pleased to
announce the provision of a grant to Sabir
Yücesoy (made jointly with PPA) for translation costs into Turkish of an SD Reader
with selections from existing German and English texts.
Senad Kamenica, a Bosnian
journalist received a partial grant in collaboration with Academic Lifeline
for Bosnia towards his MA in Post-War Recovery Studies at York University. He
has now successfully completed his degree and returned to Bosnia.
GSP/PPA
Activities
Rene
Saran continues to liaise with the SFCP’s ‘sister’ organisations in
Germany, the Philosophical Political Academy (PPA) and the Society of Socratic
Facilitators (GSP) by attending meetings on a regular basis. The GSP is reviewing its provision of training for
facilitators in the light of experience and
increasing public interest in SD.