"It is common sense to bring people together in conversation when you seek new solutions for the common good. We believe that when human beings are invited to work together, they will take ownership and responsibility for moving their ideas into action."

- Berkana Institute

A pioneer is …

someone who is willing and committed to go into unknown territory without a manual or a map - to take part in a course of action that leads the way for others to follow. The quest of this particular movement of pioneers, as stated in the philosophy section, is to create or transform systems, that they may come to serve life, and operate in life-affirming ways.

A steward is…

a pioneer who’s passionate about finding new types of action rooted in a new way of thinking and takes the initiative to start a local network, a community of practice, or to support the one existing in his/her context.

A steward works in a team, contributing to the creation of learning spaces for people in their community to connect and learn together, embracing the principles proposed by PoC.

"All hosts are members of a community of hosts. You can't host communities without communities of hosts"

- Howard Rheingold

"Stewards can cultivate Local Networks and/or a Community of Practice across local networks. (Maybe we can insert here a concise explanation on CoP or reference for literature, I will upload some and insert a link here)"

The stewards are the caretakers of Pioneers of Change, helping to provide the magnetic centre/s of the network. They are pioneers who embrace the philosophy of the network and are able to uphold it, and who have a desire to serve and a capacity to coordinate, dialogue, and collaborate. The steward serves as a local point of contact, a communication node, a "barometer" of the needs of pioneers in their region, and a facilitator instigating vibrancy of activity and conversation in the local network. The role is proactive (as opposed to reactive) and creative.

Stewardship is open to everyone and anyone can do it. Being a steward can a very rewarding role. You become the gardener of the space created, you get to know and work with everyone involved in the activities, expanding your own network. You also nurture the community memory, pointing newcomers to documents, providing links to related conversations, past and present, hunting down resources to add to the collective pool of knowledge - and teaching others to do it. Well performed voluntary cybrarianship is contagious.

At the same time, stewards benefit as they:

• Engage in a fascinating spiritual practice of attending to both their interior conversation and the group conversation. A host has a dual role: humble participant, and weaver of meaning and connection.
  
• Become valued in the community as people who listen gently, speak thoughtfully and understand group process.
  
• Have a meaningful outlet for service as we search for meaning, connection and intelligent action in the world as it is today. Hosting is activism.
  
• Are members of an international network of stewards who help each other and share ideas, practices, resources and sometimes even accommodation!
  

Being a steward can also involve many other things:

• Welcoming new people, and after the first ones get to know each other, encouraging oldtimers to welcome newcomers,
  
• Be interested in the people around you, get to know them and point them to information that you think will be personally relevant to them,
  
• Being the example and modelling the attitude you want others to emulate,
  
• Identifying relevant issues related to social change in their field of practice,
  
• Plan and host events,
  
• Bringing people together and hosting conversations that matter,
  
• Encouraging people to talk among themselves,
  
• Catalysing, facilitating, nurturing -- and getting out of the way,
  
• Creating the conditions for self-sustainament.
  

Being a steward implies time, public and private spaces and networking skills.

Basic info on how to become a PoC steward in your community:

• Start by reading this guide and the network’s philosophy on the website – www.pioneersofchange.net/aboutus , to catch up the spirit and learn the simple process and tips,
• Find out if there’s already a local PoC network in your context,
  
• Sign up to the stewards mailing list (Send a blank email to stewards-join@lists.pioneersofchange.net)
  
• Introduce yourself and your commitment to the group of stewards enacting in other local networks, they will be there to support you with ideas, resources and more. You will also find out if there’s someone else in your own context and engage in dialogue about the art and practice of hosting learning spaces.
  
• You could start with 1. I am…. 2. As a steward I commit this year to…. and share it with your peers on the list.
  

The commitment statement is a personal process to reflect where everybody is at with Pioneers of Change and what (s)he intents to commit. The power of it lies in sharing this very personal and reflective act that can create a strong container and accountability. There is no specific format or process, so feel free express yourself the way you are inspired to.

Starting-up or re-starting a local network

If there is no local network yet in your community, you can start one. Below is a rough step-to-step guide on how to do this.

Finding your people

• Start by checking the online directory to see if there are already other pioneers in your community. Also check the stewards list to see who is the steward nearest you, and send them an email to let them know who you are, and ask them any questions you may have, and whether they know of any pioneers near you.
• Find a friend or a group of friends who enjoy learning together about new practices in social change, to share the idea of nurturing your local PoC network. This group, initially composed of friends and acquaintances, could meet to start thinking about possible ways to host events and support each other in learning about new types of action rooted in a new way of thinking. Sometimes a network interested in social change may already be there, but if not it’s about inviting people to start one.

Try to go for diversity and also to reach the less networked - look in newspaper articles for young people who have created interesting projects... As a South African pioneer commented: "Pioneers of Change gives us an excuse to get together with new people in new ways."

Connecting them

• Organize a first stewards team meeting to share your experience with PoC and its principles and purpose with the group, to set the group’s own goals and to brainstorm activities you would like to organize to learn together.

Use the first meeting to get to know each other. It is a good idea to start by welcoming your guests and asking each of them to introduce themselves and share why they have come. Then share your story of how you have come into touch with Pioneers of Change, and why it excites you. Take time to get to know each other's stories

• Launch the local network! – This could be through an event such as a workshop, a film night, a discussion group or a meeting. Make sure you have everybody’s details to invite people to future events.

Find out what interests the group involved so far and suggest them to contribute with ideas and involvement. The better you know the people the best you’ll be able to organize and contribute to their own development and the local network’s development.

It’s also important to think about spaces available for meetings and events and the communication tools to invite people. An initial flow of regular events and themes could be very helpful here. This guide, some sections on the website (stewards, community tools, invitation template) and the stewards group can give you many ideas and support on hosting events.

Registering and setting up a web space

• Registering in the directory will enable your pioneers to find each other, and to connect with others within the global community.

• Once you are registered as individuals, you can register your local network, and set up a space for your group to share files, send emails, announce events, etc. Do this by clicking on "Register a Group" on the sidebar in the community section. This also enables you to connect with the global network by making your group visible on the site.

When the local network is up & running

Local networks don't just happen automatically when you provide communication tools: under the right conditions, they will grow. They are gardened. Positive effort is required to create the conditions and garden the growth of a self-sustaining group.

"Communities can't be manufactured, but you can design the conditions under which they are most likely to emerge, and encourage their growth when they do."

-Howard Rheingold

A local network needs constant attention, and it’s good to build a enthusiast team to host the different learning spaces created together. The best local networks stop if the steward’s team is not working together. It’s advisable that the stewards’ team agrees on regular meetings to constantly evaluate and plan their activities.

Preparing learning spaces

Learning spaces and activities organized by each local network can be incredibly different. The shape of the spaces can be vary a lot, the important thing is that the members in the local network feel they are learning and improving their practices by participating in the activities. It’s up to them, and the steward’s team to organize creative spaces to learn.

Some examples of learning spaces created by pioneers:

Film nights are spaces where a film is used to trigger a conversation or debate among the people present. The film can be chosen to explore a certain topic of interest – from climate change to your local neighbourhood. If possible it’s interesting to invite people who participated in the making in the film. For films screened by other pioneers see "Films to start meaningful conversations" in the PoC online library.

Workshops are spaces where participants experience together a certain topic of interest through activities such as painting, writing, singing, talking, listening, playing games…For workshops facilitated by other pioneers see community tools

Talks and debates are spaces where the participants learn from the experience an individual offers the group, accompanied by a conversation among exponents and participants. For talks hosted by other pioneers see (where? Here?)

Social events are spaces where participants meet and enjoy getting to know each other better…

Learning Journeys are about creating an experience - through a physical journey that is also a real journey into other mindsets – that enables participants to develop and improve their practice as a change agent. The Pioneers of Change learning journeys support a process whereby participants are exposed to a different practice or perspective and are supported in their re-integration and development of critical consciousness in understanding that different practice or perspective. The aim of a learning journey is to provide a deep learning experience on a specific theme or practice, facilitate connections with others who share an interest in the theme and enable participants to put ideas into practice upon return to his/her country, community or place of work. For learning journeys organized by other pioneers see (we are still working on an online space but for questions please mail to sera@pioneersofchange.net)

Summer School is the annual and global Pioneers of Change meeting. It is a space within which Pioneers, new and old, gather around common purpose and principles to lift our level of understanding of the world we live in. Through this we improve our actions and explore how to be the change we wish to see. For summer schools held so far see (where? Here?) http://pioneersofchange.net/communities/summerschool/

Conversation Cafés are lively, hosted, drop-in conversations among diverse people about our feelings, thoughts and actions in this complex, changing world. The simple structure of Conversation Cafés – and their spirit of respect, curiosity and warm welcome – help people shift from small talk to BIG talk. Though the format can be used anywhere – in churches, around the dinner table, in schools, in retirement communities, at workplaces – Conversation Cafés are usually held in real public cafés, because those venues promote the spontaneity and inclusivity that can surprise us into new insights and greater understanding. Conversation Cafés are unique because the hosts are not distant facilitators but rather active conversants. Cafés are unique because they foster inquiry rather than debate – minds and hearts are both involved. And they are unique because everyone is welcome and participants have great freedom to say what is on their minds.

Whatever the nature of the space you create, here are some hosting tips:

• Pioneers of Change identity. A good way to start is sharing a little about the nature, purpose and principles of the network, especially if the people attending are new to it.
  
• Set the context of the event. Briefly explain the idea behind this specific event.
  
• Allow some time for interaction. With big groups, breaks or time before and after the event is vital for people to engage with each others, this makes sharing and learning together easier to achieve. If the group is small, a round of introductions before or after the event could work fine.
  
• Provide a space for de-brief. After the film, play, talk, debate people want to talk about it; a formal or informal space for people to share their views is very valued.
  
• Thank people for coming and invite them to join the mailing list or leave their details for further events.
  

On the same path, Brown and Isaacs laid out seven basic principles for meaningful conversations:

• Set the context. Be absolutely clear on the purpose, parameters and participants that you want to engage.
  
• Create hospitable space. Create a welcoming environment that allows for personal comfort and mutual respect, and that enables participants to put down their defences and speak freely.
  
• Explore questions that matter. Develop and focus attention on powerful questions that enable collaborative engagement.
  
• Encourage everyone’s contribution. Create processes that allow full participation and mutual sharing, with no barriers such as position, rank, gender, age or culture.
  
• Cross-Pollinate and Connect Diverse Perspectives. Use living system dynamics to create new connections between participants and ideas while maintaining a common focus on core questions.
  
• Listen Together for Patterns, Insights, and Deeper Questions. Listen actively and look for connections and shared ground between perspectives.
  
• Harvest and Share Collective Discoveries. Allow the larger group to share insights from each discussion to enable direction and action to emerge.
  

"Have fun! Signal that it's okay to experiment, okay to not take yourself and the whole enterprise too seriously"

-Howard Rheingold

You will find more resources here and please share other sources you may know!

Have a look at the PoC community tools page: http://pioneersofchange.net/communities/stewards/communitytools

The art of hosting conversations online – Howard Rheingold http://www.rheingold.com/texts/artonlinehost.html

Berkana Institute http://www.berkana.org/f4d_artofhosting.html

Cultivating Communities of Practice. Wenger, McDermott & Snyder. Harvard Business School Press. Boston, 2002 http://www.cultivatingcommunities.com

Mini-manual to host café conversations http://www.conversationcafe.org

This is a living document, if you have suggestions how to improve it please feel free to edit right away and send a message about the newer version to mglauser@gmail.com or pablo(at)pioneersofchange.net (at) pioneersofchange.net.

If you prefer to download and read this document in word, go to: http://pioneersofchange.net/communities/stewards/stewardguide/link_view