Symphonia: Community Building Workshop 2010

Community Building workshop with Peter Block and Symphonia for South Africa

Symphonia for South Africa will be hosting Peter Block, author of “Community: The Structure of belonging”, in South Africa for four 2 day workshops in four cities in March 2010: Johannesburg (2nd & 3rd March), Bloemfontein (4th & 5th March), Cape Town (8th & 9th March) and Durban (10th &11th March), where individuals will have the opportunity to learn about and understand the critical factors required to build and maintain healthy work places and communities in modern day life.
These workshops are about the nature of real transformation and what kind of leadership is required to achieve it. Transformation is a shift in the nature of things. It promises a culture of chosen accountability, authentic commitment, and a stronger social fabric. All these are elements of a strong community. Peter Block (a world-renowned author and expert in the field) will define how communal transformation is about leadership that is independent of style, role modeling and holding people accountable.

Content from “Community: The Structure of belonging”:
Modern society is isolated and has a weakened social fabric. The various sectors of our communities, such as businesses, schools, social service organizations, Churches and Government, often work in parallel, not in concert. They exist in their own worlds, as do so many individual citizens, who long for connection but end up marginalized. Their gifts are then overlooked and their potential contributions are lost. This disconnection and detachment makes it hard, if not impossible, to envision a common future and work towards it together.

We know what healthy communities look like, there are many success stories out there, and they’ve been described in detail. Peter Block provides an exploration in this inspiring book, of the exact way community can emerge from fragmentation. How is community built? One room at a time. “Which room?” you may ask. The one you are in.

Learning Objectives from the workshop:
• Understanding the conditions under which transformation can occur
• Define leadership as listening, convening, invitation, and the triumph of questions over answers
• Understand the importance of community and how it is created
• Demonstrate in this session the principles of community being discussed
• Ways to design gatherings so that transformation can occur
• Learn conversations that will lead toward a future different from the past

Who should attend the workshop?
Business, and community leaders and others who are committed to making a contribution that will strengthen the fabric of South African Society.

More about Peter Block:
Peter is an author, consultant and citizen of Cincinnati, Ohio. His work is about empowerment, stewardship, chosen accountability, and the reconciliation of community. He is the author of several best selling books including: “Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used”; “Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest” and “The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work”.

Peter is the recipient of the ODN’s (Organisation Development Network) 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2004 he received their first place MembersChoice Award, which recognised ‘Flawless Consulting’ as the most influential book for OD practitioners over the past 40 years.

A video clip from the workshop held in October 2009, with Peter Block:
To view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTqOOYbaG6I

Workshop details:
JOHANNESBURG
Dates: Tues, 2 and Wed, 3 March 2010
Registration: 08:30 - 09:00
Time: 09:00 - 17:00
Venue: All Saints Church, Fourways

BLOEMFONTEIN
Dates: Thurs, 4 and Fri, 5 March 2010
Registration: 08:30 - 09:00
Time: 09:00 - 17:00
Venue: Abib Conference Centre, Spitskop

CAPE TOWN
Dates: Mon, 8 and Tues, 9 March 2010
Registration: 08:30 - 09:00
Time: 09:00 - 17:00
Schoenstatt Retreat & Training Centre, Constantia

DURBAN
Dates: Wed, 10 and Thurs, 11 March 2010
Registration: 08:30 - 09:00
Time: 09:00 - 17:00
Saints Hospitality Conference Centre, Sydenham

Ticket Price:
All Corporate & SME: R 2,100
Early Bird discount: R 1,800

NPO: R 1,200
NPO Early Bird discount: R 1,000

Durban NPO ticket price: R 600
(Durban NPO tickets are subsidised by the DDP)
Early Bird discounts are for bookings made and paid for by 5 February 2010.

There are a few tickets available for grass roots community leaders for whom funding is a problem.

For more information on Symphonia go to://www.symphonia.net