May 8, 2013
Open to new ideas
An interesting aspect of the current debate around how communities can be helped to organise themselves in the face of the many challenges that lie ahead, is the growing acceptance that there needs to be more openness towards new approaches designed to help local people shape and control their own futures. One such method is at the point of being introduced to Scotland by a group of people who have long been critical of the traditional top down approaches. It’s called the Art of Hosting.
08/05/13
Art of Hosting website
Within Scotland particularly, a number of developments are offering a unique opportunity to shape the future of the country. Developments such as the Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill and the Regeneration Strategy offer us the opportunity – and the responsibility- to move from consumers of services to citizens, who have an active role to play in shaping key decisions at local and national levels. A commitment to public sector reform has come with the recognition that public services need to do things differently, collaboratively, and with communities. However, our institutions must undergo significant change if they are to deliver effectively for us, and with us. Meanwhile across the country, networks for change across all sectors are forming and growing, which provide alternatives as to how Scotland can thrive.
If we are to realise this potential we need new ways of leading, of organising, and of operating which create shared and collaborative values, which enable participation from all stakeholders, and which can harness the collective intelligence of Scotland’s citizens to realise true systemic change.
The Art of Hosting philosophy and practice is coming to Scotland. Here is a video that gives a flavour of what the Art of Hosting is all about, whether your context is community, business, or public services…