“A good question is never answered. It is not a bolt to be tightened into place but a seed to be planted and to bear more seed toward the hope of greening the landscape of ideas.”
~ John Ciardi
DNA Overview
The World Café is based on a few simple ideas, but those ideas are situated in a complex nexus that includes elements of process itself, philosophical thinking both historic and recent, a lexicon of new language, emergent social behaviors, and many other groups and methods that are exploring similar territory.
Juanita Brown, one of the co-founders of the World Café, wrote her doctoral thesis on the subject, and there is no better place to go to find the deep philosophical roots of the World Café as an experience and social phenomona (e-format copies are available for purchase in the World Café Store).
This section includes material to serve as a brief overview for understanding the fundamental concepts behind the World Café process, practice, and the larger pattern we’re working within:
- A glossary for defining key terms
- A description for each of the seven design principles that together create the conditions for effective World Café conversations
- Basic components of the World Café method
- The role graphic recording plays in the World Café process
- Understanding the deeper implications of the World Cafe as Conversational Leadership
- Background on the research that underpins World Café practice and a list of current research projects
In the Resources section, you will also find:
- A list of seminal articles written by World Café founders and senior practitioners, including translations in languages other than English
- A reading list of core books that have influenced World Café thought leadership