Author Archives: jofacilitator

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About jofacilitator

On Sept 1, 2020, I celebrated 50 years of work with the Institute of Cultural Affairs, facilitating meetings, groups, communities, and organizations, making it possible for ordinary people to have a voice in decisions that affect their lives. I retired on December 31, 2021, but still volunteer with the organization.

Ordinary People Making a Difference: Kaze Gadway’s Story

Sitting with the Homeless  (by Kaze Gadway) Gabriela left the homeless population two years ago. After her one daughter died in a car accident, she become addicted to heroin and lost her job. After being evicted, she started living on the … Continue reading

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Ordinary People Making a Positive Difference: Heidi Zahrt’s Story

About a week ago, a fire started on the hills at the outskirts of my city.  Most of the city was not in danger, but emergency responders decided that large sections of the city adjacent to the hills should be evacuated. … Continue reading

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Ordinary People Making a Positive Difference

This is one of many stories from a wide variety of sources and a multitude of forms contributed by people upon request for my 70th birthday.   They will be posted without editing, with the attribution that was with them.   … Continue reading

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Invitation to a Storytelling Party: Ordinary People Making a Positive Difference

This post is the context for the stories that will follow in this blog and on social media. Context: My 70th birthday is coming up in November.  Last year my sons said they would support anything I wanted to do … Continue reading

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Turning A Story of Challenges into a Story of Delightful Discoveries

On New Years Eve, 2017, I was celebrating the completed publication of Getting to the Bottom of ToP: The Foundations of the Methodologies of the Technology of Participation with a colleague. The last year of getting the book published was … Continue reading

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It’s Hard to Predict the Impact of a Facilitated Event

On October 20 this year, I attended the “Courage to Lead Award” event held by ICA Canada, the charitable organization that is  co-owner of ICA Associates, Inc. The award was to be given to a woman I didn’t know, Anne … Continue reading

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Remembering the MLK Weekend, April 6, 1968

MLK Weekend, April 6, 1968 49 years ago, I participated in a history- and life-changing event on the West Side of Chicago. I was 19 years old, in my second year at the University of Iowa, and traveled with my … Continue reading

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Using Multiple Intelligences in Facilitation

Above is a graphic representation of nine intelligences identified by Howard Gardner, with a tiny summary of what each is about. Howard Gardner[1] at first identified seven intelligences (starting at 11 o’clock and moving clockwise in this image), and then … Continue reading

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The Rock Will Split

This is a story that my husband Wayne wrote, and that is included in the Historical Scan chapter of the book he started, that I am finishing, “Getting to the Bottom of ToP:  The Foundations of ICA Methods”.  Currently in … Continue reading

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FACILITATION: A Tool for Evoking and Creating Wisdom

Strictly speaking, this is not a story like most of the other posts.  It is an article I wrote in 2003 at the request of a journal that supports inter-cultural education.  They were using the term facilitation for participatory, experiential … Continue reading

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