Gathering: that involves bringing together both people and ideas in colocated inquiry.
"When all have gathered, the onsite phase begins with an opening ... plenary. Introductions are made, and expectations and the week’s schedule are reviewed. [....] Community-building rituals are occasionally inserted, for example, it was important for all to gather and watch the sunset each day at Asilomar." [Dyer, Jones et al. (2015), p. 44]
Expectations on constructive behaviours set the atmosphere for the dialogue teams.
"Setting the stage at the opening plenary, organizers remind everyone that we define an effective conversation as one in which the interaction between participants throughout maximizes the potential for creative synergy." [Dyer, Jones et al. (2015), p. 45]
In a systems approach, Banathy Conversations aim to product outputs collaboratively, that individuals could each produce alone.
[1] Dyer, G., Jones, J., Rowland, G., & Zweifel, S. (2015). The Banathy Conversation Methodology. Constructivist Foundations, 11(1), 42–50. http://constructivist.info/11/1/042, cached on drive.lab.csrp.institute
Banathy Conversations predate the widespread adoption of Internet technologies. Today, we can more easily do some preparation steps in advance of meeting in person.
The normal pattern for a Banathy Conversation presumes that participants will arrive at the conference venue on Sunday afternoon. When the location is remote, convening for a group dinner is practical.
For 2026, the Sunday falls on Mother's Day. While many participants may reside close to OCAD University, others may find the commute annoying.
We'll plan for a welcome dinner, particularly for travellers coming from afar. All participants are invited to join, if they wish some early time with elders in the systems community.