Listening Is The First Step
Last Thursday, 8 October’s Table Talk at the Catholic Parish of Epping & Carlingford
One of my first experiences of community organising was at a small table talk on a damp evening at Blackbird Leys Community Centre, on the outskirts of Oxfordshire in the UK. The weather was miserable, but that evening was transformational for me - it was one of the first times I felt as though my stories and experiences were valued and taken seriously.
At the end of the night, I was invited to join an organising team. I said yes, and that simple invitation set me on a path that I'm still on almost four years later.
I've been reflecting on my journey during our current season of listening on social isolation and community connection.
So far, leaders across more than 15 Sydney Alliance partner organisations have hosted or committed to host table talks in their communities. These table talks aren't simply consultations. We aren't conducting a survey, extracting people's experiences and taking them away to turn into a campaign, even though, in many ways, that would be more straightforward.
Instead, we're intentionally bringing people together to share stories, build relationships and identify new leaders who might be willing to take action with us.
In many ways, the process of listening matters as much as what we eventually hear.
We're doing things this way not because it's easy, but because we know that we don't build strong organisations and a powerful Alliance by waiting for fully formed leaders to walk through the door. Instead, we develop leaders by giving people opportunities to step forward, take responsibility and discover what they are capable of doing with others.
That's what somebody did for me four years ago. They listened to my story, took it seriously, and then invited me to take a step.
We don't yet know what action will emerge from this season of listening on social isolation and community connection. But by the time we get there, I hope we will have done more than identify an issue to act on. I hope we will have built new relationships, developed new leaders and invited more people to discover the power they have when they act with others.
So, as our listening continues and we get ready for two assemblies in the coming months, I'd invite you to think about your own organisation.
Who might be sitting in your organisation, waiting to be invited to take their first step?
If someone comes to mind, our listening and action season is an opportunity to make that invitation. Get in touch with an organiser and let's find a way to bring them into the work.
Harry Twohig
Community Organiser
