What do you think is the most important question in the world now?
Please start your answer with your city and country.
About Us
Once a year Conversation Cafes and co-hosts organize a week when everyone, everywhere is invited to sit down in small groups to consider together the most important questions in the world today. We live in challenging and complex times. No one knows THE answer, but everyone holds a piece of the answer. You can say your piece during Conversation Week. We, and the world, will be all listening.Read the Blog!
Recent Posts
- Globe & Mail: A Little More (Civil) Conversation
- Conversation Week in Second Life
- Discuss the Top 10 Questions Here
- Question 1: How can we best prepare our children for the future?
- Question 2: What does sustainability look like to you? How do we get there?
- Question 3: How do humans need to adapt to survive the changes predicted for this century?
- Question 4: How do we shift from “Me” to “We” on both the local and global levels?
- Question 5: How can you, as Gandhi said, be the change that you want to see in the world?
- Question 6: What kind of economic structures can best support a shift to sustainable living?
- Question 7: How should we re-invent the political process so that people feel that they have a voice?
- Question 8: What kind of leadership does the world need now?
- Question 9: How can we balance our personal needs with the most pressing needs of our community and the larger world?
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To learn more about ways to promote conversation, check out the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation.
This is Heather from Vancouver, Washington…how can we live together w/o causing harm to ourselves, others, and Planet Earth?
Vicki from Whidbey Island
Where do we get the will to do what we must to make the changes needed to turn the tide? Thousands of excellent suggestions and models are out there for the necessary changes, but people don’t do them individually much less collectively. our politics and economics are resistant to change. so where does the will come from? must we wait for crisis? would that be too late?
What are the signs of the possible future (and the “possible human” showing up in a way that gives you hope? How can we do more of what’s working?
If we need to leap evolutionarily into a new more life-affirming way of being, what can we do to hasten this transition>
Tobin here from Austin, TX. We used the first question on what it the most important question we should be asking in the world. Responses ranged from how to connect spriritually, to how to move from words to actions, to how to live together in peace, and others. The conversation included people from other countries (though long-time residents) and the perspectives were broad, though compatible with each other. A deep and satisfying conversation all around.
“How can humanity overcome tribalism as it gains greater access to destructive technology?”
From this morning’s conversation in Tempe, Arizona:
Do you really want to live fully?
How can we increase connections between people?
How do we prepare children for the world, and the world for children?
How do we treat everyone the same?
How do we live together on the planet?
How do we create openness and understanding of others?
How do we handle population control?
How do we know the truth?
What has love got to do with it?
How do we remain connected to Source all the time?
What drives us?
Our conversation led us to these conclusions:
We’re still just scratching the surface.
We’re confused.
We’re thrilled to be with thoughtful, caring people.
Show up and try, even if you’re not perfect.
Common sense and right-and-wrong guide us.
Our world is charactierized by duality and paradox.
The more we question, the more we learn.
The answers to my biggest questions are inside me.
Is Huntington right about the world dividing on the basis of religion?
How can we do what it takes to make things better?
Christine, Cleveland, Ohio.
What are we going to do about the Middle East? How do we get out of the Middle East?
How can the world find more common ground between us so we all get along and respect each other?
What do we do about escalating prices, unemployment, always trying to outdo each other?
How do we keep from destroying ourselves?
How can we stop exporting U.S. values abroad?
What can we do to transform the world so we can move toward happiness and freedom?
What does the world think about the war, our president and Congress?
How do we deal with the worldwide poverty issues while there is such disparity with great affluence?
How do we raise our children to have a deep sense of humanity about the world?
What will we do to control insurance rates?
Can we afford to retire?
What should we do to address global warming?
After Rounds 1 and 2, our conversation evolved into a wonderful exchange of thoughts and ideas from instilling good values, becoming more charitable, working at the grass roots level to begin change with each of us, being at peace with ourselves, paying it forward. While there was a sense of helplessness in addressing large-scale problems like these, there was also a strong feeling that change can begin with one person, and that one person can be each of us sitting in that room. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see.”
Dear Tobin in Austin:
Great report! Thanks. How do you manage to get such a diverse group together?
FYI, my two reports on gatherings here, can be found under the question WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?
Susan in Seattle: 7 people from my neighborhood gathered in the cozy comfort of my home for deep and intimate conversation. None of us knew each other well — several not all — but by the end we experienced a deep heart connection. Everyone expressed a sense of renewal of body and spirit. We were fascinated to see common themes arise — we shared a yearning for and sense of deep interconnectedness that was the underpinning of the key questions we identified — essentially — how do we awaken to our Oneness with each other and all of life. Much discussion about unity/diversity. The question of how to release fear and embrace love and trust in abundance rather than scarcity. The question of how to walk in the ‘real world’ with this awareness without getting slammed by those not aware. The question of how to awaken our LEADERS to this — how to get them in touch with the hearts of the grassroots, ordinary humans. The question of how to balance the sense of urgency for change with the insight of how important it is to ’surrender’ and accept….
Sorry we’re late in posting, but 8 of us met at New Hope Methodist-Presbyterian Church in North Pole, Alaska on March 26th. We too had very deep conversation for a couple of hours and suprisingly we came to consensus when we looked at the commonalities of our individual questions. Together we word-smithed the final burning question for our time:
“What will I do to help the people of the world accept the challenges of saving things in and on the planet? ei: Global Warming, Poverty, Religions, the Value of Life, Disease, and Intolerance just to name a few.”
It is interesting that in the week that followed—although it might not have been the cafe that caused it, but it also may have been—one member of the group bought a new hybrid car, another promised to stop using the dryer, another bought an earth flag and hung it up with the words: “The more we get together, the happier we’ll be!”
As with all the other cafes we’ve done, action seems to follow conversation. Conversation is indeed action.
I don’t know if I can be articulate enough to boil this down to one question. I think the following are some
“How do we foster a culture of non-violence in the face of constant violence?”
“How do we educate people to care enough about the world that they take action?”
“How do we foster tolerance in the face of all the religious, cultural, and political intolerance?”
“How do we get people to STOP the violence that is so cyclical?”
“How do we stop climate change?”
“How can we swallow our pride and ego and be more open to other people’s ideas and thoughts?”
I guess I didn’t adhere to the format of the question, but my 2 cents.
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everyone in the world, except the mentally challenged or the psychotic, wants what everyone else wants - personal happiness, peace, a better life for our children. my question is - so what makes it so difficult to have these?
Katherine, Arizona USA, WHY ME? If we can answer why Me as an individual should DO something then we are a more liley to move from talk to action. It really takes both. I would like to give this quote to all. “I can not do all the good the world needs, but the wrold needs all good I can do” Jan Stienfield.
What do teens or kids think about scientists working on Human Hybrids? My belief they’re ruining the human society. As I read the book: “Maximum Ride,” I did some research of Human Hybrids. Guess what? Parliament, in the UK is allowing the scientists to do exactly this: planting animal DNA into Human DNA. Making the rest of us later look like half animal-human. What should us kids or teens should do? Most of us don’t like the idea, (I actualy handed out a flyar paper to all my class mates in my classes. It told them about the Human Hybrid Act. And also that I’m starting a rally of teen groups around America (those who are against the idea of what the Scientists are doing). We plan to fight the scientists! soon! Those who want to join must be twelve or older. My email: www.lofland.allie@yahoo.com ” What do you think???”
The most important question– WHO owns the message?
With media messages coming at us from all angles, and marketers targeting us psychologically, via social networks, word of mouth, and traditional channels, we must ask who is behind the message that may seem genuine and fair on the surface, but leaves out critical information.
Melinda Hemmelgarn, Columbia, MO
Sheila MJ Smith - North Vancouver, BC, Canada, January 26, 2008
How can we get our own needs met and help others meet theirs in a mutually beneficial manner? What would it be like if nations helped other nations meet their needs?