The Group next moved into a creative brainstorming activity based on the World Café6 methodology. Participants were organized into six tables with a fixed discussion question at each with interpreters available where necessary. After a 15 to 20 minute round of conversation, participants rotated to new tables to participate in discussions on another question. A parliamentarian “host” remained at a single table throughout the activity, took notes on the rounds of discussion, and shared the main insights from the previous round of discussion with the new participants that arrived at her table.
The ideas generated were therefore “cross-fertilized” and expanded on the results of previous rounds of discussions. Participants were also encouraged to jot down their thoughts or draw images on large sheets of paper at the tables in order to help articulate their ideas on the table’s topic of conversation.
The discussion question at each of the six tables grounded the priority themes (violence against women, economic empowerment, and political participation) in actions and strategies. Based on one of these three issues, the discussion question at each table either focused on 1) what the Group can do collectively at the regional level, or 2) what parliamentarians can do individually as influential public figures – in order to make progress in these areas.
The six hosts from the discussion tables later synthesized the spirit of the discussions.
6 The World Café is a collaborative method for the facilitation of dialogue and the creative exchange of knowledge and ideas. It is especially beneficial for conducting in-depth explorations of strategic opportunities and for deepening mutual ownership of outcomes within an existing group.
Moving from Formal to Substantive Equality
"
On paper, it’s very pretty ... Everything works very well. But what about the actions? And the strategies? It’s good to make progress on recommendations,
but in the end, what does each
of us commit to in order to
move forward on these issues?
"
Keila González, NDI Mexico