Click thru to see all of the details, the attendee list and get signed up to attend. I’m honored to be a host member for this event because I know it will be an incredible day of sharing ideas and making contacts. Only 125 spots available so get on it pronto!

You may remember that I participated in the National Public Media Camp last year in Washington, DC. That event was incredible as well and this is meant as a local extension of that event. If you’d like to read more about the original event here is my review – Community Engagement via Un-Conferences and here is a write up about my presentation there – Conversation Hosting Primer. You can also check out the Public Media Camp Wiki and other links from the original event here – PubCamp.

For current information and updates consider following @PubCampOhio – http://twitter.com/PubCampOhio on Twitter.

During a recent meeting for one of my community projects I had a side conversation about the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference. As you might expect we talked about the environment and our little efforts to save it; turning off lights and such, and how the poor economy has added incentive. When I get together with friends and talk about saving money and energy it can often turn into preaching to the choir.

This time though my friend changed the conversation and asked, “How is your internal climate changing?”

How is my internal climate changing? I don’t even know what my internal climate is? I thought about these things for several days after our talk. I had no quick answer to this one.

Not having a quick answer was in fact a clue to how my internal climate had been changing.

You see, I have always been fairly – ok very – opinionated. In the past I have been quick to provide a response to any number of topics based on my pre-disposed opinion.

Changing that behavior hasn’t been easy, but it appears to be happening. The current structure of our society doesn’t help because we reward ourselves for quick answers and cemented opinions.

For example; prior to the last election, at one of the city council forums, this question was raised:

“Do you think global warming is a man made phenomenon?”

On the surface this seems like a totally valid question; one that might even have a clear yes or no answer. Give a “yes” or a “no” and you are guaranteed to put yourself on one side or the other of the global warming debate. The reward is that you are now in the exclusive group of people willing to answer that question the same way as yourself. Just maybe that group will clinch the votes you need to be elected.

Unfortunately, through the process of grouping ourselves – creating us’s and them’s – we build barriers to actually accomplishing anything. Instead of finding ways to make the world better for all we become more concerned with one-upping the other team.

That makes this reward hardly a reward at all.

Asking what our internal climate is or how it is changing isn’t so much about coming up with a good metaphorical retort; it is about forcing the mind to discover what is in the heart.

Over the past several days I’ve discovered that my heart desires me to move beyond asking questions that divide. While I may maintain my opinions about climate change it is my internal climate change that is telling me I want to discover the questions that lead to a stronger union between myself and others.

So now it’s your turn. As the world’s leaders meet to try and take action on global climate change, I ask you, “What is your internal climate change?”

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The “Un-Conference” – The Perfect Place for Sharing Ideas

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I have very fond memories of watching Sesame Street and the Electric Company on PBS as a child. After years of watching This Old House I couldn’t wait to move into my first home. It was in that house that I listened to the very first episodes of This American Life on WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio. Now that I’m living here in Columbus I have the chance to not only enjoy WOSU but to be a part of it on air too.

Recently I attended the first national Public Media Camp as a representative of WOSU. The mission of “PubCamp” was to better understand the role of Public Media within the local community; particularly as online media becomes such a major factor in the production and distribution of content.

Because Public Radio and Television have been a constant for me my whole life, it just felt right that I would have a chance to help shape its future. I was honoured to have this opportunity.

PubCamp was held as an unconference. For those of you unfamiliar with this format it is structured in such a way that all attendees are participants. An unconference isn’t a place for presentation, it is a place for meaningful conversation.

The idea is actually very simple, just three basic steps:

• First, get motivated, interested, engaged and knowledgeble Public Media folks together in one space.
• Second, give them an issue to discuss.
• Third, let them determine the right questions and topics necessary to inspire conversations that lead to innovative solutions.

Believe it or not this process works great.

The unconference format is very empowering. It sets the stage for participants to work collaboratively for the common good of the group. For that reason I wasn’t surprised that PubCamp used this format. You see, I truly believe there is a difference between the people working in public broadcasting and commercial broadcasters. Public broadcasters seem to always look for ways to make their community better. For them, the common good of the community is ahead of everything else.

This wasn’t the first time I’ve attended an unconference; I’ve even helped to host a few myself. In every case I’ve walked away feeling like I helped to create something new. Then, just as important for me; I felt like I made some significant connections with other people.

So what would happen if we began solving of all of our community issues in this collaborative, empowering way? Instead of requiring a few willing people to try and figure out the answers to our complex problems, what if we tapped into the community knowledge that already exists?

Now is the time to maximize our collective intelligence and embrace these new conversation techniques. Through meaningful conversation, conversation that welcomes and listens to diverse viewpoints and maximizes participation and civility, we can transform conflict into creative cooperation.