World Cafe (IMI-M4-02-EN)

• To promote meaningful dialogue
• To engage in considering diverse perspectives
• To facilitate collaborative discussions
• To stimulate creative thinking and co-design  

• Students
• Adolescent youth
• Educators, trainers, councillors, youth workers
• Any citizen

The World Café is a popular activity that is particularly useful for exchange of ideas, perspectives, co-creation and building a sense of community among participants who not familiar with each other. It is very flexible in its format and can be adapted to any learning environment.

The World Café method dates back to 1995 in California, USA, as an informal social initiative for academic and business discussions launched by Juanita Brown and David Isaacs.

Introduction (10 minutes)

The facilitator gathers all participants and introduces the World Café process, explaining the central question and it different aspects, presented as different tables.

Round 1 - Café Conversations (20-30 minutes)

Participants sit at assigned tables and engage in a focused discussion related to the central question. Free-flowing conversation and note-taking on the tablecloths are encourages. Participants can draw, doodle, or write key ideas.

Round 2 - Rotations (5 minutes)

After the first round, participants rotate to different tables, except for one person who stays as the "host" to welcome new participants and briefly recap the previous discussion. The new participants at each table review the previous group's notes and build upon the ideas. It is also possible to present counterarguments and disagree.

Round 3 and Subsequent Rounds (5 minutes each)

The participants explore different tables and engage in diverse conversations.

Harvesting Insights (15 minutes)

The participants return to their initial tables. The Hosts summarize the finding on their tables and present them before the audience.

Debriefing (10 minutes)

The facilitator asks the participants to share their thoughts on the overall experience, surprising insights, and potential action points arising from the discussions.

• 4- 5 Tables – depending on the number of aspects of the question to be discussed (each table needs to accommodate 4-6 persons)
• Paper table clothes
• Flip-chart or screen
• Sticky notes

• Guidance
• Experimentation
• Reflection
• Discussion

• Start the activity with a 5-munute introduction, explaining the mode of conduct within the group and instructions on how to behave during the activity
• Choose a thought-provoking and open-ended central question related to the topic of discussion. Write this question on flip chart paper or a screen visible to all participants
• Remind participants to listen actively and respectfully to one another, valuing each contribution

https://theworldcafe.com/

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