Art of Hosting Training
How can we hold despair and hope, embrace diversity, and take action together—shaping our communities and reimagining democracy?
Context
We are living in times of collapse, crisis, and confusion. Many of us feel paralyzed by despair about what is happening in the world—a despair that often immobilizes us and feels impossible to overcome. This stems from the layered crises we face: ecocide, the climate emergency, multiple genocides, and the rise of the political far-right. Polarization is increasing, alongside the misuse and manipulation of media and artificial intelligence, and the erosion of citizen agency. Even democracy is in crisis with many questioning its relevance, or whether it is functioning at all.
To take meaningful action, we must reconnect with hope. We must recognize the incredible creativity and perseverance of those who refuse to surrender to despair—people who invite us to honor the beauty of diverse perspectives, find meaning in our shared humanity, and come together to navigate even the darkest moments.
Amid growing cracks in our systems, collectives and communities are rising in response, standing up for diversity and embracing the unique gifts carried by different identities. Diverse voices are growing louder: women’s movements, Indigenous people defending ecosystems, anti-racism conversations confronting institutionalized injustice, and testimonies of those who have endured long-term oppression and occupation.
Beyond the human sphere, the non-human world is increasingly recognized not just as a set of resources for consumption but as an intelligent force offering guidance as we face these overlapping crises.
The juxtaposition of despair and hope, of crisis and potential, challenges us to move beyond binaries. In doing so, we open the door to co-creating systems that are not only resilient but also regenerative and just. What more could our societies become, and how might we reimagine democracy in practice?
This training invites you to explore this essential question. It calls for societal innovation where democracy transcends outdated paradigms of representation and corporate lobbying to give rise to new forms—participatory, polycentric, ecological, and intersectional. It is a call to shift toward new narratives, in response to a democracy in crisis.
The Art of Hosting and Harvesting Meaningful Conversations
Through the practice of the Art of Hosting and Harvesting Meaningful Conversations, we aim to create a reflective and deep learning space. Together we will explore a worldview of connectivity rooted in living systems, mental models that enable us to navigate complexity and process design that foster full participation—ultimately harvesting new collective intelligence and guiding wise action.
All your questions
What is the Art of Hosting and Harvesting Meaningful Conversations?
The Art of Hosting and Harvesting Meaningful Conversations is a leadership approach that expands from the personal to the systemic, integrating personal practice, dialogue, facilitation and co-creation of collective intelligence to address complex challenges.
What is the pedagogy of the training?
This training offers a potent, pragmatic, and immersive experience—a laboratory for exploring collaboration through the lens of “societal transformation and innovation in democracy.”
We will introduce mental models and theories on complexity and practice collective leadership by inviting participants to engage in hosting and harvesting during the training. You are encouraged to bring your ideas, projects, and challenges to collaborate on with others, co-create solutions, and explore ways to apply the learning in your own context after the training.
The training creates a participatory space for meeting like-minded individuals, exchanging stories and experiences, and deepening collective understanding. We will explore new forms of leadership inspired by Living Systems, where interconnection, collaboration, and self-organization around shared purpose foster collective well-being.
This training is for you if you are:
- Seeking new ways of working and leading to address the challenges and potentials of our times
- Working in a complex environment where collaboration beyond existing paradigms is essential
- Responding to a call you may not yet be fully clear about but feel compelled to explore
- Ready and curious to examine your work, community or personal environment through the lens of “care and kinship”
- Eager to deepen practices of collective inquiry and collaboration to apply in your contexts
- Aspiring to foster engagement and participation in initiatives and activities you are cultivating
- Interested in learning new methods to facilitate meaningful conversations
- Looking to join a growing network of change practitioners in Berlin
Who is this training for?
This training is for individuals and teams seeking new approaches to leadership, collaboration, and democratic resilience, including:
- Community leaders and organizers
- Social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs
- Decision-makers and project managers
- NGO and development workers
- Artists, activists and social designers
- Facilitators, coaches and consultants
- Corporate innovators
- Convenors of cross-sector dialogues
- Policymakers and municipal leaders
- Teachers, trainers and lifelong learners
The training focuses on democracy in Europe, which is why we welcome participants from the European Union, the Western Balkans, and Ukraine.
What will you learn?
- Hosting meaningful conversations and harvesting collective insights
- Self-hosting to navigate challenging or vulnerable spaces
- Integrating participatory and collective leadership into your context
- Applying ‘Art of Hosting and Harvesting’ methods such as Open Space Technology, The World Café and Chaordic Design
- Designing collaborative initiatives that address complex societal challenges
- Viewing systems through a living systems lens to adapt to an ever-changing world
- Navigating complexity, conflict, and emergence with practical models
You will also join a local and global network of practitioners dedicated to co-creating new living and working systems.
“When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse. What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world.”
Practical Information
Language:
Location:
10999 Berlin
Dates and Times:
9:30 AM, 28 March 2025
4:30 PM, 30 March 2025
Note: This is an immersive experience. On the first and second days, coaching sessions will be available from 5:30–7:00 PM. Please plan to participate as practice is a key part of the learning process.
Costs
Fee Includes:
- Participation in the three-day training
- Materials and an online workbook
- Vegetarian/vegan lunches and coffee breaks
Need Assistance?
If the Supported Fee is beyond your means, email Eva at famulla@mitost.org to inquire about scholarships or non-financial contribution opportunities.
Payment Information
PayPal
commit@mitost.org
Bank Transfer
Commit by MitOst gGmbH
DE20 4306 0967 1254 3061 00
BIC: GENODEM1GLS
Meet the Hosting Team
Maria Scordialos
Maria holds an MBA from Southampton University, UK, and grew up immersed in the global environment of the United Nations, living in countries such as Congo, Guinea, India, Nepal, and the United States. Her work focuses on designing participatory processes that foster meaningful conversations, public engagement, organizational development, and systemic change.
Maria places a strong emphasis on reframing leadership and governance to address today’s global challenges. With experience as a Corporate Director in UK local government and as the founder of a consulting company since 2002, she co-initiated the Art of Hosting Meaningful Conversations, a global participatory leadership network adopted by organizations such as the European Commission, nonprofits, and social innovation initiatives.
Jon Dorsett
Jon is a visual facilitator and participatory engagement practitioner based in Yorkshire, England. With 25 years of experience supporting activists and changemakers in learning, reflection, and engagement, his work bridges inner psycho-spiritual exploration with outer socio-political action. He specializes in creating rehumanizing spaces and visual resources that inspire authentic participation.
Jon has been an Art of Hosting & Harvesting practitioner since 2011, working in collaborative settings across community, public, and private sectors within the UK and Europe. His experience includes partnerships with government institutions, the NHS, local authorities, NGOs, and community and business organizations.
Alice Priori
Alice is a community and process facilitator, Art of Hosting practitioner, and dancer. She is the co-founder and coordinator of CitizensLab e.V., a Berlin-based organization working across Europe to foster deep systemic and cultural transformation.
Alice’s work sits at the intersection of activism, societal change, and experiential learning. She collaborates with groups, collectives, and art residencies, supporting their collective exploration and actions to cultivate cultures of care as new forms of democracy.
Her approach is rooted in relationality, somatics, and decolonial thinking, which she sees as essential for nurturing radical new imaginations. Born in Italy, Alice now lives in Berlin and has lived and worked extensively in the Middle East and across Europe.
Julia Hoffmann
Julia is a scribe and process host. A visual thinker and creative at heart, she co-hosts sensemaking practices that help groups, teams, and individuals tap into their collective intelligence. She finds great joy in bringing visual arts practices into the field of social transformation.
Julia is part of SOCIUS, a Berlin-based organizational development collective, where she supports purpose-driven organizations and their people on journeys toward self-organization, resilience, and regenerative practices. She brings over a decade of professional experience working with nonprofits, municipalities, and EU-level initiatives to foster a more social and connected Europe.
Annegret Wulff
Annegret is the Managing Director of Commit gGmbH and a board member of the association MitOst e.V. She has been with MitOst since 2001, where she – among other projects – co-developed and scaled the Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg to more than 20 countries across Eastern and Central Europe, Turkey, and North Africa.
Annegret is an expert in citizenship education, emerging democracies, capacity building, and fundraising. She is deeply passionate about creating safe spaces that balance chaos and order.
Melinda Varfi
Melinda is a firm believer in the power of communities and is passionately committed to fostering their growth for a more sustainable society. She co-founded Impact Hub Budapest and has been bringing the Art of Hosting practice to life for the past 10 years.
Over the last 5 years, she has focused primarily on participatory democracy initiatives, including citizens’ assemblies, citizens’ forums, and participatory budgeting, both in Hungary and at the European Union level.
For the past 12 years, Melinda has been hosting meaningful conversations on societal, communal, and personal levels, drawing on the support of the Art of Hosting, Theory U, and Trauma-Informed Awareness practices.
Rowan Simonsen
Rowan is driven by a call to build community at local, regional, and global levels, with a focus on resilience, creativity, and fostering meaningful relationships. He is exploring how technology can connect and strengthen transformative learning spaces and is committed to hosting conversations that matter, helping individuals and organizations learn and grow.
Inspired by the potential of systems innovation and a holistic understanding of society, Rowan practices Aikido and stewards the Warrior of the Heart Dojo. This work is part of his dedication to developing practices for engaging with conflict in more creative ways and fostering a culture of peace.
Since 2006, Rowan has worked as an experiential educator, focusing on strategic sustainability, leadership development, and the facilitation of participatory processes. He has had the privilege of collaborating with public and private sectors as well as civil society organizations across Europe, West Africa, and the Americas.
The Art of Hosting Training is embedded within the scope of the project Strengthening Resilient Democracies, which is realized in partnership with Commit gGmbH (Germany), the Galician Foundation of Development and Education (Poland), the European Network ALDA (Belgium), Europiamo (Italy), and SocialFokus (Hungary).
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CERV program. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
