Letters  About the ADELAIDE AFN/iaf cONFERENCE

Dear AFNers,

Here are some photos and material from the 10th Anniversary AFN
conference in Adelaide 2007:
http://www.zenergyglobal.com/docs/news/afn07.htm

Enjoy!

It was a terrific conference and presenced the deeper purpose of group
facilitation in the world.

It was great to be with you all, both "old" and new.

Dale Hunter and Stephen Thorpe,
Zenergy

 Hi everyone

I would just like to add my thanks to the Adelaide Conference team.
for a brilliant couple of days. It was the first time I had been to an AFN
conference and I really enjoyed the energy, friendliness and atmosphere of
generous sharing that went on. I am now a devotee and will be at all the
future conferences as well as now attending the Melbourne group.

Since leaving the UK where I had a strong network of other consultants who
had all done the same Masters course as me, I haven't been able to find a
group to replace them. now I have and am very grateful.

It was great to put faces to names and I look forward to catching up with
many of you again.

Cheers

Lesley Dillon




3/12/07


I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone for a powerfully engaging conference in Adelaide! 

What an amazing and inspiring thing it is that a group of volunteers can put together a conference of this calibre and that there is so much generosity of spirit throughout the event.

This was my second AFN conference and it felt so good again to be amongst a community of people so committed to the ideal of bringing the wishes of a group to fruition.

I was really struck by the underlying and unspoken spirit of forgiveness and open-ness that persisted at every moment.  We saw it the first night with "Celebrate Failure" running backwards and forwards across the stage during the haphazard but hilarious and entertaining juggling session.... thanks guys!  But I noticed it in every session I attended and realised that this facilitation thing is not a technique or strategy - its a way of life... its who you are - or are becoming!  I'm slowly discovering that this is a community (you) with a preparedness  to remain curious and in a "yes and..." space whatever you are doing.  Seeing people suspending judgement and being in a deeply respectful and understanding space is a wonderfully humbling thing to see in action.

And of course, just so great to see how facilitators like to party!  I'm generalising here course ... but whether it be on the dance floor, behind the mic. or searching apparently aimlessly for bars late at night... facilitators know how to live life fully.  Dare I say: you worship life in so many different ways.

The optimistic space I have been in since the conference has been wonderful.  So to all of you who participated...  - thank you!

... from a very happy little vegemite :):)

Steve Ray

Hello and thank you to the conference organizers... It truly was an inspiring experience for me, a first, but definitely not last, timer.

I was struck by the generosity of spirit that was extended by the organizers and the presenters throughout the 2+ days.   I welcomed meeting many of the people whose names I know from the forum.  I enjoyed sharing stories and making music and laughing and learning.  I appreciated the gentle challenge made by Dale Hunter in her last workshop to decide where I want to put my facilitation energies. 

It was invigorating to be a part of a community of practice and to see
people communicating from the heart.  It was, as we say in Playback Theatre,
very satisfying...

Warm regards to all
Shirley O'Toole  


4/12/07

... I'd like to add my grateful thanks for the Conference...
I really enjoyed the sense of community that emerged from a group of
professionals who generously shared their work and play time...
it was a good space to be frivolous and serious at the same time -

I shall ponder fondly on the deep learning that occurred in engaging
with colleagues (and) the fun of partying together...

Cheers
Brendan McKeague