Book Review

Mindell, A.,(2002) “The Deep Democracy of Open Forums” Charlottesville: Hampton Roads Publishing

Deep Democracy, like this book, is about enabling all voices, thoughts and feelings to be heard, especially those nobody wants to hear. Mindell shows us how to recognise and explore conflict, instead of conflicting with it, through the creation and facilitation of open forums of all sizes. His interweaving of working on oneself, working on relationships and working on world issues, begun in earlier books, is framed in the context of the practical and facilitative challenges of running open forums. He shows us how to work with the surface issues that trouble organisations, as well as with the deepest feelings, dreams and stories that give rise to and perpetuate these troubles. He shows us how to maintain deep democracy when vested interests, diversity and equality issues are at stake and at risk. He recommends that we become psycho-social activists, participant-facilitators and elders to resolve and transform conflict, maintain deep democracy and build sustainable community. The book contains many practical tips for the leader/facilitator who wants to work with complex conflict in open forums and includes many potent inner-work exercises. Mindell emphasises that it is awareness and unfolding nature, more than the facilitator, which enables prevention, resolution and transformation of conflict and suggests the challenge for facilitators is ultimately to disappear and allow nature to work through them.

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