CWCF is pleased to feature members of Sunflower Facilitation and Counselling Co-op as presenters of Co-regulation & Co-operation – How we grow our capacity to practice democracy at its 2025 Conference. Taking place Tuesday, November 18 from 3:30 – 5 pm, the session will explore how participants can come into safe connection with themselves and each other to cooperate creatively, practice good governance and grow their capacity for organizing democratically, drawing inspiration from Sunflower’s community of practice1.
“We are practicing how to govern ourselves in democratic ways, and how to govern ourselves in ways that practice peaceful ways of being. How to bring a sense of ease and joyfulness to our work,” says Keira McPhee. “And that is very much not in denial of how difficult it is to cooperate and work collectively, but really, in a sense of how important it is, how it does feel like the work in the world right now.”
Sunflower’s community of practice is exploring the connections between counselling and facilitation, particularly how to build awareness of nervous system states and practice co-regulating with one another. Its members are curious and excited to share their exploration on how this is growing their capacity to practice democratic governance.
“The way that the session will be happening will be experiential,” says Michelle Tsutsumi. “We’ll be weaving into the session some of how we practice our work together in Sunflower, and people will be able to feel what that’s like.”
This session will provide participants with a mix of information sharing, solo reflection, and breakout conversations that will hopefully support just and joyful ways of being within their co-ops.
1 A community of practice is any group of people with a shared interest who, by interacting, learn from one another and hone their abilities to further their individual development and, ideally, the development of the field.