Training facilitators and valuing the skills of facilitators

Presenters

Ana Digón

Ana Digón is a freelance socio-political scientist, professional translator & interpreter, meeting facilitator, organizer of educational and social events, writer for various publications and a commited communicator in areas regarding the Soil, the Soul and Society. Ana has worked in various sectors (law, project management, brand design, child and adult education, event organisation…) while also training in permaculture, regenerative farming, consciousness work and group facilitation. Thoroughly inspired by the teachings and phisolophy of different facilitators from around the world, and appreciating the joys of effectively facilitated meetings and processes, Ana applies and is continuously training in various group facilitation and personal development methodologies, including Deep Ecology, Process Work, Dragon Dreaming, Sociocracy and others. Ana works to apply and spread these tools, motivated by the firm understanding that regenerating our soils and our relationships will build bridges towards the future in these times of climate, food, economic and social challenges.

Dave Pollard

Dave resigned from paid work in 2010, after 35 years as an advisor to small enterprises with a focus on innovation. He is a long-time student of our culture, systems theory, complexity, history, human nature, non-duality and how the world really works. He’s maintained the blog How to Save the World since 2003, authored Finding the Sweet Spot: The Natural Entrepreneur’s Guide to Responsible, Sustainable, Joyful Work (2008), co-authored Group Works: A Pattern Language for Bringing Life to Meetings and Other Gatherings (2012), and authored the Cultural Plan for Bowen Island (2017). He’s a member of the international Transition movement and the local arts council, and has worked extensively with municipal governments. He writes speculative and satirical fiction, poetry and music, and lives on Bowen Island, Canada. On the personal side, he is an avowed hedonist and a deschooled, unspiritual vegan, in two complex relationships. He is a radical non-dualist, an existential collapsnik and a joyful pessimist. He was married for 27 years and has two step-children, four grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Facilitator

Juan del Rio

Biologist, activist, facilitator, educator and researcher for sustainability. Coordinator of Red de Transición and member of the Municipalities in Transition core team. For the last 15 years he has focused his work on promoting new models of sustainable living and local resilience.  Having worked in Europe, Latin America and Middle East, in projects like Smart CSOs Lab, fostering systemic change within CSOs or SwitchMed, promoting and giving support to Grassroots Initiatives linked to Sustainable Production and Consumption in Middle East. . Author of Guía del Movimiento de Transición and numerous articles in publications such as Ecohabitar or 15/15\15. Juan lives in Cardedeu, Barcelona, where he has a small permaculture garden and takes part in local projects like Cardedeu en Transició and Cardedeu Autosuficient.