Abstracts and Biographies:
Poster sessions
Dialogues in
rural Australia - demanding processes that harness diversity
|
| Val Lang and Rhiân
Williams |
| Of
all the challenges facing rural Australia one of the greatest is how
to get the difficult but necessary discussions and dialogues
started. In 2000 the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women
undertook a project aimed at increasing the skills of rural women in
managing public discussion processes on contentious issues. The
project had grown out of the Foundation’s desire to respond to the
process of reconciliation and the issue of native title. This
workshop will explore why the Foundation chose to focus on ‘process’
rather than ‘content’ and how this focus led to groups talking
about the hard issues. The poster will also present what made the
project successful from the participants’ point of view and how
the project has continued on from its initial three pilots. This
poster will reinforce the critical importance of developing
procedural expertise at all levels in communities. |
| ...................................................................... |
| Val Lang
lives and works on a farm and in a small rural
community in Lismore, Victoria.
As a community member and as a member of
several hospital boards she has
been involved in dealing with the processes
and effects of major restructuring of
health services. She is active in rural women’s
organisations at a national, state
and local level. She is on the executive of
the Foundation for Australian Agricultural
Women (FAAW), a member of Victorian Women
in Agriculture and Resource Management (Vic
WARM) and on the Victorian Rural Women’s Network Reference Group.
Val has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and a Diploma of
Education. She has recently completed the
Australian Rural Leadership Program. Val
oversaw the development of FAAW project on
public discussion processes. |
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This conference is sponsored by the World Mediation Forum,
the University of South Australia, and the Hawke Institute.
Related sites: Ausdispute | Conflict Management Research Group | AAPAE Conference
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Updated 21 February 2003 |
