The Community Circles have been created by Community Taranaki to be a regular meeting place for the active citizens of Taranaki.
They are held every three months with the seasons — Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer.

We welcome all volunteers and organisers who are contributing to the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of our province.

These circles are attracting active citizens from all different sectors and activities and passions.

Our purpose is to see our active citizens much better connected with one another, to promote generous engagement on all our major social and environmental issues, and to support each other on initiatives which work towards the common good.

There are a great many important issues emerging for us all in these changing times. We need to be talking with one another.

It’s a simple recipe: We ask a few people to start the ball rolling with a short keynote on what they are seeing in our community right now, what they are concerned about, and what opportunities do they see.

... then we break into small groups and get into the conversations. We finish off with a full circle sharing of the nuggets and insights that have come to the surface during these small groups.

This work is based on a simple insight: If we want to change the nature of our communities ... then we need to change the nature of the conversations we are having with one another.

The circles are not the usual public meetings that are often issue-based, and sometimes driven by a crisis or dominated by a few speakers. Such meetings are not always the best way for us to have a real creative conversation.

The Community Circles are not trying to decide on anything ... but they are trying to build stronger relationships across the diverse leadership, groups, interests and activities that make up this place we love and share.

We are trying to explore deeper conversations between us as local citizens .... conversations that seek to foster reflection, listening, questioning, and dialogue about how we can work together to create the communities we wish to live in.

We are holding these meetings in circles because the most important thing being done is that we are speaking with and listening to one another.

We think that all our work for the common good would look very different if all the active citizens of our province were better connected with one another.

We’ve started quite small in this activity, and we’re just letting it organically grow by word-of-mouth.

Thanks to our partnership with the Community Development team at the New Plymouth District Council, the three-monthly circles are held in the New Plymouth District Council Chambers.

It feels just right to be exploring a very different type of conversation right there in the heart of this important civic space.

Take a look at our website at www.taranaki.gen.nz for the dates of our upcoming Community Circles. See you there!