Sharing and Learning Café FAQs 

What is Sharing Café

• A programme for everyone ‘whoever you are’ to come and share real life inspiring stories, thoughts, ideas for self reflections.

When is this programme?

• It is held the last Sunday of every month at 4-6pm at ‘Ananda’ in PJ

Who attends this programme?

• A mixed group of about 10-15 people from different backgrounds
• And faiths who share common grounds and goal to better themselves.

What are the benefits of attending this programme?

• Place to meet and learn from other people/new friends
• Getting a close relationship of good sisterhood and brotherhood
• Meeting experienced people, learning from their stories and having good time at the same time
• Understanding more about the Iofc ideas/Initiatives of Change ideas and practices
• Having self reflections through stories shared

What activities are there in the programme?

• Story / book reading
• Inspiring songs
• Handouts/study materials
• Video/CD sharing’s
• Special support/counselling time, if needed
• Visitors from overseas sharing, if any
• Nice potluck + nice tea, coffee

What are the Guidelines for Sharing Café Session

Here are some guidelines to observe during the programme;

1. Suspend assumptions
When you are listening, suspend assumptions. What we assume is often invisible to us.
When you are listening, you may be making assumption, Let it be – suspend it – and resume listening for understanding of the other.

2. Express your personal response
When you are sharing, express your personal response, informed by your tradition, beliefs and practices. Speak for yourself, speak from your heart. The only person you can truly speak for is yourself.

3. Listen and speak without judgement
The purpose of sharing is to come to an understanding of the other, not to determine whether they are good, bad, right or wrong.

4. Suspend status
Everyone is equal. There is no seniority or hierarchy, all are friends with mutual quest for insight and clarity.

5. Honour confidentiality
Leave the names of the friends who are sharing stories or ideas in the room. Create a space for self-expression. This also eliminates gossip.

6. Listen for understanding
You do not have to agree with or believe anything that is said. Your job is to listen for understanding and new ideas and ways to think about something.

7. Ask clarifying or open-ended questions
To assist your understanding and to explore assumptions, watch out for questions with your own agenda embedded in them, don’t you think that…..?

8. Honour silence and time for reflection
Notice what wants to be said rather than what you want to say.Allow time to take in what’s been said.

9. One person speaks at a time
Each person has an opportunity to speak and share his or her story, idea and respecting the one who is speaking/sharing is essential during the sharing.

So, come and join our ‘sharing cafe’, let’s learn from one another and have good meaningful weekend time at the same time.

The seed of knowledge is what captures the heart.
~Rumi~