Meaningful conversations

 

World Café designed to get people talking about community and relationships

 

By Julie Freer

C & G Staff Writer

     WEST BLOOMFIELD — Sometimes the best conversations happen over coffee and dessert.

     On Nov. 3, West Bloomfield’s United We Walk organization hosted its first World Café event at the West Bloomfield Library.

     Residents and other community members gathered to talk causally about what brought them to West Bloomfield, what they enjoy about the community and what it means to be united.

     “The World Café is actually modeled after a format designed by people who have expertise in these types of events,” said Debbie Macon, a United We Walk Committee member. “It’s a unique way to bring people together for conversation and fun.”

     Macon said the United We Walk organization, which got its start in West Bloomfield in 1994, wanted to expand beyond its signature event, the two-day celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in January.

     “It isn’t something we should focus on just once a year, but all through the year,” said Macon.

     During the World Café, people sat in groups of four, with a placemat of questions and colorful markers to express their ideas as they talked, or as they listened to participants. After several minutes at a table, one person, “the host,” stayed put while everyone else rotated to a different table.

     In the first session, people discussed why they came to West Bloomfield.

     For chiropractor Andy Roberts, a native New Yorker, it was a desire to live in a more sophisticated area with a strong Jewish community. For Katie Wiese, a Royal Oak native and a former resident of California, it was for a good place to raise her children. Rose Vahedi, who was born in Iran, was attracted by West Bloomfield’s natural beauty, its outstanding library and its numerous inland lakes.

     In another session, participants talked about what makes a community united. Vahedi said organizations like United We Walk in West Bloomfield help bring people together.

     “The reason I left my country was because of the disunity between the people of different religious groups,” said Vahedi. “I went to France for a while for the freedom of belief. When I came here, joining United We Walk took it even one step further, because I see at the committee meetings the people with differences who are trying to come together to make a better world.”

     Another United We Walk committee member, Barbara Moretsky, said West Bloomfield’s diversity is one of its strengths.

     “Once upon a time, people moved out because of the diversity, out of a fear of property values going down,” said Moretsky. “That’s not the situation here. People are buying houses and tearing them down to put up even bigger houses because they want to live here.”

     Resident Adele Pleatman said West Bloomfield could feel even more united if it had a downtown or a central business area.

     “When I was a newcomer here 17 years ago, I didn’t feel a sense of community at all,” said Pleatman. “There was no central spot other than the library, so I can see how people without kids could move here and feel totally lost. So, the geo-spatial planning of the community is unfortunate. But on the other hand, I love the bike trail and to see pedestrians taking advantage of it — it makes you feel more alive. Because other times it just feels like we’re all in our cars racing past each other.”

     United We Walk is planning another World Café event for Michigan Week in May. For more information about the organization and its upcoming events, visit www.united wewalk.org.

     You can reach Julie Freer at jfreer@candgnews.com