"Appreciative Inquiry:
Become a Positive Force for Change;
In Your Parish, In Your Family, and In Your Community"
During the National Black Catholic Convocation XV Conference,
which was held in St. Louis, Missouri from April 27-May 1, 2003,
175 participants had five wonderful days to explore how
Appreciative Inquiry, an organizational behavior intervention
strategy, can facilitate their work for building positive
change in their parishes, families and communities.
During the course of this conference, participants were
challenged to examine current paradigms that frame their
change strategies. We examined the concept of Appreciative
Inquiry as an alternative change strategy, which was first
developed by Dr. David Cooperrider in the mid 1980s at Case
Western Reserve University. While the theory and practice
of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is considered to originate
from the behavioral sciences, during the course of our conference,
we were easily able to correlate how the use of an
appreciative perspective and the fundamental principles of
AI, versus a deficit orientation not only brings forth rapid
change, but is grounded in Biblical text, supporting the
values of the Catholic Church and the National Black Catholic Congress.
To keep this wonderful momentum going, we would like to
periodically provide you with information on Appreciative
Inquiry, for those of you who did not have the opportunity
to attend the conference as well as for those of you who
want to refresh your learning. We believe that AI can be
a powerful change lever for implementing the actions
imperatives set forth by the National Black Catholic Congress.
Read Full Introduction
The Fundamentals of Appreciative Inquiry
Christopher Anne Easley, Ph.D., RODC |
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PART I
Last month we began an online presentation/discussion on Appreciative Inquiry
and how it can become a very positive force for strategically designing and
implementing change in our parishes, families and communities.
Excerpts from
Dr. Christopher Anne Easley's keynote address for the Pastoral Ministry in
African American Parishes Conference set the stage for understanding some of
the critical issues facing African Americans and why alternative strategies
for change are needed. Dr. Easley also provided a brief overview of Appreciative Inquiry.
Read
Part I
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PART II
Last month, we explored the theoretical principals of Appreciative Inquiry,
and began an examination of how they applied to issues facing the African American community. The theory
of Appreciative Inquiry was examined within the contextual framework of a research study that focused on youth
who had gravitated to gangs and was conducted by Dr. Christopher Anne Easley.
The second series of this article will focus on the actual application of the intervention
Dr. Easley conducted with the youth, which should begin to provide you with a framework as to how Appreciative Inquiry can work.
Read Part II
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