Since 2013, Thinking Box has facilitated deliberative discussions, and since 2020, we’ve partnered with TalkShop to develop the Win-win approach—a method for bridging divides in even the most polarised groups.
We create tools and workshops that turn division into dialogue, counter disinformation, and strengthen democracy from the grassroots up.
The term Win-win reflects our core belief: beneath our surface disagreements often lie shared aims we can build on.
Our Aims
Our mission is to strengthen democracy by empowering communities. We do this by:
- Working at the grassroots: Fostering connection and collaboration in communities from the ground up.
- Putting aims before solutions: Helping groups find agreement on their shared aims before debating the best path forward.
- Creating scalable tools: Developing resources for group decision-making that can grow from a single neighborhood to a national conversation.
The Win-win Approach
Since 2020 Thinking Box and Talkshop have collaborated to develop and apply win-win methods in public workshops.
We believe that the distinction between Aims and Solutions is a critical one when people come together to discuss and decide. While people might disagree on what solution will be best, there is a lot more agreement at the level of aims. This agreement is the foundation of decisions that work for all.
Workshops
Since 2020 over 80 Win-win events have been run across 30 topics. Each topic is independently researched and a discussion pack of cards created to form the workshop input. Click below for write ups of a small selection of those topics.
Other topics include: Wind turbines, Rewilding, Psychedelics, Assisted Dying, Ultra-processed Foods, Prisons and Immigration
Contact
Paul Thistlethwaite – paul@thinkingbox.info
Talkshop contact: Perry Walker – perryw@talkshopuk.org
Talkshop website: talkshopuk.org