- Opening and intro
- Conversation
- Wrapping up
Opening and introductions (10 minutes total)
(1 min) Acknowledgement of Country.
To open your TenantTalk, please take a quick moment to acknowledge the history of the land you are meeting on. A suggested wording is below, but you are welcome to adapt it.
“I would like to acknowledge that we are coming together on the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal people, and pay my respects to elders both past and present.”
(6 min) Introduction and welcome
Before getting into the conversation, give people a moment to break the ice and get to know one another.
First introduce yourself and explain why you decided to host a TenantTalk. Then invite people to take turns introducing themselves and answering a question, going around the circle. For example, you might ask how long people have been renting for.
After this, please explain the TenantTalks process and principles - you can use or adapt the wording below.
“This is a TenantTalk. The idea is that we come together as renters to share our experiences of renting. Similar events are happening all over Canberra. The discussions will be captured from every event and compiled into a report showing what life is like for people who rent in Canberra, and what we want to change.
“Some principles are key to this process and I’ll just outline them quickly. The principles are comprehensiveness, traceability, and faithfulness.
“What this means is that we will aim to record everything that gets discussed and contribute it to the report - even if we may disagree. Things won’t get filtered out. We will aim to record discussions using your words, and you’ll be able to see your wordsin the final report - names won't be included. And where we might summarise things, we’ll make sure to do this authentically and hold on to the meaning.”
(3 min) Ground rules
Take a brief moment to outline the ground rules that will help your TenantTalk to flow well and be a positive experience. Read out each ground rule and check to see if everyone is happy to agree. You might want to change these ground rules, or add your own.
- Everyone is entitled to have a say.
- We will make an effort to listen to one another.
- It’s OK to disagree – this process is about hearing all our different opinions and experiences.
- Please do share your experiences, but also make sure that others have a chance to share too. If necessary, the host may ask you to wait and give others a chance to speak.