Ruth Backstrom, Ph.D., TM Teacher, speaker, facilitator, and author, discusses the benefits of Dynamic Facilitation, a tool that helps people use their diverse perspectives to problem-solve more effectively. Her years of practicing and teaching the Transcendental Meditation technique add to her appreciation of the value of group coherence. She shares fascinating examples of citizen councils in Austria and civic assemblies in Poland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States that worked together to implement beneficial changes in their cities and countries.

Ruth Backstrom is the author of Igniting a Bold New Democracy: Empowering Citizens Through Game-Changing Reforms. She holds a doctorate in education from the University of Iowa, a master’s in education from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s in history from Beloit College.

Ruth Backstrom, Ph.D.,…discusses the benefits of Dynamic Facilitation, a tool that helps people use their diverse perspectives to problem-solve more effectively.

Dr. Backstrom spent ten years advocating for increased sustainability and championing the creation of a food policy council in her community in North Carolina. From the rich discussions at a local community center, she realized that people yearn to have conversations about how to solve community problems. Inspired by this realization,  she became a practitioner and advocate of tools like Dynamic Facilitation to bring groups together to more effectively tap into their collective wisdom. The facilitator creates a safe space for everyone to be heard, so they can weave together all their ideas and concerns to reach a broader consensus on issues.

Christine Albers, host of TM Talks, interviewed Ruth Backstrom, Ph.D. on November 24, 2024.