Beyond Small Talk: conversations across difference in Taranaki
Shared from
Quakers Aotearoa New Zealand
First published 1 August 2026
Writing in the August Friends Newsletter, Margy-Jean Malcolm described Beyond Small Talk, an initiative of Taranaki Quakers that helps people practise respectful conversation across difference. After a trial event in March, a small group of Quakers and others has hosted two sessions a month since May in the community lounge at Puke Ariki in New Plymouth, with afternoon tea and six “conversation ingredients”, such as pausing, staying curious and listening deeply.
Supported by the Quaker Education and Testimonies Fund, the group now has more than forty people on its email list.