What is the Star Café?

A. Summary:

The Star Cafe is a set of collaborative tools. It is owned and operated by the American Friends Service Committee for the purpose of enhancing communication in support of the peace and justice missions of AFSC.

B. Key Points:

· The Star Cafe is made up of collaborative tools

· Star Cafe is intended to increase communication between groups

· Star Cafe will help AFSC pursue its peace and justice goals

· Link to The Star Cafe Lobby

· For corrections, updates, or clarifications on this Star Point, please email bgoodman@afsc.org

C. Details:

The Star Cafe is a set of collaboration tools which are intended to enhance communication and increase the productivity of the many different groups affiliated with the AFSC. With these tools, the AFSC will be better equipped to continue its mission "to address the root causes of poverty, injustice, and war". The Star Cafe is supported by the Information Technology Department of AFSC.

The Star Cafe Tools fall into three categories:

· Internet-Based Services

· Practices and Procedures

· Education and Ongoing Support

The tools of Star Cafe will take various forms: discussion forums, educational forums and libraries, community rooms and work rooms, Email distribution lists, phone conferencing, on-line meetings, software programs, community calendars, etc. Many of these tools will work together to enhance collaboration.

Collaborative tools are intended to help groups work together more effectively. To this end, the Star Cafe tools provide more routes for communication, better communication services and common resources that can be shared by a team. Tools such as phone conferencing and on-line meeting software allow groups to meet in real time regardless of physical location. Tools such as community rooms and work rooms allow participants in different locations to work on the same documents and tasks in a timely manner.

People can use just the tools that help them achieve their goals. Some tools will be used every day and others will be used less frequently. Developing an understanding of the range of the Star Cafe tools and selecting the ones best suited for you will give you more opportunities to collaborate with co-workers.