2007 Global Community Gathering

What would it look like to have the ARTS included in the SYMPOSIUM?

2007-08-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

Written by David Usner

In this paper I’m going to try to present as many ideas I can. They are there to spark your own imaginations.

There were three areas that the discussion covered:

Performance or in the delivery of the symposium
Participatory
Invitation/Display/Gallery

PERFORMANCE/DELIVERY

The complete symposium
Parts of the symposium to enhance the traditional presentation.

It is noted that we currently use multi-media with the talking heads and the short films and often read Drew’s poem read dramatically. I’m suggesting that we look for many more of these opportunities. It could be just reading some quote more dramatically presenting it in a different way. Read Thomas Berry with a dancer on stage. Invite a hip-hop artist to deliver the excerpt.

The Complete Symposium
A full performance piece would allow the symposium to be delivered at festivals, fairs, etc. For the most part I see a complete symposium being developed by teams of people who have specific talents or by people who are willing to play and stretch themselves. Usually this kind of ‘show’ would be developed knowing what kind of talents are being brought to the table... song, dance, theater, multi-media, poetry, storytelling, etc.

In the some of the trainings people have come up with some very inventive ways of demonstrating facts.

One person showed up with a very long rope that represented the big boom to present and every so often a tag was attached that indicated an event (i.e. extinction of dinosaurs, ice age, etc.). On the very last faction of an inch it represented how long man had been on the planet. Very effective and tactile.

This could be considered a performance.

Parts of the Symposium
There are many places in the Symposium where some kind of performance could be done to drive the point of the traditional presentation... and in many ways do it more effectively.
A group singing Monty Python’s Universe Song at the end.
The Universe Story expressed in dance.
Read some of the talking head text and act it out.

PARTICIPATORY

Participants would be asked to add their own creativity to the mix.
Decorate paper bags as masks
Hand out party hats
Bring in a bunch of used object (trash) and ask teams of people to create a piece of sculpture with them
Ask participant to express the loss exercise by drawing something
Hand out envelopes to some of the participants as they enter. On the envelopes is a number and instructions. When the number is called the person opens the envelope and reads the facts on information. These could be environmental or social justice facts that now show up in the symposium.

INVITATION/DISPLAY/GALLERY

Invite artists
Create a gallery space in the room or adjoining room
Prints, paintings, sculpture.
We had an artist bring in a beautiful alter hand made.
Maybe art made from recycled items.
Art could relate directly or indirectly to the purpose of the symposium
Some performances could be done as a background to the presentation or presented at the break time.
Guest musician (maybe indigenous)
Sound healing
Dancing

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Brainstorm with a few people. This is fun.
Allow your mind to run free when looking to bring the arts into the symposium.
Stay open to even the most outrageous ideas on this.
Keep look at “What if...”
Find people who will take on some of the performance end of things. The more you have the less daunting it looks.
Start to observe where others have implemented the arts in the symposium and in other presentations you seen.
Keep your ears open. So many talented people would just love to be a part of the symposium... whether they know it right now or not.

Soul and Spirit of ATD

2007-08-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

Written by Amore

Elements to deepen the SPIRITUAL FULFILLMENT component of the Symposium

This is an INVITATION to HONOR the SOUL & SPIRIT of the Symposium

The SOUL of the ATD SYMPOSIUM is:
“A Conscious AWAKENING to the INTERCONNECTEDNESS of all LIFE and ALL OUR RELATIONS” (Wombat)

[This is just a possible interpretation of what the essence of the Symposium is. Please make your suggestions.]

1. SPIRITUAL FULFILMENT is currently the weakest link of the trilogy (since Social Justice became highlighted after Van Jones presentation)

[Suggestion: Let’s REVAMP this area and treat it with equal importance as the other two areas of the Symposium.}

2. The SPIRITUAL CRISIS is rooted in the sense of SEPARATION from:
a) NATURE: Ecological crisis, nature as resource, 6th mass extinction
b) Fellow HUMANS: Social injustice-racism-isolation-not belonging)
c) SPIRIT: Lack of purpose and meaning)
d) OURSELVES: Mind/heart, inner/outer)
e) LIFE: Eagle/condor, rich/poor, north/south, white/color, young/old
Ecology/Social Justice/Spirituality

[Suggestion: To recognize that the feeling of separation prevails in ALL SPHERES of our life, not only in regards to nature.]

3. This Spiritual inner crisis translates in an EXTERNAL CRISIS as:
War, violence, fundamentalism, hatred, alcohol, drugs, autism, depression, suicide
All these are MANIFESTATIONS of that sense of separation and SPIRITUAL VOID

[Suggestion: To frame these external crises in the CONTEXT of a Spiritual Crisis,]

4. INTEGRATION & RECONNECTION:
Are the WAY to inner peace, purpose, meaning and Spiritual Fulfillment.

5. The theme of Spiritual Fulfillment can be approached at two LEVELS:
A) At a personal level as Facilitators
B) At the Symposium level.

A.) As FACILITATORS, it is important to RECOGNIZE that the ATD Symposium:
1. Is an integral part of our own SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
2. Gives higher PURPOSE and deeper MEANING to our lives
3. Is an important path for our SERVICE
4. Provides us with a vibrant COMMUNITY and a strong sense of CONNECTION and BELONGING
5. Is a powerful means to AWAKENING ourselves and others
6. Reflects our deepest VALUES and ETHICS
7. Makes our HEART SING: We feel more love, joy and compassion
8. Through the Symposium we are a CONDUIT for Spirit, the VOICE of PACHAMAMA expressing through us.
9. In Synthesis, the Symposium gives us, as facilitators, a tremendous sense of SPIRITUAL FULFILLMENT

[Suggestion: Let’s recognize the Symposium as part of our own Spiritual fulfillment and practice.]

B. In the SYMPOSIUM:

Once we RECOGNIZE what the Symposium really means to us, we can PERMEATE this awareness into HOW we DELIVER the Symposium.

Suggestion: Let’s our ENTHUSIASM about Spiritual Fulfillment be contagious through the Symposium.

[Suggestion: To create a safe container through a clear distinction between Spirituality and Religion so that the people who take the Symposium don’t feel threatened.]

Pachamama needs us. We must come loud and clear in conveying her message. The more we have Spiritual Fulfillment in the Symposium, the more we’ll convey fulfillment…The fulfillment of the Prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor.

Creating CONTINUITY Between Symposiums

2007-08-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

(so that one leads to another... and another... and another)

Written by Jonathan Hughes

The three key points that I shared from the front of the room (each went with a mental image)

PURPOSE... PEBBLES... & RIPPLES

(1) PURPOSE: Within each symposium you could say there is a 'sub-purpose' for that particular audience... in that particular place... at that particular time.

With every new symposium, it's always smart to get a sense, early on, of what that might be...

(2) PEBBLES: Imagine a timeline represented by a line of pebbles - each to mark a different event... a big pebble = a symposium

What emerged in my Open Space was the idea of holding smaller events (smaller pebbles) before and/or after

For a business community, it might be a short 'preview' taster presentation a few weeks before

For a local community of family and friends, it could be a music & wine event a few weeks after

And each of those events could be swapped - a follow-up event with local businesses - a social & fun taster event for friends

The key thing is to see the 'big pebble' symposium in the context of a line of events - that create continuity in that community

(3) RIPPLES: In the same way... rather than thinking of each symposium as an end in itself...

Think of the intention in a different way... as a series of expansive rings... the initial intention being:

To create a community (with your fellow facilitators)...

That delivers symposiums...

That create community...

That delivers symposiums...

That create community...

One final thought - the words 'continuity' and 'community' are very closely linked... and through their heart runs the idea of sustainability in the broadest sense...

As a community we need to make ourselves sustainable... and to do that, we need to be smart with our energy... directing it to places where it pays to invest our time and energy... that lends itself to, and will reward, continued effort & input...a place where we can draw on the strengths of others... and unearth hidden local strengths... and tap local passions & longings... show the untapped community spirit that already exists yet (pre-symposium) remains unconnected... and see a series of symposiums (or like-minded initiatives) gathering momentum...

By applying continuous energy to a place, or to a certain gathering of groups & individuals, we will facilitate the emergence of the community that already exists... the hidden community all around us that is craving to be made manifest and brought into being...

ATD and Self-Sustaining Communities

2007-08-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

Written by Heather Salmon

Inquiry: What could/would it look like to channel the knowledge gleaned from the Symposium and it’s participants through the infrastructure of the ATD/Pachamama Alliance into the co-creation of fully self-sustaining communities?

This also includes Embracing/Embodying the practice of the “Sacred Art of Living”

1. Note… UNESCO is working with the UN on a 2010 World Fair in Egypt at the base of the pyramids. Their objective is to showcase a fully self-sustaining model for “Leave No Trace REFUGEE Camps” and promote World Peace. Heather Salmon is working with the team who is visioning and working on this project and the possible use of the Burningman model. Also interesting to note is why Refugee Camps would be considered the thing to showcase if something rather serious wasn’t anticipated to be coming down the pike so to speak. Given the fact that 80% of the World’s population lives within 100 miles of the rising sea shores and with Solar Cycle 24 expected to peak in 2011/12 which is expected to have the ability to take out satellites, electrical grid systems, etc., it might be a very worthy endeavor to examine this area further.

2. Examining/Identifying the Physical Infrastructure and technological requirements for full self-sustainability:
- power, water, food, shelter, methods of exchange
- solar panels, wind power
- green houses
- consideration regarding climate and sustainability
- understanding the practicality and validity of Geodesic domes
i. Buckminster Fuller (movie “The Next Industrial Revolution” is about his life)
ii. Wood frame vs. poly carbonates
1. double paned walls
- www.WorldsNest.com located in Taos, New Mexico, this house/retreat center is a showcase of self-sustainability. They:
1. Generate their own power;
2. Collect, clean and recycle their water times;
3. Process their own waste;
4. Grow their own food;
5. Do their own health care!
Heather’s friends with creators/founders Robert Plarr and Victoria Peters

3. Examples of Existing Communities:
- Morehouse (Teri Sugg lived there for 18 years beginning in 1968; a community of 40-60 people);
i. Supported themselves by teaching what they’ve learned by living together
ii. She said that a strength was that everybody felt like they had power and everyone had the right to say no.
iii. A weakness was that there existed a sense of superiority within the group. Also the leader died a few years ago and there is now more of a female presence and more of a willingness to connect with other groups.

- Harbin Hot Springs (www.Harbin.org) – Heather Salmon is in a 3 month Candidacy for Residency; 150 person community, operating for almost 40 years
- Others: 12 Tribes, Universal Temple of Higher Consciousness, Love Israel Family (Heather has visited);
- Rocky Mountain Institute (www.RMI.org) – Amory Windstar Lovins (has a 50’ dome w/ 3 different levels, solar panels, biodome)

- Ideas for analysis:
i. examine strengths/weaknesses, ancient practices vs. new/radical approaches; shared values

4. www.HolacracyOne.com – remodeling how we organize ourselves; deepening the space around sovereignty
- Wisdom Councils – are about dynamic facilitation and how we tap into the intelligence of the group and make recommendations
- EXAMPLE: Landless Workers movement in Brazil (MST, PT, Workers Party)
i. they take over unused land
ii. have a participatory budget process to determine where they want the money to go.

- we can use more examples within the symposium which help to move us out of conceptual ideas and into action (also good usage of WiserEarth.com)

5. Global Happiness Index

6. Lessons from Brazil and indigenous cultures (examples of what’s working)

7. Using the symposium as a catalyst for the networking of sustainable groups/communities.

8. Importance of creating mutually beneficial relationships with the Alliance.

- for example, the SF Urban Alliance for Sustainability has opened its door as a multiuse facility that is/can provide housing, gathering space, showcase center, etc. and is grateful for the opportunity to support the work of the Pachamama Alliance and the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium and feel like there could/should be a way to reciprocate the benefit. This could be by connecting facilitators with a way to experience some tangible material and personal benefit for themselves that could directly impact their ability to live a more Green and self-sustaining lives.

9. Indymedia/Wiser Earth – great opportunities to share best practices.

Keeping the Energy Up at the End of the Symposium

2007-08-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

Written by Mark Bachelder

This offering came out of my observation, after being part of 8 to 10 symposiums, that the energy level generally declines, steadily, during the last third or so of the symposium. The energy, the level of excitement, the intensity of the audience's engagement tends to continually rise after completion of the loss-process, through How Did We Get Here, the Universe Story, etc. up through Paul Hawken and the Wombat video. There is a tendency for it to get a little flat during the many handouts, declarations, etc, and What Will You Do items. Not that these are not key to the intention of the Symposium, just that they are a little flat, and we and participants focus seems to dissipate, and I noticed facilitators' energy seeming to dissipate, too. A good performance, a good play or movie continues to build, all the way up to the completion, and has left me wondering if we couldn't have our symposiums do the same. After all, we're supposed to leave the participants Awakening, right?

To this end, we had input terrific input from several people. These are their (paraphrased) comments and observations, (and their accreditation, where I have that). All of these items have been tried and approved by various facilitators in various parts of our Awakening the Dreamer community:

As a suggestion for the "getting into action" group exercise: hand out the "personal practices" sheet, at the usual time, but tell folks "don't complete it yet", then during the getting into action section, have people share with the group like this:
What are some of their current personal actions, and what new ones will they be taking on?
What community actions are they involved in, and/or what new ones are they taking on (there can be lot of passion expressed here, and that can really bring the energy up!)
Have the group go around two or more times – first with their personal practices, and then with their community involvement shares.

The feed back form – allow 5 minutes for completing this (no more – if folks need more time, they can complete it after the close)

Alexandra Rebecca Hubbell's observation: the participants LOVE to hear from us about what we are doing – especially about our own personal practices (this is where I connected with the notion of eliminating plastic bags from my own life, for instance)

(Ingrid Martine) In the Closing section, alter the paragraph, (just after the Vaclav Havel quote) that says "we are almost done" and "we have a few housekeeping items": when we say these people start to leave, energetically and some times actually. They take it as a signal that the real symposium is over. Find a way to state where we are in a more compelling way. Also, the bracelet: don't call it a "little gift" – it is a sacred offering in partnership and community, and present them gracefully, elegantly, not in tangled mat.

After the "What gives you hope" video – ask the audience to respond – "popcorn" style – they get to weigh in the value of today's work as well!

AND – it has been suggested (and tried with great success) to change the order of things in the close section, like this:
What Gives You Hope video
"Popcorn" sharing from the audience, about "what gives YOU hope"?
Present the bracelets (as a sacred offering)
Close the sacred space
Have someone read the final Thomas Berry quote (and or find an even more compelling and energizing quote)
Finally, play the Willie Nelson song/Eco Spot
Now, it's over!

Mary Brown has used this format at the very end of the close:
First, close the sacred space, and then tell the Cherokee Story.
Then play the "What Gives You Hope" video
And then, as part of the volunteer acknowledgment have each volunteer read a quote, pertinent to "what gives you hope".
Then, have everyone in the room stand in a circle and pass the bracelets, and mutually tie them on to one another, and then stay and regard one another with admiration and respect.
Play the Willie Nelson song, as they do this. (folks have been known to break out in spontaneous singing!)

Some other music to be added at the end, after close and as people are milling about: Monty Python's "Universe Song" (it's both humorous and existential at the same time).

And finally, Cindy Dixon has offered wine and cheese parties to follow the close. It at least keeps people to the very end, and allows folks even more time to build community, or let the impact of the day's work sink in.

Workgroup Notes: ATD and Speaking Circles

2007-07-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Written by Laurie Javier

1. The connecting exercise (looking into our partners eyes without speaking) was a powerful exercise. We thought that Lee could create it in a way that it would fit into the early part of the symposium to get people in relationship with one another and feeling safe.

2. The connection that is possible after doing such an exercise can really help overcome some of the social justice issues as well. Our theory was that once one feels connected and safe with a person they no longer exclude them (whether they were aware of doing that or not).

3. Lee thought that he could create an exercise that could be used at the end of the symposium that would have people leaving the symposium in a great space. A space that was open and inviting to everyone; to the strangers on the street.

Workgroup Notes: ATD and Immigrant Communities

2007-07-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Written by Annemarie Korp

Notes on the Open Space workgroup that dealt with how to incorporate the various communities into the conversation about Social Justice in the symposium. This was two groups that were incorporated into one. One of them originally was to discuss how to bring the ATD to immigrant communities.

There were 7 people attending and we mostly discussed the different communities that would benefit from the sypmposium.

Rocio spoke to the need of the Spanish Symposium to include social issues relevant to Latin communities, those that Hispanics could relate to.

A suggestion was made to write a letter to the Pachamama Board to include Rocio as a member, considering she is one of the few “condor” like facilitator and originally from Ecuador.

One of the members spoke about her involvement with Gospel Churches and their need for hope.

A general consensus was reached that the symposium needs to awaken hope in the hopeless.

Another facilitator alluded to the necessity to have the translated Spanish Symposium be a pilot for taking the symposium to other non-Caucasian communities, tailoring the symposium to each community with facts and stories that relate to their particular backgrounds.

Workgroup Notes: Community Building

2007-07-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

Written by James Dickson

DISCUSSION
How do we inspire, create, and build ongoing sustainable communities with the participants after the Symposium?

SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS
Creating ongoing communities after the Symposium requires that before, during, and after the Symposium we hold the INTENTION that our purpose IS TO CREATE COMMUNITY.

FINAL DECISIONS
A team has taken the responsibility to be the focal point on this specific topic. We intend to "enhance the structure and enrich the options available in the POST SYMPOSIUM FOLLOW-UP. Specifically, community building." This team is Dave Buck, Jim Cole, Steve Katz, and James Dickson.

GENERAL DISCUSSION

1. Prepare an upstream / downstream beforehand present during Symposium
2. Call to Action and Advocacy, and participation
3. What does it look like (the world of the future)? Then work backwards.
4. In the introduction, when appropriate, ask the participants "what are your expectations for our time together?" Find ways of getting to know the level of involvement that the participants might be willing to commit to.
5. We need a structure to keep people awake, and engaged in community.
6. A dinner get together, within 10 days, for follow-up
7. Getting into, and staying inaction.
8. Give more time in the symposium for participants to express their involvement in existing communities, and what they are doing as individuals.
9. Facilitators of Symposiums provide the leadership to create salons, local groups in communities
10. Facilitators can inspire by coming to the Symposium prepared with success stories of local communities that participants may want to hear about and perhaps pursue.
11. Expand the role of the facilitator (team) to make a continuing conversation with local organization, and encourage participants to integrate symposium ideals in their own communities.
12. Facilitators can offer the creation of local groups
13. Invite local organizations (those in alignment with the values of the Symposium) to meet participants. Have these not-for-profits come prepared to recruit participants. Let these not-for-profits know that we are not "competing" with them.
14. Wine and Cheese Reception, especially nice to add live music before, during, after.
15. Forming Book Groups (participants have pre-read the book, and come to discuss it), Book Study (participants come and read the book together)
16. Set the objective of the Symposium is to create lasting communities of action and advocacy and participation.
17. When the Symposium is successful, people are able to immediately move into action (provide them "next steps", Better Shopping Guide", etc.)
18. Set the intention of the Symposium to get more action and advocacy (not just more Facilitators)
19. Focus Symposium more on whats working and the available local opportunities
20. Encourage a "challengeday.org" type approach : Let's reduce our carbon foot-print to 10-acres, and let them know that we can follow-up and support you
21. At the "end of the day" our intention is to get our participants into action. Our goal becomes how do we replicate and "seed" groups.
22. First step: Awakening, Second step: continuing synergy of learning, education
23. Symposium is planting a "seed" in each community every time it is held. We need to "water" the seed. As these seeds grow, these local communities will encourage additional Symposiums.
24. Make definite follow-up dates available at the Symposium, so that participants can sign-up, and for follow-up.
25. Encourage "weekend retreats" with Facilitators + participants + non-profits to be in liason together to ensure
26. We come to the Symposium with the intention of planting the seed.
27. We come to the Symposium with the intention of "referring" participants to local groups
28. Make sure all local groups, communities are in wiserearth.org
29. Give participants a way to influence their existing spheres of influence.

Workgroup Notes: Audiovisual Symposium

2007-07-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

Written by Sarah Martin

I am the person that has the duty to write up the discussions that occurred around the topic of the Facilitator Enhanced Audio Visual (FEAV) Symposium. I was present for about the first half of it, and will be working from the notes of others for the second half. I have been traveling and kept my notes where I could write this up as soon as I was able, so here goes: “NR” means Neal’s comments.

The first cut was a big hit! We loved the animation of the graphs, the expanded visuals in the expert’s videos, the vitality of the whole video experience for us as the audience.
Comments from Neal included:

They intend abundant diversity in the presenters and in the visuals.
Casting is an important challenge soon to be taken up.
The FEAV will probably be produced in modules, giving us as facilitators lots of opportunity to tailor the presentation to each Symposium audience and presenters.
The FEAV will likely be more condensed, facilitating even shorter versions which would be appropriate for some audiences.
There will still be lots of interaction for the audience, including opening/closing sacred space, unexamined assumptions, declaration cards, local connections and other exercises.
This will be the first “Attention People of Earth” kind of presentation.

Some suggestions/discussions the group offered were:

English subtitles would be helpful as English is a second language for many people around the world.
Visual Upstream-Downstream exercise could be powerful, NR saw Julia’s cup of coffee recitation as a series of vivid images.
Discussion of the challenge of presenting III and IV How Did We Get Here and The Universe Story, which are “lecture-y” and abstract. NR saw an idea of having Brian, Drew, Thomas et al presenting the concepts themselves on video.
“Follow the dollar”, show the route our dollar takes from end user to manufacturer – an upstream/downstream of the money we spend.
A youth version of the FEAV.
More Van Jones in the modules.
YouTube style uploads of graphics, films etc on the ATD site.

Workgroup Notes: ATD/Pachamama Movie

2007-06-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

MOVIE Group Notes
from Kay Sandberg (kay@soulofmoney.org or kay@globalfundforhealing.org)

What
Model on "An Inconvenient Truth"; have a new narrator (woman?)
Drama, with compelling story of realistic people that weaves together the three legs of the TPA mission statement
Focus on emotional component of the current story and how it affects our lives, and that of Gaia/Pachamama
Biopic of Life of Lynne and Bill Twist and founding of TPA, and/or weave this story into a sequel to "An Inconvenient Truth" based on symposium content; go deeper into the old and new stories than the Gore film;
Story of how TPA came about and how the message is spreading
Focus on the life of a woman Nobel laureate, emphasizing peace or Jesse Jackson if social justice
Get the symposium into the Los Angeles movie community
Main idea: "If Hollywood gets it"…, i.e., ability for popular movie to reach millions of all ages

How
First, to explore connections and potential collaborations within TPA, such Michael Olmstead (Digital Hollywood), Neal Rogin, and our respective networks
Find a way in to Lucas Films (Dave Ergo and others already working on this; intent to do a symposium within Lucas' Presidio operation)
Work with a film student or independent filmmaker who already gets the message (ex. Desmond Nakano, Utah screenwriting institute
Note the different impact of student production vs. professional level
Approach Jeff Skoll, founder of Participant Productions, which produced An Inconvenient Truth and many blockbusters on social justice and global issues; he also founded the Skoll Foundation, potential partner to Pachamama
Importance of putting out a clear intention
Focus on independent film festivals—Asian American festival (SF), Sundance, Maui, Cannes, New Mexico

With Whom (in addition to above)—focus on stars already on board with environmentalism and/or social justice and/or spiritual fulfillment:
Robert Redford
Michele Pfeiffer
Leonardo DiCaprio—apparently looking to make another film
Stephen Simon and Spiritual Cinema Circle

Next steps
I will write up my vision and approach our current partners;
I have a list of others from the open space group who are interested in future conversations

Paul was with us in spirit

2007-06-27T23:42:00.001-07:00

For those moments when you don't have access to the DVD and when you want to be reminded of your importance, click on this. "What you are creating is completely unknown, it is every where, there is no center....this is the first time on earth that a powerful new, non ideological movement has arisen.....Pachamama talking back.......It is up to us to decide who we want to be"

http://www.blessedunrest.com/video.html

Workgroup Notes: ATD and Shamanism

2007-06-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

Notes from the Open Source workgroup: Saturday, June 18

Can Shamanism/Condor practices enhance our ability to do the work of the symposium? Can our dreams guide us, and if so, how could we engage with these areas?

Cindy Dixon

Tuck Taylor, Vicki Peck and Cindy Dixon combined topics for a group conversation. Tuck started the conversation by talking about the Achuar practice of rising early each day to examine dreams experienced by individuals as a means for making decisions and planning their lives. Leslie Whiting, who has been to Ecuador, described being with the Achuar as they went through their daily ritual. Arising at 4:00 AM, tribe members would come together and drink a special tea which is part of a daily purification ritual. The community dreams are collected in conversations, and this information is used by tribal elders as they consider group actions.

Noelle Poncelet joined our group early on. She and her husband, Claude, teach shamanism workshops, and have been involved in this subject area for many years, including travels all over the world researching indigenous shamanic practices. Her answer to the general question we’d posed, about whether it would be valuable to our work with the symposium for us to learn and engage these practices, was an emphatic “yes”.

Noelle answered our first question, “What is a shaman?” A shaman uses his/her experience to empower individuals to seek and trust the spiritual guidance available to all of us. Spirit is everywhere. Everything is alive. Shamanism completely honors and values the body as a source of connection. Noelle believes that shamanism can help open the door for us to explore topics relating to our work, including the spirit of social justice.

She talked about the “Miracle Cure” exercise, which is included in the facilitator notes for the symposium. In this meditation, you go to sleep and have a dream in which you find that every problem that we are facing has been solved. Upon waking, when you find that this transformation has taken place, ask yourself what you notice first. This simple visualization can be profoundly impactful.

From the group’s input, it was clear that this connection to spirit can be exercised in numerous ways – Trish Sharpe uses tantric dance, which she demonstrated during the Talent Show that evening, to achieve deep connection and heightened consciousness. Whether shamanism incorporates the use of meditation, plant medicines, drumming or other means depends on the intent of the leader and context of the journey process.

Noelle made a remarkable offer to all of us who are symposium facilitators: She and Claude would provide a 2-3 day workshop, tuition free, to anyone so inclined. Her only request was that she not be involved in any of the organizational details. Susan Burns, who also contributed her experience to the group, is with IONS and we talked about having the workshop take place at the IONS conference center. She believes she would help us make the arrangements and keep the costs low.

As a starting point, Noelle suggested books by Sandra Ingerman, specially mentioning “The Beginner’s Guide to Shamanic Journeying” as an excellent preparation book. http://www.shamanicvisions.com/ingerman_folder/04books.html. Several people in the group know others who conduct explorations of this nature – Julie Earl (juliaearl@mindspring.com), Vinit Allen (vinit7@yahoo.com), and Azlan White (azlanwhite@yahoo.com) have references they could share.

We began a list of folks who are interested in the workshop with Noelle and Claude Poncelet. I will enter these in a database, and anyone else who wants to get on the list can contact me (cindy.dixon@charter.net) and I’ll take care of it. I’ll begin by emailing the people I have on the list to see if we can establish a planning committee for a workshop.

Workgroup Notes: College Symposium

2007-06-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

Notes for college symposium

Ruth Pittard

Use two 30hr segments with a mandala exercise after the first segment and with Council of All Beings in the second
Feeding the hunger for meaning exercise needed
Personal contact as much as possible, especially in assumptions and connection
More interactive
Too canned
Use other students in minor parts or hand out parts to students
Use students wherever possible
Places that are using the symposium: Boston Architectural College and Fairley Dickinson (Institute for Sustainability….)
Use questions for Soc. Justice and Spiritual awakening:
What do you think are the issues of ___________that are affection you today. (2 min. to think, 5 min. with group, then 10 min. to harvest and report)
Important places for resources: Youth Action Team, NJ Heps, Urban Center at U. Mich
Develop a fact sheet for the handout
Use college students to work with high school, high school to work with middle school and all the above to work with elementary school.
Discover some exercises from the John Seed (?) program
Active program for training college students to participate
Use Orientation programs, faculty and film departments
Use summer camps for large groups
Use dramatically different and innovative methods and social technologies
Concentrate on cutting through the despair: cut the where are we section substantially
Set up conference calls for developing the symposium.

Vickie Peck vpeck@nm.net
Larry Dean Larrydean214@earthlink.net
Azlan White Azlan11@mac.com
Bill Grover wggrover@aol.com
Gary Topper gbtopper@comcast.net
John Meade john@johnmeade.net
Bill Russell No email
Mo Drakeford modrake@yahoo.com
Syd
Ruth
Mike

Workgroup Notes: ATD and Social Justice

2007-06-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

How Can We Strengthen The Social Justice Theme of the Symposium?

Brook Jordan and Margaret Love

Creating an experiential exercise for participants to face subjugation and subordination.

Draw upon such people as Sharif Abdullah and others for exercise suggestions.

Possible ideas could include: Examining world inequality by having people draw card’s which would place them in a region or country in the world. According to each region or country at lunch people would be served a certain amount of food depending on the poverty level. After the exercise is over, an open dialogue could be set up so that people could talk about their experience at eating at the table with the tablecloth and abundance of food or on the ground with a bowl of rice. It is important to choose issues that are woven throughout all three areas we are examining.

Examine the history of Colonialism. This could include how systems of injustice/inequality came to be? Tell the story of oppression and the stories of people who took a stand for social justice.

Incorporate the Matrix of domination/interlocking systems.

Gender, sexual orientation, race, class, citizenship.

Could include a few statistics such as 1 out of every 3 women world wide are sexually assaulted/abused.

Could draw from the Hunger project for statistics as well as David Korten’s material on racism and how that ties into economic and political control.

Should there be more stories then statistics to get a strong message across? We need statistics to back up our stories but how many and which ones make a real impact?

We can strengthen the social justice theme by showing clearer links between the three areas of environmental sustainability, spiritual fulfillment and social justice.

Could add Paul Hawken's quote about environmentalists getting on the social justice bus because in fact there is only one bus.

Facilitators could bring in examples of local issues to get a stronger message across to their surrounding communities.

How radical are we willing to go? How much discomfort are we willing to create?

How do we shift power and privilege from being more and more concentrated in the hands of so few to many?

Should there be an advanced symposium for people who are ready and willing to delve deeper into questions concerning environmental sustainability, spiritual fulfillment and social justice?

Create a stronger emphasis on unexamined assumptions.

White supremacy, which is a concept of whiteness, created by the white, elite.

‘I deserve it’=Entitlement

Emerging the dream portion needs examples such as the writing of the new constitution in Ecuador or the Hunger Project.

Adopt to our audiences but don’t treat the audience as homogenous. Always remember to incorporate/account for the diversity in the audience.

Do our homework and get educated about all three areas of inquiry.

Set up a better book list on line.

Workgroup Notes: ATD in Politics and Government

2007-06-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

Notes from Open Space session on Sunday, June 17, 2007 on the subject of:

How do we take the ATD Symposium into politics and governments? – and should we?
Also, we addressed somewhat how to generally take ATD to others, “beyond the choir.”

Convened by Chris LeBreton

Others attending: Syd F., Azlan, Mary Ellen F., Vickie Peak, Adriana Farkouh, Sheri Herndon, Larry Dean, Linda Delair, Bruce Thompson, Tuck Taylor

It may be good to remake a version of ATD for govt., as people are doing for business. Would like to follow pattern, as Thomas Berry says, we must meet people where they are; match the language and the way we present to their world. We ought to communicate we are all losing…the challenge is to awaken politics to the possibility of everybody winning. Bill Twist is showing us ways that governments are able to work with us and support the vision. (Vickie)
Whatever state people are in, we want to package the material compellingly. So people want to agree Awaken/move people with connections. (Adriana)
Approach the grassroots, local levels first. Everything is political and where we have the most influence is at local levels. (Azlan)
Create teams to get to world leaders.
Think we have opportunities with mega-churches.
Share with each other our “best practices” (what works, templates to try and give feedback on, in different locations). Start with city council, share successes and evidence of interest in the wider community with them; so that at least one person “gets it.” Here’s an untapped resource: Jesse Jackson Jr. and Sr. & family, Sheri has an uncle who works very closely with them. Van Jones may want to be part of making introduction to them, building a platform, plus getting fuel to be stepping up the social justice agenda.
How to use email and internet best? –Yahoo is not enough. -Sheri H.
We have allies in all levels of govt already; local, county, state, national, esp. in U.S. the EPA. Want to echo that I think it’s best to start at the local level first. Have 1-on-1 conversations, plan a symposium if they are interested but start with a small group so they feel connected easily. Check your assumptions at the door about what they know or how they are going to be. I don’t think we have to remake a special government oriented ATD. (SydF.)
Marin County focus sessions have happened. Mayor also president of the US initiative for Green Cities and the ICLEI initiative for climate. Show them things that work.
Important how we show up: We look at the script in ATDs; the people look at us.
Politicians are afraid to lead, afraid to be first.
Staff of local and state elected representatives however, are really powerful in the policy proposal and bill-writing process. They do research and writing, advise the officialsare more open to talk with people and can influence policy.
In political parties, there are feelings of powerlessness and desperation. Meetings contentious and adversarial. We can help them come together and help them see win/win solutions to help us all. (Tuck)
We have examples of some officials having attended ATDs and who were very positively affected.
Drop perfectionism. Just reach out.
Chris talked about different hats he has worn in political (electoral) arena and as a civil servant. There is more openness and spirit of serving the public in the civil service.
Keep non-partisan. ALSO: Think globally and locally, not just the over-media hyped national level of politics.
We can still take stands, and not be positional/political.
Whatever political position or issue or bill people want to discuss, discuss it NOT in the ATD itself, but in breaks or outside of them, and test its value against the 3 objectives of the ATD: does it contribute to an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just. Look through this lens when asked to respond to issues.
In the US anyway, there is value is George Lakoff’s work, Don’t Think of an Elephant. It’s about Republicans and Democrats (though they’re not the only parties, they are so massively controlling the US political mind)
There are internalized assumptions that everyone deserves what they get. Help show, with compassion, that this assumption and others are not factual, that there are institutional barriers to change unless we can transform our institutions.
Create a draw around aligning with tripartite objective. In any country, we can seek alignment of political parties and/or create whole new political parties with these shares values and understandings.

Workgroup Notes: Collaborating with Large Organizations

2007-06-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Open Space Notes( 6/16/07 DRAFT): EXPENDING THE SYPOSIUM’S REACH THROUGH COLLABORATIONS WITH LARGE ORGANIZATIONS; Mark Dubois

Participants included:
Alexandra Rebecca Hubbell
Annemarie Korp: ackorp@cox.net
Chris (from UK)
Jeremy Johnson
Julia Earl: juliaearl@mindspring.com
Karen Flittie: Karen@suggarts.com
Kay Sandberg: kay@soulofmoney.org
Leslie: Leslieinsc@cox.net
Mark Dubois (CONVERSATION LEADER);
Rocio
Tony
Vinit Allen

Examples of groups incorporating symposiums this year (in addition to am list):

Family Nature Summit
National Wildlife Fund youth summer camp (three facilitators)
Voluntours

Goals/Intentions This Year (Mark)
1. Three examples of programs in each sector of the mission (environmental sustainability, spiritual fulfillment, and social justice organizations
2. Symposiums by end of the year for national environmental, social justice, and spiritual fulfillment leaders (Washing, DC)
3. Help organizations be more effective with their goals.

Ideas
1. The importance of follow through with organizations as well as individuals after the symposium
2. Map our respective networks when we work with other organizations to enroll others and look for synergies
3. Be part of others’ fundraisers—for example, the Center for Attitudinal Healing (Marin County, California), local churches (Unity churches have had symposiums in many locations and may become collaborators as a national body), and spiritual centers (Spirit Rock, Marin County, CA)
4. Establish a relationship with the Skoll Foundation in Palo Alto, CA, with the intent of doing a symposium as part of their annual forum in the UK for social profits
5. Consider how to market symposium; the best tool to date: latest video in DVD format and also on www.pachamama.org; show the first or the last six minutes
6. Enroll other organizations to host and invite all their members; in one example, there were 15 co-hosting organizations, yielding 150 participants
7. Be creative in looking for groups of people with aligned values—for example, churches, spiritual centers (ex. co-housing groups (ex., Northwest intentional community)
8. We’re open to and encourage groups to make the content their own; for example, Code Pink is the farthest along, customizing the symposium to their members;
9. When such a customized version is done, ATD asks that the groups report the number of participants and how specifically they changed the content for their members
10. Incorporate music into the symposium—done at one Unity Church, for example
11. Have a conversation with Al Gore’s group (Mark to follow up with Jon re: status) perhaps through the Skoll Foundation or Participant Productions, Jeff Skoll’s production company in L.A, which produced and co-funded the funding for “An Inconvenient Truth”, and/or the producers.
12. Approach Rotary International, a global organization with a tradition of giving generously to social issues
13. Create more alliances with social justice organization with the help of allied organizations like Van Jones’ Ella Baker Center (Oakland, CA)
14. A symposium is planned in July in Boulder, Co with local groups, one of which will have a half-day program with Lynne Twist before the symposium
15. Explore how to tap into Paul Hawken’s www.wiserearth.org database of over one hundred thousand social profit organizations worldwide.

QUESTION: What organization do you love and are already a part of? Reach out to theme re: symposium sponsoring; get them inspired and help create a foundation for future collaboration. For example:

1. Save the Redwoods League
2. Burning Man (this year’s theme is ‘green’)
3. Circle of Life
4. Integral Transformational Practice/ITP
5. Global Exchange
6. Sierra Club
7. Audobon Society
8. Royal Bird Society (England)
9. Newfield Network of coaches (Chile and US)
10. Global Fund for Women
11. Church of Religious Science (Northern and Southern California; elsewhere?)
12. Agape/ Rev. Michael Beckwith (Southern Cal.)
13. Rotary Clubs
14. World Café Dialogue groups

Mark will put out a list through The Pachamama Alliance website, in addition to our posting of this on the Global Gathering blog.

Workgroup Notes: ATD and the Internet

2007-06-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

TOPIC: How the Internet can help facilitators create, organize, track, and follow up on symposiums, and how the internet can support participants in getting into action and connecting locally. Also: how to leverage web 2.0 technology to help symposiums happen and get people into action.

Convened by Dave Ergo

--------------------------------------

Have a space for blogs, etc. organized by area -- ways of connecting after symposium. People would meet face to face. Each symposium could have its own blog space, that also fits into region. Have a place for blogs for facilitators only.

Daily tips, monthly information sheets.

Develop a solid event posting site. Requests for having symposiums have automatic responses or are somehow flagged for follow up by region.

Have a place to talk about issues -- problems with composting, recycling plastic, etc. Conversation on how to stay awake.

Have a place to share other resources.

Community group coordinators -- central place to keep and maintain lists of contacts and people who want to support

Have a well documented privacy policy that is conservative (feels safer to participate).

On the website: have an easier to use master calendar of events that can be "drilled down" by country, state, county, etc. Use graphic image of maps to define regions, and show where symposiums, facilitator teams, etc. are vs. big problem with WiserEarth: can only search for events/organizations by city (too small) or state (too large); need something in between, like county sizes). Organize symposium lists by region. Regions are clearly defined, and defined by the users themselves (Centrally stored, but self-organized, not centrally managed).

Replace yahoo groups with our own (or another) listserv system.

Have a single place for all this information, systematic gathering of data. Have a place where we can put *local* resources, organizations, articles, etc (perhaps team up with WiserEarth). Anyone can post (have checks & balances for flagging inappropriate content).

Want to be able to ask for help in putting on my events using this system (I need another presenter, AV help, a venue, etc.)

Have something that automatically messages to me regarding new symposiums, events, etc. in the regions I'm interested in (could be more than one region). Allow me to identify what kinds of messages I want to be included on (e.g. tell me about events, but don't send me discussion emails, etc.)

Symposium participants: have place where I can put name of someone I meet who's interested in symposiums, and automatically notifies them when one comes up in their area. Have system automatically send emails: before event, after event, ongoing. Automatically create follow up emails, surveys, send messages to no-shows, encouraging them to sign up again, etc. Track and have automated follow up on "pathways to participation" cards. Have directions available on screen, have connection to public transit systems when possible.

Create ability for groups to cluster on the web. E.g. there's a group in SF, one in San Jose; I want to create a Peninsula group between these two cities. Needs to change dynamically as more people become involved. Not telling people what to do, but giving them clear ideas on what needs doing, and finding their passion (e.g. local pollution hotspots website -- shows actions that are needed locally). Have Ruel's "three columns exercise" on line, to help them find their passion.

Concern: there are many websites and discussion groups that don't seem to go anywhere; find out which ones are successful and imitate those, learn from the failures. See what social network technologies are out there (You Tube, Tribe, Facebook, MySpace, Second Life), which ones work. Ability to analyze activity of participants, to "map" the social network. Track facilitator/participant activities. Award them for effort, use to motivate.

Concern: email overload. I'm deleting all email but MoveOn, just too much to track. Don't add to the burden, somehow give me something different.

Have interest areas participants can sign up for (health care professionals, post-carbon efforts, etc.). Self identify and organize? Balance between WiserEarth (categories already created) vs. a completely clean slate (anarchy, ineffectiveness).

Resources: Include personal sustainability planner -- integrated with Bill Russell's website and Jon Syme's book. Include ability to post good web sites; create something like Amazon's top ten books -- "the top ten sustainability websites." Integrate with WiserEarth somehow. How use web to serve participants in getting into action. Inspiring stories link. You tube videos. Downloadable material for helping to start a local meeting, start local conversation, an outline/template for a 30 minute talk to schools, rotary clubs, business, etc.

For facilitators only: have online list of participants, including name, email, phone, confirmation status, town, ridesharing preferences. Automatic email reminders, with responses required in email (click here to verify). Easily sorted, printed, useable by facilitator. Sort by name, Print out registration list for day of event (with spaces for walk ins), print out name badges. Also: place that tracks who else is facilitating (AV, hosting, presenting). Allow me to ask all facilitators everywhere if I have a question. Indicate who is willing to travel, who is willing to host guests in their area.

Very important: Simple, make it very easy to use, zero training required. Shouldn't require yahoo account.

Include those, who by choice or circumstance, do not have email or internet access. Other countries, poorer communities, voluntary simplicity adherents. Don't necessarily expect them to find a way. Can we use cell phone technology (more ubiquitous than computers?). Related: how support facilitators with limited finances and other resources.

Have system be able to really help pull together participants after the symposium: allow them to communicate with each other, with ohters in the area, set up follow up events.

Have counters, track metrics of who's active and who isn't. So we know who's been to what part of website (but why?

Remember Van Jones' thought: we're not going to do this by clicking a mouse. Website needs to help people meet face to face, to get into action.

Still amazed, energized and awakenly alive because of you

2007-06-24T00:39:00.000-07:00

Are you all still out there? I just got to see the talent show for the first time, as I missed it until right before my slideshow played. I love you all! It just made my heart sing now to be able to see you again, witness your talents & gifts and know that we are spread out all over the place, encouraging others to share their light like we do ours. Thank you so much for being who you are in the world! It's hard to believe it was a week ago. When do we do this again? :-) In love & gratitude, Marianne Hale

Free Hugs

2007-06-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

Many of you have probably already seen this, but I can't resist sharing it. The Free Hugs Campaign began with Juan Mann and spread throughout the world. This is one of my favorite YouTube videos. Enjoy and be uplifted!

An Inspiring Story from Africa

2007-06-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

Anna Pollock asked that a link to this story be posted here. It's in keeping with Van Jones' message to leave the computer and mouse behind and go out where the people are. Magical things can happen in the unlikeliest of places.

Applying our Commitment to Business

2007-06-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Vancouver. Thank you all for such an inspiring, stimulating and loving experience at Mills. My deepest appreciation to all the organizers and especially Tracy and John who have modelled dedication with grace and grit to the highest level.

As part of my commitment to Changing the Dream, I intend to weave in our shared vision into as many of my professional presentations as possible. On Thursday I speak to my clients in the tourism industry in British Columbia and I am posing the question – "what would an environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling tourism sector look like?” Tourism is one of the biggest employers on the planet. We all love to travel. But it can also be very destructive and disruptive. Many of us feel less than fulfilled when travelling through airports – especially at security! I welcome any discussion via e-mail or comments to this post.

I think the question could be applied to any business domain and is a great conversation starter. This approach enables me to sustain and strengthen my commitment in my professional world until the business version is complete.Am helping Kanada and Cori with a one day Symposium in Vancouver on Saturday.

With love
Anna Pollock – the Canuck with a British Accent!

Posted on the Bulletin Board outside the Conference Hall

2007-06-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

Mary Ann B, RN, wants to connect to other healthcare professionals.

Fellowship for Intentional Community (http:www.ic.org) have resources and ideas and living situations for living lightly. Strategic Alliance proposed and also an inspirational resource for ATD facilitators and participants.

www.communitysolution.org “The Power of Community” How Cuba survived peak oil.

Contact Eve Libertone (and Chantal) for Bay Area book Club. eve@pachamama.org 415 312-0038 or chantalkrey@earthlink.net

Symposium at NTL, Friday, July 13 9-12PM, Waterfront Hotel, Jack London Square.

Article “Maxwell Park Neighborhood News by Sarah Hipolito In MacArthur Metro finishes invitation by Michael Foster, 535—5535 Recreation Centers or Krista Gulbransen, CBNAT, krista_gulbransen@yahoo.com. Highlighted paragraph says, “In 1974 they created a scholarship program with 10 shares of Omaha at $147.39. The fund has been growing ever since one donation at a time. This year’s $1000 went to seven college students, and when possible, scholarships are renewed for returning students.” Final paragraph says, “Michael Park Community Building Neighborhood Action Team (CBNAT) is currently recruiting helpers for the Second Annual Day in the Park, a family event that last year drew over 400 neighbors. Your contribution could be in planning, setup, tear-down, children’s activities, or entertainment. Interested in lending a hand and making new connections? If you have interest in the rest of the article contact adrienne@pachamama.org

Monday, July 16, 7:30-9:30 PM, John Perkins, Lynne Twist, Location TBA. Watch your email for details.

Lynne and Bill will present ATD at the IONS Conference, pre-conference workshop, August 8. See http://www.ionsnw.org

Awakening the Dreamer universal business card for personal use will be coming on a template through yahoo groups.

www.myfootprint.org
www.ecologicalfootprint.org
www.circleoflifefoundation.org
www.redefiningprogress.org
www.pachamama.org
www.greenfestival.org
www.bioneers.org
www.greenhome.com (Emily.greenhome.com)
www.stopjunk.com

Drew Dellinger on The Need for A Social Justice Component

2007-06-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

Echoes of Martin Luther King drawing us toward the future that integrates inner and outer, spirituality and social justice. Where do we go from here, “Chaos or Community.” But there was another book written 4 days after he was assassinated. They were the Massey lectures, 5 that he was invited to give on any topic that he wanted. These 5 talks were broadcast all across Canada. The last one, the 5th Massey lecture, was a sermon broadcast from his church in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the Christmas sermon on “Peace.” Then Drew went on….

Lee Glickstein on Relational Presence

2007-06-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

This morning, Lee Glickstein spoke on Relational Presence and integrated some practical exercises. Here is a summary:

Presenting is about speaking out into the world about what you are passionate about. It is simple when you get what relational presence is all about. We can be more effective if we can remember to come from oneness.

We speak in the North from a sense of separation. The illusion is that we are separate from our audience. However, Indigenous people have been raised to communicate implicitly, from the Unity of the whole. They have no self consciousness. They do not question the assumption that they already belong to the tribe of humanity. Consequently they are always in what we call relational presence.

We can be very effective when we are relationally present. We softly listen for where people are longing to belong and reach into it. When we speak by connecting into our core, sharing from a deep place without separation, we naturally reframe our thinking in terms of belonging. By considering the aspect of belonging in the audience, we will dissolve any anxiety we have about speaking.

Relational presence is a muscle. We can develop it so that it seems like we are with one person at a time. Remembering that the Earth is involved in our presentation, will help us resonate with others. Grounding into that connection will bring us down, down, down, down into common ground with others. Then we can embrace ever larger pockets of energy, increasing the circle of energy we stand within. Rather than horizontally sweeping the room with eye contact, as most people do, we need to remember to be present and available to the energy vortices in the room. It is about speaking with the crowd …not at…not too.

We need to get out of our heads with our charts, graphs, presentations, CD’s, DVD’s, agenda, etc. At first when you practice relational presence, you may not be able to think and speak at the same time. It might take a long time to come. But if we remember that our heart is listening too, we focus on engagement. As we move and get into our intuition, wisdom, body, connecting to the energy coming from people, we start to move energy into the room. As we practice, it gets easier. Start facilitating audience listening by telling a personal story. Let them know what is being brought to them in terms of hopes and wishes.

So we can see it is about creating ever widening circles of energy, intentionally broadening the circle as we engage from relational presence. We need to know our script in advance so our bodies can be a signal that we are available, staying connected much as we did as toddlers. We can easily connect to people one by one from the center of the very large energy circle we create simply by being present. We learned how to do this in the exercises given.

Lee gives has a book called, “Be Heard Now! His web site is at www.speakingcircles.com

Workgroup Notes: Expanding Into Areas Without Existing Teams

2007-06-17T14:12:00.001-07:00

We had great input from about 8 people, especially from Australia and Texas, where facilitators have offered introductory presentations from 30 min. to 2 hours to basically anyone who will listen. Both offer to speakto organizations and schools at many different kinds of functions, from breakfasts, luncheons, meetings, evening talks and board meetings. When at all possible they use one or two video clips, especially Eco-spots and Paul Hawken's Bioneers talk. When A/V is not possible, the words are spoken by the facilitator. As anywhere, finding the key person in any organization who is passionate like us is central to building a relationship with that organization.

In Texas Ingrid and Liza have had great success offering a unique and highly visible booth at the Renewable Energy Conference...obtaining hundreds of names of those interested in the Symposium and TPA. They follow up quickly with a thanks for interest, setting up a Symposium and inviting the newly interested to becme volunteers. Drawing new volunteers into effective teams is an ongoing challenge. In Australia they have developed a system of mentoring newcomers of all kinds, which hasproven to be a great means of support and development of interest in the Symposium.

When we are trying to expand into adjoining areas where a team has not been built, offering the symposium again and again to enroll new facilitators in that area seems to be the best means to both build a facilitator body, interest in ATD. Partnering with like-minded organizations and encouraging them to sponsor, host, provide lunch for and support the production of the Symposium inas many ways as possible is highly recommended.

We also discussed expanding into distant area without ATD presence, such as the MidWestern United States. It was suggested that we poll local friends and contacts for connections where we'd like to initiate the Symposium. For instance our families, local community and organizations may have contacts, chapters, friends, family, in, say, Cleveland, who can initiate introductions and possibly a venue/sponsor in Cleveland, as well as lodging. As with expanding closer to home, the key seems to be staying with the effort in a comprehensive way...continuing to explore new avenues and contacts, introductory exposure. Liza, in Texas, has also begun approaching like-minded organizations wherever she is traveling. Asalways, it's advisable to have read an article,etc., and know something about that organization and its recent activities and focus before walking in! She has actually enrolled new facilitators right off the bat this way.

In conjuntion with his interest in developing internet support for ATD, Dave Ergo also would like to see the creation of an onlinefile of facilitators by geographical location, an onlinefile of facilitators who arewilling to travel and where, and an online file of those willing to provide lodging and where.

Surrendering into family

2007-06-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

So much to share, so much that could be said here and yet . . . I am viscerally present to the calm peacefulness of being always there all the time. After a beautiful movement exercise led by Facilitator Mary Chase we welcomed a guest speaker, Lee Glickstein, a presentation skills coach and author of the book "Be Heard Now." Lee teaches what he calls "relational presence" which is essentially a spiritual practice. Anyone who studies Buddhism, yoga, tai chi, presence practice (Eckhart Tolle), tantra and other forms of meditation as well as members of traditional indigenous cultures know this experience well. He brilliantly relayed how the practice he teaches drops us immediately into deep connection to ourselves, one another and the field of life energy we are immersed in all the time.

In this space we surrender to the moment, we release into being held energetically by Pachamama. Connecting to a partner through the eyes, the heart and the soul we feel deeply that we are family, each of us part of the human family and connected to one another. This pratice provides an opportunity for me to receive the gift of my innate connectedness and I am free from the anxious seeking of it through reaching out to another through my eyes, my energy, my words. I can just relax into the beingness that both share, there is nothing to do, nothing to say, only a profound experience of love and the filling up of the sense of emptiness inside.

I encourage anyone who reads this to choose this moment (all there ever really is) to share yourself with another person by just being with them, gazing into their eyes in quiet connection. If there is no one accessible now then get up and step outside, and allow the life energy pulsing in nature to come to you, let it in, feel the ecstatic love of the universe that is everyone just waiting to be embraced by you.

Know you are connected to this family, the community of the Awakening the Dreamer Initiative and we welcome you.

Blessings, Eve

How can we make the symposium more participatory, interactive & dynamic?

2007-06-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday of the Global Community Gathering, in our Open Space discussion time, i asked the question, "How can the symposium be more participatory, interactive and, ultimately, more fun?" Reanne Stack, Steve Motenko, Pete Shoemaker and John Meade were the core group in our discussion, with visiting appearances from Leslie Whiting, Ingrid Martin and Mary Brown. I noticed the open space process itself was very dynamic and engaging! I loved being in the grass, and i love circles! Tribal (Condor) peoples throughout time, have used circles and council practice to surface wisdom that is larger than the individuals.

We began our dialogue with an improv game called the "yes and" game. Each person says a phrase, around the circle, the next person says, "yes, and . . . (adding their own idea or phrase)." I like the "yes and" game, because it creates a synergy in the group and sometimes humor or unexpected ideas emerge. I've noticed that if a group can stay with the "yes and" game long enough, something always emerges that is a gift to everyone.

Here are some of the ideas we came up with:
1. Vicki Peck and I co-led a youth symposium in Albuquerque, where we utilized a circle right after "Where are we now," where we had each person say one word about how they were feeling. (There was a lot of emotion in the room that i could feel, like helium in a corked bottle.) As we went around the circle, people shared, sadness, shock, overwhelm and grief. The one-word circle share created connection and relief for all of us.

2. Pete shared with us an experiment that a friend of his in Massachusetts tried, where the group was given two 10 minute blocks to have interactive discussions about how issues of sustainability and then social justice affect their personal communities. The down side, he said, was that the Spiritual Fulfillment piece felt like it didn't receive enough attention.

3. John suggested pairing people, having them close their eyes to imagine what it would feel like to walk out into an "environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just world." As they emerged from this feeling, each pair was to create some kind of ritual or ceremony to honor this experience. Then Pete jumped in with the idea that this ritual could be some kind of high five ritual hand shake. His demonstrations of this possible celebratory hand/foot shake, were igniting and fun!

4. Ingrid acknowledged that short stretch or movement breaks help to move the energy and don't have to be long, but can be as little as everybody standing and shaking their limbs out for 30 seconds.

5. What would happen if we had the participants lead the symposium (or parts of it)? For example, the facts in "Where are we now," could be on numbered flash cards, drawn out of a bag, where participants read the cards off, in their numbered order.

6. Steve brought in Riane Eisler's 2 page story of a "Partnership School." I'm curious to explore further what this is about.

7. Reanne and John spoke of the benefit of storytelling, and perhaps a story that everyone in the room participates in telling, in an improvisational fashion.

8. Ingrid and I both felt the "Where are we now" piece of the symposium could be shortened to sound bites, so more time could be allowed for interactive excersizes. She suggested doing the section as if it were taking place in a "village of 100."

to be continued . . . .

Community

2007-06-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Community,

That is who we are! Lynne Twist's words are in my heart and so are you. I realized today that my stand is all about community. I was so excited to read Sheila Gore's reply to my email about the morning. Thank you so much, Sheila, from the UK. When you said KEEP ON BLOGGING, it lifted me too! That is what we are all about...community.

We just had the greatest talent show! What an awesome creative group. We miss you all! All of you out there are part of the fun too even if your bodies are not here.

Marianne Hale sent us the most beautiful slide show. It was so moving as our finale. The last 2 slides...Gratitude and Thank You!

Lynn Twist on Taking A Stand

2007-06-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

Lynne dropped in after our Open Space session to speak for 40 minutes. Wow! I never thought about taking a stand this way. Here is what comes out of her passion as she stands before us:

It is just so clear that the Symposium is what everyone is wanting. In many ways it gives people a sense of security within themselves. It gives people a sense of blessed unrest and a state of peace.

Lynne is working on a project for 7 women Nobel Peace Laureates. Six of them have come together (one of them cannot as she is under house arrest in Burma) to combine resources to help other peace activists. They were blown away by the mission of Symposium and they will be taking it. They are people like you and they are coming together with a bigger vision to help all of us. The most powerful thing that they could do is to get their communities exposed to the Symposium.

People around the whole world are feeling a state of fear and worry which is a form of negative prayer. The symposium helps people transcend their anger, fear, hatred. The Symposium takes people out of worry and gives us a recognition that we are not flawed, we are just not seeing it right. Mother Theresa says, “Fear is not the opposite of love, it is the absence of love.” When you fall in love with the human family, that fear gets displaced with love.

When you take a stand you stop having a point of view to a point of having vision. Taking a stand is a whole domain which is quite different than taking a position which always generates its opposite. When a position gets held strongly, it gets more and more entrenched. One gets more caught. Things polarize more and that creates an escalation of right vs. wrong, for or against.

When we find in ourselves taking a stand we are not coming from positioning. There is space for you, you are uplifted by it, and elevated the quality of the dialogue. Positioning creates the opposite. Mahatma Gandhi took a stand for humanity. Stand takers rarely have a position of authority. They derive their authority out of the stand that they have taken. There is room for everyone’s position within it.

You are stand takers. You are no longer only about me. Stand takers join a domain of distinction that allows them to have an uncommon wisdom. This stand is about vision which makes room for others. The Nobel women are no different than you. They were shocked when they got the Nobel prize because they thought they were just regular people.

I saw those facilitators standing in front of the room today. That thing you call Open Space is messy, disorganized and we are still doing our best. To the point of ridiculous, we often are crazy, doing as much as we can do. But we stand here in vision. Each of you has a vision which is way bigger than yourselves.

All the people in the world who have come before, that have done something for me, for you, for your grandchildren, they all had this vision. My granddaughter can vote because some women took a stand.

Of all the quotes in the Symposium, the one which gets me most is by David Ulansey, “We have the opportunity to live the most meaningful lives that humankind has ever had.”

I bow to you because you are the pioneers. It is messy. It is untidy. It takes time. It is inconvenient. It’s annoying, It’s expensive. But when you are enlisted it frees you up. It is a liberation, then you can find your integrity inside of it, because you have surrendered to the vision. If you fight it is difficult, if you surrender to it, you are carried. We are the ones with the willingness to carry humanity.

One of the greatest of Pachamama’s accomplishments is our body of facilitators. You are the cadres…the barefoot doctors. You are humanity’s imaginal cells waking up and waking everybody else up. You are the DNA of the butterfly. You are creating the clusters, as we say in the symposium, which will generate a new system for humanity.

The rest of the world, traditional institutions are no longer relevant and not really sustainable. They are beginning to dissolve into the nutritive soup out of which will grow an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on this planet.

Crying

2007-06-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

I just saw Lynn Twist and am so impressed by her ability to show her vulnerability. I'll call this the crying conference,and it'swonderful. Starting with Van Jones and everyone else onthe first day. I have found my tribe. I am a crier to--often get up in front of people and the more passionate the subject, the more likely I am to be in tears.

Question:

What's the role of tears and deep grieving for the new world we want to see. Perhaps the flood waters are both inner and outer.

Mike Seymour

Dancing with the unexpected

2007-06-16T16:10:00.001-07:00

What a disappointment! Paul Hawken left. He might be back tomorrow but he could not wait for the needed 200 ft. computer cable to be delivered. While this was being resolved, we broke into small groups for discussion. Then we regrouped to engage in a wee bit of collective problem solving over the dilemma of how to fit in the unveiling of the new adaptation of ATD for businesses when it did not fit into the open space design. There are 28 self selected topics posted on the wall ready to go for the break out groups and time is marching on.

Democracy! We voted on a compromise and are now listening to a team of 4 people deliver a full 1 hr presentation on a fabulous prototype for the new business Symposium. It’s great news too! The emphasis is on the underlying assumptions about the relation of business to society and creating new narratives for business. There are lots of new stories emerging in business introducing the new paradigm in a business context.

Arts and the Symposium

2007-06-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hello to those who are not here to enjoy this energy and to be in the company of so many talented and committed people. Last night we had the opportunity to create harmony... not in the way that so many "making a difference" people think of harmony BUT in a literal music way. Over 100 people singing songs from all over the planet... songs of liberation and joy. Led Doug Van Koss (a master at bringing out the voice of those not yet present to their musical contribution) we created enough sound and harmony to fill, at least, the bay area and maybe you even heard us from your front porch or bedroom.
Each individual piece of this gathering is worth the trip.

Your Planet Needs You

2007-06-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

John Symes, one of our very own facilitators, has written a fabulous book called Your Planet Needs You – A Handbook for Creating the World That We Want. While written before taking a Symposium, the material echoes much of the ideas, concepts and hopes expressed in Awakening the Dreamer, Changing The Dream material and affords an insightful and practical summary of both the issues and the practical steps we can all take to “being the change” we want to see in the world. The book is full of original and impactful illustrations by Phil Turner and will be enthusiastically received by all Symposium participants.

Most importantly, John is making this book available to all facilitators at a discounted price of $10:00 with a recommended sales price of $20.00. He asks that facilitators use the discount to forward the cause of the Pachamama Alliance in the way that they consider most appropriate. For more information, view www.yourplanetneedsyou.org.

Thank you John and Phil for this loving gift to us all!

Being the Change

2007-06-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is really exciting! There are so many leaders in the room from various places on the globe. A question has been posed to Bill about adapting the Symposium to address the cultural diversity with regard to many countries, underdeveloped, developing and developed. Bill Twist's morning presentation and the Q/A gives the feeling of how exciting this potential for change is for the entire planet.

It is real! It is happening before our eyes. You can actually sense the beginning of this movement and can see the self organizing taking shape with so many contributing with their collective wisdom! What exciting times we are living through especially when considering the unprecedented capacity we have together to be the change. One of last night's chants was "I am the change." Being here that is deeply felt.

Ecuador: Creating a Model for the Future

2007-06-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Bill Twist said there is something very interesting going on in Ecuador that is a forecast of what is going in the world. A potential reformation of the constitution based on values is the basis for change. The kind of dialogue that is going on in the country is consistent with the elements of the symposium…creating a system for sustainable and socially just reform.

The country is a blank slate for creating a model for economic abundance led by people in power as a model of what can happen for other countries in the future. In Ecuador, indigenous peoples have become more empowered, leaders of an oil rich country are now looking to leave the oil in the bed of the forest, and there is currently no national currency. It is ripe to create a new model starting with a constitution that addresses getting the corporations involved in the rewriting of the constitution so they are responsible to socially just and sustainable values.

There are 3 initiatives supported by Pachamama in Ecuador:

1) Creating legal rights for the environment.

2) Changing the currency system…exploring alternative models.

3) Limiting legal rights for non natural persons (corporations).

Wow! Amazing! What do you think?

Morning Sharing with Bill and Lynne

2007-06-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

As one person said in this morning’s sharing last night we were christened with a group ritual by Vinit’s friends, Michael, Celstine, and .... Heather accompanied with crystal bowls. We sang and chanted in rounds of amazing harmony led by Doug Van Koss for an hour and a half. It was an amazing experience of community through sound, movement, singing to each other, and circle dances. So much fun!

Below is some sharing from this morning’s reporting to Lynne and Bill Twist after they arrived. Many shared with them what they got from yesterday's events, reflecting on the potency of Van Jones speech and the imperative to integrate social justice into our work.

Lynne followed with saying that there would be no one better on the planet than Van Jones to initiate the earthquake of waking up. What is happening on the planet now because of the ATD emerging work is extraordinary. So many facilitators in one with such networks exemplify this.

Lynne said she bowed to us for opening ourselves so fully to this next chapter of changing the dream. What a gift to be at the forefront of the ground breakers to open it up. She is moved, excited, real proud of the Symposium, Pachamama, and all of us.

Here are some of the morning comments:

What struck me is what Van Jones said about how frustrated people of color feel. It was very potent for me…by 10:30 AM everyday, most can’t handle the insensitivity to their issues and are on overload, shutting down every single day.

Lynne and Bill, and staff, allowed Van to get to the place to be in the place where he could meet us. They gave him the bridge and he walked through it to meet us so we could walk over it with him. Thank you.

Van Jones blew my circuits. What he talked about was the authentic ability to listen and the importance of all of this work to help us do it.

This was a perfect weekend for us to showcase waking up. Van Jones helped us wake up in his speech and that is what we need to model for youth and everyone.

The thing that is most important for me to say that what I am most uncomfortable about is that I got from Van Jones that we will all have to go through trememdous pain to deal with social justice issues and integrate this with our work.

Van Jones is the first person who has understanding who can start to shine the way forward. I had no idea there was so much pain in America. We need to work with global equity and partnership to transform the wold money and trade situation through equanimity.

It is time for a test…

2007-06-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

We are at the beginning of something very, very big! Jon, Ruel, and Tracy opened with a reminder that we are guided. The exponential growth of the Symposium appears at a transitional moment in history when it is vitally relevant. They introduced the community of facilitators in various ways.

Van Jones’ passion was contagious with a presentation that introduced us to a newly embodied aspect of the Symposium…Social Justice. WOW! There were now words… when he finished the imperative the silence was poignant…hearts throbbing…tears moving…out of breath. We needed to break into circles for further processing, just to handle our emotions.

Here’s the essence of it! It is time for a test…one of stretching the heart enormously as we confront the issues of social justice, not only externally, but inside of us. We don’t really get how strong we are until we are tested. And it is time to meet this edge! As we meet the challenge of engaging this community in the direction of social justice, we will be stretched with a hard look at: Who am I? Where do I fit? Where do I belong?”

Why have we not done this by now? Because we are scared. We need to realize that it is our problem of deficiency. We currently live in an Apartheid society with assumptions that we do not even know we have, living in bubbles that touch in various communities which we call diversity. The only way through is as a community, helping each other see our blind spots. There is no time left except to be unstoppable in addressing the issues of our time!

Some people are struggling. Is our heart big enough for them? Did you know you have been hoodwinked by Lynne, Tracy and the staff? There is an opportunity to turn the economy around to serve the masses with a new industry of enterprise. Your activity requires that you expand the coalition with the politics of inclusion, of solidarity. So this is about YOUR transformation. It is about fighting the war mongers and polluters within.

Learning how to engage with social justice will take some unrelenting discomfort and learning how to listen. The challenge is how does our community grow in the direction of social justice to join other current social initiatives. We can only do this by being real and authentic which means looking within and spiritual practice. Your passions for solving the world’s problems will inevitably bring you up against yourself.

My powerful insight of the morning is that the spiritually fulfilling part of the Symposium IS the social justice part. We only have to engage it dynamically through the heart.

An evening of ritual and song

2007-06-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

For all of you Facilitators out there we want you to know you are all "present" here at the Gathering!!! Today saw a slide show of all of your beautiful faces, mirroring our tribe, and we hollered out your names calling your spirits here to join us (in case your ears were ringing this afternoon, that's why!).

After a fantastic and full day we enjoyed an evening of ritual and song. Vinit brought a group who led us in a beautiful Wiccan/pagan ritual welcoming in the spirits of the directions, connecting us to the elements and presencing us to our embeddedness in Pachamama. We were guided to tune into our own hearts to connect to what brought us to partner with The Pachamama Alliance and The Awakening the Dreamer Initiative. A beautiful song followed honoring our deeply loved Pachamama herself.

A guest of Ruel's, Doug Von Koss, lead us in an amazing journey to discover our voices and innate rhythms. We launched into a variety of chants and songs which brought our voices out aligning them together in a beautiful choir. Doug invited us to join him in his ecstatic praise of the sacred, of one another, of our world. Each song brought me deeper into my core, each breath striving to share my voice more fully, every word opening my heart and body more. This process brought me into a resonance with our community at a cellular level that further weaved us together.

At one point I reflected on how important these experiences are in bringing us closer to our ancestors who sang and danced together in community for tens of thousands of years. This is part of our remembering of our roots, the discovery of new levels of our connectivity and the joyful expression of our affection for one another. I also noted that these activities are growing in our culture and we are participating in the evolution of our culture globally. These activities are also an alternative to our consumer culture, a practice in furthering our sustainability as each of us could have been somewhere else in the world engaging in the typical mainstream activities on a Friday night. For a few hours we stepped out of our hurried world and stepped into ourselves, our connection to one another as a community and our deep connection to spirit.

Today was a powerful context to build from for the rest of the Gathering together this weekend.

Dreams and blessed rest await, love to you all,
Eve

Reflection, then refreshment

2007-06-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

After breaking into small groups of three or four outdoors to share our responses to Van's visit, we reconvened for sharing among the whole Gathering as a way to begin to deal with the profound impact of what was seen and felt as a whole community.

Then a nice long 90 minute break for lunch (Tracy poked fun at herself, graciously allowing more than her preferred 11 minutes), during which people reunited with old friends and made new ones. After that, a brief appearance by David Tucker, Executive Director of the Pachamama Alliance, in which he gave a history and overview of the work in Ecuador that led to the creation of the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium.

Do you remember having your picture taken at your facilitator training weekend? Lindsay Dyson is the curator of all those photos, and she presented a slide show of faces, while we called out their names one by one. For 20 minutes, we were all here together in those images. (You can view the photos from the slide show here.)

Following that, Chuck Putnam and Hetty Einzig are leading us through an exercise in small groups, sharing best practices, getting present to the amazing community of leaders we are (those here together with those not here in body), and inventorying the powerful resources and connections each of us brings to the enterprise of bringing forth and environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on Earth as a guiding principle of our time.

The mood here is definitely one of enormous possibility — discovering where our "muscles" are strong, where they are weak, and where we weren't aware we had muscles at all — and expectation, knowing that all this is leading to not only a renewal and regeneration of who we have been until now, but to the birth of a whole new level of commitment and leadership throughout our community.

I'm struck by what a privilege it is to live in this work, with these people! And Lynne hasn't even arrived yet!

Van moves us all to the core!

2007-06-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

A heartfelt Good Afternoon (1:40 p.m. here in California, USA) to all you incredible Facilitators and Community Leaders out there!

This morning has been quite a journey for those of us here at the Gathering. We launched right into an extraordinary presentation from Van Jones of the Ella Baker Center, a treasured ally in our work and famous to us all through his words in the Symposium. Van brought his heart and soul, shared his truth and brought us face to face with parts of our world and ourselves that are hard to confront. He spoke of the reality of the social and racial injustice of which we only touch the tip of the iceberg of, in the Symposium.

He acknowledged our courage in taking on issues of social justice in the first place and being willing to go deeper. He also shared his early warnings to Lynne, Tracy and others that this would be a difficult task, that we might not be ready for such a deeply painful undertaking. Throughout Van's emotional sharing it became increasing evident that he was going to throw it all out on the table, no holding back. We wept with Van as he reminded us of the history of abandonment and betrayal experienced by black people during the 1960's and since in the fight for civil rights.

We were implored to listen and truly hear the voices of those in the category of "other", those who share our world and suffer directly everyday due to the injustices of our current culture and economic system. It is our responsibility to understand the history of imperialism, colonialism, slavery, oppression, white supremacy and the impacts of centuries of racism and the other "isms" which plague our society today. We can, and must now step up to the plate, understand and face our history for our collective survival. It is time to come back to the table with people of color from a place of humility, respect, service, openness and willingness to learn.

Van brought it home that the racist lives inside of each of us, the oppressor is not "out there" but "in here". It is up to each one of us to transform ourselves through our spiritual work which will be the bridge to the possibility of truly effective progress in the realm of social justice.

Van Jones

2007-06-15T12:00:00.001-07:00

One of the key themes of this Gathering is the effort throughout the Awakening the Dreamer program to expand our awareness of the social justice aspect of the global crisis the Symposium addresses. Van’s message blew the doors open on that effort. It was a powerful message — passionate, confrontational, tender, illuminating, full of compassion and rage. We are left stirred and shaken, but with a pathway revealed before us.

The good news, as Van made so clear, is that the problem (and the solution) isn’t “them”, it’s right here, inside us all. The spiritual work we do in our lives, and the environmental awareness we have all worked hard to achieve, didn’t come to us in a day or in a single workshop. The work of social justice is within each of us, and it’s the daily work of a lifetime.

Van said that when people of color can give up the right to be mad at white people, and white people can give up the right to be ignorant, then we have a chance to find a way out of this together.

Van also graciously acknowledged the work of everyone involved in the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream initiative. He is our partner because he trusts that we are as serious about healing the social justice crisis as we are about spiritual fulfillment and environmental sustainability.

I realize these brief comments are missing the context of Van’s full message, which was full of humor, rich detail and powerful stories. At this writing, people are sharing about their experience of listening to Van. As the day goes on, we’ll encourage people here to share their “moments” from this deeply moving address, and we’ll post video clips as soon as they’re available.

Webmaster Introduction

2007-06-15T10:40:00.001-07:00

Greetings

As an experienced nonprofit activist, I have always enjoyed helping the causes I care about utilize the resources available and growing on the internet. My role this weekend is to be the bridge between those who have come together at the Gathering, and those who couldn't be here. I'm proud to be allowed to do so, and I know that we'll all be strengthened by the results.

Gregory Fearon

Friday Morning Opening

2007-06-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

The 2007 Gathering got underway a short while ago, about 9:00 am PDT, with a warm welcome from room supervisor Lindsay Dyson. Lindsay introduced Jon Love, Tracy Apple and Ruel Walker, who introduced the people who have come to the conference, first by geography and then by "tribe", or training group. Jon introduced the purpose of the Gathering, to re-energize the entire body of facilitators worldwide, and to renew our commitment to the work we're doing.

The mood here started off raucous, loud and energetic. Everyone is excited to see everyone else. It feels like a college reunion, but without the nerves.

Ruel led the opening of sacred space, assisted by Rocio Yanez, originally from Ecuador and now living in New York, and Josie McLean from Australia.

Tracy delivered a heartfelt and deeply moving introduction of the weekend's first guest speaker, Van Jones - "our teacher and our friend". The video team is taping Van's comments, and we'll post clips from that as soon as we can.

Tonight's the night

2007-06-14T22:46:00.000-07:00

The 2007 Global Community Gathering kicks off tonight with a reception at Pena Pachamama in San Francisco. As the reception goes on, facilitators from three continents are converging on Mills College in Oakland to begin a 3-day weekend of celebration, community, collaboration and fun. The full agenda gets under way at 9:00 am Pacific time on Friday.

We'll be welcoming Van Jones at 9:30, so check this page to find out what Van has to say. Then visit this page regularly as the weekend progresses for news, updates, photos and video clips from Mills College.