Workshops in September 2003

with

Tom Atlee and Rosa Zubizarreta

I want to let you know about two major public workshops I'll be doing this September with Rosa Zubizarreta, the skilled faciiitator, colleague and friend who was so central to the completion of THE TAO OF DEMOCRACY last year.

Below you'll find the public descriptions of these workshops and the conference they'll be part of. They are evidence of a very promising trend -- increasing world-concern on the part of spiritually motivated people and those interested in consciousness and human potential. As Barbara Marx Hubbard, one of the many luminaries who will be there, suggests, it is high time for us to expand beyond individual potential to explore and increase our collective social potential.

The Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) has for several years been exploring what "a wisdom society" would be and how to get there. Last year I did a survey of transformational leaders to support this inquiry. The results are posted at http://www.co-intelligence.org/wisdomsurvey.html. Later, some IONS staff read manuscripts for THE TAO OF DEMOCRACY and got excited about chapters describing co-intelligent activism. They edited those two chapters into an article for their quarterly NOETIC SCIENCES REVIEW (Dec 2002-Feb 2003 issue).

Inspired by interest from these and other spiritually-oriented activists, I did further research on the implicit spiritual dimensions of dialogue and the implications for democracy and the search for democratic forms of wisdom. This inquiry generated two published articles I've now posted on the Co-Intelligence Institute website:
"Politics for a co-creative world"
http://www.co-intelligence.org/CIPol_Co-creativeWorld.html
and "Empowered Dialogue Can Bring Wisdom to Democracy"
http://www.co-intelligence.org/CIPol_EmpoweredDialogue.html

I'll be exploring these issues further in the September workshops. The six-hour Wednesday "pre-conference institute" will feature an exploration of sources of wisdom, including the rare treat of hours of conversation on this subject dynamically facilitated by Rosa. Dynamic Facilitation is my favorite form of group process, and, after my initial presentation, I'll join in the midst of it with everybody else. A number of other treats are still being developed for this day-long event by Rosa and me.

The shorter 90-minute Saturday workshop will be a facilitated presentation, with Rosa as the facilitator and me as the presenter. We plan to experiment with breaking out of both lecture and discussion modes into a new way to do workshops in which
@ the presenter's expertise can be shared without dominating the group and
@ questions-and-answers can evolve into shared inquiries where we all learn and co-create new insights.

We expect this to be quite an adventure. We hope to see you there.

Coheartedly,
Tom

_ _ _ _ _

AWAKENING A GLOBAL VISION:
COLLECTIVE WISDOM AND SPIRITUAL ACTIVISM

Presented by

Association for Global New Thought
And
Institute of Noetic Sciences

September 17-21, 2003
Riviera Resort
Palm Springs, California

As we face the tremendous challenges at this defining moment in our global history, you are invited to participate at this extraordinary conference. In times of accelerated personal and social change, two of our greatest resources are our collective wisdom and our passionate desire to impact the world positively.

How do we move from a more individualized, personal process into a collective way of sharing, listening, learning and knowing? Is it possible to tap into a collective wisdom and consciously awaken a new call to action?

Join us as explorers in dialogue, discussion, meditation, music, laughter, body movement, reflection and more. Choose from among over 60 workshops, World Cafés and other intriguing dialogue forums. In addition, there will be 27 day-long pre- and post-conference institutes offered by world-renown authors, experts, activists, biologists, educators and spiritual leaders.

Presenters and workshop leaders include: Hafsat Abiola, Tom Atlee, Rev. Michael Beckwith, Gordon Davidson, Christian de Quincey, James O'Dea, John Hagelin, Jean Houston, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Corinne McLaughlin, Edgar Mitchell, Dean Radin, Marilyn Schlitz, Brian Swimme, Lynne Twist, David Whyte, Marianne Williamson, Rosa Zubizarreta and many more.

Sign up today! Save $45 by registering before August 1. The event is filling up quickly so be sure to reserve your place now. Register by going online to http://www.agnt.org or by sending email to AwakeWorld@aol.com. For more information and to receive a brochure, write conference2003@noetic.org The conference hotline is 707-779-8205.

About the Conference Co-Creators

The Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) ­ founded 30 years ago by Apollo 14 Astronaut Edgar Mitchell ­ investigates consciousness and the relationship of consciousness to the physical world. IONS is an international nonprofit organization with 50,000 members and friends, and 280 self-organizing community groups throughout the world. For more information, please visit http://www.noetic.org

The Association for Global New Thought is committed to Global healing through personal transformation; community-building; interfaith, intercultural, and interdisciplinary understanding; and compassionate activism. The core purpose is to consciously bring forth the evolving human and an awakened world through the practice of universal spiritual principles and the energy of unconditional love. For more information, please visit http://www.agnt.org .

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Activism of the Living Spirit: Paths to Collective Wisdom
A pre-conference institute with Tom Atlee and Rosa Zubizarreta
Wednesday, Sept 17, 2003 / 9am - 4pm
$100 for conference attendees, $125 for others

An experiential day on bringing forth the collective wisdom we need for the challenges we face as a species. Brief presentations and lots of participation will inform our explorations toward a new politics of co-creativity, passionate dialogue and the shared spirit that emerges from the fullness of our diversity. We will learn about exciting democratic innovations and engage creatively with one another while deepening our vision of how to weave the wisdom culture we yearn for. As Thomas Paine said in 1776, "We have it in our power to begin the world again." Come share, explore, and create with us.

A Democracy where Spirit governs wisely from the Center
A conference workshop with Tom Atlee and Rosa Zubizarreta
Saturday, Sept. 20, 2003 / 2pm-3:30 pm
(included in conference fee)

We already know there's a place deep within us where we're connected to each other and the world. Now we find that diverse ordinary people go there naturally when they really hear each other and reflect together. Come explore citizen reflective councils as a path to a truly wise democracy.

_ _ _

BIOS

Tom Atlee, founder of the Co-Intelligence Institute and author of The Tao of Democracy: Using Co-Intelligence to Create a World that Works for All, has written for Noetic Sciences Review, Science of Mind, Earthlight, YES!, Permaculture Activist and other journals.

Rosa Zubizarreta teaches and practices transformational approaches to facilitation that evoke collective intelligence by supporting individual creativity and emergent process. With degrees in Organization Development and Multicultural Education, her background includes dialogue-based education, engaged Buddhism, and diversity as spiritual practice.