So many of us have been harmed by corrupt and out-of-date religious practices that religion itself is being dismissed as superstition, sentimentality, moralism, dogmatism, and  worse.  We will discuss together how we can say to ourselves and to our social activist friends how it is true that good religion exists, and that its services are crucial to the survival and wellbeing of society, along with good politics, good economic systems, good ecological practices, good education, and good sewage disposal.

If you are interested in attending this event, email Gene Marshall at jgmarshall@cableone.net, and he will send you a Zoom link.

What Reality is worth of your trust?

The Ultimate Trust is an eleven-part, sequential, contemporary exploration of the understanding, experience, and personal practices associated with choosing the radical life posture of trusting Reality.

In traditional language, this dynamic was previously described as “faith.”

What does authentic living look like today when one fundamentally trusts a Reality that is invisible, in-finite, interior, and contentless as one’s most intimate companion through life?   Join us in this exploration.

The cinematic art forms of Interior Mythos Journeys are designed to support contemporary solitary depth inquiry and substantive group discussion using universal language and a quantum scientific worldview.

Join Michael May and friends on Tuesdays, noon – 1p (EST), April 6 through June 15, 2021, for an encounter with a cinematic artform module and group discussion.

Register for the Zoom encounter at:

 https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrc-iqpzguH93PqnyQpW2SHjiPTdBR4kU2

Zoom Meeting ID:  836 4129 3459

GO Deep…….

America’s investment in race and racial oppression was central to its early years as a nation—a theme that dates back to Europe’s earliest colonial efforts in the Western Hemisphere. Some of the contemporary consequences for communities of color are clear: Numerous studies routinely quantify racial disparities in virtually every social arena. But are there negative consequences of this historical investment for white people?

Addington explores the weighty topic while seeking to answer questions such as:

• How do we repair the damage done to communities as a result of our racial history?

• Is racial oppression related to our ability to respond to ecological challenges?

• Does our investment in racial oppression jeopardize our nation’s future?

Addington suggests that racism harms us all, and he pays particular attention to the subtle ways white people are damaged. He also suggests that race sabotages the nation’s capacity to negotiate the challenges the future poses.  Explore how overcoming racism and shaping a sustainable, resilient society are bound together in Tragic Investment.

The four-part series focuses each session on one part of the book:

Session One: Introduction and Part One – Race and Why it Matters. This section of the book is foundational; it provides basic definitions and descriptions that underlie the remainder of the book. 

Session Two: the European Imperial-Colonial Enterprise. This section provides the historical context for our conversation about race and US society. It illustrates the centrality of racial oppression in our historical development, as well as our current day. 

Session Three: the Cost of White Supremacy. This section of the book is the keystone. It is especially (but not solely) addressed to white progressive activists who are committed to racial and social justice

Session Four: Reparation – the Portal to the Future and Conclusion. This final section is intended to help readers imagine a trans-racial future and discern the challenges before us; it links racial justice and ecological reparation together.   

James Addington, book author, will lead this study:  April 6 and 20; May 4 and 18.  If you are interested in participating, email James at InaRja@comcast.net and he will send you a Zoom link.

Join Jan Sanders and David Dunn in harvesting the wisdom in the Cultural Processes for transformation.

This is a research event that will explore how the ICA used various practices, strategies to awaken the cultural dynamics of a community or organization.  Our intent is to look at both the wisdom of the past and the new practices and patterns we have developed to initiate cultural transformation.

It will be helpful for those joining us to review the components in the cultural process which is one of the dynamics in the social processes.

If you are interested in participating in the second series – April 7, 14 and 21, email Jan Sandersl at jansanders5@gmail.com and she will email you a Zoom link.

• As a leader, do you have the courage to turn the lens inward to examine what you bring to your daily interactions?
• If leadership is about relationships, who are you in those interactions? Are you willing to look inward to evaluate how you show up in the world?
• How do you keep learning from your experiences, and trusting your own inner wisdom?
• What role do you want to play in the change process in society, work, community and family?

If you have ever asked yourself these questions, we would like to invite you to join our 13-week online study series (every Thursday, starting March 25 – June 17, 2021), where you will get to explore your relationship to life, self and the world. The aim of this study is to provide the tools for deep reflection on how you can become the best leader you can be.

What this study is not:

• A workshop of tips and techniques on how to be a better manager
• A crash course in leadership skills

What would be required of you?

• Dedicated time to read one chapter of “The Courage to Lead” book per week
• The willingness to complete reflective exercises on each chapter
• Contribution of your personal perspective and experiences in online discussions with other participants
• An open mind and heart to hear from those who see things differently than you

Sign up today to reserve your spot.  After you have registered, you will be emailed the log-in details a week before the study series start date.

Please note that we’ll be using “The Courage to Lead” book (2012 publication) for the study which can be purchased separately on iUniverse, Indigo and Amazon. 

This is an introduction to the Crisis-Change-Choice (CCC) psycho-social model for communities responding to crisis, developed by Global Facilitators Serving Communities (GFSC). The model is being redesigned as a virtual event in the pandemic era, and this “beta” version will be offered for participants to comment on as well as to experience. This introduction will be the first of a series of workshops on the CCC model.

GFSC has for many years offered workshops for local facilitators, first responders and other community ‘helpers’ to strengthen a community’s resilience when responding to crisis, particularly its social bonds and networks. This has usually been applied to natural disaster situations. Examples include following hurricanes in New Orleans and Manila, wildfires near Melbourne, and earthquakes near Santiago de Chile, Quito and Mexico City.

In the pandemic era, people in every community are experiencing crisis—how do we help ourselves and others respond in constructive ways? This touches on many areas: What is our understanding of crisis and grief? How do we recognize effective and ineffective patterns of behavior? How do we adapt our familiar ways of responding “helpfully” to different situations? The introductory and follow-up workshops hope to provide a forum for exploring these questions.

GFSC is a network of volunteers that grew out of discussions at International Association of Facilitators conferences. It is a USA-registered non-profit organization.

If you are interested in attending this event, email Tim Karpoff at timkarpoff@msn.com and hebwill email you a Zoom link.

Change Your Thinking – Change Your World.Y

Are you deeply concerned about the climate crisis and about the growing social and economic inequalities that we see deepening around us?  Do you feel overwhelmed and powerless to do anything about it? Common Earth is offering Module I to equip people with the tools to think differently about how we tackle these issues and empower the agency that each of us possesses. By participating, you become part of a growing community of people at Common Earth who are collectively trying to remove the barriers that currently prevent us from moving to a post-carbon caring society.

New programs are offered each quarter.  Module I is being offered April 12-June 3 from 5-7PM Eastern time or April 20-June 10 from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Eastern time.

If you are interested in participating in Module I (April 12-June 3), email Sarah Patterson at spatterson@commonearth.com.

You’ll learn how the principles of the ICA’s Imaginal Education can be used for both positive and negative ends. Examine how these principles helped get Donald Trump elected as well as how they can make you a happier person, including other uses of IE. We’ll focus especially on how to make images “stick” based on the book by Chip and Dan Heath, Made to Stick.

Via Zoom with preregistration required; session will be recorded and available afterwards.

Jim Troxel served on the staff and board of the ICA for over 30 years. He earned his Master’s degree in Organizational Transformation from DePaul University in Chicago, IL, USA, where he also was a member of its adjunct faculty. His professional engagements included consulting to over 200 nonprofits as well as serving as founder and/or director at several public service organizations and companies.

If you are interested in participating in this conversation, email Jim Troxel at jtrox46@gmail.com and he will email you a Zoom link.

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