Interested in This

April 3, 2008

I'm at the Essex Conference and Retreat Center for an Art of Hosting called by Berkana. The theme is Taking Social Innovation to Scale -- I'm really excited about it. New ground to weave Berkana and Art of Hosting. To get a sense of who was coming, I mapped the participants responses to three questions. These responses carry a lot of energy and give me a glimpse into a deeper level of purpose. Very cool to think of this mix, this group of people focused on this theme, and where this kind of work is showing up in the world.

First, the organizations...
Leave Out ViolencE, Altarum, Center for Trauma Intervention, Christian Church, Department of Mental Retardation, New Prosperity Initiatiative, Sustainable Cape Ann, Samaya Consulting, Asset-Based Community Development, Seacoast Attunement Practitioners, Common Ground New Zealand, Fleming School, Spirit Beam Writers, Generative Change Community, North Shore Community College.

Second, why did you choose to accept this invitation? A few patterns I notice...
Wanting to deepen facilitation skills to work with groups; fellowship with peers to play ideas with each other; application to particular fields like public health, nursing, sustainability; build a community of practice in the Cambridge area; to take talk to action; to practice dialogue as a potent and powerful tool.

Third, what burning questions do you have? Again, patterns...
So much here about application, tools, diving deeper into purpose, connection that transcends, developing an ongoing process of creation and learning.

Last, what projects are you using this in? I love this...
Strategic planning; working with youth; HIV / AIDS; Homelessness; 2008 Reunion on Sustainability; Meadowlark Institute for Social Change in North Dakota; Portsmouth Art of Hosting; Management Development; Nursing Screenplay and Videos; Center for Engaging Community; Social Artistry; School District; Women's Leadership; World Cafe for 3,000 people at 2009 Assembly; Non-violent Traditions to Climate Change; Strategic Plan for Global Warming in Oceanside Communities; Generation Y; Shifting an old building to a community center; Protecting Wilderness.

One little taste of the diversity that shows up at this Art of Hosting. There are about15 people from the Boston or NE area. About 15 have come from other areas.