for"DandDTrans," a"community of inquiry and action" regarding the role that Dialogue & Deiberation can play in addressing the mega-crises of our time
Description: Let's think together about the thoughtful responses eleven people have posted on the +Whats Possible?pad--which is arguably the richest portion of these hackpad"conversations" to date.
Engaging in this Online Conversation(PLEASE READ!)
This prototyping experiment in asynchronous process is designed so you can"drop in" for as little as 15 minutes and contribute meaningfully, or go much deeper if you wish. I am also curious about our ability to use heart-based reflection as a core practice in this online realm. Here's my invitation to all participants:
Add your name to the list of participants above(and+add an +Intro+ here if you haven't already done so!)
(2 min) Read the context section below
(2-8 min) Browse the +Resourcespads(which you are also invited to add to, by the way!), find something that opens your heart, and"sit" with it. Here are a few suggestions:
(5-10 min) Browse, or read through, portions of the +What's Possible?pad that call to you.
(1-5 min) Sit in silent reflection.
(5-20 min) Post something using a blank template below(you can use the index in the right margin to jump down to the bottom of the pad).
Note: This cycle can also be used for posting comments on what others have written here. In this case, I suggest substituting half the time reading from the What's Possible pad in step 4 for reading through the posts below.
Context
The +What's Possible?pad was part of the original set of hackpads created in early December. It uses Peter Block's framing from Community: The Structure of Belonging, which presents six essential conversations for co-creating"transformational communty." eleven people posted detailed responses to two questions there:
Question 1:What is the crossroads where you find yourself at this stage of your work in service to systemic transformation?
Question 2: What declaration of possibility can you make that has the power to transform the community[gathered for this inquiry] and inspire you?
The answers given were very rich, and many of them were commented on by other participants as well. Here's a small set of excerpts(the names link you to the full post, or get you close--this feature in hackpad is a bit buggy!):
This communication process is alive! It is real now as you read just as much as it was/is as I type. Because our communication is real, we can connect. Because we can connect, we can fuse our energies into a larger collective force and contribute to humanity's great turning. +Stephanie Jo Kent
My crossroad is continuing to learn to live hospicing the death of the old economy and midwifing the birth of the new economy. This also invites me to learn to be deeply personal and spiritual as well as systemic, integrated and communal. I seek to be relaxed and present as well as urgent and passionate whilst having fun doing this work. +Mark Spain
For at least some of us in this inquiry, a key component that will make continuing it compelling is an external action component that we can begin fairly quickly. In my small group on the first call, such action was at first seen as being in contrast with conversation, but we quickly reframed action as a sort of"statement" one makes to the rest of the world. However the world responds, we do our best to"listen" to it, reflect, and iterate. Thus action, rather than being in contrast with conversation, becomes an integral part of the larger conversation between those taking action and the rest of the world. +John Abbe
[T]he big tension is the issue of activating a transformative vision. I have spent a long time more or less as an architect, a designer, working at the level of internet system design and development. But taking a very ambitious design and turning it into activism, where people get on board some common vision, in ways that lead to real social change-- this is much more challenging, and the internet alone is not enough. Writing theories and visions-- while important and probably essential-- alone, just doesn't get us there. Theory by itself is an unrealized potential. Somehow, we need to jump into the fire of real social change. +Bruce Schuman
Engaging in this Online Conversation (PLEASE READ!)
Context