Bruce Schuman's email reflection after the 1/29 World Cafe for DandDTrans
"DandDTrans" is a community of inquiry and action regarding the role that dialogue and deliberation can play in addressing the mega-crises of our time.
Heather Tischbein, Nancy Glock-Grueneich, Linda Ellinor, Savannah Hawkins, Ben Levi, Mark Spain, Jarod Holtz, Laurie Baker, Tom Atlee, Ben Roberts – and Chris Smerald.
Thank you so much for the vibrant phone call this afternoon, thanks to the conveners who made it happen.
For me, the call felt fertile and meaningful – and“useful” – and I wanted to follow up by contacting the people who were in the breakout groups today that included me. I am adding Chris Smerald because I found his personal intro so interesting – and I also want to note the interesting intro from Jarod Holtz, new to me today. Thanks all for being here!
ACTIVISM AND OUTREACH
As I suggested several times in my three different breakout groups, I am indeed feeling a call to a kind of activism – a special kind of activism quite related to the spirit that led to our call this afternoon – but perhaps involving a greater degree of explicit“agreement” or“intention”.
This is a subtle thing – a bit challenging, a bit risky, perhaps a bit controversial. As Linda said, our experience of“dialogue” these days often involves a high degree of“divergence” – where we acknowledge a wide range of human differences in personality and motivation and interests or skills. While absolutely recognizing the essential value of broad inclusion, in response to our concluding question regarding“what we are hungry for”, I must say that I am passionately hungry for“convergence”. What do we want to do together? Do we have the fortitude and vision and courage to dare identify a common center – where we can, as was said, find“the magic in the middle”? Yes, we are inclusive. But what do we agree on? What makes it work? What can bring us together?
This issue came up repeatedly, in various ways, but for me was probably best summarized by Mark Spain, when he spoke of“heart work” – which he associated with the qualities of listening and respect. For me – these simple variables begin to point towards something I believe is powerful and probably universal – a kind of universal technology or alchemy of co-creation, where, with a little training and hand-holding and practice, a group can build trust, learn to communicate with“resonance”, and build a real understanding among the“diverse spokes of the wheel”. I feel confident that we can create a conversation where participants, each of whom is different and unique and“does not agree with everybody on everything”, can meet all other(equally different) participants in the group in ways that are resonant, co-creative and constructive.
A container or alchemy that can manage this combustible chemistry is powerful indeed. As Joan Blades says of her Living Room Conversations project –“hold the tension”. I believe this tension, when held in mutual respect and co-creativity, is the creative rocket fuel that can launch a cultural renaissance.
COLLABORATIVELY DESIGN AND COMPOSE AN INVITATION
As I began to compose this email, I settled on this idea: offer something very simple, include a couple of issues that are major for me – and see what if any feedback or co-creative suggestions emerge from others. Maybe, if this idea has resonance and magnetic attraction – working together we could sketch out an approach that starts to look something like“one size fits all” – at least for a start. We can customize it later.
I think Tom Atlee was the first in our breakout group to mention the phrase from Juanita Brown:“magic in the middle” – and others picked it up. As I see it, this is what we are looking for.“Magic in the middle.” This is what can happen at the center of the circle when it is convened in the right spirit – and I think several of us felt we experienced this on the call. I believe this magic is very powerful – and that it can be evoked intentionally. Is it possible that this small DandD group could 1) agree that we are interested in and fascinated by this magic in the middle, and 2) we would like to actually convene and expand this magic in the world?
“THE SACRED SECULAR”
My own objective – is to form a kind of general-purpose all-inclusive framework for what is often called a“sacred circle”. The“sacred” element is important to me – but I don’t want people to be hung up on that term. I want to define a concept of“sacred” that can work for spiritual and religious people of any tradition or style – but I also want to include humanists, secularists, scientists, agnostics and atheists.
Is that possible? I think the answer is“yes” – but clearly it must be approached with care. For the moment, I am trying to illustrate the concept by example, citing Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address as an illustration of“the sacred secular”. The Dalai Lama has written a couple of books directly pertinent to a broad global ethics applicable to everything – and I recently scanned the entire text of his 2011 book Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World into word.docx format, which shows very clearly how a global ethic can be consistent with religion without being dependant on religion. I’d say Chris Smerald’s link to St. Ethelburgas.org shows an organization that is heading strongly in this direction. https://www.stethelburgas.org/ We can be“highly consistent with the best of religion without being religious” – and, of course,“without imposing our personal religion on others”.
INDIGENOUS INSPIRATION
As a way to begin, I like the idea of following a very basic and primal path, that has been carved out over the centuries by indigenous tribal leaders – the simple path of“council circle” – as taught by various groups and leaders, and involving simple basic principles of mutual respect and deep listening. In the context of the Native people’s phrase“all my relations”, I believe we can form a highly diverse network, bringing together people from any cultural group or demographic who are willing to enter the conversation in a spirit of humility, mutual respect and listening. I have put up a few thoughts on this theme at http://networknation.net/circle.cfm
INVITATION - COLLABORATIVE DRAFT
If we were going to send out an invitation together – or start sending out many invitations – what would that invitation look like? What“points” should it make?
Below, I offer a sample draft. How would you edit this draft; what points would you add or subtract?