I’m working with Berkana friends (Debbie Frieze, Martin Siesta, Lauren Parks) to plan a learning event this fall. We’ve had a few calls now that I’m appreciating as a good beginning. Exploring together some of the heart of why this gathering matters, what we would intend to harvest from it, who we imagine as participants (Berkana Board, leaders in several of Berkana’s initiatives), and the beginnings of an invitation to reflect our calls. Specific design will come later. For now, however, it is important to know that the tone of this gathering will be sharing stories.
Berkana is doing and living what I’m hearing as a desire from so many groups now. To connect, and for a time, journey side by side to hear and share stories and learnings. It’s not a casual thing. The stories are big enough that we really need to honor them in a space of together.
I’ve loved some the harvest below from our calls: a few of the intentions and principles for the event. I’m sharing them here, aware that for many people that lead in networks and communities of practice, these are helpful names for needed strategic learning together.
-support the experience of individuals and how they are connected to initiatives and the whole of the network / movement
-connect to the vision and center of working in the network, as side by side journeyers / practitioners
-meet in different way, co-created to harvest from shared story and experience (including the harvest of relationships and energy)
– connect little fires to big fires
-see the whole and practice, as a way of living, the belief that the whole is different and more than the parts (a long held belief that arises from work over the last two decades in self-organization and emergence)
Deep principles. Important and needed. And really good to be working this with friends.