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FOUR WINDS DIALOGUE
Dialogue is central to what we do at Four Winds. We aspire to listen deeply and speak authentically with each other, with the Natural world and with our Self. The kind of conversation we are referring to is one where we consciously use certain practices in order to develop and access Wisdom. The basic practices are that we:
We think of Dialogue as a different kind of conversation, one that seeks to encompass many different points of view and ways of knowing. Its purpose is not necessarily to find a solution, but rather to reveal what wants to be known. It is a generative process that keeps leading to deeper knowing. It is about Thinking and Learning together.
We believe that a good dialogue is the foundation to learning, awareness, understanding and change. We offer Dialogue groups to the community to give people from all walks of life the chance to discover and experience this remarkable way of being together. It is our hope that by participating in The Dialogue process, we may all contribute to the peaceful evolution of ourselves and of humankind.
STONE SOUPHave you heard of the expression "in the shelter of each other" ? It's a modern day version of Stone Soup, the age old tale of community coming together in renewal and hope. Today, many see that a future that works for all of us is calling us to come together in the service of all life. We need to be there for each other. Margaret Wheatley, who said that phrase above, as well as many others are encouraging all of us to find out how to be with one another in life enhancing ways. STONE SOUP WAS BORN OUT OF THIS IMPULSE. Stone Soup is a regular gathering of people from all walks of life coming together to share a potluck meal and meaningful conversations about things that matter to all of us. Right here, in our own corner of the world, there are many working towards improving the community of life. Contact the South Berkshire Community Coalition for future dates and places! Call Shelley Brooks at 528-1919X14
ARCHIVES
STONE SOUP SUMMER 2010 The first Stone Soup gathering was hosted by the Great Barrington middles school. The Principal Jane Fuery and the students and advisior of the mentoring program graciously donated their time and energy to help make this a successful evening that included about 50 people. People were thrilled with the opportunity to share a meal and listen to each other talk about how they make a differnce. The Community Spirit Day sponsored by Four Winds, Stone Soup, South Berkshire Community Coalition and the VFW of GB was postponed due to torrential rain-- as winter advances we will have to re-schedule for spring-- see you then! IMAGINING COMMUNITY winter 2009 update on what happened at the : FIRST COMMUNITY MEETING - thanks for being there! Here's some of what you envision: "a joyful sense of purpose, knowing what to do, connecting more people to each other, no cars, mobilization, windfarms, good news in the paper, taking turns doing menial work, honoring each other, respecting each other, slow money, food, food, food, enough energy, greenhouses, power of silence, listening, sharing, social cooking for the needy, end of homelessness, good working relationship with government, reduce carbon footprint, linking up like minded people, literacy, skills development, biofuel busses, land use, volunteering... to realize our dreams we need the community behind us." About 50 people from PITTSFIELD to SHEFFIELD, points in between and to the west gathered on that Sunday. Using the power of imagination to create a prefered community vision and practicing dialogue skills lent a powerful start to our time together. We envision continuing our work like this. It was a heartfelt and exciting time. This news is to keep touch until the group has a mechanism for communication that works for everyone and doesn't bog us down with a zillion emails. Please call MaryBeth at 528-3079 if you have expertise and suggestions. We are researching this now. Also, we remind you to keep visioning! As I sit here waiting for theObama inaugural speech I am thinking myself of the possibilities that await us right here if we have the will to focus on what we really want and the courage to act from that place. The meeting taught me a few things and one of them is to have courage. I lost my center at one point and didn't follow through on something I was going to do that I think, looking back, would have made a better meeting. So I learn, we all do. I hope we all can hang together,reach out, network and collaborate on the very important work of living into the highest possibilities of who we are-- it takes community and lots of LOVE! More to come! SECOND IMAGINE COMMUNITYMEETING Participants shared: --How do we respond to the fear about what is going on in the world.? Can we trust? What are the barriers we place between ourselves and what we want? How can we experience the oneness of life, our togetherness, our center? What is the glue that holds us together? Can money be an expression of brotherliness? Can we be conscious of each other's needs? Can we build networks for thriving? And, how about being light-hearted, using humor to empower ourselves?
THIRD IMAGINE COMMUNITY MEETING At this meeting we will continue with our creative visualization of the "community of our dreams" and talk about what we care about, what's important to us and what are the foundational values upon which we can build a community that reflects our hopes. We will save time for "business" at the end, so if you have a project, event , idea, etc, you can share it and ask for help. If you have a little extra time, plan to stay and chat. Check out the resources below pertaining to community building in the "new world". These ideas are already percolating in the Berkshires!
SOCIAL ARCHITECT building bridges to the future Mary Beth is available to provide facilitation for those visioning new ways to live and work-- using dialogue and creative processes. Please call for additional information. |