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There are many ways to learn about what happened at the New Story Summit ...Facebook, blogs, New Story Hub, talking with those who were there, looking at the art work, looking at films, and reading the book that will emerge. For me this little "evaluation report" is but one part of incorporation, a bit of the behind the scenes "eval" ....It is a best practice of Beyond Boundaries to write such and include the many we called in and offer a few reflections for anyone and everyone that made this event possible...that includes you if you are reading it! I am the biased author and all of our organizing team have seen it and had input as they wanted. Hopefully it will serve as part of the completion of what was and lead us all the better to what is next.
Background
The summit, as originally called for, wanted to be more than a traditional FF conference, i.e., well-known speakers invited, and typically, attended, we are told, by a pretty middle to older-aged, predominantly white participants.... As a NSS team came together to co-create this gathering with the leadership of Richard Olivier, the call grew stronger for the summit, to gather story tellers and simultaneously to be more a new story. This intention carried into the making of it--the funding , the inviting, and the organizing on every level. Thus, throughout the planning, over a year plus, many things had to be adjusted vis-a-vis the way such things had been organized, housed, and financed in the past. It moved into being an extensive outreach process through GEN and other networks, calling those to gather who felt called in return by the vision: creating a more international, inter-generational event with a focus on bringing together those who were dreaming, longing for, and talking new story as well as those living it.
With committees of planners, coordinator Yvonne Cuneo, and a lot of volunteer help at Findhorn and beyond, the bare bones emerged. With little idea at first of what we were saying YES to, we carried on. There was a commitment to some, already invited, the majority of whom graciously agreed to go with the changes, to have well-known leaders in different fields as well as ones not so well-known, to have some speak and make room for others to join in, to have both set agendas and some completely open space, to have an overall design and also a willingness to adapt and even let go of such.
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What we received by calling for such a summit at Findhorn:
Any place would have its unique set-up and effect, and any place will be affected by such an event in seen and unseen ways, as FF was. And, this meeting came at a highly political time in Scotland and catalyzed awareness around its history and future as well.
To be at such a special place as the Findhorn Foundation had a lot to do with what unfolded and who came. FF is focused on spiritual life with a powerful history/legacy, i.e., a pioneering eco-village/intentional community of 50+ years, carrying a lineage of respect for all beings, an inter-awareness of nature, and a learning community of staff, volunteers, students, and teachers--teams of people dedicated to healing, truth, growth, and love. Many adaptations and new ways of hosting were explored as part of accommodating and joining the dream of the organizers. FF people joined together prior to and during this event, giving time, energy, and financial support as well. (See attached Gift Economy Report attached)
A gift received from being at FF, and hopefully a gift given
The unique hybrid at Findhorn came with certain conditions (what some might have named limitations) that in most cases were unchangeable. The Findhorn team, especially Yvonne Cuneo, on-site coordinator, worked with what arose in the best way they/she was able ....
Some of these givens included:
Complex housing situation and distances to be travelled by buses
Volunteer and co-worker meal prep and cleanup structures requiring respect for time, care, and continuity
Lack of a full organizational team on site to work with Yvonne and cover expanding interests, many unknowns, the needs and visions of organizers
Many people changing travel plans and/or having challenges with visas
Many more people than ever being gifted to come and needing logistical arrangements for such.
Some people having been promised air time and needing such in order to be willing to come.
Others wanting to come to an open gathering where all could be heard and seen, somehow, with 335 present.
Weather and limits on meeting places for different-sized breakout groups
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General issues or Universal issues that arose "up front" and throughout, needing attention before, during, and/or after :)
1. Issues around time ... time as an ally or an enemy, etc. How much do I get, what can be shared in a sound bite, what cannot be shared, how long am I willing to listen, do I get tired of sitting? Honoring the different worlds, meal plans, and pre-set logistics...
2. Inclusion/exclusion....power dynamics, why them not me, who gets to share and speak, who gets to come? why are we sleeping here? Who is "important?"
3. Different agendas/needs/ways of learning/sharing/processing - not to mention cultural differences
4. A need by most to be particularly seen and heard - specialness. I am unique and my situation is extremely awful or amazingly enlightened, and needs to be seen, honored or at least known.
5. How to really meet and connect and/or network in large groups?
6. How to initiate change? How to co-create conscious community?
7. How to embrace different tactics/gestures/permissions/protocols, etc.
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Next Steps:
There will most likely be many different kinds of gatherings rippling out of this one.
Of course, what will be needed for any of these will depend on where they are, who is involved, what the intention is.Findhorn Foundation community participants and leaders are having their own follow-up meetings and will have their own lessons learned, and future considerations/directions for any interested.
From where I sit as one "guide" during the journey, and in part after taking my own long breath and listening to debriefs and feedback, I would consider the following:
1. More upfront communication for all signups/invitees around what we are doing, i.e., what we know and what we don't know ....what the group process will be...protocols J History of key decisions, i.e., recognition of differences such as where and why people are in the seats they are. Transparency and communication around the process of who is gifted/who has gifted, etc. A "program," with everyone's names/photos.
2. Continued attention to both individual and community expression/sharing/activities prior to, during, and after.
3. Exploring, as NSS goes out, different kinds of centers, venues, communities, gathering places, and sacred grounds, ones that easily permit outside meetings, allow all people to stay together, a hall that all can move in, and a variety of breakout spaces. And maybe one that has even more so-called challenges! An inner city or wild place for example .
4. If a kind of rite of passage is to be named and /or courted, certain elements would need to be made more conscious I feel and added ....and perhaps they are all underway?
- intention-setting and communication before and at arrival, etc.
- more time in nature, more spaciousness, silence, emptiness
- shared openness and interest in and commitment to ceremony/ritual
- bare bones of what makes a rite of passage, i.e., severance, threshold, and incorporation communicated, invited, understood, and wanted/chosen
* many elements to ROP were present, i.e., severance from our lives as they have been, ceremonies marking such, listening and learning from the past, honoring what old stories need to healed, be remembered, be carried forward and lived into, healing experiences in order to make room for the new story in our bodies, minds, and hearts .....A significant life awakening challenge we all must face - the week together ?? A threshold we must cross/survive followed by deep listening to the new stories around us and in us... Incorporation - the living of all we came to see, realize, and feel...
Yes, some of this surely happened. There was some time, though not a great deal of spaciousness really, to do this fully with awareness and interest of all ....It was experienced with some, for sure. And, maybe for many--? We are a small part of a global community rite of passage that is happening now ....we have crossed, after Findhorn, into the threshold experience of our lives ....living the new story...and then we will alone and together see what incorporation looks like.
5. Shorter and also longer summits-because of long-distance travel, etc.
One day to ten days....with different topics, focus, etc., for different events all a part of the new story.
6. Leadership stepping up and stepping back, in and out, allowing and forming, making room for co-arising and emergence, spirit of council.
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CELEBRATION AND GRATITUDE
A Story that Serves....Imprints/Outcomes of the Summit Worth Noting:
- 1. Cooperation between planners, between invitees who shared , between ceremonialists, between Home Group facilitators
- 2. Emergence of new processes, ceremonies, sharings, spontaneous offerings, art, songs, prayers...Magical connections, healings occurring, prayers going out
- 3. A taste of wholeness: celebration, fun, the presence of laughter along with pain, grief, depth of feeling, anger, etc.
- 4. Shared global community - a taste treat experience for many. Diversity of ages, backgrounds, disciplines, experiences being embraced
- 5. Learning what it means to be an adapting species; co creating and moving thru chaos in a variety of ways
- 6. Gifting--happening throughout in a variety of ways
- 7. Shared depth of experience with Findhorn, with nature, with global people, with the divine.... "synchronous/synchronicitous/serendipitous " experiences at an all-time high
- 8. Many working connections and collaborations born
- 9. Strengthening of inspiring story worldwide, a step on the road towards conscious global community
- 10. Many "products" /projects to come, including a film and a book, adding to the many ripples going out through each and everyone present
11. Hubs created and continuing
A lot of gratitude experienced and expressed by many ...
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