News from Pioneers of Change - February, 2005

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>NEWS FROM PIONEERS OF CHANGE
>February, 2005

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"Pain too long absorbed dulls intelligence. Pain endured, channeled for energy, used for conscious work aimed at ending the source of pain, sharpens intelligence."
- Ayi Kwei Armah

"Art is not a mirror to reflect society... but a hammer with which to shape it."
- Bertolt Brecht

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>>Welcome to February 2005!

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Welcome to the first Pioneers of Change newsletter of 2005!

Information is powerful. Sharing information is sharing power. As the network grows in 2005 and as we continue many conversations and initiatives related to creating change and making a difference in our communities, we want to use the newsletter as a tool for facilitating global connections and informing each other as Pioneers of the work that is being done globally.

This month’s newsletter features some stories from Pioneers of recent events and activities that they have undertaken. Our hope in profiling these stories is that new connections will be born within the network, and that we will inspire each other to realize what is possible and be unafraid to commit ourselves to doing what matters wherever we find ourselves in our lives.

There is a lot to look forward to this year. One of our hopes for 2005 is that members will make stronger commitments and investments into Pioneers of Change. We want to challenge ourselves as a community to give to the areas of Pioneers of Change that are most valuable to us, and that in turn help to create a profound difference in the world around us. What can we do together that pushes the limits on where we’re willing to go to shift systems, to learn about our roles in the systems and to create new possibilties and realities?

Our feeling is that local networks and Communities of Practice are two very practical platforms for exploring the questions of change as a community and we invite you to play a greater role in these areas.


Also, a reminder that our brand new website has been designed with the intention of making it more user-friendly to members of the Pioneers Network. Please continue to explore it and pass on feedback, request and ideas of how we can improve to better serve your needs in your work and connectivity through Pioneers of Change. There is still a lot that we are working on with regards to the site and we will keep you posted as new developments emerge. Lastly, please note that the Sustainability Learning Journey in Brazil has been postponed until October 2005. For more information visit http://www.pioneersofchange.net

Love and Best Wishes,

The Cultivation Unit (Danielle, Dumisani and Sera)


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>>IN FOCUS: ARTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

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Artists worldwide have been at the center of some of the most interesting revolutions, and have challenged systems, schools of thought and structures of power worldwide. Music, film, literature and theatre are both forms of entertainments and tools for protest and vehicles of change. There are many questions to be asked with regards to how arts are being used as a tool for social change in communities around the world.

South Africa is host to some of the world’s most innovative change agents in the form of its artists and fittingly it will host the Arts for Social Change Learning Journey in Johannesburg from February 25 to March 6 2005.

To be kept updated on the Arts for Social Change progresses, please send an e-mail to arts-join@lists.pioneersofchange.net and you will automatically be added.

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>>Updates from Pioneers
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>Art of Hosting Gathering, Kufunda Village, Zimbabwe, January 2005

In January, about ten pioneers and several activists and friends of Pioneers gathered with other Zimbabweans and international guests at the second "Art of Hosting" held at Kufunda Village, near Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. It was a rich gathering of people coming together to explore their real needs to host meaningful conversations in their various contexts (IT company, HIV/AIDS Awareness, Conflict resolution). It was a deep learning experience for many with a chance to discover what it takes to build containers where conversations go to the heart of the matter and invite relevant and successful action. Here’s what Tawanda Madzure (steward of the Zimbabwe PoC network) had to say about it.
~ Sera Thompson

The invitation was to go on a learning journey over three days to discover with other participants what hosting is, for each individual participants and the host that each wanted to become. For me the journey had started about four months back in Kozi Bay, South Africa at Summer School 2004. I had a magical time and experienced most of the processes and tools that I once again experienced at the Art of Hosting. At Summer School I felt a gap where I lacked hosting and facilitation skills and I felt inadequate.

Now I feel I have the capacity to keep learning with others and “Hosting others intelligence/ wisdom and spirit” bouncing into the future we want inviting others along receiving the support and love that surrounds me “Holding precious what has meaning for me”.

There are things I’ve been intending to do, some I have started and some I’ve still to start. I feel somehow that I am in the process of being born, being found by my purpose and the art of hosting, a major piece of that founding, also gave me clarity of my purpose(s). It pointed the way for me to live my questions. I have had the question what next with Pioneers of Change in Zimbabwe on my mind, I have had a couple of Pioneers of Change meetings, and I am organizing a follow up to map the way forward and clarify our purpose.

I had an experience, inspired by the Art of Hosting not just a group of words, but I don’t yet know how that experience will be= integrated. I am very open to ideas. I have lots of creative energy and am always looking for the game that's worth playing.
~Tawanda Elton Madzure

> The Hub--A new social incubator for people with ideas.

The Hub is a place to get things done. This new social incubator offers the tools and trimmings to cultivate an idea, initiate a project, host an event and run a business. You can be there by the hour, the day or the month.

A group of friends that are part of the Pioneers network have transformed a warehouse in central London into a new kind of social space. They have borrowed from the best of a professional office, friendly cafe, independent cinema and the comforts of home.

The Hub is becoming home to an entrepreneurial community of people realizing creative, radical and progressive ideas for the world. They invite to come and join in. Please email jonathan.robinson@the-hub.net or phone +44 (0)20 7841 8900.~ Jonathan Robinson

www.the-hub.net


If you have any news, brief reports and reflections on recent events, or activities you have been a part of that you would like to share in the next Newsletter, please do not hesitate to email them to us for the next edition of the Newsletter! (E-mail to info@pioneersofchange.net)

The U: A Language of Regeneration (an article)

Drawing on ancient wisdom and multiple forms of knowing, the U is a theory, a dialogic process, and a language. In an age of collapsing systems it offers us a series of practices for regeneration..

Read Zaid Hassan’s full article, based on his experience with the U over the last few years at
http://pioneersofchange.net/library/articles/


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>>Events
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>Pioneers of Change Meeting--UtvecklingsBar
Stockholm, Sweden, February 16, 2005,
In Stockholm the monthly UtvecklingsBar continues - a forum for meeting new people and discussing global issues. The 19th of January 50-60 people met and spoke about the aftermath of the Tsunami; the human dimension, long-term engagement, and other - hidden - catastrophes around the world.
The next event is planned to the 16th of February, 18.00 at "Halv Trappa
plus Gård". All Pioneers are welcome. For additional information contact
Harry McNeil at harry@mcneil.se

>The Flow Game,
The Netherlands, February 25-26, 2005 & April 15-16, 2005,
Pioneers in the Netherlands, Odilia Gartner (Sea Change Consultancy) and Tatiana Glad (Engage! InterAct), are offering two opportunities to play the Flow Game, a Danish-inspired board-based process for 4-6 people to develop personal leadership and entrepreneurship. February 25/26th and April 15/16th, 250 euro pp, in Amsterdam. Please contact Tatiana (tatiana@engage.nu) or Odilia (info@seachangeconsultancy.com) for the full invitation.

>Social Entrepreneurship Seminar,
Stockholm, Sweden, March 16, 2005, 1600-1800 hrs
Plans are being made for a seminar about Social Entrepreneurship at the 3rd of March. A Learning Journey Exchange between South Africa and Sweden investigating social entrepreneurship is also being planned for spring 2005. Contact for more info: harry@mcneil.se

> RIPPLES training for Spiritual Activism.
Western Massachusetts, USA. March 11-13 2005
This 3 day training event is rooted in an understanding that effective social change requires highly functional individuals and groups. What conditions lead to individual and group suffering? What leads to personal and collective liberation? This training is open to anyone seeking to better understand the dynamics and internal processes of these fundamental questions.

The RIPPLES training is non residential and begins Friday, March 11th at 5:00 pm and ends Sunday, March 13th at 5:00 pm. Full attendance is required.

The workshop will be limited to 12 people. Cost is on a sliding scale, from $100 to $500. This includes most of your meals. Some scholarships are available.

For additional information, including a short application, please contact:
Margie Hattori
Margie@stonecircles.org
+1 919-682-8323

>Fairy Tale Event
Denmark, April 1-3 2005
Four pioneers in Europe (Sofia, Collette, Carsten and Felix) would like to invite the network to an extraordinary event in Denmark, at April 1st to April 3rd 2005.

It will be a chance for everyone to take a break from normal daily life and dive into a mystical weekend where the spirit of Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales is welcoming you. [Hans Christian Andersen’s 200th Birthday will be celebrated on April 2]

We would like to take the energy of the world of fairy tales and use it to reflect on our own stories. By using different exercises we would like to explore with you the inner stories and questions of all of us and with the help of a fairy tale flow game we see those deeper dialogues become clearer and more present.

For further information please contact felixitator@web.de

Learning Journey: Integration in the 21st century
The Netherlands, May 2005
Do you have a passion and sense of inquiry for the position and integration of immigrants? If you are willing to share and challenge your wisdom and knowledge and have an active commitment to the issues related to integration of immigrants, we invite you to this learning journey in The Netherlands. The focus of this Learning Journey will be to discover the practices and principles of a society that works for more than one culture.

Dutch society has been an immigration country for a long time already. Because of the variety of immigrant groups and experiences with different times and ways they merged into Dutch culture, The Netherlands can be regarded as a rich field to challenge and deepen current perceptions and understandings. By learning from and with each other, while using all the perspectives available we aim to uncover the root causes of the current situation and identify what positive contributions each of us could make to the future.

This Learning Journey aims to bring together participants aged 25 to 35 who are involved in the issues of immigration and integration within the business, government and civil society sectors. Over the course of five days, participants will engage in three learning spaces (Observation & Inquiry, Retreat & Reflection, and Practice) to explore integration and diversity.

Please contact Moraan Gilad on moraan@pioneersofchange.net for a more elaborate invitation, application form or other information.

For more information please see http://pioneersofchange.net/communities/integration <http://pioneersofchange.net/communities/integration>

>The Art of Hosting and Convening Conversations,
Ireland and The Netherlands, April & May 2005
The Art of Hosting and Convening Conversations is a training for all who aspire to learn and find new ways for working with others to create innovative and comprehensive solutions. We are a growing community of practitioners, supporting each other to explore and accomplish what we most care about. The Art of Hosting & Convening Conversations has been offered in Europe, Africa, and North America. Together we will create a learning environment – a safe space to play and practice. By designing projects/processes that will happen in the near future, we will explore how to continue our practice beyond this training, to make a difference in our respective areas of work, family, and community. We will form a network of learners and practitioners, helping each other on the journey.

What if I would practice the art of opening the collective intelligence in my organisation and network ?
How do I create authentic involvement that leads to real implementation ?
How do you live in dissonance and ambiguity that you meet in your leadership ?
What could my leadership also be?

Cork, Ireland 14-17 April - Contact alhaze@hotmail.com
Nijmegen, Netherlands 2-4 May - Contact arjen@engage.nu

> Intergenerational Dialogue on Leveraging Privilege for Social Change
Petaluma, California – July 30-31 2005
Unleashing all that we have, and all that we are, on behalf of all that we love

The Leveraging Privilege Jam connects, supports and inspires 30 diverse and committed young people with access to exceptional wealth and/or fame whose lives are dedicated to building a thriving, just and sustainable world for all. To register visit www.yesworld.org/dialogue.htm contact Ocean Robbins ocean@yesworld.org


>Being Change: the Way of the Activist.
Vallecitos Mountain Refuge, Taos, NM, August 6-11 2005
Spiritual Activism is not a philosophy- it is a Way of life. The fullest integration of an intellectual understanding of justice and an embodied realization of liberation requires committed time that we may not encounter in our daily lives. Periods of retreat dedicated to this integration are fundamental part of our development. This 5 day retreat will provide activists with a structure that supports their spiritual practice while developing their understanding of social change.

The cost of the retreat is $425 if you’d like to stay in a casita or yurt; $375 if you’d prefer a tent. All three are heated. This includes room and three truly amazing meals each day but does not include your travel to the ranch [approx $90]. Some scholarship funds for travel may be available.

For additional information please contact:
Margie Hattori
Margie@stonecircles.org
+1 919-682-8323

>Learning Journey on Sustainable Development
Brazil, October, 2005
Pioneers of Change in Brazil is offering a Learning Journey on Sustainable Development, which will now be held in October 2005. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the date change. A learning journey is about creating an experience - through a physical journey that is also a real journey into other mindsets – that enables participants to develop and improve their practice as a change agent. The Pioneers of Change learning journeys support a process whereby participants are exposed to a different practice or perspective and are supported in their re-integration and development of critical consciousness in understanding that different practice or perspective. The aim of a learning journey is to provide a deep learning experience on a specific theme or practice, facilitate connections with others who share an interest in the theme and enable participants to put ideas into practice upon return to his/her country, community or place of work.

The learning journey on sustainable development is a 14-day experience that will begin in an ecological centre close to São Paulo to set the context for personal, organizational and societal sustainability. We will travel to Curitiba, a city famous for its integrated social, economic and environmental actions to deepen our understanding of sustainability in a municipality and in education. We will then spend a few days in São Paulo to participate in a cross-sector dialogue on sustainability and to visit companies and non-profits to deepen our understanding of their practices. We will end our journey in an eco-village close to São Paulo for an experience in deep ecology and to explore how we can personally live more sustainably. Throughout the journey there will be space for personal and group reflection, sharing experiences, action planning and cultural events. Please contact the Learning Journey team at ljsust@ellerni.org for further details.

Please see http://pioneersofchange.net/communities/sustainability/learningjourney/ <http://pioneersofchange.net/communities/sustainability/learningjourney/> for more information and the application form.


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>>Invitations
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>Study Group: Presence
There has been plans about putting together a study group around Peter Senge's book "Presence". Contact Philip Jäderberg at philip@ekobanken.se for more information.


>Diversity Caravan
email moraan@pioneersofchange.net

The Diversity Caravan is a virtual and physical project where people are invited to post sustainable change projects on a web site. Later a physical caravan will drive to the selected places (starting in South Africa) and document the projects by film, photo, texts or other material. With this documentation material the ideas can be shared with the rest of the world. Networks can be formed, leaders can get inspired, projects can be analyzed, and there are probably many more possibilities.

You can get involved by joining the preparation meetings in Johannesburg, joining the mailing list by e-mailing caravan-join@lists.pioneersofchange.net or joining the physical caravan, please let me know if you're interested in any or several of these options.
At this stage we are looking for input on:
- what and how to document
- funding and partners for the project

More information please see http://pioneersofchange.net/ventures/caravan/

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>>FINANCIAL MATTERS

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Pioneers of Change is an independent network that believes it is critical to retain a free and unbiased position. We also believe that financial barriers should not be a constraint to learning and engaging. As such we work hard at ensuring that our learning is available to as wide and diverse an audience as possible.

We invite you to make a donation to support us in our work. We encourage you to think of this donation as an investment into learning that has the potential of enriching all of our lives. If you have any ideas of individuals or organizations that might like to support us, let us know. sera@pioneersofchange.net

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>>SMALL PRINT
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What is Pioneers of Change?

Pioneers of Change is a global learning network of young people, aged 25-35, who have committed to be themselves, do what matters, start now, engage with others, and never stop asking questions. The "pioneers" include social entrepreneurs, corporate and NGO professionals, civil servants, artists, teachers, and free agents from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds. Founded in 1999, Pioneers of Change today engages over 1000 participants in over 70 countries

For more information on Pioneers of Change, see
http://www.pioneersofchange.net


To learn more about the background beliefs and philosophy of Pioneers please visit:

http://pioneersofchange.net/aboutus/philosophy
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