Through the Webinar & Conversation Café Program the Work That Reconnects Network coordinates and provides a wide range of rich, educational and supportive opportunities for our global community of WTR facilitators, members and friends of the Network. The following are recordings of our past events.
Book Launch: Raising Children in the Midst of Global Crisis by Jo delAmor
February 24, 2024 – Drawing from the wisdom of the Work That Reconnects and over twenty years of experience supporting children and their families, Jo delAmor has developed a body of work that invites us to embrace caring for children as an exciting and powerful opportunity to contribute to the radical paradigm shift being called forth by these converging crises. Raising Children in the Midst of Global Crisis moves us through the Work That Reconnects spiral as we ground ourselves in the subversive nature of gratitude, develop our emotional fluency, nurture thriving life qualities in our households, tend to our intergenerational traumas and partner with our children in meaningful ways, as we rise with them to meet this unique moment in history.
Dreaming and Becoming with Orland Bishop and Mutima Imani
and special guests Bayo Akomolafe and Resmaa Menakem
February 17, 2024: For Black History Month we welcomed Orland Bishop for a webinar Dreaming and Becoming, along with special guests, Bayo Akomolafe and Resmaa Menakem. Last year, these visionary leaders traveled the diaspora as Three Black Men. On February 17, they joined us for a radical re/imagination of how to respond with emergent possibilities. In Dreaming and Becoming we invite you to quiet your mind, open your heart and let love in – together we will explore the movement from dreaming and believing to knowing and becoming. This webinar, moderated by Mutima Imani, is a fundraiser for the upcoming Three Black Men documentary film.
Maternal Gift Economy with Miki Kashtan
January 27, 2024 – In this webinar, Miki Kashtan and Jo delAmor converse about the possibility of shifting to the new and ancient paradigm that Genevieve Vaughan calls the Maternal Gift Economy, where we focus on sharing resources based on care for everyone’s needs, where we recognize our interconnectedness with all life, and where we know our power to participate in making life work.
Sociocracy for All: Self Governance for the Great Turning with Ted Rau
October 7, 2023 – Governance is an essential aspect of human society but it doesn’t have to be done in the Business As Usual way. To create and support Life Sustaining Societies we need functional, egalitarian, co-liberatory methods for working together, making decisions and governing our communities. Working for the Great Turning requires us to actively unlearn oppressive patterns and forms of governance while learning and becoming skillful at co-liberatory, life sustaining forms of governance. In this webinar we speak with Ted Rau, co-founder of Sociocracy for All to learn more about Sociocracy as an essential tool for engaging in the Great Turning.
Honoring Our Pain for the World: A Webinar with John Seed and Skye Mandozay
September 16, 2023 – John Seed and Skye Mandozay guide participants through the theme of “Honouring Our Pain for the World”, a key step in the Experiential Deep Ecology and Work That Reconnects Spiral Journey. Through poetry, song, story and experiential process inspired by Joanna Macy’s “Despair and Empowerment” work and Francis Weller’s “Five Gates of Grief”, participants acknowledge and validate difficult emotions such as grief, anger, fear and despair as evidence of our mutual belonging in a relational universe, and hence our power to take action on behalf of all life. Through this exploration, participants seek to establish the value of feeling as a form of deep intelligence and communication from the wider Earth system in which we are all inextricably embedded.
Facilitating Effective Work That Reconnects Rituals: A Three-Part Series
Rituals and ceremonies are some of the most powerful, transformative experiences in the Work That Reconnects spiral, especially when they are done well. Leading powerful ritual requires a set of skills and understanding that you can’t find in the WTR texts.
Please note that these are primarily teaching webinars, so the ritual part is shorter than it would be if we were offering these rituals as stand-alone experiences. Each webinar was offered at two different times. The recordings from each webinar have been edited and merged into a single recording.
Facilitating Effective Work That Reconnects Rituals: Council of all Beings
In the third of this 3-part series, facilitators Kathleen Rude and Frieda Nixdorf create space for a rich exploration of the Council of All Beings ritual. During the first half of our time together, Kathleen and Frieda invite us into ritual space with a grounding invocation, briefly outline the various aspects of effective ritual, and then lead us in an online Council of All Beings ritual. Please note that this is primarily a teaching webinar, so the ritual part is shorter than it would be if we were offering the ritual as a stand-alone experience.
During the second part, they lead a discussion about specific facilitation techniques and approaches (for both online and in person), explore the power of imagination and interconnection, and then open up the space for reactions, questions and sharing of additional tips and facilitation experiences from participants.
Facilitating Effective Work That Reconnects Rituals: Truth Mandala with Kathleen Rude
During the first half of this webinar, Kathleen Rude invites participants into ritual space with a grounding invocation, briefly outlines the various aspects of effective ritual, and then leads an online Truth Mandala ritual.
During the second part, Kathleen leads a discussion about specific facilitation techniques and approaches (for both online and in person) for honoring our pain, and then opens up the space for reactions, questions and sharing of additional tips and facilitation experiences from participants.
Facilitating Effective Work That Reconnects Rituals: Seventh Generation with Kathleen Rude
During this teaching webinar, Kathleen Rude invites participants into ritual space with a grounding invocation, briefly outlines the various aspects of effective ritual, and leads an online Seventh Generation ritual, covering aspects of effective ritual both in person and online.
Kathleen also offers a discussion about specific facilitation techniques and approaches (for both online and in person), explores the power of imagination and Deep Time, and then opens space for reactions, questions and sharing of additional tips and facilitation experiences from participants.
Experiential Deep Ecology with John Seed and Skye Mandozay
May 6, 2023 – Deep Ecology is a philosophy of nature which describes the psychological or spiritual disease that allows modern humans to attack the biological fabric out of which our own lives too are woven. This disease stems from anthropocentrism, or human-centeredness, and the ensuing illusion of separation from nature.
The term was coined by Norwegian philosophy professor Arne Næss who claimed that “ecological ideas are not enough – we need ecological identity, ecological self.” He proposed that “community therapies” were needed to heal our relations with the non-human world. John Seed has been working with Joanna Macy and others for over 25 years designing and facilitating offerings to support this healing.
In this webinar we explore deep ecology and introduce some experiential processes that can support us in breaking through this illusion of separation and allow us to deepen our felt connection to touch the living Earth and nourish our ecological identity.
Paradigm as Choice in the Great Turning with Woman Stands Shining (Pat McCabe)
March 25, 2023 – The Great Turning requires profound shifts in consciousness and in our perceptions of reality. In a society that’s so heavily influenced by the Power Over Paradigm that defines reality in static, concrete terms, we often don’t realize that it’s within our ability to choose to see and experience reality through different paradigmatic lenses. As a holy earth surface walker of the Dine’ people, Woman Stands Shining (Pat McCabe) understands that the Power Over Paradigm is not the only way to understand and move through reality. She knows that the Earth operates within the Thriving Life Paradigm and that it is well within our ability to choose alignment with that paradigm. In this rich conversation we explore our capacity, as humans, to participate with Earth in service to Thriving Life.
Systems Thinking, Systems Doing, Systems Being with Felicia Chavez
February 25, 2023 – “Systems thinking” is often used as a catch-all term for many interrelated disciplines, from cybernetics to organizational development to the biological sciences. But what is “systems thinking” really?These days, we are drawn more than ever to the ‘systems’ worldview for answers to our social and ecological challenges. Its necessity is undeniable, however, it takes only a return to our conventional environments after a workshop or online course to bring us back to business as usual. The literature full of jargon in the realm of Systems Thinking does not help either. In this webinar we explore some models for contextualizing and understanding the extremely wide ranging systems worldview.
Resilience for the Great Unraveling with Richard Heinberg
January 28, 2023 – As a species, we have witnessed as entire empires collapsed. Living with ongoing collapse has been the reality for many communities and beings for a long time. What Richard Heinberg and many others share, however, is that the current Great Unraveling is a convergence of many crises, mainly our society’s deep dependence on fossil fuels for everything from food to health to transportation and energy. Building resilience is imperative, but what does that look like for individuals and communities? What has worked and how can we start building that now?
In this conversation we explore, as WTR practitioners and followers, how we can contribute to the resilience of the most vulnerable in our communities.
Liberation for All: Bringing Tenderness to Conversations about Power and Privilege with Miki Kashtan
November 19, 2022 – When engaging with topics of power and privilege, would you like for everyone who has experienced impacts across power differences to be heard and engaged with deeply? Are you longing for people with access to resources, relational power, or societal privilege to leave such conversations with growing capacity and insight? This webinar explores how we can move in this direction and transform such conversations even while the systems we live in are unchanged.
Love, Rage, Rebel: Climate Activism and the Great Turning with Tom Deacon, Margo van Greta and Kirsty Heron
November 9, 2022 – In this webinar Tom Deacon, Margo van Greta and Kirsty Heron explore how the three dimensions of the Great Turning relate to each other, and how bringing them forward through Work that Reconnects inspired sessions can build trust, courage and resilience in movements for climate justice. We include recent examples and insights from the UK where we are part of facilitator collectives holding experiential Work That Reconnects based sessions in-service of peaceful direct action movements including Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil. We also give space for you to reflect where you are personally at in the Great Turning, and share your experiences with likeminded people from all over the planet.
Conducting Effective Work That Reconnects Rituals and Ceremonies with Kathleen Rude
October 8, 2022 – Rituals and ceremonies are some of the most powerful, transformative experiences in the Work That Reconnects spiral, especially when they are done well. Leading powerful ritual requires a set of skills and understanding that you can’t find in the WTR texts. Learn how to conduct truly inspiring rituals with experienced WTR facilitator and ceremonial leader Kathleen Rude. With a focus on the Council of All Beings, Seventh Generation and the Truth Mandala, Kathleen offers insights and techniques about how to set intention and establish boundaries, how to lead with confidence in the power of ritual, how to open and close rituals and how to bring your unique gifts and wisdom into the process.
Ecological Civilization: Humanity’s Transformational Alternative with Della Duncan and David Korten
October 1, 2022 – A choice making species of extraordinary potential, a false religion devoted to the worship of money has put us on a path to self-extinction. Join David Korten, global visionary activist and bestselling author, and Della Duncan, Renegade Economist and host of the Upstream Podcast for the most important conversation of our time. An exploration of the epic opportunity created by our existential crisis. This conversation will be both expansive and deep, touching on themes including science, spirituality, systems thinking, and economics. It will also be participatory, for the way forward must be collaborative.
Postactivism, Transraciality and Decoloniality with Bayo Akomolafe
September 16, 2022 – Dr. Bayo Akomolafe’s inquiry into postactivism challenges our conventional notions of activism and agency by asking the question: “What do we do when our response to the crisis becomes part of the crisis?” In a world replete with ever-increasing and compounding social and environmental crises, Bayo invites us to not just think outside of the box, but to “touch the box” by troubling our centrality within the complex, interconnected circumstances of a living world ‘suddenly’ alive, agential, and animated.
Principles and Practices of Deep Transformation with Jeremy Lent
August 13, 2022 – Our civilization is careening at an accelerating pace toward a precipice of climate breakdown, ecological destruction, and gaping inequality. Redirecting humanity’s trajectory will require a fundamental transformation of society encompassing virtually every aspect of the human experience: our values, our goals and our collective behavior. Jeremy Lent, author and facilitator lead of Principles and Practices of Deep Transformation: Laying the Groundwork for an Ecological Civilization shares his perspectives.
Active Hope (new edition) Book Launch with Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone
July 23, 2022 – Since Active Hope was first published a decade ago, the Great Unraveling has progressed at an alarming rate. To better address this disturbing new context, Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone have taken a fresh view of Active Hope, with the tenth anniversary edition published in June 2022. In this webinar, Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone joined us to share in celebration of the launch of the second edition of Active Hope. We invite you watch the recording of this highly interactive event and read the invitations, chat responses and resources that were shared.
Conversation Café: Regenerative Livelihood for the Great Turning
June 25, 2022 – In response to the important questions that arose during our recent webinar with Della Duncan, we are again joining in conversation and opening community space for a deeper exploration of our experiences of regenerative livelihood. As we delve into the “unlearning” of everything we thought we knew about economics, let us join in conversation to uncover tangible ways to bring the invitations of regenerative economics into actionable ideas for our personal and/or our professional lives as facilitators. This offering is hosted by Della Duncan and Frieda Nixdorf.
Regenerative Livelihood and Finances for the Great Turning with Della Duncan
May 21, 2022 – Unlearn everything you thought you knew about economics. Join our next Conversation Café for radical ideas, inspiring stories, and practical invitations for the just economic transition to a more regenerative and equitable world. Join Della Duncan hosted by Silvia Di Blasio, two WTR facilitators who have been practicing “regenerative livelihood” in their own lives and to inspire and coach others.
Men in the Work That Reconnects with Vincent Brown and Kevin Lay
April 16, 2022 – People who are raised as boys and men in our modern patriarchal society are typically trained to repress their emotions in an even more extreme way. This leaves them with a wide range of social and emotional barriers that can prevent them from becoming involved in the WTR or recognizing its value in their lives. As we strive to contribute to the Great Turning and dismantle systems of separation, working together across gender identities is a powerful and beautiful practice that is healing for all participants.
In this webinar, Vincent Brown and Kevin Lay share insights from this inquiry as well as their personal journey as decades-long practitioners of the Work and discuss the powerful benefits they’ve experienced and observed for men who participate in the WTR.
Global Elm Dance
March 19 and 20, 2022 – The Elm Dance, a practice for global healing and connection, invites us into the center of our hearts, our compassion, our longing to live, and our belonging to all life on Earth. It also supports us in standing in solidarity with those who are suffering.
Joanna Macy was first introduced to the Elm Dance in the 1980s and began offering it in the early 1990s, as part of her workshops, beginning with a community that was impacted by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. She continued to offer the Elm Dance as a daily practice in workshops and intensives throughout her career. Activists around the world share the dance in public protests. Many facilitators offer the Elm Dance as part of their work to invite participants into their feelings of gratitude and grief.
Typically danced in a group setting, we offer it here as a global, virtual experience. We invite you to join us, to learn more about the dance, to experience it, and to share it with your communities. Join our Facebook group to find the Elm Dance in your community or additional virtual offerings.
A Systems View of Life with Fritjof Capra and Jeremy Lent
March 5, 2022 – What happens when we bring together two great thinkers of Systems Theory and Deep Ecology in emergent conversation? Fritjof Capra and Jeremy Lent discuss three of the foundations of WTR – patterns, systems and deep ecology – and how we can use these theories to support our practices as activists, facilitators and change-makers. Together we explore how evolutionary biology, history and spirituality interact and provide answers to the challenges we now face.
Guidance for Emerging Facilitators: Panel Discussions with Experienced Facilitators
February 19 and 25, 2022 – Each week, the core team at the WTR Network receives inquiries from people all over the world who want to bring the WTR to their communities and are inspired to become WTR facilitators. They inquire about how to become a facilitator and what steps they should take. The truth is, there are many paths to becoming a WTR facilitator and a variety of ways to continually deepen our practice and skills as facilitators. So, we gathered two panels of experienced WTR Facilitators from a number of countries to share about their own journeys of becoming facilitators and to answer questions for aspiring or emerging facilitators and those who are pursuing and deepening their facilitation path.
Continued Exploration into De-escalating Patterns of Harm in White Dominant Spaces
October 23, 2021 – This is a follow-up event from De-escalating Patterns of Harm in White Dominant Spaces on August 28. Aravinda Ananda, Tzy-Ping Chen, Jo Hamilton, Jane Hera, and Mutima Imani invite you to join us to continue learning about and practicing how to de-escalate patterns of harm in white dominant spaces. Please watch the recording of the previous event here before the recording of this event, which can be viewed here.
Re-Wilding Motherhood: Parenting Rooted in Soul with Frieda Nixdorf and Meggan Hartman
October 3, 2021 – This webinar facilitated by Frieda Nixdorf and Meggan Hartman offered, a journey through the Spiral of the Work That Reconnects to (re)engage with the root of our motherhood, embody our true wild self, and embrace our ecological niche in order to parent and live with deeper clarity. This was for anyone who is currently actively engaged in the process of mothering. The only requirement was a genuine desire to show up for the wild re-imagining of your life purpose as mother and ever-evolving being.
An Exploration of De-escalating Patterns of Harm in White Dominant Spaces
August 28, 2021 – Members of the Anti-Oppression Resource Group (AORG) invite Work That Reconnects facilitators to an exploration of some recurring patterns of harm that have occurred in numerous Work That Reconnects workshop spaces and steps we can take to de-escalate this harm. Each person who facilitates this Work undoubtedly shares this work out of a desire to be in loving service. Nevertheless, many of us – both facilitators and participants – have been conditioned by toxic cultures and ways of relating, and that conditioning comes with us whenever we gather in groups.
As facilitators of this Work, let’s not perpetuate or stand idly by as harm happens on our watch. Let’s support each other in our learning and growth so that we can become more skillful in reducing and minimizing harm in workshop spaces. This event was an opportunity to explore the document prepared by some AORG members “De-escalating patterns of harm in white dominant spaces: a guide for the Work That Reconnects facilitators and participants.” This is an invitation to build and be in beloved community together.
Working with the Work That Reconnects in Community and Community Groups with Margo van Greta and Jacqueline Buckingham
September 4, 2021 – How can the Work That Reconnects help communities and community groups to become more cohesive and resilient? Communities succeed or fail in part as a result of the systems they have in place. Shared rituals and structures allow voices to be heard, feelings to be felt and expressed, in a healthy and held way. These systems are vital to a healthy and healed community / community group. Listen in as Margo van Greta and Jacqueline Buckingham share their experiences of bringing the Work that Reconnects into Community, including in the Findhorn Ecovillage.
Deeper Dive into Trauma Informed Group Work
June 12, 2021 – Following the inspiring panel on Trauma Informed Group work that we hosted on April 10 we received a flood of requests for a “part two” in order to journey deeper into this topic and to provide more opportunities to interact with other participants and the panelists. During this event our brilliant panelists offer deeper insight into some of the most poignant topics referred to in the panel. Participants had the opportunity to connect with each other and explore the topics in breakout sessions and enjoyed a dynamic whole-group community discussion generated by participant questions. Before watching the recording of this event, we ask that all participants watch the recording of the April 10 event.
Panel: El Trabajo Que Reconecta en América Latina y Centroamérica: desafíos y oportunidades
15 de Mayo, 2021 – ¿Es el TQR una herramienta universal? Cuando los impactos de la desigualdad e inestabilidad social históricas, la degradación ambiental y el agotamiento de los recursos se manifiestan de manera diferente, ¿cómo funciona el TQR? ¿Cuáles son los desafíos que comparten los facilitadores traen el Trabajo Que Reconecta a la vida? ¿Qué está sucediendo en las diferentes regiones y dónde están las oportunidades?
Ven y únete a este “panel latinoamericano y centroamericano” moderado por Adrián Villaseñor (México / Estados Unidos) y Silvia Di Blasio (Argentina / Venezuela / Canadá). Panelistas: Lia Beltrão (Brasil), Ana Karla Enríquez (México), Javiera Carrión (Chile), Felipe Landaeta (Chile).
The Work That Reconnects in the Corridors of Power: Examples from the Welsh Government
April 27, 2021 – During this webinar WTR Facilitator, Karen Scott, and Sustainable Development Change Manager, Diana Reynolds, share their experience of working together to bring WTR into the Welsh government. They illustrate the methods they used and insights they gained in their experience of applying WTR within a 10-year behaviour change programme for the civil service, while engaging participants to envision how they may bring the WTR into the public and private institutions in their own areas of the world.
Trauma-Informed Group Work
April 10, 2021 – This dynamic, moderated panel discussion with Lydia Violet Harutoonian, Vahisha Hasan, Tabitha Mpamira and Maggie Ziegler explores the relationship between individual, systemic, and collective trauma in the context of facilitating group work. Our panelists and moderator share the wisdom and perspective they’ve gathered on their diverse paths of studying and working with trauma as well as tangible tools and exercises for trauma-informed facilitation that can increase distress tolerance and improve our capacity for collectively holding the traumas group members may be carrying.
A Gratitude that Serves the World with Barbara Ford
March 27, 2021 – Gratitude is a powerful practice that not only serves us as individuals, but acts as a healer of the collective. Our gladness for the world is subversive to the destructive elements of culture, including toxic individualism, consumerism, and other ideologies rampant in these times. Barbara Ford offers a model for deepening into a kind of radical practice to benefit ourselves, and our world.
Introduction to Resilience-Building Tools for Facilitating in a Stressed and Traumatized World with Constance Washburn and Debra Clydesdale
February 20, 2021 – To support WTR facilitators in being more trauma informed, Constance Washburn and Debra Clydesdale introduce the key concepts of the Community Resilience Model (CRM) of the Trauma Resource Institute. Learn how our nervous systems react to ongoing stress and trauma, and experience resilience building tools for working with WTR participants of all ages, genders and ethnicities.
Active Hope: Creating Our New Year with Margo van Greta and Jacqueline Buckingham
February 10, 2021 – Asking both how we would like to consciously step into 2021 and what it is we have gratitude for in 2020, Margo van Greta and Jacqueline Buckingham offer us the opportunity to create a new vision for 2021, and identify what steps we can take to create that new reality.
Parenting in Tumultuous Times with Jo delAmor
December 14, 2020 – Jo delAmor, author of Raising Children in the Midst of Global Crisis, offers this full spiral Work That Reconnects webinar for parents. In our time together participants orient within this pivotal moment in history and the unique challenges and opportunities presented by parenting at this time.
Active Hope in Times of Uncertainty with Margo van Greta and Jacqueline Buckingham
November 4, 2020 – We currently are surrounded by challenges, both globally and personally. Is it possible to consider bringing hope into our lives, into the world? Whatever you are challenged by, Margo van Greta and Jacqueline Buckingham guide participants through a process by way of the spiral of the Work That Reconnects, to help evoke to a place of hope and inspired action.
Active Hope: Emerging Into A New World with Margo van Greta and Jacqueline Buckingham
August 15, 2020 – We currently are surrounded by challenges, both globally and personally. Is it possible to consider bringing hope into our lives, into the world? Active Hope holds the attitude of hope. It is not just an outcome, it is a process. In this Webinar, Margo van Greta and Jacqueline Buckingham will guide us through that process by way of the spiral of the Work That Reconnects.
White Supremacy in the Great Turning with Sarah Nahar, Mutima Imani, Aravinda Ananda and Rachel Marco-Havens
August 1, 2020 – As women of African descent with deep commitment to and understanding of the Work That Reconnects, Sarah Nahar, Mutima Imani, Aravinda Ananda and Rachel Marco-Havens will begin this webinar by sharing how white supremacy shows up in our WTR Network and in the work itself. They will explore ways to dismantle oppression within our work to make space for all to engage in the Great Turning more fully. After their opening remarks they will take questions from participants and engage in discussion on this topic.
How to See with Gaian Eyes with Jolie Elan
July 19, 2020 – Join Deep Ecologist Jolie Elan as we explore the intelligence of nature and how to tap into it. This program offers brain food and practices to see through new eyes so we can source directly from our mother earth for wisdom and insight. For resources from this webinar, check here.
Re-Conectando in the Wounded Land of Colombia with Helena ter Ellen and Hector Aristizabal
June 28, 2020 – In this Webinar, Helena ter Ellen and Hector Aristizabal share how the truth speaking WTR provides is essential in war torn countries, and how reconnecting with the Earth helps in opening ways to reconciliation between Colombians of all sides of the conflict and of all ethnicities.
Parenting within the Pandemic with Jo delAmor
June 14, 2020 – During this online session with Jo delAmor, we gather with other parents from around the world for deep reflection, connection and renewal. This full-spiral Work That Reconnects gathering was facilitated to create a safe and powerful container for authentic sharing and processing about our experiences and feelings of parenting within the pandemic.
Offering WTR Online to Build Community Resilience
April 7 and 9, 2020 – These webinars explore ways to use WTR online to build community resilience in an online format. Also shared are suggestions for timing and structuring webinars using the Spiral that we have found work well, while mentioning pitfalls to avoid and offering templates for designing your own offerings. These webinars were offered by Constance Washburn and Mutima Imani.
Technical Support, Setup and Promotion with Silvia Di Blasio and Jo delAmor
March 30, 2020 – This webinar focused on the technical side of setting up and facilitating an online WTR offering. Learn to prepare, schedule, and promote online meetings, including: registrations, interactive features, recording and posting. Also covered were best practices when facilitating online from social justice and the WTR, and how to stay connected and strong.