Regional Gatherings follow-up report

Are you an experienced or emerging facilitator of the Work that Reconnects?

We invite you to participate in the co-creation of facilitators of the WTR Regional Gatherings.

If you haven’t already done so, please fill out this form. That way, we can keep up updated to emerging gatherings and you will be able to see other facilitators in your region.

If you already attended the calls and/or filled out the form, please read ahead.

Otherwise, for background on the project, please read here first.

Report:

We had four calls: two on April 24 and two on May 5, with a total of 66 people attending from all corners of the world! During the calls, you had the chance to meet each other, share your intentions and questions about the gatherings, and start connecting.

People called in from Australia, South Africa, UK, US (West Coast, East Coast, South and Center), Canada (East and West Coast), France, Belgium, Israel/Palestine, Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland. In the list, there are also people from the Philippines, Poland, Italy, Germany and Ireland…

Topics that emerged during the calls included:

• Distinction between a workshop and a gathering: people come to a workshop to be guided through an experience, and there is usually one or more facilitator. Gatherings (what we are inviting you to organize) are meetings of people sharing similar values or goals with a specific purpose.
• Themes: In these gatherings, we invite you – experienced and emerging facilitators of the Work That Reconnects – to explore the challenges and opportunities arising in these times of converging planetary crises and potential collapse of local and global systems. Some issues may be common to all of us; others will be unique to your region and culture.
• The gatherings are an emergent design: there’s no blueprint. Each group will work with what is appropriate for their region.
• We agreed that September-December is a good time frame for these gatherings, as they will prepare us for a Gaian Gathering in 2020 (exact time and location to be decided).
• Regions are not necessarily defined by geography. The invitation is, however, to be as local as possible as the themes that emerge may be different from one place to another. You may need to extend your “region” to gather enough people.
• We suggest July 1 as the threshold for each region to have a date and preliminary plan for their gathering. This will allow everyone to identify and get the required resources, reach out to others and organize.
• People from some regions spoke of the opportunity and need to cross-pollinate and utilize the momentum created by Extinction Rebellion and other groups.
• Emerging leaders would start connecting with others in their regions, exploring with them in what capacity they’d like to engage.
• Every region would organize and fund their gathering as appropriate. The WTR Network will offer support and resources in the form of follow up calls, offer project space in Basecamp for everyone to share general questions, resources, etc.,provide general guidance; and facilitate connections.

Next steps and call for action:

• As the Network Weavers are working hard to have a new and fresher website soon, we strongly suggest that all the facilitators apply to be listed in the WTR Network. This will strengthen the network and provide a platform for you to showcase your profile, be seen and offer your workshops, events, etc. The approval takes only a few days. If you are already registered but are inactive, we encourage you to renew your membership and update your profile.
• We are embarking on many new projects that will benefit all of us: in addition to the new website and supporting you in the creation of these gatherings, we are planning a Gaian Gathering (worldwide) for 2020. We encourage all our members and friends of the Work that Reconnects to make a donation to support these efforts as well as the expenses incurred in coordinating the regional gatherings. This is your network!
• We will have two calls (same content) on Sunday May 19 for all the emerging regional leaders and anyone else who wants to become involved. The purpose of these calls is to explore questions, and share emerging plans and challenges, resources and ideas. Because it may work better for your region, we invite people from Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa to come in the morning and people from US and Australia/New Zealand to come in the afternoon. You can, however, come to the call that is more convenient for you.
  • Morning call: May 19 at 8:30 AM (PDT)
  • Afternoon call: May 19 at 5:00 PM (PDT)
  • To find your local phone number (only when using a phone): https://zoom.us/u/abtrEtOxYE

Note: to receive the call Zoom link you must register through this form, or alternatively, send an email with your contact information, location and status as a facilitator.

• We will send an email inviting you to join our platform called “Basecamp”. You will be prompted to create a password and a profile. This will be our “playground” to connect, ask questions, and share resources. This is not intended for local groups; we encourage you to discuss what platforms and resources work best for your local group.
• Apart from the list you’ll find after you filled out the form, you can find other facilitators on our website, please connect with them if they are not in the list.
• Finally, this is our call and our time: the WTR is now more needed than ever. With reports from the IPPC about the real possibility of catastrophic climate change and the most recent report on the extinction of one million species, the rise of dark forces, forced displacement, and failing states, people are awakening to a grief they were not prepared to face. This is the moment when we need more facilitators to emerge and stand up, offer workshops, retreats, presentations and practices to their communities and to communities where there are not yet facilitators, such as many parts of Asia, the Middle East, South and East Europe and Latin America.

Resources:

• Our website offers links to practices, media, songs and recommended books that can inform your gatherings.
• Our Deep Times Journal offers poetry, articles and art from friends and facilitators of the network that can serve for inspiration and guidance. (You are also encouraged to submit yours).
• We encourage you to visit Joanna’s personal website, with links to recommended books and resources.
• The WTR Network weavers are all experienced facilitators, activists and authors; reach out to them for their wisdom.
• Our team are also all facilitators of the Work. We are here to support you; email us when you have questions or feedback
• The best resource are all and each one of you: remember that this is your network! Reach out to one another!

We are looking forward to seeing you in the next support calls, in Basecamp, and hearing your inspiring stories as you go onto organizing your gatherings. Thank you for your participation!

Emily, Molly and Constance (for the WTR Network weavers)

Frieda, Jo and Silvia (WTR Network support team)