The Art of Community Social Change Summit
Sept. 24th-25th, 2012
Following the FIC’s Art of Community main conference weekend we’re drawing together folks with a fire in their belly about making a difference in the world- people who offer the heart and tools to inspire cooperative culture, who are committed to social change via the vehicle of community, and who seek higher levels of collaboration with other organizations and intentional communities.
The Art of Community Social Change Summit is an opportunity for those with a commitment to bringing the concept of living in community into the local and global dialogue, and who see these concepts as integral to what it means not just to live sustainably but to thrive together in balance with the spaces we call our communities. We’re calling to the table those who share this unity of purpose.
We’ll share the assets and resources which we offer as social change agents and organizations, explore what challenges we are facing, and look at solutions we can enact through collaboration. Through evolving our cooperative relationships, we’ll strengthen our abilities as individuals and groups to further our collective community-minded goals.
The Social Change Summit brings together people involved in creating and living these models via the vehicle of community, folks we see as part of the “Communities Movement”. We invite you to be a part of taking your commitment to the next level by participating at the level of collaborative networking that is required to write a new narrative which includes the concepts of living in community and the skills of a cooperative culture as not just a desired way of living, but as essential to our and our planet’s health and well being.
The Summit is a meeting of minds and hearts involving representatives from various communities and organizations committed to social change. It is also open to public observation and participation.
We hope you’ll join us in this landmark event.
Alexander Laszlo, President of the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS), will open the Summit by sharing his thoughts on the importance of gathering to have conversations that matter, about futures that matter, at leverage points that matter such as exemplified by this event. This IS the Art of Community- not just the discovery and sharing of knowledge, skills, and resources we offer each other, nor merely the act of coming together with a common purpose, but the co-creation that results from doing so with passion born of mutual inspiration.
Alexander will challenge us as community founders, activists, and organizers who not only “walk the talk but dance the path” to be a part of the global conversation. He is coordinating the 57th ISSS Conference focused on Curating the Conditions for a Thrivable Planet, and will challenge Summit participants to actively engage in the emerging patterns that are pointing the way to a global eco-civilization as curators of the protopias — the now-attainable visions of humanity — that are currently emerging around the world with such beauty and power such as within the Communities Movement.
On Tuesday, Caroline Estes, who will be receiving the Geoph Kozeny Communitarian Award on Saturday of the main conference, will begin our day with a brief talk about Social Change Movements and the importance of collaboration and organization. During the 80′s and early 90′s, Caroline facilitated many large gatherings of political groups, such as the national Greens conferences and the North American Bioregional Congresses where people came together from regional groups to draft national policy and action plans for political change.
Your Summit Host Facilitators are Laird Schaub, Executive Secretary of the FIC, and David Ferrera, Art of Community Regional Coordinator. They are joined by Penny Sirota and Sean Culman as graphic facilitators.
As administrator of the FIC, a professional facilitator, and a group process consultant, Laird brings to the table a wealth of resources both to assist in creating space for collaboration and to explore how the Fellowship can play an ongoing role in sustaining and nurturing cooperative culture.
On Day One of the Summit we will explore:
- What social change work you are currently doing that you’d like to share which you/your organization is really good at and which is distinct from what others offer (as far as you know)?
- In what specific ways are you looking for partners/allies/collaborators in your work?
- What challenges and obstacles are you facing that you could use help in solving?
Based on answers to these opening questions, we will sort ourselves into the most interesting and compelling configurations to discuss and network the most relevant and passionate topics. This portion of the Summit will be driven by the participants, since world changing is a participatory sport!
On Day Two we’ll reconvene as a whole to hear what alliances, initiatives, and action plans are coalescing, and consider the ways that community focused organizations like the FIC and other represented networks can support what emerges.
When: Sept 24-25, all day Mon. 9-5 & Tues. 9-3pm
Monday evening all are welcome to join us for
a fun evening of improv with Judy Dolmatch.
Where: Westminster Woods, Occidental, CA
Cost & Registration Details:
With an emphasis on accessibility, we’ve slashed prices to the bone. As this is not a for-profit event, we have set prices based on what we need to not lose money. If you need financial help to attend, we recommend asking the groups and organizations you’re associated with to help subsidize and/or cooperatively finance your participation.
Note: the prices below are for the Summit only and are separate from the Art of Community weekend ticket. You do not have to attend the weekend to attend the Summit, although we encourage you to do so in order to experience the building of energy and take advantage of the many networking and skill sharing opportunities.
Two-day Summit including all meals, no lodging: $100
Two-day Summit with Monday night lodging: $135
Two-day Summit with Sun & Mon nights’ lodging: $155
If you choose to arrive Sunday night, there is a special dinner celebration and presentation that night once the main conference ends. Attendance to Sunday dinner is an additional $30.
To register for the Summit, click here.
If you are not registering for the weekend conference, choose the last ticket type option “Art of Community Special Events”. If you are registering for the weekend, choose your weekend ticket type, and you will then get the option of adding on the Summit later in the registration process.
You CAN add the Summit to your registration for the weekend conference at any time by returning to the registration site.
