| INTERVIEW |
| Q3(c): What did people do early on that helped to generate such positive outcomes? |
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Q1(a): As you reflect on a time when people came together in a powerful way for positive change, choose one that stands out for you. Tell me your story about that time and any part you, your family and/or friends might have played in it [if relevant]. |
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Q1(b): Why this is an important story? How has it influenced you? What lessons does it offer going forward? |
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Q2: At this time in history, what challenges do you see in the way we choose to organize ourselves politically, economically and socially? What opportunities do you see in the ways that things might be shifting, awakening and/or emerging in response to these challenges? |
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Q3 Context: Imagine we’re a few years down the line and people like you have been hugely successful in moving us towards lasting and far-reaching changes that benefit all people and the planet as a whole. Wherever you look, there are dramatic improvements in how leaders behave and how communities interact. As you walk through your city, town or village and talk with others across your country and around the world, you see evidence of positive change spreading everywhere.
Q3(a): Describe the differences you, hear, feel, and experience in your everyday life. |
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Q3(b): Describe the differences you see, hear, feel and experience in the way we choose to organize ourselves politically, economically and socially. |
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Q3(d): What role did you play in making this happen? |
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Q4(a): What skills, talents and/or resources might you have to offer in service to collaborative work that emerges via the connect 2012 initiative? |
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Q4(b) What is the nature of this potential offer (as a paid service, barter, gift, a combination, etc.)? |
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Are you interested in developing the infrastructure of Occupy Cafe in support of this initiative or in other respects? |
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Are you interested in collaborating on the production of a short video or a blog post based on your stories and vision? |
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| INTERVIEW |
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Corporations made moves to change the culture by which business operates. Profits come as a result of not power and greed, but saving the planet and local communities through creativity and NOT top to bottom management but triple bottom line focus (economy, environment, society). Empowering employees in the setting of company goals and strategies, and in doing so, becoming more fulfilled in their work by being empowered for change. As a result, companies are more successful. Employees carry this passion to make this a better world into their personal lives as well.
- Doug Neilson
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We protested the unjust and fundamentally destructive nature of the old paradigms. We talked with one another a lot to educate ourselves and create new ideas and new thinking. We formed lots of groups of different kinds, all stripes and colors where these conversations took place, and collaborative actions emerged.
We got money out of politics here in the United States in 2013. A wave of disgust came over the citizenry as a result of the debasement of our politics due to all the money in the 2012 election cycle. The coalition that formed to do that crossed the whole political spectrum, so people from the left and right learned they could work together and share a common goal. So we stopped vilifying those who disagreed with us.
- Ben Roberts
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The biggest thing we did was to 'find ourselves together' in this moment. In fact we are always together in this moment, and this realization empowered us, and gave us common ground to organize.
People responded to an evolutionary requirement, so that we preserve ourselves and home planet.
- Jim Prues
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Somthing sparked courage. People began to speak with people unlike themselves. Began to exchange stories and realized that they aren't as unlike as they once thought. Developed empathy for eachother. Began realizing that the ways they focused on differences was hurting themselves. Began paying atention to the similiarites and common needs for existence. People come more out of their heads and into their hearts.
The more heart, less head, more commonality, more cooperation less divisiveness. Began seeing bridges being built between diverse groups. People began to wake up to realization that there are more important things to focus on than differences.
People began realizing that as they began working form the heart that the world that was forming was more in line with needs. The realizations fueled even more connection. A fire of sort grew as people created from the heart a world they loved.
- Jitendra Darling
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People exploring beyond their comfort zone, collaborating and cooperating to improve conditions for everyone. People speaking up peacefully for what matters most to them in life.
- Cindy Stradling
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People chose to be in integrity with themselves and others, which increased a sense of community, belonging, TRUST, and active participation for the common good.
- Cathy Nesbitt
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At the Occupy Dallas commune, group hugs finished the assembly. On Valentine's day, I stopped at a local store and ended up giving a group hug to a complete stranger. The commune experience of Occupy Dallas created new forms of interactions. Now, even without encampment we're meeting twice a week and drawing people in. Demonstrations, actions, etc.
- Gregg Tull
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Many people found the courage to follow the creative impulse that arose within, to do something new like our projects, pushing through doubt and despite faltering, they persisted.
Love for Earth was strong enough to overcome and keep moving forward, despite lack of clarity and doubt.
Many faltering steps eventually connected into a stronger and stronger stream.
- David Nichol
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Collaborated with each other.
Used outside the box thinking.
People agreed to set up a micro-loan fund for biz - contributing $1 per day; funds available as required, projects are monitored, education provided [learn how to set up a biz], applies to profit and non profit biz.
Flash Garden Mobs - kids show up to support local community; sit down and talk about how to create a new economy.
- Donald Simon
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They listened. They stayed in their center. They were able to respond from unconditional (positive) regard. They were inclusive--realizing the central importance of equality. They remembered to celebrate and have fun.
We got really good at collaborative design and at agreeing on fundamental shared values and vision. Decision-making got better as a result, recognizing a higher purpose and that we are all connected. Different ways of doing things were accepted.
We provided digital literacy so that people were sufficiently connected to be fully empowered.
We linked up agencies, sought out synergies and designed systemically.
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Conversations! Talking is making manifest the positive outcomes. Bringing together people who are outward focused on society, not just themselves. Is there democracy in corporate America, in church, in families, and in marriage?
- John Teeling
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I see certain means and social forms that arre being developed that energetically aligned with this vision. International Campaign for Compassionate Cities
1. Compassion. Mandate to embody compassion.
2. Happiness Initiative is bring concept of gross national happiness. Survey to assess your happiness; mental wellbeing, community vitality, trust in local government, etc.
Light will be shown in ways in which work is needed, highlight ways in which communities are or are not doing well. Illuminate income inequality. Heal division lines.
Happiness quantified so that we can measure how we're doing.
3. Thriving communities: not to be content with anything less than well-being. What would it be like for communities to self-actualize. People do what they love, take care of one another,
My work is to create thriving communities using ICCC and Happiness Initiative.
- Jeff Vander Clute
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It starts with getting organized, using direct democracy, GAs in every town. The GAs connected with each other so people passionate about making a better world were in contact. The occupiers chose wise tactics and wise demands to put pressure on the system.
- Matt Ready
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Expressed how they were feeling. And Occupy is doing that part very well. As a result of the emotional uprising, people with varying skills and interests will come together to support a governmental system overlay. Consensus building techniques are used to assure that genuine dissent is honored and every voice is heard. People are working locally and informing nationally around the world. The word national and its derivatives don't exist.
- Scott Krabler
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Learned to sit with differences. I can disagree with you and not disrespect you. We can hold conversations that matter. We get to really know each other, in our neighborhoods. We show up and model different way, based on love. We model working together so that everyone is successful. We're more awake more of the time.
"Stages of Faith" by James Fowler. Idea that developmentally, we progress in terms of how we form our beliefs as we mature. We learn to ask questions and form our beliefs ourselves, versus believing what various authorities tell us. And it stops being important that we all hold exactly the same beliefs. And the well-being of the whole is cared for without need for recognition of reward.
More and more of us model this.
- Elaine Hansen
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They took responsiblity for overpopulating the planet and for squandering resources would be pretty important. Population control being the most fundamental.
- David
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People saw the truth that we are slaves - saw that freedom and choice was an illusion and we started speaking up about it and raising awareness so others saw their shackles, too.
- Lyndsay Werbecky
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The spread of information was very valuable. Once you're informed, you cannot turn off the light bulb and pretend you don't know it anymore. So through facebook and other social media, awareness of what was really hapapening was brought to people, teachers, organizations. People began to stop voting for the passage of budget cuts. Hospitals decided to give free service. They were role models for other organizations. People start saying "this is unworkable for me." They stop making the effort to make it work when it's so lopsided. That became a tipping point and it started opening everything up. Things tipped into something more workable, relateable. So, people felt much braver to come out with products where people could get a better deal - fair market value in our society. And all the cures that had been block were let out of the gate. In general, a lot of creative energy can live.
- nita
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People began to act locally. People began to focus on the super-ordinate goal for all of us? People learned to listen to one another and people began to share their stories. So many people have deep generational wounding, The best way to heal is to be heard.
People began to take a serious look at systems.
- Nina Roark
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People had conversations like this one, with Mitch in Mexico and me in CT. People embraced transformation. Four steps: 1) They recognized where they were, where they were going, and learned to think in a more holistic way. 2) They began to pay attention--they had "an impossible task" that gathered them--the ISO 26000, i.e. "The Golden rule for Corporations." 3) Then they formed an INTENTION to have peace, feed everyone and agree on the scale of the global population we can support sustainably--perhaps 6 billion. 4) The creative process that produces "aha" moments.
- Mitch Gold
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Getting there, there are 2 ways: redistributive taxation or lower pay differentials. The case for more equality will have been made. Schools will teach what is currently on the Equality Trust website.
- Robert Eric Swanepoel
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They got real. They got past their petty smallness and onto the real stuff. They started responding to their fears in different ways.
- Bodie McCoy
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Had a community that was able to decide what was important to them They were diff, more organized-shared ideas and voices heard by women, young people, elders Community meetings-astounded me by their presence at the meetings-issues important to them- huge capacity for buy-in
More able to make time for community meetings (flexible personal schedules to come together so more voices present)
Leaders that have a lot of power and can make decisions, but defers to will and choices of community-trust their community's voice; leader realized that decisions coming from community will be most sustainable and buy-in
- Jeremy Capdevielle
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Discovered that "us vs. them" model is boring and "I like you" is much more interesting. Unleashed collective intelligence, Listened to each other. Peered out over our borders and walls. Invitation to work together and not fight with one another. This transmuted all the sectors of society.
Break down the walls of social protocol, e.g. transforming the corporate world. from the inside through things like Appreciative Inquiry. Bringing out the best in everybody.
Creating "namaste experiences" which our hearts connect with one another to create convergence and bonding that let us constructively engage around our differences.
- Bruce Schuman
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