Subject: PROPOSAL FOR ACTION (AND REQUEST FOR OTHERS)
Date: Thu, Aug 14, 2014
Msg: 101100
Dear Colleagues,
I have been heartened by the "call to action" that has surfaced in the last several days, and agree that it is time in the transpartisan field for us to coalesce around certain initiatives. I also agree with Sandy Heierbacher that this communication medium is not the ideal organizing channel, and that other forms need to emerge. Furthermore, I agree with Tom Atlee that the strongest approach is dialogue and action, not one or the other -- or, as Michael Briand said (quoting Fisher and Ury), "Go slow to go fast."
In the spirit of these and other excellent contrinutions, let me share a proposal for a next step to unfold during August-September:
*1. DEVELOP A MENU OF INITIATIVES*
I would welcome suggestions about action initiatives *from individuals on the listserv who would like to lead them*. (In other words, casual suggestions about things that "someone could do" seems less useful than specific ideas that one or more persons want to take responsibility for.) So I would propose that anyone on the listserve can propose an initiative, and that others may then w*rite directly to him or her *to express their interest in further activitiy. In that way, clusters will form around specific initiatives that can move forward and then, in due time, report back to the listserv on their progress. We could pick a date, such as October 1, for all initiatives to send in a short summary report to Debilyn Molineaux, who would then assemble them in a compilation that is criculated to the entire listserv.
Here follows my proposal for action, for which I (with colleagues) will take responsibility for coordinating:
*2. PROPOSAL FOR ACTION*
I would like to see* transpartisan issue-based dialogues form around the country*. I would like the groups to be diverse (i.e. representative of the political spectrum) and focussed on specific issues that are likely to be relevant to other communities around the country. I would like these groups to develop a protocol for engaging their 15-30 (approx) participations in a dialogue that continues for several months, and lead toward deeper understanding across boundaries, build a sense of community, and (in some cases) lead to "breakthroughs" that create new approaches to the issue under discussion.
*Anyone on the listserv could initiative such a transpartisan dialogue in his or her own community.*
If these groups emerged across the country and met from Autumn 2014 through Summer 2015, we could have a gathering of representatives of these groups in Autumn 2015 that would gather lessons from the transpartisan dialogues and chart a next step forward -- possible leading to a "report to the nation" in 2016.
If anyone is interested in this initiative, please contact Debilyn or myself and we'll set up a teleconference soon to discuss protocols and coordinate our efforts.
IN SUMMARY
As my own case study illustrates, I am proposing an initiative and taking responsibility for it (with colleagues). I am encouraging interested persons to contact us, not write to the listserv. And I am promising to report back periodically to the listserv (via the moderator). So, if you are interested, please (1) post your own initiative on the listserv, or (2) contact me or Debilyn about your interest in participating in ours.
May a thousand flowers bloom!
Blessings, Mark Gerzon
-- Mark Gerzon Mediators Foundation 2525 Arapahoe Avenue E-4 #509 Boulder, Colorado 80302 3038171409
"Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them." - Albert Einstein
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