Resources
Social
NOTE: The resources presented here (using the present tense) envision a systemic reform movement that promotes replacing our current Top-Down System with a Bottom-Up System rooted in new, egalitarian social structures.
Actions
These peer-to-peer tools nurture community and self-development.
A Holistic Network of Small Teams.
Friends, family members, fellow activists, book club members, study groups, and others form small teams to share meals, deepen friendships, and enjoy life together.
At least once a month, these teams open meetings with 1) a moment of silence for meditation, reflection, or prayer and 2) a “holistic check-in,” during which members confidentially report on their efforts to control their dominate-and-submit impulses.
Members endorse the movement's core principles and affiliate the Holistic Network of Small Teams who occasionally send representatives to gatherings where they share reports, brainstorm, and inspire each other.
In addition, many members engage in additional activities that enhance mutual support for self-improvement, such as the following.
Listening Dyads.
Two people pair up, agree on how much time they have to be together, and take turns talking from the heart and listening to each other.
Open Topic Dialog.
A conversation group based on the “talking stick” principle. Enter a safe, respectful space, speak from the heart, and express whatever’s on your mind. It’s an opportunity to talk, listen, learn, and brainstorm.
Spiritual Support Group.
Three or more compatible individuals meet once a month for at least an hour. They rotate responsibility for selecting a topic and a brief reading.
Coffee Klatch.
Members gather at the same time each week for an hour to drink coffee and tea, eat light snacks, and engage in open-ended conversation. Individuals come and go when they can.
Pot Lucks, Picnics, and Dances.
Teams hook up with other teams for informal gatherings featuring potluck meals, outdoor recreational activities such as volleyball, and indoor activities such as folk dances from various ethnic traditions.
Social Service.
Members of teams or whole teams volunteer in social service programs, such as food banks, meal programs, and homeless shelters, to address unmet needs.
The basic premise of the 12-step model is that people can help one another achieve and maintain abstinence from the substances or behaviors to which they are addicted.
Restorative justice is a set of principles and practices that create a different approach to dealing with crime and its impacts. Restorative justice practices work to address the dehumanization frequently experienced by people in the traditional criminal justice system. Instead of viewing a criminal act as simply a violation of a rule or statute, restorative justice sees this action as a violation of people and relationships.
The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, Julia Cameron.
“The ideas in creative personal development outlined in the book … have become a phenomenon and spawned into many meetups and support groups throughout the world. The group meetings are based on a 12-week creativity course designed for people to work through and gain artistic inspiration, as outlined in the book.”
“Small, intimate groups of peers where people can talk openly in confidential settings. They provide a safe place where people can share their experiences, challenges, and frustrations and get honest feedback.”
A conversation group based on the “talking stick” principle. Enter a safe, respectful space, speak from the heart, and express what’s on your mind. It’s an opportunity to talk, listen, learn and brainstorm with others.
Affinity Group.
The Wikipedia definition: A group formed around a shared interest or common goal, to which individuals formally or informally belong… Examples of affinity groups include private social clubs, fraternities, writing or reading circles, hobby clubs, and groups engaged in political activism. Some affinity groups are organized in a non-hierarchical manner, often using consensus decision-making, and are frequently made up of trusted friends… Other affinity groups may have a hierarchy… Affinity groups may have either open or closed membership, although the latter is far more common.
“These employee-led associations foster diversity and inclusion… In a nutshell, an affinity group—also called an employee resource group (ERG)—is a group of employees with similar backgrounds, interests, or demographic factors such as gender or ethnicity.
Agenda-Free Conversation.
In line with “What Conversation Can Do for Us,” by Hua Hsu, suspend efforts to persuade and simply explore whatever’s on the minds of the participants, listening closely and aiming to better understand each other.
How can we help improve the world? Talk, listen, learn, brainstorm. Horizontal, self-regulating, self-perpetuating, peer-to-peer conversations.
Prior to the workshop, the organizers define a focus question about which there is some ambiguity or controversy.
Soul Talk.
Determine how much time you have. Divide time equally, leaving 5-10 minutes at the end to debrief or dialog. First one person shares “roses”, what’s been happening with you that’s new and good, and “thorns”, what’s been happening with you that’s new and not-so-good. Then switch roles.
Soulful Interviews.
Recorded on video and posted on YouTube. Rorate roles. Each interview lasts 20 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of open dialog. Interview each other. Speak from the heart. Each interview has three segments: 1) Introduce yourself. In general, what do you really care about and how do you spend your time? 2) More specifically, what have you been feeling and thinking recently? 3) What do you think about [a specific essay, book, podcast?)? The interviewee responds briefly to each question. The interviewer may ask brief clarifying questions at any time.
Beginning Anew Conflict Resolution
In Zen master Nhat Hanh’s monastery in France, they use a simple exercise for resolving conflicts that inevitably arise between resident monks and nuns. They call this exercise Beginning Anew and it’s a highly effective conflict resolution tool.
in this article, we explore mindful listening and suggest simple ways you can use this technique to improve your listening skills.
A study group.
Anti-racism workshops.
Active listening workshops.
Film discussions.