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Friday, November 28th, 2008San Francisco Meeting Notes: November 2008
Friday, November 28th, 2008After our regular member announcements, we had a discussion about citizenship. Citizenship? Sounds a little square, but we had a good response to this topic, with one exception. One attendee asked if this was going to be like a boring civics class. Well, this person did fall asleep during our discussion, but not because it was boring, they were genuinely exhausted from work.
For most others, the idea of citizenship was top of mind after an election with record turnout, donations, and volunteering. The discussion also attracted a new citizen, Angie, who had just voted for the first time. And she brought her immigration lawyer, David, to the meeting too! This added a unique perspective. The idea of citizenship was a very exciting one for these two. Here are a few points from the discussion, which was rich in important ideas thanks to thoughtful contributions:
-Ray opened up the discussion by pointing out that the Greek root of the word “idiot” means one who did not participate in public life, who is selfish, who only attends to their own private affairs, or who has bad judgment in public and political matters. Later the meaning of the word shifted to denoting general stupidity. This reminded me of something Harald, one of our Austrian members and a sociologist, once said to me. He said that all values are shared, and anyone with a value system they do not share is just crazy. They live in their own world separate from everyone else with little prospect for growth or change.
-We spent a lot of time talking about diversity. At first I wasn’t sure how this was connected to citizenship, but it became clear that it’s actually central. If we’re to engage in public life - and encounter a large number people in the process - then we’re going to encounter difference, and to be effective citizens one needs to be able to manage difference including skills such as acceptance, listening, and finding common ground. This idea goes hand in hand with the first point. To be a non-idiot, to be a citizen, you have to deal with difference. I’ve realized that it is exactly our differences that make us valuable to each other. If we know the same things, have the same things, think the same way, have the same skills - then we have nothing to exchange. And no prospect for growth or change.
-Along the same theme, Sharon mentioned that her idea of citizenship was about making a contribution to the world derived from the unique abilities, passions, and experience each of us have. That it’s our duty to develop these and give back in our own special way, that each of us has a piece of the solution that we must develop and put in place. This reminds me of Warren Bennis’ definition of leader, which is someone who fully expresses themselves.
-Don mentioned Pericle’s Funeral Oration which gives an inspiring description of citizenship and democracy at the peak of ancient Greek civilization. Don quoted this passage, “Our city is thrown open to the world, though and we never expel a foreigner and prevent him from seeing or learning anything of which the secret if revealed to an enemy might profit him.” There are many inspiring passages, check it out here.
-Angie talked about being a new citizen, and that she’s proud to be a U.S. citizen, and even more so after an election where the U.S. elected an African-American, something few thought possible until recently. She talked about the difference between the U.S. and Scotland, and that she felt that more was possible here, that in Europe your destiny was charted out for you and that it was hard to break out of that. Here you can quit what you’re doing and start in a totally new direction if you want.
-We talked about the relationship between citizenship, freedom, and uncertainty. In order to be free, one must take upon themselves the burden of uncertainty, they must chart their own course, and part of this is that one must work out their destiny, individually and collectively, with their fellow citizens. In some parts of the world, citizens look to their governments for solutions. In others, citizens look to each other. In the latter citizens may be more free, but may also face more uncertainty.
-David, the immigration lawyer, talked about the motivations his clients have for becoming citizens. Some are like Angie, who value citizenship, freedom, and participating in national elections. Some seek economic opportunity and stay within the bounds of family and work. Others become citizens and express that through engagement in their local community joining community organizing efforts or ethnic mutual benefit societies.
OK, that’s all for now. As is our custom, we take December off, so there will be no meeting next month. I’ll be in touch about our January meeting soon. Please send me any suggestions you have for topics or speakers. Happy Holidays!
San Francisco, You’re Invited: Tue 11/25 6:30pm – “Citizenship”
Friday, November 21st, 2008This month we’re holding a low key meeting with our regular member announcements and a casual discussion about citizenship. Come with some thoughts to share about what citizenship means to you and how you plan to exercise it in the coming year.
We hope to see you then for a great discussion. And as always, come ready to talk about your passions, needs, and gifts (in about a minute) during announcements so that we can help each other create the lives, projects, and communities of our dreams – right here in reality.
This our last meeting for this year, so come on out!
NOTE: We’re trying out a new location and day of the week. See details below.
MEETING
When: Tuesday, Nov. 25th, 6:30-9:30pm (you can come and go anytime during the meeting)
Where: The Center for Sex & Culture, 1519 Mission Street @ 11th
Our fab room is upstairs to the left. If you the door is locked when you arrive, dial 415.867.0429 to be let in.
AGENDA
6:30 - 7:00 Arrive, mingle, nosh
7:00 - 7:45 Member announcements (your passions, needs and gifts)
7:45 - 8:15 Break - exchange support, mingle, nosh
8:15 - 9:00 Discussion
9:00 - 9:30 Wind discussion down, mingle, clean up
9:30 - Optional - continue socializing at a nearby wine bar
Learn more about our meetings here:
http://abundanceleague.org/monthly-format
And join our new Ning social networking site (in beta) which links members from all three Abundance League chapters:
http://social.abundanceleague.org
BRING
-Yourself, friends
-Healthy finger food for the potluck
-Shares: books, CDs, DVDs or anything that you’d like to loan or gift at the meeting
Denver Meeting Notes: November 2008
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008Notes + Announcements from the November Confluence of the Abundance League in Denver, Colorado
Yet again we had a wonderful gathering of the Abundance League at Museo de las Americas. Museo’s development manager Elizabeth Dicapo told us that walking into the museum for the first time she thought “this is not what I expected.” I certainly had the same experience when I saw the expansive space full of contemporary art. Museo generously allow tAL to use space in the gallery to meet and share potluck appetizers while mingling and exploring.
Elizabeth’s talk covered the surprising array of activities available through youth education programs and member benefits. We were surprised to learn that the price of just one $30 membership covers the cost of 20 kids to attend one of the many Museo workshops. A handful of Leaguers signed up as new members that very night, and as a gift to the Abundance League, Elizabeth offered us to name our member fee for that night.
Hearing Elizabeth speak about how the museum has changed her perceptions—its impact on the community she has adopted—was simply moving. To learn about Museo through the perspective of someone so close to the project gave us a true sense of the passion involved in this project, and we thank Elizabeth for this glimpse into her world.
For your information, Elizabeth and Museo de las Americas are actively recruiting new members to add to the current roster of 300 people. They’re also looking to renew the ~300 memberships that have lapsed. The goal is not only to encourage folks to give money, but to keep engaging with the community by coming through the doors for new events & exhibits. Elizabeth also encourages Leaguers to contact her about use of the space for things like dance performances.
For those who couldn’t make it, and those who did and want to follow up, here are notes from our Leaguers in attendance.
Passions, Needs + Gifts
Taj Moore
Passions—1. social networking 2. bridging from online to real world activities
Needs—1. Your friends at the next meeting of tAL! 2. Ideas for tAL activities in 2009
Gifts—1. marketing ideas & advice 2. social networking ideas 3. setting up a blog or online social network
Celene Bridgford
Passions—visualising information,storytelling,images,words
Needs—building a vocabulary around visualising information,ispiration, dog trainer
Gifts—imaging, design, listening and organizing ideas
Ilona Fried
Passions—mosaic art, writing, adventure, hiking
Needs—people to hang out with, hiking partners, clients for my art
Gifts—brainstorming possibilities, pr/marketing, writing/editing
Chelsea Trinka
Passions—renewable energy, dance, skiing
Needs—resume feedback
Gifts—volunteer on non-prof arts board that funds artists with grants
Jennifer Hampton
Passions—1. dance (especially at community level) 2. singing 3. involvement in arts and social networking communities
Needs—1. ideas for fully shedding the past to embrace new opportunities 2. more professional collaborations 3. money
Gifts—1. good listener 2. teach dance and bring out creative expression 3. writing buddy (BA in English-writing 4. contacts in the music/jazz community
Jaymee
Passions—Education, Entrepreneurialism, Business Ownership, Nature, Art, Dance
Needs—Sales Force for my marketing company
Gifts—Connecting People with their Needs and WantsCDD
David
Passions—meditation, yoga, community synergy, dispelling the illustion of debt, cooperative business structuresm, community owned cooperatives.
Needs—cooperative business participants.
Gifts—education of meditation, yoga, debt dissipation.
Chris
Passions—Art (painting)
Michael Mowry
Passions—art, art-based non-profits, social networking, cross-pollination of ideas, travel
Phil Nugent
Passions—people, ideas, words
Needs—communication, ideas
Gifts—contacts, ideas
Susan Coates
Passions—personal and group dynamics
Needs—partners and board members, relax time
Gifts—personal retreat facilitation, life/work coaching
I know we missed a couple of you; if your notes are not here and you would like them to be, please click the comment link at the end of this post and adding your passions, needs + gifts!
Denver, You’re Invited: 11/18 6:30pm at Museo de las Americas – Elizabeth Dicapo
Monday, November 17th, 2008The Abundance League meets this coming Tuesday, November 18th at Museo de Las Americas, in the heart of the Santa Fe Drive Arts District. We’re stoked like a late-Fall fireplace to have Elizabeth Dicapo, the Museo’s Development Manager, speak with us about her experiences with the Museo de Las Americas.
The Museo website describes its mission:
“The Museo de las Américas educates our community about the diversity of Latino Americano art and culture from ancient to contemporary through innovative exhibitions and programs.”
“With the Latino population growing exponentially in the Denver and wider communities, the Museo plays an important role in building pride in the Latino community’s heritage and promoting understanding among
cultures. Other history and art museums in Denver cannot focus on one segment of the community in a sustained or comprehensive manner. The Museo was organized to fill this important niche in the cultural milieu.”
You can find more information about the Museo de las Americas at www.museo.org. And as always, please come prepared to spend a few minutes briefly telling everyone about a couple of your passions/projects, what you need to pursue them, and any gifts you offer to support each other in leading inspired lives. We start at 6:30 pm, and end around 9:30 pm, but you are always welcome to come and go at any time.
WHERE
Museo de las Americas
861 Santa Fe Drive
Denver, CO 80204
www.museo.org
AGENDA
6:30–7:00 pm — Mingle
7:00–7:45 pm — Member Announcements: Your Passions, Needs & Gifts
7:45–8:00 pm — Break, Eat, Mingle, Exchange Support
8:00–8:45 pm — Presentation and Discussion
8:45–9:30 pm — Eat, Mingle, Exchange Support, Clean Up, Clear Out
BRING
- Yourself, friends, and food! This is a potluck, so please bring something to share (food and/or drink) if you can. If you don’t have much time you can always stop at the King Sooper’s on 13th and Speer for something at the deli, or the Whole Foods/Wild Oats on 11th and Ogden. We’ll supply plates, cups, and utensils.
- Business cards, handouts, flyers
- Share: books, CDs, DVDs or anything that you’d like to loan or gift at the meeting.
QUESTIONS? Call Susan at 303-455-0852.
San Francisco Meeting Notes: October 2008 – Fashion Among Friends
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008The clothing swap we held in October was amazing from several perspectives. First, I was blown away by how much clothes showed up. Several people brought big rollie suitcases filled with clothes. And not the carry-on type! And one woman brought a two large backpacks of clothes…by bike. Talk about a low carbon approach to fashion!
Secondly, the turnout and amount of interaction was impressive. At least 30 people showed. And people exchanged a ton of friendly “fashion support” - folks suggesting pieces to each other, feedback on how pieces looked on, sharing of mirrors, etc. The vibe was 100% positive.
Kim Connector of Fashion Slave helped keep the whole thing moving. She brought a huge amount of clothes and was expertly hooking people up with the goods - one of her trademark superpowers for sure.
Lastly, everyone seemed to get something they were pleased with. One women brought some pieces back to her housemates, so the benefit extended beyond those who attended. I got two fun bold-patterned shirts.
In the end, we had several large bags of clothes leftover to donate. On our way out, we met an employee of Brainwash Cafe who has a big family. We gave her two bags of clothes including one with filled shoes. She was stoked! The rest went to Community Thrift on Valencia.
Monthly Format
Sunday, October 19th, 2008Chapters meet monthly. Our gatherings go by different names, but the basic format is the same throughout. Nevertheless, refer to chapter calendars for days & times of gatherings in your area.
Mingle
Before the announcements start, we begin to mingle, eat & drink; some meetings are potluck style while other venues offer food & drink. Reach out, make yourselves and others feel at home, and be your own host. Our gatherings are social with some focus: see our article on Mingle Dynamics to learn more about the Abundance League approach to “sparkling in any room.”
Announcements
Announcements take the form of “pinging” each member for their passions, needs & gifts. This quick check-in is the heart of Abundance League gatherings. As an attendee, you get 1–2 minutes to say your name, talk about your passions (including important projects), your needs to pursue your passions (or just in general), and the gifts you offer others to pursue their passions (or just any gift for the group).
While the Abundance League often attracts people with many passions & projects, we find it easiest for people to help each other when they announce 1–3 clearly identified passions, needs & gifts. On the one hand, some people prepare ahead: 1–2 minutes is shorter than you think. On the other hand, making an announcement is optional and you can always “skip.” We’ll come back to you after everyone has spoken if you like.
Announcements meet these key purposes:
- To encourage each of us to clarify what is important to us
- To help us learn to tell our stories succinctly
- To allow us to manifest our visions publicly through discussion
- To motivate us to act; we feel accountable once we’ve made our intentions public
- To give us a chance to get and give help; we find it easier to accept help when we ask for
it publicly, and easier to offer when we know its purpose - To inspire each other to find & pursue our passions
Announcements stimulate an exchange of ideas, personal contacts, and support during the break or after the presentation. If a group is small enough (6 or fewer people), exchanges of support tend to happen in real-time during announcement period.
Break
Mingle, eat & drink! Meet new members and exchange support!
Guest Speaker + Discussion
Guest facilitators share a passion, project, or skill that creates abundance. Speakers introduce their topic for about 15 minutes, followed by 30–45 minutes of group discussion. Sometimes we have a guest artist whose work inspires abundance. Other times we have facilitated exchanges such as clothing swaps, art exchanges, or harvest days. Discussion formats vary appropriately to the speaker, topic, and venue.
Mingle & Clean Up
Even more mingling! And some clean up. We strive to leave the venue in as good or better condition than before our gathering.
Denver Meeting Notes: October 2008
Friday, October 17th, 2008Notes from the October confluence of the Abundance League in Denver, Colorado
We had our largest meeting this month with 16 people attending; we completely took over the back section of Leela Café!
For the second half of our gathering, Dan Brazelton (aka Ranger Bunny) spoke about his personal experience with the Black Rock City Rangers, a non-confrontational mediation group that forms the backbone of the Burning Man arts festival.
Here’s what we wrote about Dan and the Rangers earlier »
And here’s another short piece we wrote about Dan Brazelton »
One thing that really struck me about the Rangers is that while community policing principles among regular law enforcement have been on the rise, many officers from various jurisdictions covering the Burning Man event specifically cite the Rangers as a direct influence on positive changes in their approach to police work. This perfectly exemplifies Gandhi’s principle “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Talk about changing the establishment!
Something Susan pointed out in the first part of our meeting was that we had three men present and eleven women. Interesting!
Member Passions, Needs & Gifts (PiNGs)
Taj Moore
Passions—social networking in general, the Abundance League specifically
Needs—members to bring new friends to the next tAL meeting
Gifts—experience + advice on social media principles, i.e. social networking & creative marketing for even the smallest of projects
Jaymee Castillo
Passions—education, financial literacy, entrepreneurial, real estate investing
Needs—to get in front of motivated and open-minded individuals
Gifts—mentoring—personal development + education, business, running numbers, FUN
Chelsea Trinka
Passions—career change into renewable energy (love to translate “techi-speak” to sales); dance … “love to dance & move my body in all forms;” investing in my first house (a duplex or triplex so I can get experience in property management too)
Needs—resources/schools/network/info on renewable engery. I’m new to the field, but love/get the science side + want to learn by “doing;” looking for a class to learn aerial fabric dance; supportive people to “cheer lead” my house purchase, specifically someone who can advise/bounce ideas about property management … someone who’s done it before
Gifts—I work with the arts non-profit Apogaea; we provide funding for artists & create events for artists. Anyone who wants to get involved in working with an arts org, we are always looking to fund, feature, and involve new people.
Suzy Rosen
Passions—helping facilitate renewable energy projects with a particular interest in creating sustainable economies w/ tribal communities; writing a novel
Needs—to meet people with experience/ties to renewable energy projects/American Indian communities
Gifts—can help with legal issues/writing
Jennifer Hampton
Passions—singing, dance, live events planning, healing
Needs—finding work
Gifts—(see passions)
Susan Coates
Passions—personal dynamics, group dynamics, dance; Living Laundromat Project, a public space for laundry, arts, and living
Needs—business start-up consultation, financial management, website development
Gifts—retreat facilitation, cooking/baking, life|work coaching
Cassandra Cole
Passions—politics & painting (Obama right now, global warming series in the future)
Needs—help with living + working as an artist, supporting myself w/ my passion + gifts
Gifts—good writer, MS in environmental sustainability; can present/speak on small scale systems
John Shapiro
Passions—doing work of the non-us-vs-them social justice variety, working to truly solve problems via systemic change and/or creating alternatives, all done in a respectful way.
Currently working on: CooperativeAction.org is a nonprofit organization that uses an interactive website to allow people to participate in petitions, boycotts, and actions regarding a broad range of commonly agreed upon issues, such as health care costs, global warming, etc. When enough people participate, a “critical mass” or “tipping point” will be reached that will create enough pressure on politicians and corporations to act to address and solve these issues. This process does not advocate for exactly how these issues should or should not be solved, but rather it compels politicians and corporations to work together to find complete solutions to these commonly agreed upon issues. This process happens in a cooperative, respectful, objective, secular, non-partisan way that is geared towards raising the quality of communication, facilitating inclusion of participants that hold diverse views, and educating in an unbiased, straight forward way.
Needs—Looking for people interested in contributing to CooperativeAction.org with any relevant gifts/passions they might have.
Gifts—problem solving; technology consulting including web design/development for “greater good” projects
» Mark your calendars: Tuesday, November 18 is the next meeting! «
How Alternate Reality Games Can Change the World (and remind you of Abundance League meetings)
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008This SXSW keynote by Jane McGonigal shows the potential of alternate reality games (ARGs) for changing the real world. What I like about her perspective is that you can use the discipline of ARGs to shape our social interactions in a way that the bring out the best in us - and of course have more fun in the process. This opens up the possibility of contributing consistently, feeling useful, engaged, and valued in the real world just like you can in well-designed multi-player online game. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Check out an ARG Jane designed for the Institute of the Future called Superstruct. It’s running for another four weeks, so jump in now if you’re interested. I’m not a gamer because I focus on improving my First Life, but I’m giving this a shot because the purpose is to try to improve the real world. The game is part of the institute’s 10 year forecast. And I sense I’ll learn something valuable.
Filling out the profile page and talking about social solutions in the Superstruct community will remind you of Abundance League meetings!