Creating a European Platform
On the 14th of January 15 representatives from 10 European countries gathered at Höllbachhof in Germany for the first European Summit of the Awakening the Dreamer/Be the Change (ATD/BTC) community. (The work of the Initiative in Europe goes under the name of Be the Change in some countries) For two days, we shared the wisdom and genius of representatives from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. Two of the team, Gillian Webster and Yvan Rytz created this wonderful video, which we are delighted to share with you.
Drawn together to explore the possibility and potential of the creation of a European platform for the work of the Initiative, we were excited and inspired to share our mutual commitment to an environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilled world.
Defining our Vision
Through circle, movement, meditation, brainstorming, discussion, conversation, breakout groups and sometimes playful, sometimes challenging exercises we planted the seeds for European collaboration and partnership through exploring our vision for the work of the Initiative in Europe, what our specific contribution and identity as European facilitators, presenters and/or change agents could be, what the needs at the European level are, what resources are available to us within the community and our networks and what the opportunities for European Commission funding are, the latter with the assistance of an EU funding expert.
Getting into Action
By the end of the weekend we had planned two further ATD/BTC European summits for 2011 and one for 2012 and two EU wide trainings, one for emerging countries and one for leaders in 2011 and 2012 respectively. We agreed and approved a bid for EU Commission funding to support the summits and trainings. We formed a funding working group as wells as a steering group for ongoing EU collaboration. We also found consensus for the need for a European version of the Symposium that is sufficiently diverse, while being culturally specific. We are hopeful that collaboration on a European level could make us eligible for EU funding for this project.
Through the creation of a European mega blog and a newsletter to share best practice, success stories and topics of interest we will continue to foster and support the growth of the our community. An invitation to all EU community members has gone out for us to meet at the Bioneers Conference in Amsterdam in July 2011 so that we can sustain the energy and connection that was created at this summit.
Out of the Summit the first Symposium in Portugal, hosted by the Awakened Life Project, will take place in March 2011 along with an Orientation to the Presenters Kit and the first facilitator training in Denmark will take place in June 2011. Further connections in the areas of Youth and Business were made and collaboration in these and other specific areas will continue to grow.
Participants were inspired, rejuvenated, uplifted and deeply grateful for what we created together over these 2 days. Grounded in Spirit and incredibly productive, our Eagle and Condor flew together.
Our thanks and appreciation go to the Pachamama Alliance for inspiring this work, the Höllbachhof Foundation for hosting the event and for all the time and energy they contributed to making it happen and to Pachamama herself for the wonderful setting and incredible energy of the land the Höllbachhof community lives on and with.
