{PBJFlorida} Reflections from a 1st gathering

Hi all,

Here are my Reflections from the 1st gathering of the "PBJFl Community Building Collaborative" (just a working title.      Any suggestions?)

Present at this landmark beginning were Steve, Louise, Jeannie and me. ...with many more of y'all present in spirit. Thank you all.  Miguel and I and others met earlier in the day; thank you Miguel (and Happy Anniversary!!!)

The following are just my reflections.  Y'all please chime in.

Most prominently, we discussed the urgent need for broad and deep systemic change, a transformation, in how local movements work together, view each other and are viewed by the local communities they intend to serve. 

Thanks to Steve, we started identifying specific categories of organizations we want to bring to the conversation.  They include: local (by local i mean neighborhood and larger -- to Central Florida large) health and well-being care, local education and skills training, local child care, local food production and preservation, local sustainable energy, local energy conservation, local elder care, local housing, local clothing, local water conservation, local arts and entertainment, and local sustainable economies (please see article below about the emergence of New Economies; thank you Jeannie,  Comments Nelson???).  

What other categories of service organizations am I missing here?

The challenge here is for these groups (y'all's groups)  to come together and work together to learn and to practice the art of invitation, possibility, ownership, commitment, inclusion (of voices of dissent), collaboration,  vulnerability, listening, support, and the making of each member of each team feel supremely valued for the gifts they want to contribute. We need to learn to really listen and to be creative together.  

We need to learn to invest in each other. Our results depend on this; our future depends on this.

Further, the challenge is to create a whole new transformational cultural narrative that will naturally draw people to want to contribute to and invest in the making of the kinds of beautiful communities our hearts know is possible.   --starting now.

This won't be easy, but as I see it I (we) have no other choice but to try.

Meeting again in two weeks, Tuesday, June 5, 6:30pm. Please bring your team. Please mark your calendar.  

We need a better venue; like maybe The Center for Earth Jurisprudence.  Anyone have a connection there?   or maybe Urban Rethink?  ... or any other suggestions? ...anyone?

Thank you all, yours, jim

See link below

Begin forwarded message:

From: Common Dreams <commondreams@commondreams.org>
Date: May 22, 2012 5:07:24 PM 
Subject: News & Views | The Rise of the New Econonomy

News & Views | 05.22.12 Featured... Gar Alperovitz: The Rise of the New Economy Movement http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/05/22-2