[p2p-research] Fwd: The NSP conference: here's what happened (spiritual progressive strategizing in the US)
Michel Bauwens
michelsub2004 at gmail.com
Sat Jun 19 02:57:51 CEST 2010
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tikkun <info at spiritualprogressives.org>
Date: Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 12:39 AM
Subject: The NSP conference: here's what happened
To: Michelsub2004 at gmail.com
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=tX%2FbdFdF9EcCMlGMfjar9N76Zds%2BNyO%2B>
*A Report on the NSP Conference **June 11-13, 2010*
*The NSP/Tikkun conference was a terrific success. *
500 people gathered at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation in
Washington, D.C. and heard some of the most amazing speakers address the
question of what is the nature of the political and spiritual crisis that we
are facing in the world today, and what to do about it.
NSP co-chair (and Catholic Benedictine Sister) Joan Chittister led off with
a powerful appeal for compassion as a central theme and NSP chair Rabbi
Michael Lerner explained how the Global Marshall Plan and the Environmental
and Social Responsibility Amendment were ways of giving substance to the
central theme of the conference: Creating the Caring Society: Caring for
Each Other and Caring for the Earth. Rabbi Lerner raised what became one of
the foci of the conference, namely the need to push the Obama Administration
from a spiritual progressive perspective, yet to do that in a way that did
not join or strengthen the Obama-bashing coming from Tea Party
fundamentalists or the political partisans whose only goal is to make Obama
fail. Lerner made it clear that NSP people do not share the goal of making
Obama fail, but instead believe that the way for him to succeed is to fully
embrace the NSP vision of The Caring Society with our New Bottom Line, and
to make sure that his policies fully embodied that vision, which they
certainly do not at the moment. Yet Lerner also made clear that NSP had no
intention of becoming embroiled in the "inside-the-beltway realistic and
anti-ideological" politics of the Obama Administration, but instead sought
to build an independent spiritual progressive movement that would align with
other liberal and progressive forces and join any relevant coalitions that
emerged in the struggle for peace, social justice, environmental sanity, and
human rights. Peter Gabel presented a deep analysis of contemporary
alienation and the desire for mutual recognition that could be harnessed
toward creation of a loving and caring society but which currently was being
mis-appropriated by the forces of fear and domination.
Our gathering was not a rally-it was a thoughtful convocation to refine our
strategy. Yet speakers that included the world's most innovative and
powerful environmental organizer Bill McKibben, our most creative
Evangelical preacher and writer Brian McLaren, our profound teacher and
partner with Rabbi Lerner in creating and sustaining the NSP Peter Gabel,
the founder of J Street Jeremy Ben Ami, our most creative economist David
Korten, our greatest African American preacher James Forbes, the most
courageous leader of the single-payer movement and spokesperson for the
Physicians for a National Health Plan Dr. Margaret Flowers, Chair of the
American Bar Association's commission on disarmament and chair of the Global
Security Institute Jonathan Granoff, interfaith coordinator of the Islamic
Society of North America Sayyid Syeed, environmentalist and author of Plan
B 4.0 Lester R. Brown, our most creative Jewish teacher Rabbi Arthur Waskow,
our most dynamic spiritual activist Marianne Williamson all brought people
to their feet in cheering and excitement for their depth of insight, wisdom
and vision of what we could do together.
CNN was there to film the Memorial service and the rally in Lafayette Park
where Jewish, Christian and Muslim clergy offered prayers for the memory of
those killed in the Gaza Aid Flotilla and prayers for the healing of all
those on both sides who had been hurt or wounded, prayers for the freeing by
Hamas of Gilad Shalit and prayers for the freeing of all the thousands of
Palestinian prisoners not convicted of actual use of violence who are being
held in Israeli prisons and outdoor detention facilities. We made clear that
this was a religious service, not a rally, so we avoided discussing the
politics and focused on memorial and healing prayers, even when we marched
down to the gates of the White House singing "Let everyone neath her vine
and fig-tree, live in peace and unafraid, and into ploughshares beat their
swords, nations shall learn war no more." But back at the conference,
Israel/Palestine was a hot issue, with multiple perspectives represented by
the chair of Israeli Rabbis for Human Rights Arik Aschermann, a
representative of the Palestinian Authority and deputy chair of the
Palestinian mission in D.C., plus a debate on Boycotts, Divestment and
Sanctions with strong proponents on all sides of that (Arthur Waskow,
Rebecca Subar and Gershon Baskin--another variant of that debate you can
read in the July/.August issue of Tikkun, with Jeremy Ben Ami, Rabbi Lynn
Gottlieb, Rebecca Vilkomerson, and Israeli Shimisti Maya Wind).
We organized this conference to have more time for attendees to participate
in the deliberations about the strategies we were considering through
workshops and mini-plenaries, and got useful feedback that led us to make
some modifications in the Environmental and Social Responsibility Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution. The newest version is now up at
www.spiritualprogressives.org/ESRA<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2yF8TGai8qu00mwj8RwKrwV7Rn8I64Jh>.
And we are still accepting feedback for this next week. But most attendees
were excited about the dual focus on the Global Marshall Plan and the ESRA
as concrete embodiments of what we meant by our new framing: The Caring
Society-Caring for Each Other and Caring for the Earth! We had many small
group discussions so that participants got a chance to talk to others at
many points during the whole gathering, which was also marked by lots of
singing, particularly led by Sharon Abreu and by Rabbi David Shneyer and the
musical performance by "Emma's Revolution."
What was to many participants the most striking thing about this conference
was the way it embodied the very core idea of a loving, generous and caring
society. For three days we actually got to live our ideas of what the future
could be like. Some participants described it as "a love fest." There was so
much caring and loving energy flowing that at times it seemed beyond our
imagination of what could happen at this kind of gathering. There was so
much positive energy and sense of "we" being in it together that most
participants went home with a stronger conviction that we could and must
make a difference, and that the NSP was our vehicle for bringing a message
of hope and transformation and healing to our society. Rev. Ama Zenya who
chaired most of the sessions at the conference facilitated this process by
herself being a competent, smart and loving embodiment of our message.
That sense of making a difference was heightened by the talks given by
Congressman Keith Ellison at the beginning of the conference and Congressman
Dennis Kucinich toward the end of the three days. Ellison appealed to the
participants (and through them to you who are reading this note) to approach
their local Congresspeople to get them to endorse and co-sponsor House
Resolution 1016-which endorses the Global Marshall Plan. He emphasized how
important it was to get into the public discourse our central notion that
generosity rather than domination is the best path to homeland security.
Congressman Kucinich spoke about the importance of the ESRA and promised to
introduce a similar resolution backing the key ideas of our proposed
constitutional amendment. These two Congressmen made it clear to attendees
that our ideas were not only utopian conceptions, but also survival
necessities for the human race. And that gave many of us a deeper sense of
why these two projects should remain a significant part of the focus of
activity for the NSP in the coming years. Rabbi Arthur Waskow suggested that
we also place the ESRA in the context of a campaign, cosponsored by NSP and
his Shalom Center, to get the American people to declare independence from
corporate domination.
The one thing we failed to do was to fund-raise. The truth is that NSP is
very very low on funds, and cannot continue to do its work unless you are
willing to stretch beyond your capacities and beyond your annual membership
dues to NSP so as to make a significant tax-deductible contribution to keep
this enterprise going. It's that simple-no money means no staff means no one
to carry out coordination or implementation of any of the wonderful ideas
expressed and developed at this conference. We need your help, and we need
it now! We'd like to hire Rev. Ama Zenya as a part time organizer, but
unless you can donate a substantial sum, we just can't afford to do it. We
need to raise $36,000. Would you help us? If so, please send a check or
credit card info to Tikkun/NSP at 951 Cragmont Ave, Berkeley, Ca. 94708. Or
donate<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=YGtY00RD%2FavTz%2FjZEVB%2FaQV7Rn8I64Jh>on
line at
:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/525/t/8751/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=3794<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=whhpQ4ptmy9y4XxjfcT%2FIgV7Rn8I64Jh>
We are working now on getting the highlights of the conference up on our
website in video, and transcribing some of it to print in the Sept/Oct,
Nov/Dec and maybe even some in the Jan/Feb issues of Tikkun magazine. Though
they won't capture the loving feelings or the very smart comments made by
conference participants, they will capture some of what was said by the
speakers.
--Warm blessings to you from the staff and volunteers of NSP
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************
* NSP Projects For After the Conference: **What You Can Do*
Guiding principle for all these concrete projects: The goal is always to
increase love, caring, kindness, generosity of spirit, ethical and
ecological sensitivity, and awe/wonder/radical amazement at the grandeur and
mystery of the universe, consciousness and life itself. So make sure that
everything you do always puts this "NEW BOTTOM LINE" at the center of any
NSP-related activity.
*Share Your NSP Vision and Analysis with Others. *
Set up individual one-to-one meetings with people in your neighborhood, your
church/synagogue/mosque/ashram, your professional organization or union or
workplace, your local political party or organization or civic
organization-to learn how they think the world's problems can be addressed,
and to share with them the Tikkun/NSP analysis. Guidelines on how to do this
most effectively, below.
Request a meeting with the editor, managing editor or key reporters,
journalists and editorialists of your local newspaper, or the station
manager, assignment editor, or producer of influential local radio and
television stations. Ask them to reflect in their coverage the perspective
of spiritual progressives, and give them examples of that perspective from
Tikkun articles and by showing them the ESRA and the Global Marshall Plan.
Ask them to do a show about these ideas, and you be our representative on
these shows to present them (fallback: if you get a commitment, ask for our
Tikkun staff person to do it on the phone or from a local t.v. hookup from
here).
*Write letters to the key people in media* Names and contact info listed at
"http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/article.php/media"
www.spiritualprogressives.org/article.php/media
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Zuo0AQTqPzk1sl4c73MGeQV7Rn8I64Jh>.
Don't underestimate the potential impact of a personal letter explaining why
you think the NSP analysis and program deserves their attention when they
decide who to interview for a news story or analysis story about American
politics, foreign policy, and /or the Middle East and Israel/Palestine. Tell
them why you want them to present those perspectives. Tell them about the
GMP and the ESRA or whatever else turns you one (the New Bottom Line? The
Spiritual Covenant with America? Our analysis of the Obama administration
and why we have to both critique it and support it? Write an op-ed and
submit it to newspapers around the country.
*
Get the GMP and the ESRA Endorsed by a wide range of community organizations
and by Your Congressional Rep and Your Local City Council and State
Legislature.*
Write a letter requesting a meeting with your Congress person, your city
council representatives, and your state legislators. If you can only meet
with their assistants, meet with them, but then go to the next public
meeting at which they are speaking to their constituents and raise the
question of whether they will endorse the GMP or ESRA/
Bring others to meet with these officials, so that you don't have to do it
by yourself. Practice answering difficult questions that they may throw at
you. Approach local political, civic, professional, religious and union
organizations to get their endorsements of the GMP and ESRA so that you can
then have those names with you when you seek endorsements by elected
representatives. Ask representatives of those organizations that agree to
endorse to also come with you.
Set up a table near a popular grocery store, coffee shop, movie, or shopping
center and collect signatures on a petition to your elected representatives
asking those reps to endorse the GMP and/or the ESRA. Engage people in
conversation about these two programs, and invite them to your next local
gathering.
*Join a monthly conference call with Rabbi Lerner and other NSP leaders and
activists the first Monday of each month. *
We will discuss what is happening in the news, and how to analyze it from a
spiritual progressive perspective. We will also consider questions and
comments that you email Rabbi Lerner in advance of the call, if you tell us
that you will be on that next call. Only for paid-up members of the NSP or
subscribers to Tikkun. Send your questions to: Questions at NSP.org.
4. *Create a Study Group to read Tikkun Articles and NSP-related Books*
Pick a monthly date for your study group. Even better if it's once a week or
every other week at a time when the people you want to start it with can
make (start with a core of at least three others who are committed to making
it happen on that time each week, every two weeks or once a month). Be sure
to include as part of it that you start or in the middle have something
delicious to eat (e.g. a vegetarian pot-luck each time, or a place where you
can all go out to eat that is quiet enough so that you can have a serious
talk about some articles in Tikkun magazine or TikkunDaily, our online blog
at HYPERLINK "http://www.tikkun.org" www.tikkun.org. You can also discuss
articles on Current Thinking at HYPERLINK "http://www.tikkun.org"
www.tikkun.org and the different list of Current Thinking at HYPERLINK "
http://www.spiritualprogressives.org" www.spiritualprogressives.org. . Make
sure that each person is reminded at least 5 days in advance of the nest
meeting to re-read the articles or books that are being discussed. Tikkun
articles are best because they are often up-to-date, controversial, and
easier to understand when you get to talk about them with others-and you
should include at least one of Rabbi Lerner's editorials in your discussion
at least once a month.
*
Create a "Celebrate the Activists" veggie-pot-luck *
The goal is to honor those who are giving of their time and energy to the
important work of social change and healing the world. In your very own
community and in communities near you there are dozens of people who are
engaged in these activities. Few of them have any opportunities to meet with
others who are similarly engaged except when they go to regional or national
conferences of their particular organization or activity focus, and there
they don't meet other social change activists and world-healers who are in
different fields of work.
Few of these activists get adequate recognition or adequate material
rewards. Many feel isolated, and some feel burnt out or despairing. We all
need each other's support and caring. But we have to give it to each other.
And a local NSP group could be the catalyst for making this happen.
So here's what the event can look like:
A vegetarian pot-luck
After the pot-luck, a brief presentation by you about the core idea of a
Network of Spiritual Progressives, plus why you don't have to be religious
or believe in God to be part of this, and then why it's important for us to
acknowledge the goodness that generates people to be involved as activists
for social change, whether in their employment or in their spare time.
Then ask people to meet in groups of three to share with each other what
they've been doing in their activist activities, what problems and
frustrations they've been dealing with, and what successes. Be sure to
divide up the room so that people working half time or full time on this
work get to meet with each other, while those giving only a few hours a week
to this work get to meet with each other.
Then have some musician lead community singing
End with a blessing-ask each person in the groups of 3 to give a blessing to
the other two, and then the conveners give a blessing to everyone there.
You may also want to ask representatives from some of the groups to make 5
minute presentations about what their work is, as long as your goal is to
make sure that over the course of time all the groups get a chance to make
these presentations.
Each meeting extend an NSP certificate of merit to some group that has made
a strong contribution to healing and transforming the world. Be sure to let
them know in advance about the award and urge them to bring their friends
and relatives and all their activists and, where relevant, employees.
The outcome is meant to be more love and solidarity-not recruitment to any
particular project, though you can ask people to JOIN the NSP to help
support this kind of activity. And definitely announce your local Tikkun
reading group and other activities!
Choose a time once a month, once every two months or once every three
months for this to happen. Assume that you'll have coming to this about 1%
of the people you invite the first time, and if it feels good to the people
who come, maybe twice or three times that number the second time. The key is
to spread your net widely, get your event announced and even written about
in local newspapers and weeklies/monthlies. The key to success: a letter to
each activist whose name you can get by contacting the various non-profits
in your area. It's labor intensive to get enough people to contact so that
when 1% show up they wont feel alone. So plan the first one at least three
months in advance so you have adequate time to get names and contacts to
invite, explaining the idea of what you want to see happen.
*Do a Public Education Project around Healing Israel/Palestine.*
Few people understand the complexities of the struggle between Israel and
the Palestinians, and hence they end up siding with knee jerk one-sided
analyses. We support a Progressive Middle Path that is both pro-Israel and
pro-Palestine and which refuses to demean either side or blindly accept the
narrative of either side.
To become a public educator on this issue, you must first adopt a
stance: and we invite you to take the NSP stance, articulated in Rabbi
Lerner's book *Healing Israel/Palestine*. We then urge you to bring that
perspective to your local
church/synagogue/mosque/ashram/university/union/professional organization,
etc.
Urge people to sign the Tikkun petition for international
intervention-it's a good way to get the conversation started! Set up an NSP
table to collect signatures, and engage in conversations. Always retain the
most utopian and idealistic stance: that homeland security can best be
achieved for Israel, Palestine and the US by a strategy of generosity, not
military or economic domination. Talk about the GMP and applying it to the
Middle East. But also be sure to give people the opportunity to share their
fears and their hopes with you.
People who sign the petition should also be called for one-to-ones as
described above and detailed below!
*Help us With Fund-Raising*
Create some local fundraising events-a party at someone's home at which you
present the NSP ideas, a bake sale, a night at the movies or theatre, a
local Run for Social Justice and Peace at which runners have to pay a
certain amount to enter, a series of progressive and/or spiritual movies.
Or maybe you know some people who could afford to donate to NSP if they
really understood what it was about. Ask them to meet with you. Or you know
some people who know some people who could donate. Start the ball rolling!
Or approach some businesses in your area-many of them have corporate
giving campaigns. Ask them to give to NSP or Tikkun (which are both
non-profits donations to which are tax-deductible).
*Create a Spiritual Caucus in Your Local Political Party*
As a non-profit, we don't endorse candidates or political parties. But you
can, and join whichever party appeals to you. Then create within your local
area a Spiritual Caucus. Be sure to set it up with an explicit commitment to
the New Bottom Line and the GMP and ESRA and the Spiritual Covenant with
America, because otherwise that caucus will become focused on internal
debates among people who say they are spiritual but don't agree with your
perspective or your commitment to programs. Instead, set this group up with
an explicit NSP-type worldview, and then use it to spread your ideas through
the political party of which it is a caucus! Keep us informed of your
progress and what kinds of materials we could produce which would be helpful
to you!
*Create a "parallel universe" LIVING YOUR DREAM project*
Dedicate your energies to creating an actual hands-on project that embodies
your ideals and visions. Whether that be a perma-culture-oriented farm and
community garden, a law or medical or architectural or psychological
practice with others who will strategize about how to bring the NSP New
Bottom Line vision into the actual details of your work, or a study center
or alternative child care, grammar or high school, college or graduate or
professional school, a vegetarian restaurant where ideas get discussed and
speakers are invited to present them, a refuge for immigrants, a project to
bring homeless people into your home and the homes of other friends, a plan
to share child care and other immediate needs of people in your local NSP
community, a farmers' market that has speakers and active recruitment into
NSP projects, a community media project-or whatever other ideas you have:
make it happen! The Key: make sure that love and generosity of spirit guides
each step along the way.
============================================================================
ARRANGING AND PREPARING FOR An NSP ONE-TO-ONE VISIT
The Phone Call
A typical one to one will be arranged by phone. On the phone you only want
to get the appointment. You cannot build a relationship over the phone. To
build a relationship you must sit down and talk with them.
Introduce yourself: explain what you are doing and ask if you can have 45
minutes of time to get their point of view.
Example:
Hi! My name is ________________________________________ and I am working
with the Network of Spiritual Progressives and speaking to…..(my neighbors,
members of my church/synagogue/mosque/ashram, members of my union, members
of my profession, members of our Democratic party/Republican party/Green
party about how best to heal our society and transform it in a more just,
peace-oriented, and loving and caring way..
I am part of a national team that is visiting households in (neighborhoods,
religious institutions, unions, political parties, professional groups) to
listen to their ideas and learn your ideas about how to move forward toward
a world with more peace, social justice, love, caring and generosity toward
others.. Could I arrange to have 45 minutes of your time to listen to your
ideas and experience? It doesn't have to be at your home, it could be at any
public place that you would feel comfortable talking to me. I am not selling
a product, I'm not trying to convert you to some religious sect or anything
like that, though I do want to tell you about our ideas for a Global
Marshall Plan and for an Environmental and Social Responsibility Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution. But mostly what I'm interested in doing is hearing
your thinking, so that we in the Network of Spiritual Progressives can find
the best way to understand the people in our community who share the desire
for peace and justice and for a world of love, caring and generosity.
Be specific about a day and time, and let them know you only want 45 minutes
to an hour (at most) of their time.
Before the one to one, take time to prepare. Think about what you may know
about the person or his/her involvement with the congregation, church,
union, professional organization, neighborhood, or anything else you have
learned about that person. Review what you think may be their
self-interest. Think through what questions you want to be sure to ask, and
what you say about what you are doing.
The Visit
There is no formula for having a good one to one. Enjoy yourself and
try to establish some rapport. Here are general points that may help you do
this:
Introduce Yourself and Explain Why You Are There (Same as telephone
explanation)
Warm Up
Have a few simple question or comments ready to develop a little relaxed
conversation at the beginning. This will get them talking and help you get a
feel for them. Ask questions, listen closely, keep it relaxed. Talk about
things the person seems interested in.
Listen Intently, Especially for "Lead-Ins" To Stories
Getting them to talking is important. Speak in order to draw them out. A
successful one to one means the person visited is speaking 70% of the time.
Most people are flattered when you show an interest in them and their
opinions.
Stories will tell you the most about a person and are usually more enjoyable
than abstract discussion. Probe for specifics about their experiences and
their true feelings about things.
AFTER LISTENING-TELL THEM ABOUT WHY YOU PERSONALLY ARE DRAWN TO THE GMP:
GLOBAL MARSHALL PLAN & the ESRA (Environmental and Social Responsibility
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Go over some of the details of each that
turn you on most. Explain to them why it's a mistake to be "realistic" and
how important it is to make something that once seemed idealistic or utopian
(equal rights for women, people of color, lgbt people) into something that
can today be realistic. Then tell them about the New Bottom Line of the
NSP.
Establish A Follow-Up
Do not leave without some next step. Ask if they'd be willing to sign a
petition in support of either the GMP or the SRA or a letter to their
Congressperson (bring a copy of a proposed letter which they could sign or
use as a prototype). Ask them if you could call them to update them on what
is happening in regard to building support for these approaches.
Close the Visit
Watch the time so that you do not spend too long - 45 minutes is enough.
Your time and their time needs to be respected. If you find your one to one
is going longer, be sure each of you agrees to extend the time. End the
visit by thanking the person for their time.
Reflection and Evaluation
After a visit fill out the Report Form. (Do not fill out the form during a
visit). It is important for you to reflect on the visit, think about what
they said and what is really meant, and what you did and why. You cannot
keep all this in your head and it will be helpful to have these notes to
refresh your memory.
Some questions to write down answers to after the visit:
What does this person care most about? Why?
What motivates them?
What do they get excited taking about?
How do they spend their time?
What is this person's story?
What community/public issues do they care about?
Evaluate the one to one. Ask yourself:
Did I establish a relationship?
How courageous was I? What was the riskiest question I asked?
What did I do well?
What could I have done differently?
Let us know what happens in these one-on-one meetings.
RabbiLerner at Tikkun.org. We will be sending more useful guidelines about how
to answer typical objections to our perspectives or post that on line as
soon as we possibly can.
------------------------------
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