Report on the first Open Conversation July 4th, 2013 - Topic: The Convocation of Adidam.
1.In attendance – Theo Cedar Jones, Darren Hoffman, Lorraine James, John Andrews, Michael LaTorra, and 3 anonymous attendees.
2. Protocols of communication and maintaining anonymity for anonymous attendees
3. The 3 levels of Cooperative Culture in Adidam
4. The new social contract
5. Reviving the Mission
After reciting the Universal World Prayer, Theo read Adi Da’s Notes about the Convocation from December 4, 2007.
We notified all of the attendees that the meeting was going to be recorded and shared freely. Much deliberation at the beginning of the meeting was spent on the issue of whether the meeting itself should be recorded, and whether that record should be available to the public. One of the anonymous attendees mentioned that she feels uncomfortable having her attendance or her comments within an open conversation known to the public.
Lorraine questioned the need for recording and sharing the meeting. Theo stated that he wanted open conversations to be exemplary in terms of accountability and transparency, and therefore public records of the meetings should be archived and available to anyone online.
One possible approach to this and future meetings that was suggested is that attendees of the meeting can maintain their anonymity while still listening to the conversation, that their identity will not be announced or released by the moderator without the consent of the anonymous participant. This leaves the choice to be exposed up to the participant. It was also pointed out that the organizers of the meeting can not necessarily guarantee the anonymity of attendees. As long as anonymous attendees don’t speak up or announce themselves during the meeting, they have the chance of not being seen by other attendees.
Even with these protections, we discussed the possibility that there would be some people who would not participate in these meetings for fear of exposure, and that this would be a price we pay for transparency. We also discussed the possibility that as open conversations in Adidam build momentum, more people will feel safe enough to participate.
It was also pointed out that people are free to have confidential conversations if they want to talk in a more secure circumstance.
Next in the conversation was a brief presentation by Theo about the 3 levels of cooperative community in Adidam, the local level (i.e. devotional groups, cooperative households, Guruvaras, celebrations, Guild service, Parishes, retreats, etc.), the global level (the Convocation via webinar), and the institutional (The Bright House, the Samrajya, the Adidam Cooperative Forum).
Next, there was a reading of “Something New must emerge”, which includes Adi Da’s Calling for all people to make a new social contract. Theo asked if anyone wanted to step forward and offer their new social contact publicly. Theo Cedar Jones and Michael LaTorra proclaimed publicly their affirmation of Prior Unity.
Theo described his hope that there would be a critical mass of people who come forward to make a new social contract, so that there would be a new cultural context for open conversations in the future that are aligned with the intention and affirmation of Prior Unity.
The next Open Conversation via was announced for July 23rd and 24th, 7:30pm-9:30pm, 2013, the topic of which is The Global Cooperative Forum.
1.In attendance – Theo Cedar Jones, Darren Hoffman, Lorraine James, John Andrews, Michael LaTorra, and 3 anonymous attendees.
2. Protocols of communication and maintaining anonymity for anonymous attendees
3. The 3 levels of Cooperative Culture in Adidam
4. The new social contract
5. Reviving the Mission
After reciting the Universal World Prayer, Theo read Adi Da’s Notes about the Convocation from December 4, 2007.
We notified all of the attendees that the meeting was going to be recorded and shared freely. Much deliberation at the beginning of the meeting was spent on the issue of whether the meeting itself should be recorded, and whether that record should be available to the public. One of the anonymous attendees mentioned that she feels uncomfortable having her attendance or her comments within an open conversation known to the public.
Lorraine questioned the need for recording and sharing the meeting. Theo stated that he wanted open conversations to be exemplary in terms of accountability and transparency, and therefore public records of the meetings should be archived and available to anyone online.
One possible approach to this and future meetings that was suggested is that attendees of the meeting can maintain their anonymity while still listening to the conversation, that their identity will not be announced or released by the moderator without the consent of the anonymous participant. This leaves the choice to be exposed up to the participant. It was also pointed out that the organizers of the meeting can not necessarily guarantee the anonymity of attendees. As long as anonymous attendees don’t speak up or announce themselves during the meeting, they have the chance of not being seen by other attendees.
Even with these protections, we discussed the possibility that there would be some people who would not participate in these meetings for fear of exposure, and that this would be a price we pay for transparency. We also discussed the possibility that as open conversations in Adidam build momentum, more people will feel safe enough to participate.
It was also pointed out that people are free to have confidential conversations if they want to talk in a more secure circumstance.
Next in the conversation was a brief presentation by Theo about the 3 levels of cooperative community in Adidam, the local level (i.e. devotional groups, cooperative households, Guruvaras, celebrations, Guild service, Parishes, retreats, etc.), the global level (the Convocation via webinar), and the institutional (The Bright House, the Samrajya, the Adidam Cooperative Forum).
Next, there was a reading of “Something New must emerge”, which includes Adi Da’s Calling for all people to make a new social contract. Theo asked if anyone wanted to step forward and offer their new social contact publicly. Theo Cedar Jones and Michael LaTorra proclaimed publicly their affirmation of Prior Unity.
Theo described his hope that there would be a critical mass of people who come forward to make a new social contract, so that there would be a new cultural context for open conversations in the future that are aligned with the intention and affirmation of Prior Unity.
The next Open Conversation via was announced for July 23rd and 24th, 7:30pm-9:30pm, 2013, the topic of which is The Global Cooperative Forum.