World Change Conference

World Change Conference - April 24 - May 2, Berkeley, CA

Common Circle Education is thrilled to announce a powerful week-long experiential intensive for people wanting to take an active, empowered role to bring about a thriving, beautiful, sustainable world.
We are bringing together some of the greatest teachers of our time in a nine-day intensive course:

- Joanna Macy (joannamacy.net) - Jon Young (8shields.org)
- Christopher Kuntzsch (christopherkuntzsch.com)
- James Stark (regenerativedesign.org)
- John Kinyon (johnkinyon.com)
- Shaktari Belew (honoringalllife.org)
- Starhawk (starhawk.org)
- Kevin Danaher (globalexchange.org)
- Richard Register (ecocitybuilders.org)
 -- and more!

The core components of this course will be:
- Work That Reconnects
- Theory of Spiral Dynamics - Conflict Mediation through NVC - Ecology of Leadership
- Eight Shields Model of Mentoring
- Transition Town Training - and much more!

When:  Saturday April 24 - Sunday May 2nd     Cost:   $695 (register before April 1st)
         $895 (register between April 1-April 15th)
         $1395 (regular rate)

Registration:  http://commoncircle.com/wcc-apply

Where:  Common Circle Education, 2130 Center in Berkeley

"If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people, people whose love for this life is even greater than their fear." - Joanna Macy

About the Conference Components:

- THE WORK THAT RECONNECTS
The Work That Reconnects is a pioneering form of group work that began in the 1970s. It demonstrates our interconnectedness in the web of life and our authority to take action on its behalf.  It has helped many thousands around the globe find insight, solidarity, and courage to act, despite rapidly worsening conditions. Based on systems theory, spiritual teachings, and deep ecology.

- EIGHT SHIELDS MENTORING AND NATURE CONNECTION
The 8 shields  mentoring model is based on the patterns that can be observed in nature. It models these cycles in a way that allows the observer to categorize these patterns and apply them in a variety of settings. This mentoring approach is very effective at mapping the flow of learning. This model is also used for organizing effective team interactions and cultural processes within community, educational, business, and many other settings.

- THEORY OF SPIRAL DYNAMICS
Spiral Dynamics is a theory of human development based on the idea that human nature is not fixed: humans are able, when forced by life conditions, to adapt to their environment by constructing new, more complex, conceptual models of the world that allow them to handle the new problems. Each new model includes and transcends all previous models.

- MEDIATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE USING NVC
This workshop gives an introduction to our training program that strengthens your abilities to apply the skills of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to all aspects of conflict - inner and outer, in your own life as well as others’, and in all types of conflict situations – from business/organizational to personal, family and
community relationships. Emphasis is placed on seeing one’s relationship with conflict as a life practice of returning to presence (i.e. mindful awareness) and mediating from empathic connection with the needs of self and others and making clear, “doable” requests to meet the needs of all compassionately.

- DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE AND THRIVING CITIES
How can we focus on reshaping cities, towns and villages for long term health of human and natural systems? By returning healthy biodiversity to the heart of our cities, agriculture to gardens and the streets, and convenience and pleasure to walking, bicycling and transit.  We visualize a future in which waterways in neighborhood environments and prosperous downtown centers are opened for curious children, fish, frogs and dragonflies.  We will learn about building thriving neighborhood centers while reversing sprawl development, to build whole cities based on human needs and “access by proximity” rather than cities built in the current pattern of automobile driven excess, wasteful consumption and the destruction of the biosphere.

- COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND TRANSITION TOWNS
The Transition Town process supports community‐led responses to peak oil and climate change, building resilience and happiness.   Central to the Transition Town movement is the idea that a life without oil could in fact be far more enjoyable and fulfilling as the coming post-cheap oil era is an opportunity rather than a threat, and we can design the future low carbon age to be thriving, resilient and abundant — somewhere much better to live than our current alienated consumer culture.

- THE ECOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP
Ecology of Leadership programs have served hundreds of non-profit leaders, community activists, eco-social entrepreneurs, and other conscious change-makers, in deepening their paths of service and the effectiveness and fulfillment with which they bring their gifts, visions, and passions into their lives, organizations, communities, and the world.

During this 1-day intensive, you will have the opportunity to touch into the essence, core principles, and practices of the Ecology of Leadership journey, which integrates pathways for self-awareness and nature-connection with principles of regenerative systems thinking and Permaculture.

Come and take part in germinating a new paradigm of regenerative, heart-centered, nature-sourced leadership and learn how engaging this unique and transformative model could support you in stepping more powerfully into your gifts, your passions and more firmly onto your path of service in the world. 

- ACCELERATING TRANSITION TO GREEN ECONOMY
The green economy is growing at a rapid rate and will increasingly challenge the existing, unsustainable economy. Evidence of this paradigm shift can be seen in growing consumer demand for nature-friendly products, huge investments in renewable energy and clean-tech sectors, and more corporate leaders acknowledging social/environmental responsibility as a competitive advantage. 

Due to the complexity of logistics of this event, schedule and speakers are subject to change.