ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND GRATITUDE
We shall acknowledge first those whose hands were closest to the crafting of the Art of Convening process, and then the influencers whose heads and hearts offered wisdom, love, and support along the way.
Steve Piersanti, our editor, encouraged us early in the decade to write this book, saying we were the ones to define the territory. His patience over six years is admirable as he masterfully guided us every step of the way.
Craig first became aware of the potential of group transformation at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 26, 1963, during the civil rights March on Washington, and then honed his convening skills at the feet of his parents, Barbara and Earl Neal, during their “thinkers and drinkers” salons throughout his teen years.
Patricia had the inspiration for an AoC book, saying we needed to give the members of the Thought Leader Gatherings the recipe for the unique design and execution of convening the TLGs. It was Peter Barnes who graciously hosted Craig for two weeks at his Mesa Refuge writers’ retreat, where the initial outline for the book was created in April 2004.
Pele Rouge Chadima and FireHawk Hulin have been partners on our journey, greatly influencing the Art of Convening and Heartland.
Kate O’Keefe, codesigner of the TLGs and thinking partner over the years, introduced us to the world of group process and design.
We give thanks to the TLG member and conversation starter communities who have been partners in the development and practice field of convening since 1998.
The Art of Convening Training graduates signed on and were willing to create a learning community that deepened the field of convening. Most of the stories, and many of the quotes and poems, come from this community.
A special thank you goes to the AoC Advanced Training groups who helped to further hone the foundation and craft the Convening Wheel over years of collaborative work together. To them we owe much for the content of this book.
The book could not have been written without AoC mentors and trainers Minx Boren, Claudia Eisinger, Paul Strickland and Ann Marie Stuart. Minx helped to sculpt the Wheel and the final edits of the first draft of the manuscript. Claudia, Ann Marie, and Paul have been constant mentors in the development of the trainings and therefore the book.
There are many spiritual, intellectual influences to which we owe much for the core theories and practices of AoC:
Peter Block’s unapologetic stakes in the ground about the nature of community and freedom have been inspiring. Richard Leider’s deep elder wisdom resonates throughout this book. Meg Wheatley was an early and consistent voice for the power of whole systems in human dynamics. Parker Palmer’s personal vulnerability and work with Circles of Trust and Quaker-inspired reflection bring soul to our table. David Bohm’s seminal work on dialogue is bedrock. Juanita Brown and David Isaac’s deep inquiry into the spiritual realms of human form and interaction manifest in the elegant World Café methodology.
Oscar Ichazo and the Arica Institute introduced Craig and Patricia to the psychospiritual nature of the human condition, while Adi Da taught Craig the radical nature of love. In 1999, Craig was involved in the emergence and publication of the book A Course of Love, which serves as a primary source of inspiration.
Amy Lenzo, Eric Utne, Sarah and Paul Strickland, Betsy Stites, John Gisler, and Tom Atchison, have been our dear friends, counselors, and teachers. All along the way, Zoë and Graham François, and Carey and Alec Neal have been a source of love and inspiration to us.
STORY CONTRIBUTORS
Eric Babinet • Elizabeth Becker • Minx Boren • Pele Rouge Chadima • Terry Chapman • Anne Griswold • Sheila Hines Edmondson • Pam Hull • Lauren Kettner • Lauren Patterson • Bev Scott • Ann Marie Stuart • Eric Utne • Bill Veltrop • Paul Ward
POETRY AND QUOTES
A. R. Ammons • Elizabeth Becker • Minx Boren • Peter Block • Michael Bush • Pele Rouge Chadima • Doc Childre and Howard Martin • Wilhelm Dilthey • Albert Einstein • Claudia Eisinger • Hopi Elders • Tom Hurley • Myron Lowe • William Murray • Diarmuid O’Murchu • Jalal al-Din Rumi • Sue Patton Thoele • Brenda Ueland
EDITORS AND REVIEWERS
Tom Atchison • Minx Boren • Sandy Chase • Jeffrey Cufaude • Marisa Handler • Heather Pamula • Steve Piersanti • Amol Ray • Jeevan Sivasubramaniam • Leigh Wilkinson
BERRETT-KOEHLER PRODUCTION STAFF
Book Cover Design, Irene Morris • Copyediting, Elissa Rabellino • Proofreading, Henrietta Bensussen • Indexing, J. Naomi Linzer • Interior Design, Laura Lind • Production, Dianne Platner and Linda Jupiter
PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED AND HAD AN IMPACT ON THE CREATION OF THIS BOOK:
Cheryl Alexander Stearns • Anders Axelsson • Tom Atchison • Eric Babinet • Joseph Bailey • Doug Baker Sr. • Katherine Ball • David Banner • Richard Barrett • Vonda Vaden Bates • Yogiraj Charles Bates • Elizabeth Becker • Peter Block • Dan Bohnhorst • Minx Boren • Gail Brinkman • Alan Briskin • Cathy Buelow • Trudy Canine • Pele Rouge Chadima • Terry Chapman • John Christensen • Wallys Conhaim • Martha Coventry • Barbara Davis • Fran Davis • Joe Donofrio • Claudia Eisinger • Cheryl Esposito • Jodie Evans • Mark Finser • Ayn Fox • Graham François • Zoé François • William Frost • Robert Gass • Tom Gegax • Julie Gilbert • John Gillespie • John Gisler • Barbara Greene • Anne Griswold • Willis Harmon • Rebecca Herrero • Jim Higgins • Ned Holle • FireHawk Hulin • Pam Hull • George Johnson • Ellen Kearney • Brian Kempton • Rob Kesselring • Kim Knutson • Susan Kraus • Kimberly Kristenson-Lee • Maureen Lauer • Richard Leider • Amy Lenzo • Ross Levin • Cheri Litsheim • Myron Lowe • Margaret Lulic • Marilyn Mason • Barbara McAfee • Louise Miner • Margaret Mitchell • Wendy Morris • Alec Neal • Barbara Neal • Carey Neal • Deborah Nelson • Kate O’Keefe • Polo and Kiki • Heather Pamula • Debra Paterson • Cheryl Persigehl • Marcia Pillon • Jane Powers • Lynette Raap • Will Raap • Michael Ray • John Renesch • Betsy Sanders • Sandy Sanders • Paul Scheele • Michelle Schmitt • Bev Scott • Jim Secord • Barbara Shipka • David Sibbet • Gary Smaby • Joel Solomon • Jeff Staggs • Nancy Stephan • Paul Strickland • Sarah Strickland • Betsy Stites • Ann Marie Stuart • Marilyn Tam • Bruce Taub • Mark Thompson • Deborah Tompkins • Eric Utne • Nina Rothschild Utne • Vonda Vaden • Bill Veltrop • Marilyn Veltrop • David Wagner • Diana Whitney • Crystal Wold • John Wood
PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCED OUR UNDERSTANDING ABOUT CONVENING:
Tom Atlee • Angeles Arrien • Joseph Bailey • Christina Baldwin • Peter Block • David Bohm • Alan Briskin • Juanita Brown • Pele Rouge Chadima • Doc Chlldre • David Cooperrider • Adi Da • Stewart Emery • Werner Erhard • Robert Gass • Glenna Gerard • FireHawk Hulin • Tom Hurley • Oscar Ichazo • David Isaacs • Martin Luther King Jr. • Richard Leider • Amy Lenzo • Joel Levey • Michelle Levey • Ann Linnea • Barbara Neal • John O’Donohue Kate O’Keefe • Harrison Owen • Parker Palmer • Steve Piersanti • Michael Ray • John Renesch • Steve Roberts • Vicki Robin • Otto Scharmer • Peter Senge • David Sibbet • Eric Utne • Bill Veltrop • Marilyn Veltrop • Margaret Wheatley • Diana Whitney • David Whyte • WindEagle and RainbowHawk • Tenneson Woolfe • The Course of Love
THANK YOU TO OUR THOUGHT LEADER GATHERING CONVERSATION STARTERS:
Vickie Abrahamson • Patricia Aburdene • Mark Albion • Angeles Arrien • James Autry • Joseph Bailey • Doug Baker • Peter Barnes • Cathy Barr • Richard Barrett • Vonda Vaden Bates • David Batstone • Barbra Berlovitz • Meredith Beam • Peter Block • Alan Briskin • Peter Brosius • Juanita Brown • Laurie Brown • Tim Brownell • Karen Buckley • Carol Engebretson Byrne • Mary Capozzi • Bob Carlson • Kevin Cashman • Chip Conley • Lori Crever • Sara Criger • Bruce Cryer • Patrick Donovan • Duane Elgin • Stewart Emery • Steve Epp • Chuck Feltz • Dan Ferber • Andrew Ferguson • Stacy Fisher • Margot Fraser • Pablo Gaito • Sandra Gardebring • Tom Gegax • Julie Gilbert • John Gisler • William Gold • Neal Gorenflo • Vincent Gracieux • Mary Hamann-Roland • Dan Hanson • Charlie Hartwell • John Haynes • Barry Heerman • Gay Hendricks • Peter Henschel • Elliot Hoffman • Susan Hubbard • FireHawk Hulin • Pam Hull • Tom Hurley • Ron James • Bob Johansen • Michael Jones • Syl Jones • Eamonn Kelly • Marjorie Kelly • Rick King • Peter Koestenbaum • Joel Kramer • Richard Leider • Doug Lennick • Cyndi Lesher • Ross Levin • Margaret Lulic • Barbara Marx-Hubbard • Marilyn Mason • Deborah Nelson • James O’Dea • David O’Fallon • Karen Oman • Steve Piersanti • Carol Pine • Tad Piper • Miha Pogacnik • Michael Ray • Paul Ray • Horst Rechelbacher • David Reiling • Ocean Robbins • Robert Rosen • Peter Russell • Betsy Sanders • Elizabeth Sahtouris • Otto Scharmer • Laura Scher • John Scherer • Ann Schrader • Julie Schmidt • Rayona Sharpnack • David Sibbet • Gary Smaby •Geoff Sylvester • Betsy Stites • Tom Szaky • Marilyn Tam • Paul Terry • Mark Thompson • Michael Trebony • Yvette Trotman • Nina Rothschild Utne • Peter Vaill • Bill Veltrop • David Wagner • Mal Warwick • Robyn Waters • Barbara Waugh • Margaret Wheatley • Dave Wondra • Daniel Wordsworth • Vivian Wright • Ray Yeh
THANK YOU TO OUR VISIONHOLDERS:
Patricia Aburdene • Mark Albion • Angeles Arrien • James Autry • Chris Avery • Joseph Bailey • David Banner • Peter Barnes • Jane Barrash • Richard Barrett • Peter Block • Juana Bordas • Alan Briskin • Juanita Brown • Rinaldo Brutoco • John Hope Bryant • Victoria Castle • Pele Rouge Chadima • John Christensen • Deidre Combs • Chip Conley • Robert Dickman • Elizabeth Doty • Riane Eisler • Duane Elgin • Tom Gegax • Glenna Gerard • Terry Gips • Marshall Goldsmith • Barry Heerman • Sandy Heierbacher • FireHawk Hulin • Tom Hurley • John Izzo • Maggie Jackson • Bob Johansen • Brian Johnson • George Johnson • Michael Jones • Van Jones • Eamonn Kelly • Fred Kiel • Leo Kim • David Korten • Richard Leider • Joel and Michelle Levey • Stewart Levine • Margaret Lulic • Marilyn Mason • Renee Moorefield • James O’Dea • Kate O’Keefe • Verna Cornelia Price • Kavita Ramdas • Michael Ray • John Renesch • Ann Riley • Peter Russell • Elizabeth Sahtouris • Bernie Saunders • Otto Scharmer • Andrea Batista Schlesinger • Rayona Sharpnack • Sarah Susanka • Marilyn Tam • Mark Thompson • Eric Utne • Leif Utne • Nina Rothschild Utne • Bill Veltrop • David Wagner • Robyn Waters • Diana Whitney • Vivian Wright • Margaret Wheatley
We’d like to thank anyone who has attended a Thought Leader Gathering, participated in an Art of Convening Training, or attended a VisionHolder Interview call.
THOSE WHO PROVIDED WRITING RETREAT SPACE:
Peter Barnes, Tomales Bay Institute, Mesa Refuge • Martha Coventry • William Frost • Nina Rothschild Utne, Lily Springs Farm • Zoë and Graham François • Life Science Foundation Retreat Center • Oak Ridge Conference Center • Susan Kraus • Gary and Nanci Smaby • Will and Lynette Raap