Lynnette's Event Appreciations

Lynnette's Follow Up Appreciation message Symposium Facilitator's Training November 8-11 for 13 new facilitators from our area. These folks were inspired to take the 5 day training after being part of the 90 organizers or participants in the Pachamama Alliance's Awakening The Dreamer Symposium October 27, 2007 at Woodside Spiritual Center here in Bellingham. We have a tentative date for a February 23, 2008 ATD Symposium planned for the overflow of the last symposium there, which will be announced when dates and times are confirmed. The Facilitaor's Practicum will be held at in Bellingham on December 1st and 2nd.

I so enjoyed the Nov 8-11, 2007 Facilitator's training at Camp Brotherhood and the formation of the Wild Geese! (This is the name we chose for the NW Facilitators community that formed at that training.) What a training that was. I was amazed that we actually covered the whole (wonderful) manual. I haven't experienced such in-depth preparation or in-depth, whole-person facilitating and participating--not to mention heart-connecting and networking before. And I heard similar responses from many there, both participants and presenters.

Lynnette's follow-up message of appreciation for the November 15th Bellingham IONS Van Jones DVD event--his speech to the Pachamama Facilitators on "AND Social Justice?"

As you know our Bellingham IONS theme this season is Awakening The Dreamer, Changing The Dream. At our last BIONS meeting on November 15th, we showed the Pachamama Facilitator's Global Community Gathering speech by Van Jones, going in depth on the "AND Socially Just?" part of the ATD vision. There were 33 in attendance and the response was an audience of intense feelings and tears. ..profound.

I had several tell me it really informed them on a level they hadn't connected with before and we had many requests for the speech on DVD, some from community leaders. The requests have been for accessing the DVD of this speech. Now we have communicated with the Pachamama Alliance leaders and found that we can make the DVD available so we are making copies. Phone 714-9305

I understand how important it is to introduce this speech--putting it in the context of the Global Gathering--the Facilitator's request for deepening the Social Justice part of the ATD vision for an ecologically sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on this planet. I did introduce it this way. I was not prepared for the emotional response of the audience to this speech. It surprised me a bit. Now I think we are ready here in our community for a wider event showing this speech--inviting many diverse organizations to cosponsor it and come to it. I believe we need this piece now--now that Van Jones has opened the door and we are showing signs of being ready to go through it.

Thank you for attending the October 2, 2007 Pachamama Symposium at Woodside. The energy of transformation was palpable. Ninety energized people filled the church and the facilitators Mara Mitchell, Rich Henry, Johanna and Victor Bremson presented an inspiring symposium.

The Bellingham Pachamama Symposium Community Group had created a nurturing environment that contributed to the experience. Woodside Spiritual Center and gardens brought nature right into the process. There were three Native American Indian women from the Honor Day Foundation in the front rows who brought a deep dimension of participation, a reality, enhancing the field of healing energy.

The break out group interactions were rich and the reports reflected the depth of our community’s awareness of the issues. The open space process elicited such creativity! Many will want to continue to communicate and develop their areas of interest.

The symposium came together smoothly because the nine members of the Bellingham Pachamama team so enjoyed organizing it together. We were partnered in this by Reverend Jaine and Woodside in a wonderful way that will forever influence the way we grow wisdom community in Bellingham.

My memories of the first Bellingham Pachamama Symposium will be of the amazing community energy that was here for it. People from several organizations and businesses came together and nine people engaged in a cohesive group organizing that was fun to be part of and inspiring to observe.

I had asked for miracles and they were happening. For me one of them was when in the Open Space process, I suggested a "Nurturing Local Media" group and with 90 people finding their groups, when I got to where we were going to meet, I didn't see anyone, so I joined one of the other groups. When it was time for my group report, it turned out two people had met and had a lot to report about what has been done to prepare for a local television station programmed by and for community members. And there was a request for people in the audience to support bringing it to our City Council for an appropriation of funding that is already available for it. Of course there was a chorus of agreement to that from the Symposium participants and it is something I can help promote through Sustainable Bellingham and Bellingham IONS and other community-minded organizations. It was music to my ears.
The moments after the grief processing that Cyndy Sheldon led were poignant for me. This was my third symposium, and though I've kept a very heavy lid on my tears, they erupted. I went out to the garden and Jan Super, a Lummi elder, was there calling out in powerful resounding tones to the directions. And for that I am grateful. It was a heightened moment and a healing moment for me.