EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

 

About the Workshop

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At the workshop people gather together to explore how they can connect with others and create a group where everyone is deeply valued, listened to, respected and appreciated - despite the profound differences that exist between them.

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People sit in a circle, and trained facilitators guide and challenge the group to see past their differences and reach a state of Community, which is defined as,  “A group of two or more people who, regardless of the diversity of their backgrounds, have been able to accept and transcend their differences. They are able to communicate openly and effectively, and to work together toward common goals, while having a sense of unusual safety with one another.”

 

Origins

M. Scott Peck, author of “The Road Less Traveled,” originated the process of Community Building and in 1984 created the Foundation for Community Encouragement, a non-profit organization that sponsors the workshops.  He described the Community Building process in his book, “The Different Drum.”  Thousands of people have attended these workshops and the experience is often moving and transformative.

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The Challenge

Community Building is both very challenging and very rewarding.  It is challenging to overcome differences, not as an abstract ideal, but as an immediate task to be accomplished with the other people sitting in the same room as you.  Papering over differences or pretending they do not exist cannot achieve community -- hence the challenge.  Community Building requires determination and persistence.

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Reasons to Participate

The aim of the Community Building process is to become a group that has developed a deep sense of acceptance and an appreciation for the uniqueness and worth of every person in the group.  In a world where divisions are the cause of so many of our human problems, participating in such an experience is both valuable and rewarding.  If you have ever wondered about a viable alternative to differences preventing people from recognizing, respecting and hearing each other, you should consider attending the workshop.  You should also consider attending if you would like to find out what it is like when a group fully and unconditionally accepts and values all of its members.

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How it Works

The workshop takes place over two days.  People sit in a circle, and after an explanation by the facilitators of the Community Building model, the group is then tasked to build itself into a true Community.  The facilitators guide the group, but it is the group itself that must find out how to reach the goal of Community.  At times this requires the group to explore what are the blocks that prevent it from doing so.

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The Adventure

The workshop is an adventure as every group is different and will therefore face its own unique challenges as it builds itself into a Community.  It is not possible to say ahead of time what these challenges will be, or how the group will deal with them and resolve them.

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Benefits

When the group does become a true Community, it is profoundly moving and uplifting to discover that our differences can be so cherished and appreciated they actually unite the group with a powerful sense of mutual respect and acceptance, rather than dividing it.  Community Building provides a direct experience of the possibilities and joys of connecting with other human beings.

 

Many people come away from the workshop better able to affirm diversity and with greater listening skills. They have an enhanced ability to communicate authentically and to bridge differences with integrity.  This can make them more effective in the organizations where they work and serve, by improving their communication skills.

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Our Invitation to You

So please join us on an adventure which explores our essential capacity to connect with others and to overcome our differences.  Together we can discover and celebrate the glory of the uniqueness of each one of us and the power of our common humanity.

 

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