Kate Parrot's feedback

1. What are the things I liked or valued the most ?

The people, I enjoyed being with people who have a vision for a better humanity. I liked being in the circle, I liked what people shared from their mind, heart, and visions of what is possible.
I liked the world cafe process for getting us started and exploring our burning questions. I also liked the open space methodology, but maybe limited to one day.
I liked the informal conversations and the networking.
I liked the open space approach to a point. I liked some of the presentations, for example yours, David Gershon, the one that Carlos and I did on assumptions.
I liked the dancing, we could have used a volunteer dj.
I liked the theme of the salon.
I liked Whidbey Institute, a little more sunshine would have been nice.
I liked the food and the people taking care of us.
I liked that we have the possibility of having a social evolution movement.
I liked that  evolution is being used as a foundation for social change.
I liked the possibility of more people becoming evolutionary leaders.
I liked that we had a lot of collective intelligence in the room, although not well used or put into alignment .
I also liked the pre readings, and the questions, and talking with another person.
I liked your list or chart of the future and the wild cards.
most people are not thinking of those wildcards, and we need to prepare for at least a couple.

2. What advises do you have for those organizing the next salon ?

I would suggest  a short 1 hour overview and a vision statement of what kind of a world do we want.
I would like to see a vision of a loving, just, democratic, and sustainable world. It was not clear to me, that we are all working toward a common vision, or close to a vision.
 
More diversity, from, Native American, Black, Asian, and Hispanic activists. Offer scholarships if needed.
 
I would recommend your presentation to the whole group as an example of how evolution can inform and empower a particular institution or discipline, or leadership. This way, others can have a model of how they can use evolutionary thinking to transform their particular area of life/work.
 
A suggest that at least the scientific definition of evolution be presented, that way at least we have a common language. Include a short paper on mainstream evolution, with the other papers.
 
I suggest these books for every participant to read, before or after the salon :
1. The Evolving Self. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
This book connects the personal evolution with the social evolution. It also gives concise explanations of what gets in our way as human beings, and what we can do to be more conscious of our self and in designing our future society.
 
2. The Tree of Knowledge. Humberto Maturana, Francisco Varela. This book explains how we are as living systems, and offers a new understanding of cognition and  emotions as a foundation for building human relations and bringing forth a world.
 
3. Collapse. Jared Diamond.
Gives an overview of our current path toward ecological destruction and the choices we have to make.
 
Make the pre assignment and the list of questions shorter.
 
a little more sunshine.
 
Have a more coherent strategic path forward or framework  for alignment of the many ways to promote social evolution.
 
Create a manual for hosting evolutionary salons. so that we can duplicate this more and more.
Give the salon organizers the book , The World Cafe.
 
Ask some foundations for money. that way we can have more salons, and more diversity of people attending, and we can fund programs for developing Evolutionary leaders.

3. How do you imagine your gifts contributing to the future of this movement ?

As a consultant, trainer, coach, I can be part of a group that trains participants and other people to become Evolutionary Leaders.
 
I can offer consulting for strategic and systems thinking. so that participants become systems thinkers, and see the whole.
 
I can help salons connect to other groups/institutions, working for a sustainable future.
 
I offer the gift of Language and conversations. So that participants are competent in using language for designing
the future and for taking effective action.
 
I also offer my gifts of playfulness and loving, so that we can enjoy this evolutionary journey.
 
Thanks very much, look forward to other salons.
 
Co-evolutionary.
 
Manuel