Our relationship with the MIT Center for CI

Susan and Sheri wrote:

With the launch of this CCI, and since there are so many parallels between our CIC work, an update email sent to all of the invitees could be a good strategic move.  If we are silent, that could be interpreted as opposition, or of being marginalized in the shadow of CCI.  If we look at it in classic integral terms, The MIT Center can be a great ally in this work as we continue to broaden the field and the work in all quadrants/domains.  Clearly the MIT CCI has tremendous assets in the lower right quadrant, with their technologies, institutional clout, and abilities to connect individuals and social systems on a very large scale.  

I believe the work of CIC can distinguish itself by adopting a more deliberate, systematic integral perspective (my sense from working with this group is that we do this intuitively and naturally anyway, but now are under pressure not to let things fall through the cracks).  ‘Integral Collective Intelligence’ could be a key approach for making sure that this field of research and practice truly encompasses all quadrants and all significant approaches, and enables them to come together more effectively into a liberating ecology. We don’t need to use this language specifically, but perhaps hold the intention and employ the useful mappings and methodologies.

In looking over the MIT site and faculty, Sheri and I were even more inspired by the work we are doing with this convergence and a potentially more “integral” approach.  It could be beneficial to have this energy conveyed to other invitees. We have to assume that they will hear about the CCI from other people (Jair from Imaginify has already alerted the Evolutionary Salon folks) and would be reassured at some level to hear it first from the convenors of this CI gathering and “soft launch”.

Even better if we could begin now to develop some kind of strategic alliance with MIT CCI.  Of course, this would have to be done without them feeling one-upped in any way.  We have to position ourselves in a way that appears as an overall benefit to them (and it would be of course, anyway ☺)