Reports conf.calls

AoH on AoH Europe
First conference call Dec. 18, 2006

Participants: Jos, Lieven, Sarah, Maria, Toke, Monica, George, Ria, and Simone

Context:
It started from the Fellowship gathering in the Shire last year, and an Open Space session in the AoH in Belgium last October.
Dates are set in June 6-8, at Heerlijckyt, Learning Centre, outside Brussels

Question:
Jos: Is there relevant information for us here about the Jedi Council that happened one week ago?
Perspective offered by Lieven (and confirmed by George): the link between the Jedi Council and the art of hosting is that with the Jedi Council we are building a broad framework for transformation in Europe: how can we serve transformation where needed in a European environment? The AoH movement is a crucial cornerstone for this movement. What inspires me to take part in this group is to find a group of people that supports each other on specific projects, using the same methodology and having the same goal.

Check-in: What inspires me to be part of this group?

Jos: What inspires me is to create this field, there are a lot of practitioners out there, and to learn from each other.

Monica: AoHoAoH: bring some of the tools to the next level.

Maria: My inspiration for coming to this call and the purpose of creating AoHoAoH is that I am increasingly hearing the call for this pattern to go into the world. As a practitioner being called to this work the places have more and more complexity, and the need to go deeper with the people. It is timely to create an oasis where we can come together and share stories, and then take some rest and sense into what we are called in. My presence of being has probably more to do with shifts to happen, than the tools… I would like to look into: what is my current presence of being?

Sarah: I’m sensing that the AoH fellowship is expanding very rapidly and I sense an anxiety that the growth is happening, we need to consolidate the depth space, to ground the fellowship, to strengthen presence. Who is part of the fellowship? What are the patterns? A space to go deep for me and to ground.

Toke: I’ve heard nothing that is not vibrating in a good way for me. In the Shire I understood a lot deeper what the AoH pattern is, the simplicity of it; to be a steward of this, incredible complexity and yet some simplicity. I want to come to connect deeper to see and hear more about how we better can serve. I love the energy there; it seems to be a magnet in the centre of the web, or everywhere.
The learning around holding something that is self-organising with consciousness, clarity and ground.

Jos: I’m looking at my time, sorry I have to leave. I feel more inspired to join on this endeavor. Also as an inspiring way for people I am working with. Get beyond the level of normal thinking, from a deeper level. I feel here a connection that we are on the right track. I hope to join you and make it possible.

Ria: Three points stand out for me, which ask for further development: being present, harvesting and wise action. That seems part of the evolution of AoH. And coming together with people from Europe

Simone: personal level: The feeling of arriving at home. I think this did not only happen to me. I feel drawn to it and want to explore with other practitioners and the stewards how AoH can grow bigger and what it is that can grow.

Lieven: I feel touched by all the people I hear here, whom I don’t know. If we could host the AoHoAoH and really nurture that movement we can nurture the place here, which can carry content. AoH can be the most important for the place. AoH is an anchor for the place; it is a vehicle for doing things together. Leaving now…

What are the questions we are holding?

Toke: that we do the calling and organising with the utmost simplicity and elegance. A purpose and a calling question is enough. We have a place and dates; we have the AoH list and people who were part of AoH trainings.

Monica: I am for simplicity but what could serve is to look at the purpose; maybe crystallize it and make it clear. What is wanting to emerge? What is the real, real purpose?

Maria: What I feel emerging here is a purpose in 3 levels:
-    one is the call to create a shift from being individual practitioners or little clusters to a connected field of AoH practitioners. The shift from doing our stuff in different places, and being AoH practitioners being in a field; shifting from being individuals or little clusters of being part of a wider whole.
-    The next level of purpose: as a result of being together: What now? What is emerging now? The next level piece.
-    The third level is more the individual level: of being in a practice ground with other practitioners. What is our presence of being together?
On a more practical level, we need a purpose and a simple calling question, the figures to be able to work out the price and a simple invitation process.

Toke: Who is invited and who is not? Out of the Open Space meeting emerged that we want to set some boundaries around that. People should at least have been to an AoH, people who are already in the fire, however what level they are at. Having been in an AoH training – or something similar.

Monica: I prefer an openness in the invitation, but be very precise in the purpose; so that people self-select. Exploring the field between us, there would be juice in large-scale change and the potential of AoH for this.

George: The purpose is primary a community thing; strengthening the relationships and more specific: the fellowship can also become a Community of Practice (CoP) – not as a metaphor - but AoH as a CoP, as a practice field. To be more specific: the three main elements are:
-    the domain – what is the AoH, how do we describe our field?
-    the community itself – what roles and responsibilities do we have in the fellowship? how do we govern ourselves as comm.? What are the rhythms, cycles of our comm.
-    3rd element: what do we know: what are our tools, how do we share the knowledge?

Sarah: Who to invite? My clarity is that a minimum is being part of an AoH: having a common language and having the same principles. I also understand the gift of newness, but we need to think about finding the balance between broadness and depth; there are many people already part of this network and to reach the depth we need to be aligned.

Ria: Offers to hold the administration.

What could be the next steps? and Check-out

Maria: We have a gathering and that feels very good. Continue to shape the purpose online and see what is the calling question. Reconnect somewhere in January. Having the invitation ready by February (price). Starting a database of AoH.
Do we let people all over the world be part of this?

Simone: I resonate very much with building a field – or a CoP of AoH practitioners. I feel there is a huge potential in the AoH to bring large-scale positive change to the world and I am very inspired to be part of this gathering.
In practical: be the one who gather the database for the potential CoT; + contribute what is needed.

Toke: I feel very inspired by the call; the purpose gets really sharp – connecting it with the one of the OS session. Opening up for people outside of Europe is fine. I will support to work on the invitation and put it on the AoH site. Maybe connect once a month.

Monica: I missed a lot… I want to work on the purpose, tweak it. Nice to have it open for interesting relationships.

George: I join Toke’s idea a once month call; whoever can show up. Note: New Skype version for up to 10 people!

Ria: Knows the prices; will set up forum on ENexus to continue conversations online.

Sarah: happy to be part of this; will create list of UK practitioners and sending it to Simone; also once a month for good connections and sense the depth of the call. Let’s keep calling!