The Food Justice Community Kitchen in the BIG ONE

Grassroots Collaboration Workshop

Worldwide, dedicated grassroots groups and individuals work hard to improve the lives of people and ecosystems.  There is very little time to develop deep and systemic strategic thinking.  In many cases this leads to working on pieces rather than whole systems, crisis management rather than proactive long-term strategies.  The result in Jerusalem, Northern New Mexico or wherever grassroots activism operates:  limited effectiveness, struggles to access adequate funding resources, and burn-out. 

This retreat serves change agents—working to discover and manifest the full potential for our communities.  We will be introduced to new ways of thinking, becoming more successful and effective in our work. We will explore ways to collaborate with each other.

The retreat will help us:

• Establish a network of connections, (for example: Jerusalem and New Mexico)

Generate relevant, compelling and unifying visions,

• Weave vision into effective strategies for work, attracting support, and building alignment among diverse groups, and

• Develop action plans translating insights into results.  

 Dates:  Friday May 29, 2009 through Sunday, May 31

Facilitators: Ben Haggard, Micha Kurz, Thomas Renault

Open to: Grassroots organizations, change agents, resource representatives

Who’s Invited So Far: Organizations from Jerusalem (East and West), Jerusalem Diaspora, and Northern New Mexico community groups

Outcome:

A task force of grassroots organizers from throughout Jerusalem, equipped with tools, funds, and a detailed plan and time frame for manifesting a mutual vision of community collaboration directed towards justice and eventually Peace.

Benefits:

• “Weaving of vision” that collaborates the different goals and plans,                                                                   
• Opportunity to pull resources for common goals,                                                                                      
• Common and shared lists of priorities ensuring all objectives are considered and none missed,                                                             
• Familiarity with activists and common interests,                                                                                       
• Collaborative projects,                                                                                                                                            
• Long term goals and visions,                                                                                                                                
• Sense of community- Larger context and  purpose                                                                                                          
• Fund raising                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
• Introduction to the Lama Foundation way of life and thought

Who is invited?

 A variety of Community leaders, Israeli,  Palestinian and international, working on several levels,  goals and issues from grassroots organizations throughout Jerusalem and the surrounding area, who are focused on creating an example of a sustainably Just and peaceful  existence, inclusive of all the city’s inhabitants, cultures, and religions  while solving and transcending the differences

Representatives from organizations and communities of the Jerusalem Diaspora, interested in directly supporting on the ground activities and organizations of the grassroots Jerusalem network.

Northern New Mexico grassroots organizations working through challenges somewhat similar to those in Jerusalem, only in different contexts.