The Berkana Institute

I would like to respond to the invitation offered by Berkana's board about "co-creating this next stage of the journey — experimenting with a self-organizing system that can harness our collective creativity and commitment for building healthy and resilient communities." Since becoming involved with Berkana, we have been asking the question: what are the conditions that need to be present for self-organizing to occur? Now, it seems that the time has come to really launch a conscious experiment in this field, not within one of the programs or initiatives hosted by or in partnership with The Berkana Institute, but as a whole. I feel both excited and nervous about this pivotal step we are taking together.

So, what do I think is called for as we take this step? The first thing that comes to mind is a principles which evolved within the Art of Hosting Community - PASSION and RESPONSIBILITY. One of the conditions which I feel needs to be present for self-organizing to happen is a broader group of individuals who feel passionately about a particular project, initiative or inquiry that connects into the larger Berkana field. Of course, along with that passion there needs to be a sincere commitment and sense of responsibility. And finally, I believe that there also needs to be a sense of passion about the collective field in which Berkana plays . . . a sense of connection to the whole and a desire to both learn and contribute learning to this whole.

Secondly, I believe that there is a need for a high level of conscious intention around the experiment we are in and regular points of checking-in, reflecting and re-evaluating our current situation. None of us are pretending to “have it right” as we launch this new form and way of working, so it is important to not get too attached to a particular idea or concept of what we are now or where we are going. For the next several months we have to constantly be asking ourselves: What is working? Where is the energy flowing? What is challenging? Where are there challenges? How do we adapt ourselves to follow the energy of YES? All of this reflecting and learning needs to be done with a certain level of rigor as well. We cannot let the process of stopping, evaluating, choosing and consciously making adjustments fall to the bottom or our priority lists, particularly during the next 6 – 12 months.

Finally, I think that this transformation will be most successful if it is co-created by many friends and supporters of The Berkana Institute. The board and new governance/learning councils will be well served by the input of ideas, suggestions, learnings and past experiences from our broad community of partners and associates in the world. How have other organizations successfully transformed themselves into self-organizing systems? What have they learned? What tools have been useful? What do others think about the new form? What gifts would they like to offer and receive from this new Berkana?

Those are a few of my thoughts on this big transition. As a pioneering initiative leader, I am encouraged by the innovation and freedom I feel is now possible for everyone involved with The Berkana Institute’s community. My deepest desire is that this new form and way of organizing will truly allow those involved to tap into their deepest passions in the world and manifest them in the world; and that we will all be able to do this in a way that creates a field of shared learning, exploration and reciprocal inspiration!