Activity reports

September 2004 to September 2005

Events sponsored:

Thursday, June 9, 2005 A video presentation & discussion on Spiral Dynamics - A new model for understanding the values that shape our world. This was a follow-up to the introductory seminar held last November. It explained the model and some of its real-world applications. A DVD of Dr. Don Beck’s recent presentation in holland was shown - a spiral dynamics perspective on fundamentalism in the Dutch context. " It’s not that we need to form new organizations. It’s simply that we have to awaken to new ways of thinking. I believe it makes no sense to spend a lot of time attacking the current realities. It is time to create the new models that have in them the complexity that makes the older systems obsolete. And to the extent that we can do that, and do that quickly, i think we can provide what will be necessary for a major breakthrough for the future. - Dr. Don Beck

Spiral dynamics is a comprehensive model describing the evolutionary unfolding of human consciousness in individuals, cultures and societies over the last 100,000 years. It unveils the hidden codes and dynamic forces that shape human nature, create global diversities and drive social change, showing how we evolve in response to ever more complex environments. Spiral dynamics originated with the pioneering work of psychology professor Clare Graves in the 1960’s." Don Beck worked closely with him and for nearly thirty years has been developing, teaching and implementing Spiral Dynamics. He travels tirelessly teaching and employing this model to bring about large-scale systems change in and among various sectors and societies of the world. For example, he has met with Bill Clinton, Tony Blair’s Policy Unit, and the World Bank. In South Africa he played a central role in the peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy and worked with president Nelson Mandela on deep reconciliation strategies.

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - Intuition, Intention, & the Culture of Peace The Life Science Foundation and The Institute of Noetic Sciences sponsored a research project featuring interviews with 40 peace workers from around the globe. Interview results suggest that people have common strategies and behaviors in spite of diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. This suggests a world-wide community of people who invest in a bank of techniques that they draw upon in order to enliven their commitments, overcome doubts and frustrations, and discern best next steps.

Our program focused on the application of intuition in our professional life, some techniques for tapping collective wisdom, and a Power Point presentation of the results of the study. Guest Speaker Sharon Franquemont is among the pioneers who established a graduate program in intuition at John F. Kennedy University. For more than 25 years, she has taught individuals, couples, and organizations how to channel their intuitive powers for better health and communication. Sharon is the author of the Do It Yourself Intuition Workbook; and You Already Know What to Do. She is also the founder of the annual Prayer Vigil for the Earth in Washington DC that brings indigenous elders together to share their wisdom and pray for peace.

Thursday, December 9, 2004 - A Reception to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Values Caucus at the United Nations. We especially invited all Ambassadors and UN Missions, UN personnel, organizations and dedicated individuals who had spoken at, or helped with, the Values Caucus events over the past 10 years, which included our “Monthly Meetings”, our “Ambassadorial Coffee Series” and our “Community Discussions”. We launched the year’s celebration in February by sharing a celebratory cake and co-sponsoring an event where one of the speakers was our old friend and champion, Alfredo Sfeir Younis from the World Bank. We also received a message from Ambassador Juan Somavía, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, who was instrumental in launching the Values Caucus in 1994 in preparation for the World Summit on Social Development, for which he was then Chair.

As the year drew to a close, we felt that it was important to highlight the contribution that the Values Caucus and the people who created and sustained it, made in providing a forum for open discussion of the values underlying the issues facing the United Nations. Also, as with all our meetings, the purpose of this gathering was to get to know one another in a friendly atmosphere, so that working together in the future we build a stronger UN and a better world.

Thursday, December 2, 2004 - Socrates – in Person: An Encounter with an Early “Citizen of the World”. Socrates returned after 2,500 years and welcomed discussion of questions like: How should we live? Who is a true patriot? What makes a city great? Why be Honest? What is Happiness?

This joyous sage of 5th Century Athens sought values that transcended those of his local time and place. Moreover, he took an action-orientated approach to fostering such values – asked to define justice; he said that he tries his best to behave justly. Socrates developed in depth participatory, multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural dialogues to promote positive values and transcend differences. He launched the tradition of Civil Disobedience in the West. Prof. Ron Gross, Chair of the Colombia University Seminar on Innovation in Education and author of Socrates Way: Seven Master Keys to Using your Mind to the Utmost, called Socrates up from the past to invigorate and enriched the lives of all present.

Thursday, November 4, 2004 - SPIRAL DYNAMICS: A New Model For Understanding The Values That Shape Our World World. Bill Harris is a noted expert on values and their effect on both individuals and social groups. In this presentation, he spoke on the Spiral Dynamics model of values, based on the pioneering work of Clare Graves, and explained how this model provides unique insights into present world conflicts and their solutions. Mr. Harris is President and Director of Centerpointe Research Institute. He is a noted author, personal growth leader, business owner and a frequent speaker at various scientific and transformational forums and workshops.

As we begin this new century, the world is at a unique crossroads. A complex matrix of political, religious, racial, economic, gender and environmental points of view are on a collision course. Demonstrating that these conflicts actually result from giant tectonic shifts between societal groups holding entirely different values perspectives, Spiral Dynamics provides a unique solution-oriented explanation of current world dynamics.

Thursday, October 7, 2004 - What Motivates People to End Wars, Work Together, Build Community and Forgive? David Adams, former director of the unit for the International Year for the Culture of Peace UNESCO, spoke at the Values Caucus meeting about the history and the values needed to create a Culture of Peace and a Global Movement. By leading us in an interactive workshop, David guided us to express the values and beliefs on which the Culture of War (COW) and Culture of Peace (COP) are based:
Culture of War: 1. Armaments and munition makers; 2.Reliance and Belief on the legitimacy of force and war; 3. Fear; 4.Enemy and Scapegoat; 5.Profits; 6. Authoritarian structure/power; 7. Control of Information--propaganda and secrecy; 8. Men; 9. Cause and Ideologues; 10. Army.
Culture of Peace 1.Disarmament and International Security; 2. Education for peace and Conflict Resolution; 3. Tolerance, Dialogue, respect, international understanding and solidarity; 4. Sustainable, Equitable Development; 5. Democratic Participation; 6. Transparency-free flow of information; 7. Gender Equality/participation; 8. Human Rights; 9. all this leads to Trust and confidence;

We discussed how participating in the Mid-decade report for the SG on The Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World, as called for in the GA Resolution A/53/243, could offer a unified and effective tool for building and recognizing the growing Global Movement for the Culture of Peace.

Events co-sponsored:

Thursday, May 27, 2005 - How Can the Spiritual Dimensions of Science and Consciousness Help the United Nations and Humanity Achieve Better Standards of Life in Larger Freedom? This was a seminar and group discussion. Keynote Talks were: How Can the Spiritual Dimensions of Science and Consciousness Help the UN and Humanity Achieve The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)? by Dr. Masaru Emoto, Research Scientist and Author, The Hidden Messages in Water.
What Part Does the Evolution of Consciousness Play in Helping the UN Achieve Its Objective of Promoting Better Standards of Life in Larger Freedom for All the World's People? by Anwarul K. Chowdhury, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countires and Small Island Developing States
Music was also part of the program.
It was Sponsored by the Spiritual Dimensions of Science and Consciousness Subcommittee of the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, A Committee of the Conference of NGOs (CONGO); the United Religions Initiative-UN; the Values Caucus; the Spiritual Caucus; and the Earth Values Caucus at the UN.

Thursday, February 12 , 2004 - Co-Sponsored by, The United Methodist Office for the UN. The Globalization of Spirit vs. The Globalization of Selfishness Rabbi Lerner spoke about the Post-Election Possibilities for World Transformation and Peace in an Era of Cynical Realism.
Rabbi Lerner was a national leader of the anti-war movement in the 60s and chair of Students for a Democratic Society at UC Berkeley. He was part of the Seattle 7 (where he went to teach philosophy) and was described by J.Edgar Hoover as one of America's most dangerous criminals for organizing anti-war demonstrations. Rabbi Lerner directed a research project on the psychodynamics of American society, where he discovered the hunger of working people for a transcendent meaning in their lives. He developed the politics of meaning and started Tikkun magazine in 1986. Among his books: Surplus Powerlessness, Jewish Renewal, The Politics of Meaning, Spirit Matters, Blacks and Jews--let the Healing Begin with Cornel West, and most recently Healing Israel/Palestine. He was honored by UTNE READER as one of America's 100 most significant visionaries, and received an award from PEN-Oakland for his courage in critiquing Israeli policy.