In the beginning ... there were communities!
As the salon hosts began exploring ideas about getting a group
of people that we liked and admired, good thinkers, doers and
dreamers together, we discussed, reflected and explored the joy,
frustration and questions about community. What does community
mean in the 21st century? How did we get from agrarian societies
and feudal monarchies to our post industrial, high techno world
we live in today?
What have we gained and what have we lost?
Two hundred years ago people in Europe moved from the farms to
the factories and the Industrial Revolution was born. People
left the countryside and their communities to enter the cold
and often polluted and isolated work of manufacturing. Workers
rights in the Industrial Age were ignored by the corporations
that paid them, and as conditions worsened, people formed their
own communities to discuss their plight – lack of sanitary conditions,
long hours, no breaks, many injuries. These groups had much success
in protecting workers rights and “associations” were formed.
And then –
Associations (“a group
of individuals who voluntarily enter into an agreement to accomplish
a purpose” –Wikipedia)
In our modern age, associations
have many definitions – “special interest groups”, “unions”,
and “media”. These professional “entities” have dominated much
of the modern corporate and public landscape and shape how we
connect to one another at work and in our social lives. Like
corporations, associations dictate wages, standards of living,
work conditions, legislative, workplace and environmental policies,
set social and political parameters, procedures and
have affected, in many cases our behaviours. Unfortunately, what
began as a community with common purpose is now an enterprise
that represents your issue for you if you pay.
The world as we know it...
In spite of progress, technology and convenience, humans are
still social creatures. Our very nature is to connect with one
another about issues that matter to or affect us. We are continuously
bombarded by major economic, political, social, cultural and
spiritual changes at rate and frequency that is unprecedented
in human history. As we struggle to make sense of these changes,
their pace and what they mean for us individually, we are seeking,
creating and forming new communities to process, understand and
make sense of our world.
So, now what?
The salon hosts began wondering outloud what it might be like
to explore these topics with other diverse thinkers, leaders, professionals,
young people across Europe. Some of our questions are:
• What kind of communities do we need
to shape or build now in order to answer these global challenges
where we live, learn and work?
• Will we transcend competition
and invent a new face of community?
• How can each one of us ‘stand out’ in the face of this rapid
fire and accelerated change?
• What will it take to leave a legacy that future
generations will be proud of?
• What role does dialogue
and conversation play for us as we try and make meaning of
what is happening to us?
• What kind of leadership is required
for a vibrant future for our workplaces, governments, schools,
institutions?
• How might we, through inclusive
dialoguing and inspiring leadership, help coordinate and effect
individual and collective action?
• Add
your own questions to the online forum !
We crafted the following intent for the European Salon to articulate our WHY:
If this purpose resonates with you, don't hesitate to join the conversation in Egensbach.
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