20th Anniversary of The Tao of Democracy!

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Subject: 20th Anniversary of The Tao of Democracy!

The Co-Intelligence Institute

July 2023 Newsletter

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of
"The Tao of Democracy"

The Tao of Democracy outlined a vision for a wise democracy, grounded in Tom Atlee’s then already decade-long inquiry: “what would intelligence look like if we took wholeness, interconnectedness, and co-creativity seriously?”.

Written 20 years ago, the book orients us on a still-urgent quest to collaboratively evolve new ways of governing ourselves - such as, How do we co-evolve ways of governing that can evoke and engage the wisdom and resourcefulness of the whole on behalf of the whole? … and How do we co-evolve ways of governing that can actually address today’s planetary “polycrisis”?

Today, even as our predicament gets worse and we see far too many examples of co-stupidity, we also see tantalizing signs of better ways of governing emerging through creative experimentation, shifts in conversation, maturation of approaches Tom highlighted 20 years ago, and new initiatives and networks launching now. As Tom would say, “it’s getting better and better and worse and worse faster and faster.”

Shall we ride this wave together?

Over the coming months we will be celebrating the Tao Of Democracy (ToD) 20th Anniversary with new ways to engage as a community around co-intelligence and the work needed to bring a wise democracy to greater life in the world. How would you most like to engage together?

We welcome your collective input HERE.

Please Upvote other's ideas, and add any that you don't see for ways you would most like to celebrate the 20th Anniversary and engage as a community this year.

*****************

Read the Tao of Democracy Introduction in pdf

“The Tao of Democracy provides clear evidence that we already have the resources and wisdom we need to confront even the most difficult challenges. It calls on us to access our collective intelligence to create the futures we want rather than being forced to live with the futures we get.” - Juanita Brown Ph.D., Co-founder: The World Cafe.

Real World Co-Intelligence Reflections: SeaCHANGE Conference

We had a wonderful call exploring Beth Tener's work as co-designer and co-host of the SeaCHANGE conference, and also in restructuring another annual conference along the same lines, at the request of the organizers. The conversation delved into what enabled the group to rapidly go deep with incredibly rich emergent experiences for all participants. Stay tuned for a recording of the session!

We also want to appreciate Rosa’s incredible work in spearheading these Real World Co-intelligence calls, engaging practitioners, facilitating calls, and so much more behind the scenes! Rosa will be stepping back and passing the baton to Andy to hold the primary hosting.

We’ll be taking a brief break this summer, but please stay tuned and keep your 4th Fridays open for our next RWCI call.

Community Reflections

Rosa here, reflecting on a new book “Context Changes Everything” by Alicia Juarrero, renowned Cuban-American complexity scholar and what it means for wholeness, the Wise Democracy prime directive, CII’s work, and how we get beyond perpetuating limiting mindsets.

Read "Context Context Context"

We Are Looking For Someone To
Join Our Core Team!

The Co-Intelligence Institute seeks a remote volunteer administrative assistant to join our core team in support of our internal organization, programs and projects. As a core team, we collectively provide executive capacity and project leadership for CII. We share administrative tasks, and look forward to having additional support.

https://www.co-intelligence.institute/jobs

If you, or someone you know might be a great fit, please have take a look at the description above and send us an email with your letter of interest and resume or linked-in profile at connect@co-intelligence.org.

Thank you!

July's Wise Democracy Pattern

Inclusive Stakeholder Governance

Democracy ideally means people affected by a decision play meaningful roles in making it and those closest to a situation take meaningful action to address it. So help full-spectrum networked stakeholders — who already play informed (if conflicted) roles in their shared areas of concern — manage their issue domains responsibly and wisely together.

Featured Question

Can you imagine a democratic system that was centered on the people involved in various realms and issues, rather than on citizens electing representatives? What would that look like? What would the pros and cons of that be?

Featured Resource

Inclusive networks are shaping our lives right now. Are they governance?

Featured Eco-system Resource FITO

The FITO network is bringing funders and networks together.

July's Co-Intelligence Poem...

This poem by Tom Atlee will be presented in sections over 3 months. The full poem can be read here.

Note: The word “this” in the next section of the poem refers to the initial section of the whole poem, which states the following:

All that comes into being

is evoked, is called forth

by relationship, interactivity, co-creativity.

The next section of the poem expands on that idea, as follows:

The Tao of Co-Intelligence - second section

IV.

And we can know this,
that this is the way of the world,
that this is the way the world
shapes itself,
emerges from among itself,
welcomes itself
and becomes
what is new,
what is greater,
what is wisdom,
what is next
what is us --
individually,
collectively,
universally.

Good and bad are, themselves, part of the dance.
And yet we love that favored face of good
that brings to the dance
beauty, meaning, and life.

Wholeness and brokenness are, themselves, part of the dance.
And yet we love that favored face of wholeness
that brings to the dance
health, coherence, and sacredness.

Chaos and order are, themselves, part of the dance.
And, yes, we move to that favored place where they meet
that brings to the dance its own motion --
self-emergence, self-organization, self-evolution
and self-transcendence.

VI.

Your being brings me mine.
My being brings you yours.
Our being brings us ours.
The world's being brings us all.

There are treasures to find here.
There are creations to weave here.
There are realms and energies and wisdom
waiting on the other side of our openness
when we swing open together
and spirit winds find their way
in and through our minds.

Let us be of one Big Mind,
while vividly, fully ourselves,
while vividly, fully being brother and sister,
while vividly woven with all our relations
in one bright fabric, emerging forever
from the loom of our dance.

Let us find the Way
that is all ways,
that wakes us to the Whole way home
and back again.

VII.

Co-intelligence lives in us
as our capacity
to live whole, interconnected, co-creative lives
-- individually and collectively --
and to engage
- consciously, intentionally, wisely --.
with a world that we see
as whole, interconnected and co-creative.

Where else but from these realities
-- from wholeness, interconnectedness and co-creativity --
do love and compassion get their power?
Truly, if we were fully sovereign, disconnected beings,
why would love be so powerful
and so universally honored?

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Subject: 20th Anniversary of The Tao of Democracy!