More Information Authentic Conversation “I believe we can change the world if we start listening to one another again. Simple, honest, human conversation. Not meditation, negotiation, problem-solving, debate, or public meetings. Simple, truthful conversation where we each have a chance to speak, we each feel heard, and we each listen well.” Ever notice how after a social situation, you’re tired and ready to relax? This comes because most of us are continually putting up a social face to engage with others. We might call it something like “being on” and recognize it only when we’re sick and unable to relate to people with the extra energy it takes to “be social”. Ever notice how in an emergency, when someone is hurt, or when everyone is focused on the storm or something real, there is a different kind of engagement? Because we don’t have the option to be “social” in an emergency, we move into conversations that are deeply meaningful to the situation at hand. What might happen if every conversation we had came from the “real” place that gets activated in an emergency? What if now is the time to get this real with everyone we relate to, because we are in an emergency where every thought and action counts? Gather the Women invites you into the kind of conversations that cultivate authentic relationships because they communicate real experiences, rather than the experiences we think we should be having. Sometimes this kind of communication is a bit clumsy. We have difficulty trusting that our real experience is worth speaking. Some of us always choose to put our best foot forward. Others of us always share our troubles and woes because that’s honestly how we feel. The noteworthy aspect of these communications is the “always”. If we have a kind of habitual conversation (are we always relating to a particular person the same way?), we’re probably not in the moment, probably not sharing our truth, probably not listening to others, probably not responding from our true heart. These are the guidelines: truth, listening and responding from the heart. These are the signposts: feelings of relaxation, rightness, and discovery. Let’s change the world. Let’s learn from each other as we practice this new culture of authenticity.
On Meaningful Conversation Meaningful Conversations:
Some Elements of Meaningful Conversation are that they are
Suggestions for Honoring Time in Circle One of the things I have learned since I started holding gatherings in circle is that as the convener I need to do the math. If I have 20 women and each one speaks for 5 minutes that is an hour and 40 minutes. If two women in the circle talk for 15 minutes, that puts us at two hours. You get the picture. Before you know it, you have to start seeing where to trim the day’s agenda. We always read the circle guidelines at the beginning. What my circle partner, Darcy, and I also say at the start and when needed is: “In order to honor our time - we have until X:00 for this circle - and give everyone an opportunity to share, let’s keep our comments to xxx minutes.” Darcy or I take on the role of Guardian and ring the bell for a pause as a gentle reminder of the guidelines. If I do not use a Guardian, then I, as the convener, can ring the bell and ask for a pause, or anyone can ask for a pause. Being in circle can be very emotional, and some people feel so safe they begin to share and lose track of time. A gentle ring of the bell and reminder of the time brings the circle back into intention. In a more relaxed informal circle gathering, time is usually not a limiting factor as long as everyone gets an opportunity to share and does so with what Christina Baldwin calls “responsibility for the quality of the experience”. Using a talking piece is also a way to honor time and to discourage “cross-talk”, but it helps to set the intention (parameters) by reading the guidelines and being clear about time so everyone knows.
Holding the Rim of the Circle I always remember that the circle is like a basket or a vessel. The rim needs to be solid to hold all that goes into it and for everyone to feel safe. I check before I ring the bell to start to see if I can see everyone’s eyes. If I can’t, I ask them to scoot in or out to make sure it’s a strong rim that will hold all that energy without leaking, and I explain why that is important. As I said at our GTW gathering, sitting in a “wobbly” circle is just impossible for me now that I know how important holding the rim is. 
Engage Your Creativity If you feel any activation of your talents and heart’s desires as you experience GTW, if you find yourself called to participate in any way in GTW, we few that are holding this space will welcome you with open arms. Consider reviewing what you might contribute to this mobilization of women. Are you passionate about:
To connect with someone in your area and bring your passion forward,
"If it is to be, it is up to me." Gather the Women is a global community, a sisterhood of diverse women transforming distances, differences and isolation into opportunities for collaboration and leadership. We are together in this deep intention to unite the human family, and together we can make our unity visible. We are asking each one of you to help us reach out to new women: It’s easy—just
If only 3 women tell 3 women we have 9. If those 9 women tell 3 women we have 27. If those 27 women tell 3 women we have 81. If those 81 tell 3 women we have 243, etc. As you can see by day 18 we have 1,162,261,467 women.
2) Make a financial contribution to help support one of your sisters in another part of the world to attend a Gather the Women Congress. Contribute via Paypal or check. Gather the Women Global Matrix P.O. Box 80026 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 We deeply appreciate donations at all levels of giving. Gather the Women Global Matrix is a 501.c.3 organization and your donations are tax-deductible.
A House Party can be an intimate evening — or an all-out bash with music, auction items and themed activities. The 6/6 Congress coordinators will welcome any contribution — no matter the size. We have developed a simple one-page Guide to GTW House Parties to help women get started. (You’ll need the free Adobe Reader to open the flyer.) Pick a date that works for you... find a friend to co-anchor with you... and gather the women for a House Party!
I have traveled around the world, met with Prime Ministers and Presidents, local leaders, business leaders and villagers - in the desert, in the jungle, in palaces and places most of us can't imagine where people actually live. Through this all, there is always one common theme - that the world is wounded because it is imbalanced in its influence, its decision making, its leadership and its priorities. And these are wounds that will carry on into the future unless we, as the human race, truly embrace the healing powers, the perspectives, the spiritual strengths that women can provide. Our world has a natural tendency to seek power through separation - whereas women's first tendency is to unite and come together... I have said this to Bonnie before, are we so afraid of our own power from within that we have to push it away by creating separation in our world, among our own brothers and sisters? I tell you, and I have seen it - that we need the women of the world to be strong enough to embrace the challenge of healing the system as it stands today - and this starts with communities of people, that embrace diversity, co-creation and learning together. Craig J. Young The process of globalization and the collapsing of traditional borders are creating a new world civilization -- with great opportunities and great dangers. Millions of women around the world are feeling this change, and responding from their deepest instincts, developing new ideas, new ways to collaborate, new ways to understand traditional spirituality and religion and politics. The Gather the Women Global MatrixTM is a powerful new framework that can assist in recognizing and coordinating this emerging new understanding. The leadership of GTW is to be commended for recognizing this opportunity, and providing ways that women everywhere can come together to share and celebrate these new discoveries. Bruce Schuman Consider that now is time for women to assume their place of honor in society. Imagine women as the majority in positions of authority, as: political leaders, priests, judges, sports figures, entertainment industry stars (in front of and behind the camera), political pundits, arbiters of taste, simply the Boss. The sentiment will be different. The style of resolving issues will be different. It is likely the issues may even be different. Will their attitude towards men, their expectations of men, be different? Will men be different? Men can kick back and quit trying to prove themselves for a while. That will be different! Maybe different men will appear. Unlike the rule-the-world-at-any-cost, blood-lust-seeking, I've-got-mine-to-Hell-with-you types who demand so much room, the "new" man may be that mythological creature, the Green Man, a consort for women, supple, strong, supportive – able and willing to defend to the death women's rights to act with impunity. The marauder mentality gone, perhaps there are men who recognize life without domination as viable. How will women treat such a gentle man? Will the instinct for revenge from years of servitude cause a reversal of roles the same for men as it has been for women? Will women find the space for that gracious heart response they have waited so long for men to acquire? What questions, what thoughts, will men pose to women to make the shift quickly and effectively?
Other subjects may range across the basics such as gardening, house-keeping, sex, even money! What about discussing raising the children? What about what we teach them? Imagine children learning quantum physics starting about age eight. What will that do for the future of humanity? for Nature? for the Gaia? Consider how many subjects will take a different slant. As such a time comes to exist, will it be a swinging of the pendulum from patriarchy to matriarchy? Or will it be a finding of common ground near the middle where women and men are at ease, comfortable with each other, able to express their emotional needs and wants clearly without antagonism, fear of rejection? Can men and women meet in circles and discuss all issues and reach consensus even though that may be less than completely satisfactory for each individual. Emmanuel V. Culman
1) Post your circle or gathering on the Internet:
2) Submit a press release or an article to local publications.
Graphics for Publicity
GTW Banner:
GTW Letterhead:
GTW Watermark:
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