[Springboard] July in Oklahoma

[Terry Bergdall]

Work is progressing on the summer research event in Oklahoma, July 12-14. While information has been posted before about this on these listservs, now is the time to finalize plans to attend -- especially since air ticket prices tend to jump when made less than 21 days in advance. 

To summarize again, the event is co-sponsored by the Oikos Scholars Program at Oklahoma City University and the Institute of Cultural Affairs (USA). It is a three-day gathering focused on ways that higher education can (1) engage students and society as a whole with the most pressing social and ecological challenges of the twenty-first century and (2) help educate and develop moral leaders in relation to the issues of peacemaking, social justice and ecological sustainability. The event will be attended by faculty, students, as well as concerned individuals like ourselves. The Plenary Sessions will be led by: David Rowe, President of Centenary College; Larry Ward, Director of the Lotus Institute; Amy Maglio, Executive Director of the Women's Global Education Project, and representatives from the Living Archives of EI/OE/ICA.

The ICA-Oikos partnership is a unique opportunity to inject the wisdom of EI/OE/ICA into a new future-oriented dialogue. While the focus in particular is on higher education, the implications are far reaching to every sector of society. Follow-up research events in 2011, 2012, and 2013 will continue the work. The door is wide open to shape them appropriately in response to the urgency of the times.

If you are interested in attending this summer but have not yet registered, please let me know ASAP so that I can assist you in the process. The registration fee is $125 which includes all meals during the event. Lodging is available for $22 per night in Centennial Hall on the campus of Oklahoma City University.

For more information about the event, July 12-14, see http://www.ica-usa.org/pdf/OCU_e-brochure.pdf

Optional pre-events and post-events are also being planned. Pat Webb <webbpat1 at cox.net> and the Silence Foundation is hosting a retreat to be led by Larry Ward, July 9-11; Jack Gilles <icabombay at igc.org> is organizing work focused on spirit methods, July 14-16. Contact them for more information if you are interested in coming early and/or staying late to be a part of these.

I hope you can join us in Oklahoma in mid-July.

Take care,

Terry