Institute of Cultural Affairs Global Research Assembly

Chicago 1980

The TEAM: Context l

Global Research Assembly Master Design 2

THE Global Research Assembly Overall Design 3

CONTEXT Practical Design 4

Daily Time Design 5

1980 Global Research Assembly Context 6­8

Team Work Holding Paragraphs 9

Breakfast Format 10

Breakfast Rituals 11

THE Tagore Ritual 12­­13

BREAKFAST Absolutions 14­16

Meal Contexts 17­18

Send­outs 19

Corporate Solitary Context 20

THE Sea of Tranquility 21

CORPORATE Corporate Solitary Readings 22­23

SOLITARY Corporate Solitary Exercise 24

Roundtab1e Overview 25

Roundtable Design 26

THE Roundtable Assignments 27

ROUNDTABLE Roundtable Dynamics 28

Exemplar Focus 29

Roundtable Rituals 30

Week I ­ Roundtable Format 31

It has been our experience, this year in particular, that the Team has provided the power to gain the advantages we have attained in presenting authentic and human alternatives to this world. The key today for any effectivity in carrying out the creation of a new vision is the Team as the center of creative and powerful corporate action. This age has suffered the loss of individual heroes and seeks the new hero for our time. It is the Team of people, grounded in practical methods and tools, who have decided to risk everything for the sake of redirecting a chaotic and misguided world into new hopefulness which is the new hero.

The Team is finally only one thing­­a sign to the world of disciplined corporateness. It is a primary human dynamic reflecting the indicativeness that all of life is built on corporateness. We die without relating to others. It reflects as well the fact that nothing of significance can be accomplished in our complex times without smaller units within the whole who operate out of common obedience, method and vision.

It is the intent, during the Global Research Assembly, to focus on the Team as the visible sign of structural care, focused mission, effective action, and authentic selfhood. As a sign of structural care it enables the world to discover that equity and justice come in objective assignment which cuts across all economic classes, races, cultures, and sex. As a sign of focused mission it enables the world to see that the impossible is possible when a group of people decide to win together. As a sign of effective action it enables the world to see that every human being's gifts can be used together to do the job needed to be done. As a sign of authentic selfhood it enables the world to see a new kind of integrity in which it is possible to live before the totality of life as a gift, and in which every person is responsible for the whole of the task and the globe.

'Ii~e liJ3(1 (;lol~al­ .­tesearc.l ~\ssel~i7~1y occurs at a i~rofounclly .significant `~or.leTIt :in t,~e Litc ai.l~L ~:c\rl; c~t­ '~ile :[r~­~tit:u;i­.e. It stanas as t.~e first oi severa.L sur.mers \`rilose focus ~.'lll `'n u[>on tile tash of ,.'.OV;.'T ~ellta.L r~orr;.atio:­~. 't'ile e:,lergence o f pt'O?L e tlilO care across t~le ,­,lo :;e cails for creatiug tne prac:tical for~s of engaging and sustainin., tilose .~no !~ave ass ur.:ed tile tas'i of awal;enin,~ tne f~lur billion ``eople o F t.le planet. t;es~inniny in tue 1971 Global ~esearci~ .\sseT.~uly, `.;e develo ~ed tne tileoretical .Jasls for tne t~­:enty­,~ear task of c.ltaLyzin~ a ne~; 'social vf~nicle." P,ased upon t!,e concensus of more tilan .L.)~)') r~ro~s'­rar~ participants from all walks of life and from Trany garts ot tne globe, tl~e dyTIamical relations Ot tile soci.al processes of lluTT`.an ez;istence :,ere spelled out, ti~e current ir~Tualances artic~.tlatecl, tile [>ro.lTouncl conteTnporary ideoloS,~ical posture declarec1 an`1 a system of practical proposals created to~;arci t.le l~ractical vision of tnis new ';social vehicle. " In t}le 1')7~ C,loual T'esearcil Asser~bly, tilis ~!orl; w~ls carrie<1 to tile tactical level, resultin,~ in

­ IS'l'()~l(~\I, tite nine pressure points of c`'ntel.~r~orary societ:y; ti~ese press~.lre

o,l~iiT pc~ints are clusters of­ tactical activity called for in sE,ecifi.c

arenas of ever`,r social orcr~anization and institution, ancl in society

as a :!i~ole in orcler to actual:ize tne practical vision of tne future.

In acidition, tliat G10ba1 '`esea.rci~ `'~ssembly cletermined tile screen of

tite uni.versal cl~ynamics of practical catalytic social ch~l<,,e, tile

:.histle noil~ts. Altllou~,,.l \,orl: on social theoretics llas continued,

ti~e past ei.gl~t years nave involved arl intense focus on tile l~ractica].

creation of social sit,ns of possibility across the ,~lolle. Tne task

of tile 1'333 (,10ua1 l'esearcil Assembly i s to discern tile next stratep,,ic

moves demanded on tile oti~er s.ide of tl~e current pub1lc consensus

tllat a nc~ llistorical epoch is l~eginrling, signall&d l~v the remarl;nule

acceleration of drainatic social cilanp,e occuring today. 'ithis is an

epocll in \~llictl L~ecisi.veness is increasingly necessary and increasin`~'l`,,

dif ficult; an era in \~l~ic.~ distance from one's immediate situation

must i~e self­consciolls1y created ln order to arrive at needed solut10ns.

'lile tir,~r.~. ilas conne to go tl~rou,.~il tile wllistle points to develop tl~e

s, rate;,ic systci~ls whicit \]i'11 a110\! .a new ~.omer.~t of formation to Lit2

f:'ul filleLl.

T'~e work of ti~e l.'Jl'`) CloiJal l~esearcll .\ssernllly \vill ve l~uilt on tile cliscip1i~led rat­iona.L ·lesis,n o f social cilang,e spt­`llecl out tin tile llesearci~ AssemiJl:;.es of l.9'7l ­ 1')74. 'fi~ese gave US tl~e strate£ic tneoretic:; witiloUt \ittiCH any move in social cilan`,e would l~e ~lai~ll.lzard or O,~port~ni ;tic. '~'~le last several years our direct action ilas ,roduceti not only a \~ealt~l of E,rat:tical data t2;at i;as inforn~ed anti ref:ineLI our tileoretic.ll ·lesis~ns, ijtil: llas positioneLI us in a state of over\rllelming demant.l alltl nossioilitv. 'l'ilis calls for a ne\; "r`~idLll.e level" stra.te.,`~ tllat :is neitl~er tactical refinement nore tileoretical creation, i,LIt a discemrJent of direction, er~l~lhasis anti form in tile ei~,er,,in~ i,~oven~cnta1 t;~rusts of our time. Tllis GloL~al i~esearcil lissemL>ly \;i:L1 start `~itl~ a tlloroug;~ analysis of our actual

ar.?pr`.~i,m.Zte .latual. m`:ission:.Z1 unit:­;. ,\ sinpLifieu i'O=.Z of l~roccciurcs
'.'r:itwitZ~ c..Zn(t redUi?I.iC.Z~lt' rCtlOrt111~: fOrT1citS will IJE~ used as too.i.s
~ litc~,l`.eLi to i:`Z ..itCt; t.l~].e' `~lld l~r'~c;: ~cclt)l­` to loc;~1 situ;'tions ~.Titilout u.,du~ r.~odific.lt.L`.>n t'~or tl~e circum,tance.s. T,le ~. a jor netiloclolo,.,:ical ooi ~Isecl in t.ile ,?roc.~.~iures wi].1. '`e a co~.vers.Zt­ion;Zl fonn o~ ~.:or~;sTnoT, i.!i.­a ·Zas l~ee,­' c;Z.i.L~c. a ,'clist,Znci,Z`,~i; `~ti~cyd. '`.'i!iS r~ode allo,~s a
        2I!.T.i<)l)S    ~ roll? to tar': t:iZrou,~il the er.,niZ­:icai d.Zta, ti~e relevant fo;lrd~tiols,
        .;i YS  ~,:;.` . roi­ounc' ~ nC!]T1t ~nd tl~e fut­.~rlc t rarust of a ~articular ac_oin,~lish
;.e.~;­, issue or lut'.ltion. In our `:ime of intansifiecl local c,.!l~a~eTacnt
an(! .;~:.'ZC''.,eri';1L' V 1L?~:~] com?:lexi.ty, .1 sin~ular t:lrust is For<~?~.1 only
oy t.:osc ai)le to SOe t~arOUS,I SPeC:;.;~i.C ·lata to its `.­roundin Ln
l roi::c~unc sniritnal­i~y, and to cri­`ate, froTn that .r~t.'Lrclin,o. point,
strates,ies r:.Z.ld tactics for ti~e return tin service ancl care. The ].Q8']
Glo.'al li­esearc;~ .^,s!.;er i>Ly :~ill use t;:is "i~.etl~od to l~c~in to deve:l.ol, ­
ti~` ­ode of i~ei:Z~ for tilC' co~rrin, four years.

BREAKFAST FORMAT

OPENING "Let the community stand "

6:00 The Daily Ritual

6:15 SINGING: "Let us turn to page and sing "

ACCOUNTABILITY: "Let the Global Research Assembly account for its presence at breakfast by Teams. Let the Team Leaders stand. (Team l, 2, 3, 4, etc.)

Team Leader: "Team _ assumes responsibility for the care of its members and reports on special assignment, is ill and checked on, is absent and checked on. All others are present." (When doing symbolic accountability, Team Leaders say: "Team reports that all are present or accounted for.")

ABSOLUTION: Contextual statement (see absolution page).

MEAL RITE "REPEAT AFTER ME: (see Meal Rituals)

(ALL ARE SEATED)

"Let us eat this meal of behalf of (see Context Page)

"Let us feast." (FOOD IS SERVED)

LECTURE Song to get speaker on stage.

6:30

SEND­OUT ANNOUNCEMENTS (Including agenda for the day)

7:20

"I send you out to

THESE ARE THE TIMES."

Community: "WE ARE THE PEOPLE."

(Let the Community stand and sing first two verses of the song, "Creation ")

Creation Leader: Let us stand before life as those who care

for the world.

ENTRY (Verses 1 and 2) Community: Be it so.

A time to set forth a new demand, ACT 1: L: Life is never the way we want it.

A time to look into the past, C: We refuse to accept its promise.

For without "what has been" L: Nevertheless we are free to live.

There is no "yet to be;" C: Be it so.

Nothing that we do, then could last. (Let the community be seated)

Refrain Reading for the Day

We stand beyond our life and see, (Let the community stand)

We stand beyond our death and really see ACT 11: L: This is the day we have on our hands.

What's required of those who give their C: We give thanks for the life we have.

death to history

, L This is our decision.

And it is now that we must do

What other ones have always longed to see, C: Be it so.

To discover what's required to set all people free. L: Let all the joy mingle in my last song.

Community Left: The joy that makes the earth flow No more must we live In poverty; over in rlotous excess. No more in strife and disarray

Community Right: The joy that sets the twin brothers life

For when those who care create all the earth .

, and death dancin~

That shall be the new day. ­,

Community Left: The joy that sweeps in the tempest, waking all life with laughter,

Community Right: The joy that throws everything it has

upon the dust.

(Let the community be seated)

EXIT (Verses 3 and 4)

Address for the Day

In those who choose to be all there is (Let the community stand)

Pain and misery are past; ACT 111: L: We stand before the world and its need.

Transformed because they bring forth human life; C: Let us give ourselves to the task.

New life never comes but through a death. L: It is to build the Earth.

C: Be it so.

Refram

L: Let me not pray to be sheltered from danger~

The global task now has claimed our lives,

Who knows where our bodies they shall find. C: But to be fearless in facing them.

But with us, anew, now the Mystery appears, L: Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain,

The meaning of the life of all Mankind. C: But for the heart to conquer it.

L: Let me not look for allies in life's battlefield,

Refrain C: But to my own strength.

I L: Let me not crave, in anxious fear to be saved,

C: But hope for the patience to win my freedom

Leader: Let us go forth to enact our care for the world

Community: Be it so.

(Let the community sing last two verses of the song, "Creation")

ABSOLUTIONS

1. It is a strange thing that such a group as this has been called to be entrusted with history. But history doesn't make mistakes, as evidenced by the fact that you and I stand here today, driven by the unknown to be those who are needed for this great civilizing process.

2. We are freed to risk ourselves as a demonstration of possibility for all humankind. In the midst of being conscious of our brokenness as individuals and of the brokenness of every relationship, we nevertheless dare to proclaim that we are whole and free to move into the future.

3. We live or die by the story we tell of our situation. We have decided to be the ones who proclaim the story that everything is what it should be and we are those called to participate in that good life.

4. Most of us go through life unwilling to stand self­conscious to the brokenness of our own being and the brokenness of every situation in which we find ourselves. Yet the deep secret of life is that, regardless of how we long for life to be different or try to disguise it, this very brokenness is the wholeness of our existence.

5. Our tiredness, our inadequacies, our unwillingness to be who we are in the time and place given to us are facts of life. That we are sustained in being is also a fact of life. We stand before this as good and our possibility.

6. Our destiny doesn't lie in doing what we feel we should do, or would like to do or be. Our destiny lies in the fact that our times have cailed us to do what seems to be impossible, and to do it well on behalf of all people of this world. This is a free gift to us. We have the possibility of receiving it daily.

7. Life itself seeks not to destroy us in our weakness and obstinency, but to win us over to be creatively united with the way life is. Our shortcomings are acknowledged, accepted and made into a gift to the world.

8. Our brokenness becomes more evident as the world's brokenness and pain is made more deeply visible to us. Nevertheless, our very pain is the sign of wholeness and a symbol of new creativity for this age.

9. We know the shock again and again of breaking with intended unity and wholeness. The insecurity and knowledge of failure and potential failure in seeking after that unity will never go away. Yet we are those given the freedom to continue to care forever, forgetting the past and pressing forward to what is yet to be.

10. We cannot escape seeing the pain of the way life is, its wonder, and the unbearable demands which seem beyond what we can meet. Yet we are those who are continually reminded that this itself is the fulfillment of life.

ABSOLUTIONS

20. The wounds of the earth are deep. This end of the 20th Century has provided an opportunity to experience everything, and to take responsibility for everything. The wounds of the earth are healed by the opportunity we take.

21. This world is always hoping for the experts who will solve its ills. But nothing special is required. We know all we need to know. The demand is merely to claim the victory of each situation.

22. All that ever was, is, and is yet to be, is in our screen of responsibility. And this fact is the key to our standing tall in the midst of all.

23. There is only one deed­­to say "yes." Courage is all that is needed... and that, we already have! The Way is open. The Time is now. Our response is entirely up to us.

24. It is by no accident that we are here tonight. This moment has need of us. I declare that we are precisely the people to be the sign of Hope to the world.

25. We are given permission, each of us in this room tonight, to be people of integrity, by the deep resolve to effectively impact society.

26. The Care we have been experiencing in this Assembly is the mobilizing force which is needed to keep on moving in the directions history is requiring of us.

27. The commitment of this body of people to advance, when it means suffering again, is not for­nothing. For we have decided on behalf of all peoples.

MEAL CONTEXTS

19. the empowering of the practical structures of polity at all levels.

20. the replication in Maharashtta, the Wedge of Kenya and the cluster

experiments of the Philippines.

21. the various women's groups across the world who regularly meet to

train in methods for doing the Global Women's Forum.

22. all the various probes in the Urban life as people seek to figure out

what will enable new life to come to the city.

23. the significance of the task of this past year, and in anticipation

of the victories of the coming one.

24. the people of this world who were born into plenty and have the

opportunity to use that plenty in creative responsibility.

25. all those local communities who were willing to do whatever was

necessary for their people's well­being.

26. those who care all around the world, but find themselves standing

alone without the support of corporate colleagueship.

27. those people in our communities, who did the appropriate deed re

quired, and went to their graves without even knowing it had changed

their communities forever.

28. the great collegiality on The Way with those friends who guide us

from within and with those with whom we will be working and with

those new folk we will meet.

29. those who have nothing, when all is available; and the destiny to

which we have been called in illuminating the gap between the 85

and 15 percent.

30. the unbelievable expansion of our universe the Earthrise symbolizes,

and the expanded responsibility brought with that experience.

31. the methods invented throughout history which have allowed people

to live their lives and to create new societies.

32. all those local heroes who had the vision of what new requirements

of their community were needed.

33. the uniqueness of the nations of this world, within universal

colleagueship.

34. those who do not eat tonight, due to the circumstances into which

they were born, with the understanding that this, indeed, can change.

35. all civil servants who labor in city and village without whose work

society could not carry on.

Rational Objective: To develop a daily method for strategic reflection for the care of the self within the impinging social and historical context.

Existential Aim: The participants will experience within this strategic daily thinking, that historical impingements are profound gifts from the mystery.

Context: This method is called the distancing method and we are using it in the GRA as a way of enabling us to become strategic thinkers. We have prepared this corporate solitary exercise listening to the call from the Movement for a profound method for spirit reflection. This corporate solitary exercise is a method to strategize on the real issues of life; it is not an intellectual exercise.

It is a thirty minute exercise to be held at the end of Day I. There is a Prelude and a Postlude and four Acts. There is a visit to the Other World using the Sea of Tranquillity. We create a montage and do a short reading.

The distancing method goes through four dynamics. It is as though you stand in the future to see the present by objectifying empirically the real indicative issues (See The Basic Situation). The second dynamic reviews what you know about the past which informs the indicative present (The Significating Past). In the third dynamic the method journeys into questions the_ push for a depth context (The Profound Depths). The fourth dynamic is declaring the resolve toward the future while standing before one's clarified indicative concern (The Proclaimed Future).

(~()~20RATE SOI. IT.' RY RENDI~C,S

r1­EEK I

I0~TDAY

The deeDer life would be like an undertow, like a current that flo~'s beneath

the surface, a current that sets sea`;;arcl or alon;;, the beach while the waves

on the surf ace are breaking upon the shore. The phases of civilization are

like the waves, each T,hase swellinc, and dyinO away, each one rolling onto

shore and breakin~.

TUI: SD`4

A life lived on the surface is like the surf itself, like the swell of the sea that breaks UDOn the shore, like the foam, the splash, the sound of breaLiing waves. There is no swelling and ':>reakin~ in the unclertow, no foam, no splash, no sound. Yet it is a T,owerfu1 current and may move in a direction opposite to that of the waves, ,nay move toward the open sea while they move touard the shore.

rJED'i'[ESDAY

A man who gave himself to the deeDer current of life might run a risk like

that of a person who let himself be cauobt in the undertow. [t might be

better for him to float on the surface and let himself be carried in to shore.

To live in accord with the deeper rhythm might be to ignore the surface

rhythm of life. It might mean missing the normal joys and cares of child

hood, youth, manhood, and age. It might mean p lunging down into the denths

of life to follow a light as elusive as sea fire.

TliUR SDAY

lh~en a person is under the sr~ell of cleath he becomes fey. One becomes an

outcast of life, one who seems doomed, fated to clie, and at the same time

a visionary, able to see into the future, one of foreboding, looking forT'ard

to death and calamity, one witl1 an oth~rworldly air, an otherworldly charm.

To break the spell of death one must embrace a finite existence. It is the

dread of death that ~revents one from acting, from taking the risks involved

in action. It is the fascination with death that prevents one from loving,

from giving one s self fully to life. To act, to love, one must somehow

overcome the dread, the fascination.

CORPOr~TE SOLITARY EX¢I'CISE T'E~l LT'`MDER'S GlJIDE

PI~LLUDL: lillat have been the higllligllts of the day for our group? From these events, 7,,here is the impillgement of the future for us?

ACT I: Legin Solitary reflection. I

1. 1,71~at is one of your most pressing concerns that has surfaced over the past 24 hours?

2. I.r~lat is the life question that this concern raises for you?

3. 1'.~7~at data has been revealed about this concern?

4. Iil~at are the clear [earnings that have come to you?

ACT II: Visiting the Other ~;TO~ Id. Loo'.ing at the Affective column under Like Eeing, circ]e the box that best describes your state of being in relation to this concern. Look across the ~r7hole line back from the box you circled and then `~rite a 2­3 word descriptive phrase. Find a picture that best describes this state of beincOr and l~aste it in the center of tlhis exercise.

Ask gi­oup to share descriptive phrases.

ACT III: I'eading

Asl: tTro or three people to read the passage

and then 1701d an art fonn conversation.

1. 1~7at ~7ords strucI~ you?

2. I`1lat images captured you?

3. Ilo~r has the reading further illLlminated your concern?

ACT IV: Looking back to your concern.

1. 11hat action is required?

2. Iil~ere is opportunity knocking?

3. Inlat are some potential bold moves you could begin tomorrow?

4. Inlat is your long range resolve?

}'OSTLUDI:: State your o~'77a Poetic

Declaration ­ I declare....

Ask group to share.

TIIE ROUNDTABLE

TEAM

EXEMPLAR READINGS

QUALITIES MUSE

_~ ­ ~

DRAMA CREATION

t~(l t an t/ f~

PSlJ

EXEMPLAR READINGS

THE ROUNDTABLE

EMEM PLAR ASS IG ~IENTS

During the Roundtable, the Exemplars will be worked on by the whole Assembly in order to provide comprehensive and depth thinking.

In Week I, each team will articulate its insights on three of the four Exemplars. In Week II, the remaining Exemplar will be put into a dramatic one­act play to be presented in the final Roundtable Celebration.

THE ROUNDTABLE

The master image of the Exemplars is grounded in classical images and historical wisdom from the four corners of the earth.

THE GENERAL who talces responsibility for all of life.

THE SAGE who holds and transmits the wisdom of the past.

THE POET who sees and articulates the profundity of every moment.

THE SAINT who exemplifies expenditure.

THE Ab"NOINTED who in embodying all other characteristics understand

themselves as the Chosen, the Elect in history.

The screen of Profound Humanness is helpful in grounding the embodiment of the Exemplary Life.

THE The New Singing

OPENING Accountability ­ by the individuals

Absolution

Ritual

Focusing ­ Quickly rehearse images of the four Exemplars.

Context ­ Describe an image of the particular Exemplar that you had

at one time and discovered its inauthenticity.

Q ­ Describe a person on your meditative council who symbolizes

U this Exemplar as mundane yet profoundly human.

A ­ Describe a situation in which you found yourself compelled

L to be this Exemplar presence.

I

T Team ­ Each Team member writes down 3­5 situations in which they

I Learnings found themselves embodying this Exemplary presence.

E ­ Each Team member writes down why that situation called

S forth that Exemplary presence­­why it was needed.

­ Each member notes how they embodied the Exemplary style

M in caring for that situation.

U ­ Members share some situations.

S

E Profound ­ Then Guide asks a few members to walk through the situa

Qualities tion, why and how.

­ Guide asks for some dangers in embodying this Exemplary

presence.

­ Guide asks each member to note several profound qualities

(Scribes) of this ExemPlar. Share a few.

Dramatic ­ Read the short story.

Reading

Team Con­ ­ Words, phrases, images.

versation ­ Surprised, intrigued, identified.

­ How story illuminates the profound qualities.

Indicative ­ Imaging the Hunter Warrior card for your Exemplar.

Poetry ­ Team members write 5­word phrases.

(Scribes) ­ Team shares its phrases.

Imaged ­ Getting into dramatic images, movies, books, etc., that

Settings we would use as references.

­ Actors, actresses as advisors to our production.

Team ­ What setting does this drama need to be placed in.

Guidelines

Practical ­ What would be some critical quidelines that as a Team

Staging we would pass on to the Team doing the Drama on this

(Scribes) Exemplar.

The Evening Reflection ­ what images, insights from this

CLOSING evening will you take into tomorrow.

Necessary Announcements ­ (enablement, etc.)

'''! . . ­~­II~-~ 'I _ _

C