[Oe List ...] Trying Hard To Get Real -- about the ICA

[larry at icatw.com]

Dear Colleagues,

I think the grief work is critical, but I hope the opportunity for 
re-creation is also present.  As Marsha said the healing is not going to 
be easy or immediate or painless.  However I think the healing needs to 
be in 3 aspects which are related but distinct and must be dealt with 
separately until and unless a way that they are connected appears:

    * Individually each person affected - board and riffed - it is an
      opportunity, painful though it is, to reflect on your personal
      calling and choices as represented by the witnesses of David and
      Dick Alton. Our shift to Taiwan was by no means as traumatic, or
      emotionally wrenching, but I remember 16 years ago when the
      Malaysian government denied my visa renewal. It was a shock and
      yet an opportunity to move to Taiwan and start over.
    * The Community known before as the Order, or the Spirit Movement,
      or colleagues, or family - it is a time of choice for continuing
      formally, or informally connecting to the ICA as a structure -
      Many people have made this choice over the years and figured out
      how they can support others and themselves -  There have been
      several experiences as individuals and groups of being "riffed"
      not just the most recent - some were more apparently corporately
      driven, others task driven and some simply by "management" to
      avoid the complication of actually having to take responsibility
      for corporate behavior.  What is the new calling for this
      community? It has never been controlled by the structural
      organization because the commitment to give your life to service
      is a choice each of us must make each day.
    * ICA USA - as a structure which is now the board and a few others -
      Was this the "neutron" bomb solution to kill the people and keep
      the buildings, or is it (as advertised) a new beginning? -How do
      you invite all that might contribute to do so - not the old, or
      the new, or the riffed, but all that might contribute?  Perhaps a
      contest for who can come up with a program that will provide a
      burst of energy fulfilling the spirit and mission of ICA USA or a
      week-long open space in which the board provides the context and
      opens up to all who have passion discern what might be the new
      task for the next 20 years of ICA.

Bill - Below is the official mission of ICAI.  ICAI is alive and well 
with offices and staff in many countries working hard to be of service 
to their countries and people.  I/We are struggling to maintain the 
image and practice of spirit in the midst of our work with 
organizations, communities and individuals -  how successful we are is 
for history to decide. It is definitely not the old Order or even the 
old ICA, but it is a group of individuals and communities trying to be 
of service - some old and some new - some based in old ICA mythology and 
a spirit some based in new mythology - together trying to create the new.

*The mission of the **Institute** of **Cultural Affairs** (**ICA**) is 
to work with individuals and organizations to build communities and 
partnerships that promote a sustainable and just society.*

"ICAs create and implement methods of individual, community and 
organizational development. The programmes are highly participatory in 
nature and are often conducted in collaboration with partner 
organizations. The three major arenas of activity are sustainable 
development projects, education and training, and policy research. The 
central concern of these diverse programmes is to maximize the 
participation of people in the process of taking responsibility for 
their own lives and for society as a whole."

With respect,

Larry

 


William Alerding wrote:
> David,
>
> 	What would you say is the MISSION of ICA today? Has it been clear to 
> everybody? When the Panjayat called the Order out of being back in the 
> 1980's, ICA became a shell. Many of us no longer felt united in a 
> corporate mission. There was no authentic leadership to lead. Without a 
> community and without leadership focused on a mission, what was left 
> was a group that did interesting projects. This allows the demon of the 
> economic to rule. We used to focus on the MISSION and let the economic 
> be handled  but not to rule our lives. The trouble with letting the 
> economic rule, is that the corporate business community  lives on an 
> I-It relationship. We lost the I-You relationship that Goleman talks 
> about in his new book, Social Intelligence. The business world knows 
> how to downsize people, but it doesn't act out of empathy. The Order 
> knew about empathy.
>
> Just some rambling, irrational thoughts.
>
> Bill Alerding
> On Jan 14, 2007, at 5:23 PM, David Dunn wrote:
>
>   
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OE mailing list
> OE at wedgeblade.net
> http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/oe_wedgeblade.net
>
>
>   
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://wedgeblade.net/pipermail/oe_wedgeblade.net/attachments/20070115/9dd05246/attachment.html