May the Circle Be Unbroken: Extending the Reach of Circles of Trust®
by Marcy Jackson, Co-Director
To know someone with whom you feel there is understanding in spite of distances or thoughts unexpressed—that can make of this earth a garden.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
When we sit in a circle of trust, we are given one experience after another in holding the tension of opposites, experiences that slowly break our hearts open to greater capacity.
—Parker J. Palmer
We live in challenging times—in which the Center for Courage & Renewal has important contributions to make to individuals, communities and public life, and much to learn about how to do this across lines of difference and distance. 2010 promises to be an exciting year for the Center as we expand our reach to a broader audience via new programs (see, for example, Parker Palmer’s article about our upcoming democracy conferences), and via cyberspace.
In one of my favorite poems—“The Seven of Pentacles”—Marge Piercy writes:
Our work with the Circle of Trust ® approach has borne this out. Building trust and relationships in order to hold conversations about things that matter takes time as well as intentionality, deep listening, and self-awareness. And yet we also know that connections can be made quickly, almost instantaneously under the right circumstances—as when we “recognize” a kindred spirit, a fellow traveler or a worthy adversary through their presence, reflections or ideas.Connections are made slowly, sometimes they grow underground.
You cannot tell always by looking what is happening.
More than half a tree is spread out in the soil under your feet.
This past year our website had visitors from 178 countries! Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, but that for me was a confirmation of Goethe’s understanding of this earth being “a garden” when we experience deep connections with others who inhabit the same world in one sense, and yet very different worlds in another. The vast majority of these visitors to our website will never attend one of our face-to-face retreats or programs but they are inspired and compelled by the ideas, values and mission to which our work is dedicated.
Recently, we adopted a new version of the Principles & Practices of the Circle of Trust approach—grounded in our Core Values—that are intended to create a process of shared exploration in retreats, programs and other settings where people can find safe space and learn to evoke and challenge each other. To this point our primary mode of engaging people in circles of trust has been face-to-face. But we know there is enormous potential and exciting opportunities to reach beyond those who are able to attend our programs and retreats.
In the next few months we will offer a new opportunity for connection: the creation of online communities. We are expanding our capacity to host online conversations and ongoing groups (a) for alumni of our programs; (b) for those who want to engage the ideas expressed in Parker’s writing and the principles and practices foundational to the Circle of Trust approach; and (c) for people who want to explore and deepen ways of bringing these practices into their lives and work back home.
There is a steep learning curve ahead for us all. And yes, we need YOU to enter in and learn with us! Admittedly, we have some trepidation as we do this—”If we build it, will they come?“—but on balance we are curious, eager and excited to explore new avenues for creating greater access and engagement with and among a far-flung community of kindred spirits and interested people.
We are also asking ourselves these questions:
- How might the Circle of Trust approach help slow down and humanize the burgeoning virtual realm where communication between people is often short but not sweet and sometimes brutal?
- Is it possible to engage in deeper conversation and create a sense of belonging and community when we “sit in circles” virtually?
- How can we offer encouragement and support to people around the globe who care about lofty and yet critical goals such as the one expressed in our mission: “Nurturing personal and professional integrity and the courage to act on it”?
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