Embodying Collective Transformation
Embodying Collective Transformation (ECT) was a 3-month experiment in creating a deliberately developmental space for conscious engagement in inner, interpersonal and systemic development practices.
View and download the report »
“We were not being taught in a simplistic way: ‘This is how you do community’, rather we were discovering together. There's something very subtle about this work. … It's like we're all each other's teachers. This kind of learning is so important in these times – to discover for ourselves how to get on with people, how to be a nourishing and positive and respecting part of a community.” - Stephen Reid
Overview
Embodying Collective Transformation (ECT) was a 3-month experiment in creating a ‘conscious community’ or deliberately developmental space: an environment for conscious engagement in inner, interpersonal and systemic development practices. Designed and hosted by the ECT team, it took place in Autumn 2022 at the Life Itself Praxis Hub in Bergerac, France. Over the course of the 3 months there were over 30 participants exploring how to live and work well together, and to address the social and ecological challenges of our times.
The program combined a week-long, in-depth training in key practices followed by a three-week plus residency during which people could use and practice these skills through living together in community.
The report details the design, implementation and learnings from this innovative program. It will be of interest both to a wider audience interested in community and inner development, as well as specialists interested in the design and delivery of innovative programs for cultivating inner capacities personally and collectively.
Key highlights include:
- The integration of personal, interpersonal, and community-wide practices for holistic development.
- The role and utilization of diverse methodologies like Nonviolent Communication, Internal Family Systems, and Restorative Justice within the community.
- How to foster emotional safety, vulnerability, and authentic leadership in real-time settings.
- Insights into shared leadership, peer-led groups, and collaborative decision-making.
- The challenges, learnings and next steps.
View and download the report »
“It's like a microcosm, so everything that happens in this container is happening in the wider world. So how do we accept that, not need it to be completely fixed, not need things to be the way that we think they should be, but at the same time observe that this is happening, accept that it's happening and still gently nudge the system towards something that is more wholesome.” - Sen Zhan
What’s Next?
Release of the ECT Handbook
We will make the training handbook used in ECT freely available to the public. The handbook includes a range of practices for inner, interpersonal and systemic transformation, as well as guidelines for individual and small group practice.
Courses, Residential Programs, and Community
We will be hosting a range of courses and residential experiences based on the curriculum and crucial learning from ECT. These will range from online courses and multi-day trainings, to multi-month residential programs and long-term residential community projects dedicated to personal and collective thriving, evolution, and service.
If you’d like to receive updates and be notified when our ECT related resources are available sign up for our newsletter below.
