Script and Notes for delivering a 3 hour Awakening the Dreamer Symposium
General Tips:
* Trust the wisdom of the group! The entire reason a shortened symposium is possible, is that the participants already know this information, whether it's intuitively or explicitly. If you trust that the participants will make the right connections, say the right things, get out what they put in, you can save so much time explaining things. It's better to let a participant say something you want people to hear rather than saying it yourself.
* Hold a spaciousness of time. No matter how short you have, you must not feel rushed. This can be hard, but it's crucial. Practice letting go of comments you want to make, video segments, or even whole sections, rather than trying to rush everything to get it all in. You won't save any time by rushing. You will only sacrifice the impact of the sections. You won't save time.
* Be aware and flexible.Every group has different needs, every symposium has different obstacles and quirks. Relax, adjust. Trust that it will all work out, even if it is not what you planned.
* Work as a team. More facilitators/support team + More communication = Less time wasted
* Time yourself! If you are responsible for presenting a section in a certain amount of time, time yourself! Make sure that when you practice it with the timer, that you really envision yourself doing it live. Be as spacious as you would want to be, imagine any distractions that might slow you down, allow appropriate space for transition times, and make sure you are UNDER time not on time.
* You can always remind people to be brief and concise with their thoughts and even take the time to explain why. Never do so out of frustration or anger. Doing it in advance will save you time. If you are doing popcorn shares or going around a circle, you can tell them in advance that you will remind them to be brief at a specific point (after 5 shares). This way when you remind in the middle of a longer sharing section, the person you made the reminder after doesn't feel singled out.
* Take some time to familiarize yourself with the script and notes below!
* Relax.Focus.Enjoy.
Script
color key:
Dark blue indicates Live Presenter remarks
Black indicates notes for presenters
Shading indicates optional material
Red indicates Audio Visual element/data on screen
Green indicates interactive exercises
Medium blue, italicized, indicates logistical information or comment to Presenter
Pink—mark’s comments, ideas
> Welcome (4 minutes)
Give thanks, introduce facilitators, explain format, permit bathroom breaks, emphasize importance of entire journey, importance of brevity.
Missing created by TPA, not about,,,& …??
> Open Sacred Space/Remember a Time (4 minutes)
Before we begin we'd like to take a few moments to fully arrive and settle in. If you'd be willing, please lower or close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Notice your breath coming in (breath in) and going out (breath out). Notice any distracting thoughts that are pulling your attention away from this room. Many of us arrived here in a hurry, taking precious time out of our busy lives. For the time being, please take those distracting thoughts and put them on a shelf until our time here is through. Find yourself becoming fully present in this place you have chosen to be at this time.
Now remember a time, maybe from your childhood, when you felt close to nature. (Start nature sounds if you choose) Just allow some image from your memory to float into your consciousness, of a time when you were in nature and you felt safe...and connected...like you belonged...and that you fit in.... See if you can recall what you saw...the sounds...the smells...and how you felt... Allow yourself to feel gratitude for this memory and all that it means to you.
> Intro Questions (5 minutes)
Notes:
Turning to the person next to them (as opposed to getting up and finding a partner) saves time in a larger group. Point out that this is the first opportunity of several today to connect with someone in this room. Tell them up front how long they will have (1 minute each) and let them know how you will signal for them to switch who's speaking (such as a bell). Have them say there name, what occupies them, and what they are feeling grateful for at the moment. When rapping up remind them that there will be plenty more opportunities for them to connect with one another so they are more willing to come back to their room away from their partner. People are hungry to connect with one another, and in a shortened symposium there is only so much time for each dialogue. It can be helpful to remind participants at times that we are just beginning this reconnection and that they have a lifetime to continue to deepen it.
As you return to the room please find the person sitting next to you and acknowledge their presence. You are going to have your first of many opportunities today to meet and connect with those around you. When listening to your partner, or someone sharing to the group today, please give your full attention and listen with your heart, making eye contact if possible. Try not to worry about what you might be about to say yourself. When it's your turn to speak, please speak spontaneously and from the heart, putting aside any internal judges that might come up.
You're going to have about a minute each to share your name, in one or two sentences what occupies you (not necessarily what your job is, but how you choose to spend your time), and what you are feeling grateful for at this moment. Remember there will be many more chances to share, so try to get right to the essence of what you want to say. The person with the shorter hair can start, and I'll ring the bell when it's time to switch partners.
(Ring bell after one+ minute.)
Okay, first person, please finish up. Great. Thank you.
Now switch.
> Purpose…Blessed Unrest (4 minutes)
To start out let’s look at what the purpose of this Symposium is.
Our goal for the Symposium today is that you come to see that an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on this planet is an achievable dream for our future. (Pause) We hope and intend that you leave here enveloped and sustained by that vision, and that the actions you take for the rest of your life are informed by it.
As you look at that purpose, it might seem as though we’re talking about three different issues here: environmental sustainability, social justice and spiritual fulfillment. But really if you look closely, we think you’ll find that that these three are inextricably interrelated, interdependent, and are different facets of one profoundly interconnected whole! Each of these arenas generates consequences in the other two areas. (Pause to let it sink in.) It simply isn’t possible to make sustainable progress on one of them while ignoring the other two. We’ll talk more about this today.
Please understand that this Symposium isn’t meant to be a discourse or debate on the environmental, economic, political and social problems we’re facing.
Our intention with this Symposium is that you leave here in a state of what may be called Blessed Unrest. Blessed Unrest is a state when you know and understand the urgency of the situation we face, but you also see that the possibilities are greater than the crises…and you help others see and embrace that as well.
Our work is to contribute to the creation of a global movement of awake people who are both informed and optimistic; people who are able to see and embrace and create a new possibility for the future and who continually take inspired, committed action; people who know that they are significant as individuals, and realize that we are also all connected, part of a larger community; and just as importantly, that this is all part of something much bigger that’s happening through us.
So please receive this information in a way that you end up there!
You can use the symposium as an organizing tool to take back to your family, friends, workplace and so on.
Notes:
This is an alternate version of the text you can use:
The purpose of the Symposium is to create an environmentally sustainable, socially just, and spiritually fulfilling human presence on this planet; recognizing that these are not separate issues but 3 interrelated aspects of one profoundly interconnected whole. We believe that this can only be achieved by opening our hearts to the pain for the world that connects us all, and converting that pain into power. We hope that everyone in this room leaves today in a state we call Blessed Unrest. Blessed Unrest is a state of mind and a state of heart where you are continually aware of what's going on in the world around you, and you refuse to close your eyes to it. By remaining awake and open to the crisis time we are living in, and all of the pain that comes with it, we are able to connect with our greater body of life on this planet. Because the pain we are feeling is not for ourselves but for other humans, and other living beings on this planet, it is proof of our compassion and proof of our interconnectedness. And once we tap into that, we have access to the unlimited power, creativity, and opportunities of the human race. In blessed unrest we have the ability to act powerfully and authentically to create a better world.
> The 4 Questions (1 minute)
Today we’ll be examining four key questions:
(Bring up poster of Flow; post in a place where it will be visible throughout.)
Slide - Text Slide of the Four Questions
1. Where Are We?
First, using consensus data from experts, we’ll look at where we are in relation to creating an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just human presence. It will take some time, but it will provide an important foundation for the rest of our work together.
2. How Did We Get Here?
Second, how did we get into this situation? What are the root causes—not just the surface behaviors—that got us here? What happened??
3. What is Possible for the Future?
Given all of that, where does that leave us? What’s happening at this time in history? Is another future really possible?
4. Where Do We Go From Here?
In some ways this is the most important part of today—How does all this affect you and your life, and our lives as a human community?
VIDEO: SHORTENED PACHAMAMA STORY
> Explanation of the Symposium + Prophecy of the Eagle and Condor (3 minutes)
Notes:
This was originally described in the video but the video was removed to make the story more personal. In the video the prophecy is told in less than a minute. Review the end of the video (script below) for the bare bones story, and time yourself if you want to add stuff to it so you can keep it under time! Any important details about the story of the Symposium from the end of the Pachamama story video can be included here if they have not already been said.
Script:
In response to the request that came from its indigenous partners, The Pachamama Alliance created this symposium: Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream. It is offered in hundreds of venues across North America, Europe, Australia, and around the world.
This response to the call from the Achuar people to change the dream of the modern world is consistent with an ancient indigenous prophecy—the Prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor.
According to some ancient indigenous legends that go back millennia, the Eagle is the bird which represents societies that are very materialistic and very human oriented. And the Condor represents more spiritual societies and ones that feel more integrated with their environment.
And so this legend said that every five hundred years, we go through cycles, and the last cycle began at the end of the 1400’s, roughly the time of Columbus. And it was predicted that during that cycle, the Eagle would dominate, but within five hundred years, that cycle would start to change, and the Eagle and the Condor would fly together in the same skies.
We believe that every human being can integrate what these two worlds each have to offer, without minimizing the value of either. So everyone can benefit, not just indigenous people, but all people, everywhere.
And in fact, we’re seeing that happen today. And we’re seeing it happen through organizations like The Pachamama Alliance, where the Eagle and the Condor are dancing together in one sky.
The opportunity of our work together is to bring these two worldviews into balance and harmony in ourselves, in our communities, and in our culture --- what has come to be known as the Eagle way of creativity, the intellect and the mind, and the Condor way of spirit, reverence for nature, and the opening of the heart. It's out of this union that a whole new future is possible.
> Intro to Where Are We: EMPHASIZE innermost response vs. intellectualizing (1 minute)
Slide - Where Are We? Four Questions, first one highlighted
The first of the four questions we’ll be looking at today is: Where Are We? What is our current situation in relation to these three fundamental concerns: environmental sustainability, social justice, and spiritual fulfillment here on Earth?
All the information we’re offering you today is the consensus of a vast majority of the widely recognized experts.
Much of this information may be new to some of you, and it may be old news many others in this audience. No matter what your level of knowledge on these subjects, we invite you to try to experience what you see and hear as if for the first time. Often the more familiar you are with the reality of this world crisis, the more numb you become.