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Volume 5 Issue 2                                                                         July 2016

This month we are excited to share with you our new consensus blog and information on why a consciousness of consensus and collaboration is important to creating a workable community.  We will be sharing wonderful articles written by Dr. Connie Stomper who has been a long time partner with Community Planet. This blog discusses in detail some of the key skills and concepts that are part of the consensus process.

If you have not already checked out our new website, click here.

If you missed our last issue click here for newsletter archive.

Love and Light,  

Jack Reed

 CPF’s vision:

A world that works for everyone created by people living and working together in thriving, cooperative, sustainable Communities based on the Highest Good of all life.

 

IN THIS ISSUE

• Community Planet Partner Dr. Connie Stomper

• Why Consensus?

• New Consensus Blog

• Community Blog

• Links to Resources Around the Web

• Donate to Community Planet through Amazon Smile

• How you can help

Dr. Connie Stomper

Our consultant Dr. Connie Stomper has been instrumental in the revamping of the CPF website and newletters.  She co-created and co-facilitates the Consensus trainings and is the primary author of the new Consensus Blog.  Connie also does other training and counseling and the consensus blogs will link to the consensus blog on her website, "Soul Musings" as well as being posted on the Community Planet site.

You can see a more detailed bio on Dr. Stomper here.

Why Consensus?

In most current decision and governance entities, the most powerful and outspoken have had a disproportionate control over our lives. A core difference in a world that works for everyone would be to consider the effect on and maximize the input of all those involved in a decision, thus effecting much higher quality solutions. Therefore, Communities envisioned by Community Planet would utilize consensus as their decision-making process. Through consensus, as taught by Community Planet, we can return control to the people for the decisions that affect their everyday lives. In addition, criteria for these decisions would include the “highest” or “greatest” good of all living things.

Since consensus is essentially an approach to living and working in harmony, the skills for consensus decision-making are effective in any context in which people aspire to live and work in one accord — not just situations in which decisions are made collectively. The skills carry over to participants’ relationships in all areas of life. As an example, couples have often found that what they learn in the trainings have greatly enhanced their partnerships.

Community Planet offers training in "The Consciousness of Consensus: Coming Into Cooperation and Collaboration" and also “Consensus Practicum: Leadership for a New Age."

"The idea of a leader as being someone who facilitates other leaders is a powerful awareness. and when everyone is acting as a leader, everyone is taking responsibility for the whole."  Andreas A. participant

See website for details and pricing

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Creativity, Collaboration and Consensus

One thing that always strikes me when I experience or listen to people attempting to make joint decisions is that each person’s perspective and choice is often presented as an either/or alternative. Everyone then proceeds to make a case for whatever it is that they are advocating, hoping to convince the other person(s) of the wisdom of their preference. Another …

Read more.

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A Consciousness of Sustainability

In our personal lives, crisis can give rise to the opportunity to expand spiritually in order to make meaning of experiences and garner the strength and wisdom to meet the challenge. In the similar way, the current crisis on the planet of such extra-ordinary proportions as global warming and environment toxicity can lead to disasters of monumental proportion if we …

Read more.

The Next Evolution book, describing how we can create that kind of world, is available both in paperback and can now be downloaded as a .pdf file on the new website at a discounted price.  The first chapter can be downloaded for free. Buy book

RESOURCES FROM AROUND THE WEB

From our friend Annie Leonard of "The Story of Stuff," watch this new inspiring video, "The Story of Solutions."  exploring solutions that are transformative and have a goal of making things "better" rather than just "more" of the things that haven't worked.

You can vote for a candidate who holds similar values.

“My Power to the People Plan creates deep system change, moving from the greed and exploitation of corporate capitalism to a human-centered economy that puts people, planet and peace over profit."  Jill Stein  

A gallup poll found that 60% of Americans say that a third party is needed and at least 45% identify as independents, so this year's election is ripe for a third party candidate. The green party does not accept corporate money so as elected officials are not beholden to anyone other than the people they represent.

See Green Candidate Jill Stein's platform.  See the four pillars and ten key values of the green party.

See 2 min video of Jill talking about voting our values for "the greater good" rather than our fears of the "lesser evil." 

Longer 10-15 minute interviews with JIll on Democracy Now! and Mint Press News. Her article this week on "The Revolution Continues can be read here.

Innovations for Sustainability

Where There's a Will... There's a Way

 BIO-BRICKS 

No fossil fuels

used to produce!

(Which could eliminate 800 million tons of carbon emissions!)

Donate to Community Planet Through Amazon Smile!

When you shop on Amazon you can now donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to Community Planet Foundation.  To participate in this fundraising effort you need to first go to smile.amazon.com and create an account.  You can then search under "Pick your own charitable organization" for Community Planet. (You'll have to scroll down the list to find it in the search results) Click on select and that is all that you need to do to automatically contribute to CPS whenever you make Amazon purchases through the smile.amazon.com site. 

More about the Amazon Smile program can be found here.

WHAT WE NEED

• Help with networking with social media

• Help with search engine optimization

• Reciprocal websites

• Donations to for staffing and training youth in Consensus skills

• Opportunities to talk with groups and be on talk shows

• Gift of land to build the first model Community

Please forward to anyone you think would be interested in knowing about our work

 

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Want to support a world that works for everyone?

 Donate  here