MINDSHIFT CAFÉ CLOSED FOR NOW

March 18, 2005

Why?

We are closing the Mindshift Cafés for now in order to:

• Focus on developing the web site (www.global-mindshift.org) and its use to build a global social network of mindshifters
  
  
• Conduct series of small gymnasium dialogues to clarify and deepen our understanding of the four tools for evolution and their role in the mindshift
  
  
• Experiment with a variety of new formats for face-to-face conversations, a variety of ways to evolve and emerge the mindshift

We hope you can participate in this evolutionary journey with us.

Stay tuned.

What’s the history of the MindShift Café?

The Café has come a long way since its inception a year and a half ago when, in the Fall of 2003, the Global Mindshift Team presented its first Mindshift Café. Global MindShift (then called It’s Time) formed with a fundamental mission to catalyze a change in an individual’s worldview, away from a shortsighted, single-minded worldview that believes that “more is better” in a dog-eat-dog world to a more integral worldview that builds a world that will sustain all life. This daunting task desperately needs to be done if we are to survive as a species. After working on our worldview content and message for a year, we decided to engage the local population in a series of conversations to test the message and develop the content. Hence, the first Mindshift Café was held in November of 2003.

There have been eight MindShift Cafes. Three of the cafes were presented with live streaming to different parts of the United States and the world: United States – Georgia, Washington, New York, California. Abroad: Switzerland.

Our guest speakers and themes have included:

•  November 2003 – Joe Kresse and Avery Cleary on business, sustainability, and our connections with Earth
  
  
•  January 2004 – Joe Kresse and Debbie Mytels on corporate economics and ecology
  
  
•   March 2004 – Chris Weil and Barbara Waugh on mindshift in business
  
  
•   May 2004 – John Vasconcellos and J. Manuel Herrera on mindshift in politics
  
  
•   October 2004 – Craig Barnes on “Democracy at a Crossroads: Redefining Freedom”
  
  
•   December 2004 – Peter Phillips on “Media and Power: Grassroots News in a Global Society”
  
  
•  January 2005 – Margaret Wheatley on “Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time”
  
  
•   March 2005 – Yasuhiko Kimura on “Think: The First Principle for Life

What is a MindShift Café?

A Mindshift Café is held on a Saturday morning for three to four hours, taking place in a large room with about 12 round tables seating seven people each. Each table has a host and a server assigned to it, and checkered tablecloths, flower centerpieces, and continental breakfast set the ambience of the day. Each Café identifies a theme specified to orient the speakers and conversations. There is a podium for the speakers and a rear-projection screen and projector for video and computerized presentations. The program menu consists of:

•  Appetizers – table introductions and ice breaker conversations.
  
  
•  First Course – a context-setting talk by a Global MindShift team member followed by the keynote talk by an invited guest. In the context-setting talk, the “mindshift” is described as arising from an evolutionary perspective of our 13.7 billion year history, an expanded identity for the human implied by that history, and four personal practices (“tools for evolution”) that can help us all make this worldview change: being present, authentic, inclusive, and responsible. The keynote speaker addresses the theme of the day, pointing out how the four tools for evolution pertain to that subject area.
  
  
•  Second Course – large-group dialogue and small-group table “conversations that matter” on the theme of the day, where people are asked to use the four tools to address what they need to do in their lives to help themselves and others to materially change their worldview.
  
  
•  Dessert – sharing general comments on the theme of the day. The Café ends with some announcements and with each participant filling out a feedback form about the café and how they can become more involved with Global MindShift.
  
  

Bill Wall – Mike Abkin – Virginia Fitton