The Invitation and the Opportunity
by Harrison Snow
We don’t always know cognitively the reason behind a decision. Frequently, the mind comes up with objective reasons long after our “gut” or the “small quiet voice within” has moved us in a certain direction. We do know that the social divides in our country that show up in terms of race, class, regionalism and politics have been increasingly dominating the headlines. Only a year or two ago many of us did not spend much time thinking about or feeling into these divides. Now, many more of us talk and feel upset about them every day, which ironically might be an indicator of consciousness raising. When the planning and steering committees for the NASC conference were formed in late 2016, we discussed possible themes. Given the concern we felt about what was emerging out of a tumultuous and divisive presidential election, the theme of Bridging the Divide seemed more than apt. We established the social justice track to explore with compassion and non-judgment the divides within us and our collective lineage of perpetrator and victim dynamics. Yet apparently “the Field” had additional plans. Synchronicity can bring an unexpected invitation. According to Henry David Thoreau, There is but one opportunity of a kind. At Virginia Beach we will have the rare intersection of place, time and participants to look at and acknowledge events and people that have long felt excluded, overlooked or blamed. Will this be easy or comfortable? Most likely not. But no matter how we perceive current events or past history, in our hearts we know it’s time and it’s necessary. As the civil rights leader and Congressman, John E. Lewis, fearlessly asked, If not now, then when? If not us, then who?
Let’s start with location. The conference location is steeped in the history of war and slavery. Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the “New World,” founded in 1607, is nearby. At Jamestown the English began their conquest and displacement of the native people and brought in the first slaves from Africa to work the tobacco fields. The battlefield of Yorktown where the colonists defeated the English crown with French help is also nearby. Virginia itself has numerous Civil War battlefields. The capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, along with Charlottesville are within an afternoon’s drive.
Looking at people, Virginia Beach is home to a number of conservative Christian groups, including the one that owns the conference center we will meet at. It also is home to groups like the Edgar Cayce Foundation which has been offering consciousness development programs for about a hundred years. As in most coastal cities, the population is highly diverse. Yet no matter what your politics or lineage there is an opportunity in Virginia Beach to systematically represent and affirm what unites us in our shared humanity.
In terms of time, we only have to go look at or read the latest media to witness issues of race, equity, immigration and social justice at the forefront. People are asking questions and demanding answers to issues long regarded as simply the way things are. Strong emotions are being expressed. We in the constellation community have something unique, efficacious and nonpartisan to offer. Let’s offer it. Come to Virginia Beach this October and support that offering.
We don’t always know cognitively the reason behind a decision. Frequently, the mind comes up with objective reasons long after our “gut” or the “small quiet voice within” has moved us in a certain direction. We do know that the social divides in our country that show up in terms of race, class, regionalism and politics have been increasingly dominating the headlines. Only a year or two ago many of us did not spend much time thinking about or feeling into these divides. Now, many more of us talk and feel upset about them every day, which ironically might be an indicator of consciousness raising. When the planning and steering committees for the NASC conference were formed in late 2016, we discussed possible themes. Given the concern we felt about what was emerging out of a tumultuous and divisive presidential election, the theme of Bridging the Divide seemed more than apt. We established the social justice track to explore with compassion and non-judgment the divides within us and our collective lineage of perpetrator and victim dynamics. Yet apparently “the Field” had additional plans. Synchronicity can bring an unexpected invitation. According to Henry David Thoreau, There is but one opportunity of a kind. At Virginia Beach we will have the rare intersection of place, time and participants to look at and acknowledge events and people that have long felt excluded, overlooked or blamed. Will this be easy or comfortable? Most likely not. But no matter how we perceive current events or past history, in our hearts we know it’s time and it’s necessary. As the civil rights leader and Congressman, John E. Lewis, fearlessly asked, If not now, then when? If not us, then who?
Let’s start with location. The conference location is steeped in the history of war and slavery. Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the “New World,” founded in 1607, is nearby. At Jamestown the English began their conquest and displacement of the native people and brought in the first slaves from Africa to work the tobacco fields. The battlefield of Yorktown where the colonists defeated the English crown with French help is also nearby. Virginia itself has numerous Civil War battlefields. The capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, along with Charlottesville are within an afternoon’s drive.
Looking at people, Virginia Beach is home to a number of conservative Christian groups, including the one that owns the conference center we will meet at. It also is home to groups like the Edgar Cayce Foundation which has been offering consciousness development programs for about a hundred years. As in most coastal cities, the population is highly diverse. Yet no matter what your politics or lineage there is an opportunity in Virginia Beach to systematically represent and affirm what unites us in our shared humanity.
In terms of time, we only have to go look at or read the latest media to witness issues of race, equity, immigration and social justice at the forefront. People are asking questions and demanding answers to issues long regarded as simply the way things are. Strong emotions are being expressed. We in the constellation community have something unique, efficacious and nonpartisan to offer. Let’s offer it. Come to Virginia Beach this October and support that offering.
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Harrison Snow designs and facilitates programs in team building, organizational change and leadership development. Since 1988 he has led programs in 26 countries for Fortune 500 clients and public organizations such as the, World Bank Group, Inter-American Development Bank, the U.S. Department of State and the Agency for International Development. For the seven years he has been leading an organizational constellation, community of practice for CBODN. Harrison has written four well-received books on team building and leadership. His MBA is from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and he resides in Falls Church, Va. |
