International connections are a rich resource for practitioners in the field of constellation work

By Leslie Nipps, M.Div.
 
I just returned from “Constellating Future,” a gathering of the International Systemic Constellations Association, from Oct. 21-25 in Zagreb, Croatia.

What an enlivening and rich experience!
 
I traveled to Croatia with James Woeber, my fellow co-director of the 2015 North American Systemic Constellations Conference, to participate in this international event with nearly 80 facilitators and constellation enthusiasts from around the world.
 
I can happily report that international constellation work is alive and well – and a rich resource for all of us who love constellation work.
 
The International Systemic Constellations Association gathered in Zagreb this year at a time of transition and rejuvenation. Founded in 2007 and almost closed for business a year or so ago, ISCA is now on the verge of a new era of international constellation work and innovation. Great thanks especially go to Max Dauskardt of Germany (currently living in Croatia), who has led the effort to regrow ISCA and make it viable again. It’s been a work of great passion and love for him.

The board consists of Max, serving as chair, and Elena Veselago from Russia, vice chair. They are supported by a new transition team that is committed to helping the board continue its transition to an expanded and more internationally representative board, which will be elected in early 2017. The transition team consists of myself, James Woeber (both representing the United States), Orianne Corman (United Kingdom and Belgium), Andrew MacDonald (Canada) and Alemka Dauskardt (Croatia).
 
We are excited about the work, and we hope to grow ISCA in a systemically informed and creative way that responds to the emerging liveliness of constellation work around the world. There are now many ways to organize that don’t fit the conventional forms for associations – for instance, holocracy, sociocracy, Theory U, and many others.
 
Some of us who work for a living by facilitating constellation work long to apply it, not only to clients in workshops but also to the building of systemically healthy organizations which respond to the emerging intelligence which inspires its existence and growth.
 
The beginnings of that exploration showed up beautifully at this event and holds great promise as we extend the amazing work Max, Elena, Alemka and others have done to steady the association.
 
This gathering included an ISCA members meeting, when we affirmed Bert Hellinger as our founder, and we committed ourselves to tending to the core of the work while fostering innovation and diversity and used constellations to discern the future direction of the organization.
 
Alemka Dauskardt (Max’s partner) was the gracious and effective event organizer, and she created something truly wonderful. It included a pre-conference workshop led by Cecilio Regojo of Spain on “Interview, Connection, Responsibility and the Empowerment of the Client,” which was a rich exploration of organizational constellations (and I had a constellation of my own facilitated!).
 
Anngywn St. Just from the United States led a post-conference workshop on “Individual, Social and Global Trauma,” which emphasized the constellations insight that no trauma is ever truly individual. We also experienced presentations from Marianne Franke-Gricksh from Germany; Elena Veselago from Russia; and William Mannle from the United States.
 
I came away with a deep conviction about the critical importance of these international connections and a personal commitment to support their growth. Personally, constellations become more fun, beautiful, insightful and powerful when expressions from around the world are included. It doesn’t hurt to do that in a place as lovely as Croatia.
 
The next ISCA gathering is planned for Sept. 14-18, 2018 on Croatia's Adriatic coast – I encourage everyone interested in the growth of international constellations work to join ISCA, support and be supported by the work, and come to our next gathering.

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About the author

The Rev. Leslie Nipps, M.Div., is a Systemic Constellations and NLP practitioner and trainer in Oakland, Calif. She was co-director of the 2015 North American Systemic Constellations Conference in San Diego, California, and presented at the 2011 and 2013 conferences. She was a founding board member of North American Systemic Constellations and is a member of the transition team for ISCA. She has been an Episcopal minister for more than 20 years. Find her website here.

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