INTEGRAL EUROPE - A short history of its development

INTEGRAL EUROPE

With great pleasure I informed of the great opportunity that means to have been accepted as a volunteer at the ITC in San Francisco.  They say that it is going to be a great integral encounter and if I evalute it from the wonderful panelists, speakers, presenters and workshop leaders, I say, YES, it is going to be FANTASTIC ¡¡¡.  I am thrilled.  Not only because I do not know San Francisco but because I am going to meet many interesting people, and even attend them in their needs.  For a Virginian, like my zodiac says, is almost heaven. Even though it is a volunteer work, I feel that I have breen granted a schollarship, as the venue is important enough to feel that way.  I even found a generous girl which will be sharing romos at the Marriot Hotel, soooo, everything is set up.  Now, I hope the weather is right and the earth stays quiet ¡¡¡

 

 And why all this introduction?  Well, because, Bence Ganti and me are going to present the poster of INTEGRAL EUROPE, the Project of tcreation of he european organization who will créate a yearly European Integral Conference to gather the most interesting people and Projects developed in Europe, as well as other venues and future ideas that are trying to see the Light.  To see who am I and who is Bence in the organigram of Integral Europe and if you want to see a Little history of its development, please see below, a report we have created in the form of Questions and Answers.

  

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 

ON 

INTEGRAL EUROPE  

- What is the current status of INTEGRAL EUROPE?   

 

The organization was created in June 2012 in a meeting organized by Dennis Wittrock in Berlin (after a talk with me in Madrid).  He invited 21 countries (the ones he said he knew were active with Integral, but left out, for example,  Bulgaria that has been working with Integral for more than 6 years already.  But he knew about this afterwards).  Out of the 21 countries assisting, five people  (Dennis Wittrock, Bence Ganti, Raquel Torrent, Miriam Van Groer and Kevin Solinski), representing five countries stood up as volunteers to work with the development of the project:  the creation of an organization named Integral Europe that would integrate all the European countries that are interested in the Integral Theory of Ken Wilber and therefore the Integral Consciousness.  In fact our vision statement is the following “ 

“Our vision is to weave together European initiatives to develop integral practices, bringing peace and blessing to the world”.   

 

- How are you organizing yourselves?    

 

We  want to be seen as an organization (to follow) as we have not yet taken any legal/official action.   We meet two or three times a month since July 2012 (9 months now)  through Skype  (only voice at the beginning;  now also with video).  We use Holacracy style meetings,  although not in a very strict manner. Just to give us some kind of a structure. Our idea is to farther implement the Holacracy model to the fullest as the Nation Circles and their Lead Links and Representatives are being formed.   We are also aware of the shadow (individually and collectively)  during our strategic and operating meetings,  with the recognition and use of Integral dimensions: (Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, Physical) in the Four Quadrants while talking and acting.   We generate and agenda and some minutes of the meetings and follow them through in discussions and tasks, during and after,  respectively.  

 

 - What are you biggest plans and objectives?.  

 

Following our vision, we are trying to bring European people together integrating interests and offering contents for the development of two main objectives within the organization:  

 

1) Creation of a real European Integral Community   (at first is the only thing we can do, and this goes very very slow, because we have to know each other and what are the interests)

2) Act as real representatives of Integral Europe (so that we may have a voice and vote in the future of Integral Development in the world) 

  
Our plans are the following:   In order to do this, we have created Bi-monthly on-line Conferences from the month of May that pretend to  unite the 21 people or more (that originally came to Berlin in June 2012, representing 16 countries), to listen to what they have to say and to receive from the organization some interesting contents, contention or just  the celebration and enjoyment of being together. We are so far, mainly offering a space to hold and embrace the Integral European projects and people that have been working with Integral matters  since a long time.  This past May, we hold the first bi-monthly on-line  meeting and  it was very nice and useful, precisely for that.  We were 13 attendees, from  10 countries.
 

We are also in the process of creating a Bi-monthly Newsletter that would be fed with the input of “what is cooking” in the Integral field of the different European countries. 

Sometime, we would like to créate a Summer Festival, where everyone can go to enjoy life and again celebrate but not virtually but physically. Some gay encounter with dance and music, meditations, and open talks.

In the summer, in the month of July,  we will be officially Introducing IE(Integral Europe) to the worldwide Integral Community, presenting a poster at the Integral Conference in California (ITC)
 
In 2014 there will be a big European Conference with speakers from all over the world and some workshops or parallel sessions.  The meeting will take place in Budapest and will count with speakers, workshops and panels  from all over the world but specially from Europe.                                                          
  - Which countries are involved?  

 

Firstly the five countries that are fulfilling the role of Board for IE organization:  Germany, Hungary, Spain, Holland and France.  The rest of the countries are:  Belgium Bulgaria, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Island, United Kingdom, Russia, Polland, Greece, Norway, Finland, Ukrania, Austria, Denmark.  Other countries may want to attend the meetings and to be a part of the organization as more and more Integral consciousness is being developed throughout all Europe.   

 

- Do you have an official website?  

 

We are precisely in the process of developing it as we had to create the logo first (which is already created) and in that base, we are creating the website, that has been  implemented in the Alpha during the month of May.     It is already filled with content and we are already gathering countries' information to have their updates on their events and integral actions. Everyone could visit: www.integraleurope.org

 

- How does one get involved with IIE board?    

 

Firstly, observe how you, yourself say IIE, and I want to differentiate Integral Europe from Integral Institute in Europe which is not the same thing.  Now, and precisely thanks to the creation of our IE, we have called the attention of the Northamerican Integral Institute.  They have offered one of the members of the IE board: Bence Ganti, to be the connection in Europe for the Integral Institute, and he has agreed.   

 

The involvement of the board so far is not too clear yet,  according to Holacracy principles, which as I said before is the Operating System we are using on top also of the SOI (Integral Operating System).  This original “Board of the five” let’s call it, is the main strategic circle that it will not be operative (as soon as the Main Circle and the National Circles are formed). May be it will be maintained as just an advisory board.  So far this "board of the five" has been actively working for 12 months now and has already implemented, three main gatherings: One in Berlin (June 2012) Another one in Budapest (January 2013), and the third one on-line (30th of May 2013), as well as the IE logo and the website. Also the  main structure of the organization.  Therefore people that wants to be involved with IE will enter to be a part of the Main Circle or directly to the National Circle of their country.   What it is not clear so far is if the five of us will continue (in case we want OR there is nobody else that offers for this role) to be part of this original board for ever or for a period of time that will vary from 3 to 5 years for example. This is something we are in the process of defining. 

   
-  Any other useful points not mentioned in the above questions?  

 

One important thing we want to mention and even ask for advice and expertise is that, in the process of creating the organization,  we are already talking about the important issue of Raising Funds which is a vital point for the on-going development of the IE.  It is true that if we do not find some sponsors that support us (foundations, banks, private enterprises, or rich integrally conscious individuals), the projects that we envision will not see the light for lack of money, therefore, we are looking what could we do in this area.  Any hint will be very welcomed and appreciated.    Our main concern is to be of service, for ourselves, the integral community and the world, therefore we have a grand task that we want to undertake with a sober mind and a soft heart, without forgetting that all of this is part of our spiritual path.   

IE board: 
Raquel Torrent,  Bence Ganti Dennis Wittrock Kevin Solinski Miriam Van Groen      
June 2013