Background and Current Activities
Introduction
We are honored to invite you to participate in the international project “Transition Time: multidimensional approach”, which is the next stage of the “Synergy: Leader to Leader Dialogue” International Program that has received support from the highest levels (“Synergy 2008” events were supported by the UN, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Russian Embassy in the United States, and the US Congress and State Department).
Today's situation can be characterized as a transition time when the world is changing rapidly, and new dangers and opportunities emerge in all areas that were previously impossible. The result is inefficiency of traditional approaches and ways of thinking, combined with the necessity of adopting new ones that are far more comprehensive so as to deal with the situation in all its complexity. In order to provide an answer to this enormous challenge we have developed the “Transition Time” project.
The project is dedicated to several goals, the first of which is facilitating the emergence of a panoramic vision in its participants, which is a view that unites all areas of their lives with their environments. The second goal involves recognition of the hidden dangers and concealed opportunities that manifest in various areas of their lives, especially in three fundamental areas (meaning, relationships, and business). The third and final goal is to help all participants form an infrastructure of assistance and support that is crucial for managing an effective transformation in various fields of their lives.
Document Structure and Content
This document is an introduction to our latest “Transition Time: multidimensional approach” initiative and an invitation to join this journey. We have chosen a ladder-like structure for this text, so that reading it will provide a comprehensive tour of the history of our initiatives by demonstrating the emergent nature of each successive stage in the development of our innovative projects. The main idea here is to show that all our activities have evolved as an integrative solution to real, timely challenges that exist in our modern world.
This document begins by introducing the International Academy for Leadership and Business (IALBA) and its founder Mark Tourevski. Then it proceeds to describe the history of our movement toward a more integrated approach to the development of social capital and social networks, with each step marked by a transformation to levels of higher complexity in our projects and thinking.
This natural evolution resulted in the creation of the “Synergy 2008” program, which facilitates Russian-American cooperation in a variety of fields. This program has emerged as a response to the profound need for extensive collaboration between Russia and the West. The main barrier to this cooperation, mutual misunderstanding and mistrust, is discussed below. It is therefore stated that IALBA's leading participants, exceptional people with unique life experiences, play an important role in forming this greatly needed mutual understanding.
However, the challenge is that currently no place exists for sustainable relationships, since meetings of these extraordinary people tend to be random and episodic. In order to respond to this challenge, as noted below, a new venue that could function as a space for more systematic interactions, which incorporate a higher level of mutual understanding, was created. Such a venue forms an environment for effective Russian-American collaboration and support of initiatives.
The first initiative, a pilot project, was launched in May 2008; it was dedicated to exploring high-risk energy markets.
Our latest initiative, “Transition Time”, which is currently our main project, organically emerged based upon all our previous initiatives, as a response to the challenges of the current historically unprecedented times.
There are two main challenges addressed by “Transition Time.” Firstly, avoidance of the fact that all transformations have both positive and negative sides means that the dialectical nature of progress is not thoroughly understood. The solution for this challenge suggested in this document is to create an environment for integrated knowledge sharing.
This is also part of the solution for the second challenge, which is a fragmented understanding of transformational processes. The remaining portion involves the synergetic effect of creating a cohesive team of specialists from various fields, thereby aiding sustainable development and providing the means for effective communication with other team members as well as their clients.
At the end of this document we present the “Transition Time” project, which will bring the aforementioned solutions to life. The conceptual framework we chose for this initiative includes integrated perspectives, simultaneously considering the entire set of three fundamental perspectives: “I” (each individual's inner meaning), “We” (outward communication and cultural factors that surround each individual and form his or her mindset), and “It” (objective systems and phenomena with which each individual has to operate).
From “People to People” to “Leader to Leader”
Mark Tourevski founded the International Academy for Leadership in Business and Administration (IALBA) in 1995. In the late 1980's, Mark began to collaborate with 'People to People International' (PTPI) an organization begun in 1956 by President Eisenhower in order to promote friendship between the American and the Soviet people. Mark and his associates organized trips for American delegations to the Soviet Union , and they facilitated their interactions with Soviet citizens.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, a private sector developed in Russia and most of the other newly independent states, allowing new directions of cooperation between the U.S. and Russia . Most importantly, it became possible for former Soviet citizens to travel to the West. The research Mark conducted during this time of transition led to the book (co-authored with Eileen Morgan) Cutting the Red Tape: How Western Companies Can Profit in the New Russia (New York: Macmillan, The Free Press. 1993). Subsequently, based on the results of this research, People to People International launched the program "Leader to Leader Dialogue" in which over a thousand business and administrative leaders from the former Soviet Union visited the United States .
From Sporadic Meetings to Social Capital Development
In 1995, the success of these activities led to the foundation of IALBA, a non-commercial and non-governmental organization. The academy's goal was to develop social capital among the previous participants of the “Leader to Leader Dialogues”. The members formed interest groups , which began to develop into vibrant networks, allowing the participants to share knowledge and expertise. Currently, this network consists of more than 3,000 members, most of them from countries of the former Soviet Union , but also from other parts of the globe. The Advisory Board of the Academy was established in 1996, bringing together leaders of business and society: J. Andreani, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of France, former French ambassador to the US ; Sir J. Fretwell, Chairman of the Franco-British Society, Special Adviser of the Chamber of Lords, former UK Ambassador to France; A. Hartman, former US ambassador to Russia and France; E. Lawson, President of the U.S.-Russian Business Council; R. Malott, Member of Swiss Bank Corp. Council; G.W. Miller, Former US Secretary of Treasury; C. W.Verity, former US Secretary of Commerce, and others.
Since the late 1990's, the Academy's focus has been shifting more and more towards the exploration and implementation of various integrated frameworks including Ken Wilber's vision and theoretical system. During this time, the Academy organized a series of dialogues at venues such as the Davos World Economic Forum, the Investment Symposium at Harvard University , and others.
"Synergy 2008"
The current program "Synergy 2008" is in many ways IALBA's most ambitious project yet, because it integrates all its previous activities and concerns. A pilot project involving Russian and American energy companies was successfully conducted in May 2008, and a variety of other projects are currently in their planning stages. In addition, many public figures from all over the world have supported and endorsed these initiatives, including the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and others.
Issue:
Sustainable development of today's world (energy supply stability, terrorism prevention, environmental sustainability) is impossible without collaborative efforts between Russia and the West, not only at the federal level but also at the NGO and individual levels. It has become increasingly clear that uniting the best perspectives and experience of all nations involved brings enormous efficiency to various companies and organizations, in addition to providing new opportunities for trade and investments as well as personal growth and development.
Nevertheless, the history of the 20th century and recent events have shown us that old stereotypes and prejudices, as well as mutual misunderstanding and mistrust, establish a barrier against bringing such collaboration to the depth necessary to solve multifaceted problems in the global environment. In order to allow thoroughly new results to emerge from international interaction, it is absolutely crucial to apply innovative approaches to today's global dynamics. We offer such a novel approach in the Synergy Program.
Our Response:
Possibilities: Preconditions for Mutual Understanding
The International Academy for Leadership in Business and Administration is uniquely positioned to achieve the goal of creating a synergy, thanks to 18 years of experience in organizing international joint programs, including conferences, round tables, award ceremonies, and so on. It is important to note that the chief participants of the “Leader to Leader Dialogue” all share the same unique trait – their effective application of all kinds of innovative approaches towards their own development and development of their organizations. They have found deep inspiration in concepts and ideas of such great teachers as E. Deming, P. Drucker, E. Fromm, A. Maslow, V. Frankl, M. Buber, J. Krishnamurti, and others. They participate in various forms of sharing experiences, active learning, business coaching, personal development seminars, etc.; they have found successful ways to combine the entire spectrum of business, systems, management, and western psychological and eastern meditative approaches in both their businesses and personal lives.
Challenge: Sustainable Productive Relationships
The key problem here is that these people tend to meet at random and episodic times , and because of this only a few participants establish long-term partnerships. Therefore, only a few collaborative projects emerge. People who are critically important to each other cannot meet and establish connections because no forum to facilitate it currently exists.
Solution: New Platform
This is why the “Leader to Leader Dialogue” coordinators decided to create a new platform that would allow people and organizations that apply innovative approaches on a regular basis to continue to cooperate and interact . The stress on innovative approaches is one of the characteristics that make the new platform different from the old-fashioned attempts of establishing international cooperation.
Creating an outlet where such people can meet, pursue shared goals, and join their efforts in shared projects is very important not only for these individuals, but also for the overall prosperity of the regions and organizations that they represent. A h igher level of trust and mutual understanding that will evolve from such a project acts as a catalyst, which can drastically increase the efficiency of international relationships and interactions in a broad range of areas. These participants' collaborative efforts will reveal a vast ocean of possibilities, which fosters global cooperation and its growing complexity.
Thus, the Synergy Program allows us to unite the best experience of Russian participants, such as their capacity to work in a volatile environment, with the best Western management strategies provided by the American side. The Program's emergent asset is the synthesis of activities considered normal for people with different business and life experiences, specializing in the broad range of disciplines. Therefore, the mission of the Synergy Program is to create an environment for effective Russian-American collaboration by adopting the best aspects from each side's approach.
Mechanism: Support of Initiatives
In essence, the Synergy Program functions here as a clearinghouse for proposals from its members. Any participant or group of participants can suggest an initiative . We distribute this suggestion to the other network members and potential partners. As we receive responses, we help organize meetings, conferences, trips, and so on. The Synergy Program allows the initiatives to gradually develop, starting by identifying the areas suitable for mutual collaboration and going all the way to strategic planning and launching shared structures, programs, and events.
Initiatives: "High-Risk Energy Market"
The first project within the Synergy Program's framework was our "High-Risk Energy Market" Initiative , which was launched at the beginning of this year. We organized a series of events in Washington , D.C. on May 17 – 24, 2008 , in collaboration with the Chairman of the Union of Oil and Gas Producers of Russia Yury Shafranik . The Union brings together 150 oil and gas exploration, transportation companies, oil and gas refineries, geological survey and specialty banks (Gazprom, LUKoil, Surgutneftegaz, Transneft, Bashneft, Tatneft, Rosneftegazstroy, etc.).
The goal was to apply integrated approaches to developing Russian-American cooperation in the area of high-risk energy markets. In meetings and round-table discussions, we brought our Russian participants together with representatives of the U.S. executive branch, the U.S. Congress, the energy industry, and various other industry associations and research institutions. The list of participants included: Corinne Brown (U.S. Representative-Florida), Ambassador Steven R. Mann (U.S. State Department), Justin R. Swift (U.S. Department of Energy), Paul B. Dyck (U.S. Department of Commerce), Diana Sedney (Chevron), Kay Larcom (Conoco Phillips), Christopher Fetgatter (Occidental Petroleum), Robert J. Moran (Halliburton), Christina Moser Bolton (American Petroleum Institute), John J. Easton (Edison Electric Institute), and others. Additionally, the Russian Federation 's Permanent Representation at the United Nations held one of the meetings, with Ambassador Vitaly Churkin participating.
This multilevel approach led to the formation of a broad coalition in support of Russian-American energy cooperation in high-risk markets such as Iraq , Lybia , Syria , and others. Various participants in the coalition recognized each other's strengths from their individual cultural experiences, and several concrete projects have emerged from these meetings.
This proves that communication between innovative participants can result in the emergence of radically new ideas. The Synergy Program, therefore, contributes not only to developing cutting-edge knowledge but also to producing leading approaches. Thus, the series of dialogues between the “Synergy 2008” participants led to the formation of an unprecedented program. This program is called “Transition Time” , and it simultaneously includes a support system for individual transformations as well as a demonstration of radically new principles in methods of supporting these changes. In other words, this project's realization may create outcomes far more significant than successful development of just the individual participants.
Initiatives: “Transition Time: multidimensional approach”
Background
In the last two decades we have accomplished many interesting projects and found new ways to collaborate. We have created several programs that support innovative change and transformation in leading world organizations. Our projects were highly acclaimed as some of the most productive in terms of lasting results by such public figures as Bill Clinton and Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
Challenge: Dealing Proactively with All Aspects of Transformation
However, over time it became evident that the goal of both our organization and others, supporting change, has serious downsides . This understanding became the basis for our new project.
It is widely known that most attempts to significantly change result in failure (this may include anything from major personal alterations to large-scale corporate transformations). Therefore, it is no surprise that many people and organizations have formed quite a strong "resistance to change" that prevents them from undergoing transformations crucial to their sustainability. We realized that such resistance, resulting from a fear of major change, is an important defense mechanism. Thus, it is necessary to integrate the transcendent drive to change with the immanent obligation of individuals and organizations to preserve their current structures.
To solve the development dilemma, we had to find efficient ways to convey different participants' experiential knowledge. These methods needed to be comprehensive, so as to address essential issues of both preservation and change, as well as to integrate the polarity of evolution versus sustainability. This would allow a process of genuine sustainable development in individuals and organizations to emerge.
Solution: Integrated Knowledge Sharing
Therefore, we decided to organize a new kind of initiative. This initiative will situate the processes of transformation, growth, and development within a truly integrated framework of knowledge ; the goal here will be to discuss possible dangers of transformation processes, perhaps even more than benefits (there exists a great deal of information on the benefits but almost none on the dangers of pursuing major changes).
In order to convey this initiative, we do not simply use lectures or shallow theoretical discussions. Our programs do not serve as a substitute for the information one can find in a bookstore or download from the Internet related to transformations. Instead, we provide the most valuable kind of exchange – that of tacit knowledge . The notion of tacit knowledge involves hidden information that can be communicated only through direct contact with the hosts of an experience. The tacit knowledge our participants possess is rarely published or shared with friends. This is knowledge about their life paths, crises, and transformations. We have developed special techniques to reveal this tacit knowledge without putting participants in uncomfortable situations.
Challenge: Fragmented Understanding of Transformation
However, there is another complex issue we must face. Most approaches to transformation, in addition to denying the very fact that change means risk, are ignorant of the complex nature of transformations . The most dramatic disappointments occur when one adopts a fragmented understanding of the transformation process . People may fail when they try to transform just one area of their lives without touching the others. Many people try to create organizational changes without taking into account their own personal motivations. In practice, these changes never last because they are detached from the agents' systems of meaning. Others attempt to transform themselves by embarking upon various spiritual paths and personal development programs, while ignoring the fact that an initial transition period is important in order to have strong financial support and sustainability in their businesses. Scores of such mistakes have been made due to fragmented approaches.
We believe that the only solution is to adopt a complex, comprehensive, and multidimensional approach towards transformation. The nonexistence of such an approach today is the reason for so many failures on the path towards change.
Solution: Synergetic Effect
A main reason why such an approach was long unable to emerge was the total fragmentation of the current transformation support infrastructure. Until recently we thought it impossible to provide comprehensive transformation support, since there is no way one human being can master all areas of expertise in order to support the process of change in all fields. On the other hand, it would be inefficient to have dissociated experts in various fields who do not interact well with one another. After much research we have come to the conclusion that to solve this dilemma, an individual must create a team of different specialists (from a business coach to a financial analyst to an existential consultant to a family therapist) with whom this person would interact simultaneously and who will help him or her undergo the process of development. Such a team can be created only by this individual himself or herself; however, the Synergy Program obtains all the necessary contacts for that person to make a choice.
We provide an integrative framework (an "assembly line" ) that allows the individual to achieve great results by combining the best aspects of several specialists and establishing their close collaboration in the process of change. The combination of various approaches here results not in a clash of worldviews, but in a synergetic effect that opens new horizons for transformation and sustainability. Therefore, the initiative that gathers leaders in business and experts who represent different approaches and specialties allows participants to integrate a broad range of knowledge, methods, and technologies, and by doing so it creates a platform for multifaceted collaboration in terms of choice of path and tools for transformation. The integral vision we adopt provides the means to see both individual trees as well as the global forest that we all share.
Forum “Transition Time: multidimensional approach”
Based on the aforementioned concepts, we are organizing an event for those who play significant roles in Russian and American society (businesspeople, politicians, professors, etc.), which would be based on the principle of integral perspectives (1st-person, 2nd-person, and 3rd-person, as articulated by Ken Wilber). Most conferences and events tend to focus strictly on 3rd-person issues (objective processes, hierarchical systems, economic modes of production), with 1st - and 2nd -person perspectives being ignored.
We would like to invite you to a forum where you can experience a certain issue not only in terms of the 3rd-person perspective (scientific, objective view), but also by taking 1st-person (inner psychological) and 2nd-person perspectives (cultural). We would like to emphasize the importance of all these perspectives being taken into account. In this way, the participants will naturally learn how to apply an integrated perspective to important decisions (such as Russian-American relationships, or transforming a national business into an international one, etc.) that require a comprehensive approach. For example, examine Russian-American relationships: we would like people to focus not only on material gains or objective factors , but also on intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, and how those concepts could alter their own "I" awareness .
At such an event it is important to introduce these perspectives sequentially, in the order of their natural appearances: from “I” to “We” to “It” . We can spend one day investigating the “I” dimension, the next on the “We” dimension, and on the third on the “It” dimension. During each of these days, we would like to develop understanding of other ideas through the same “I”, “We”, “It” sequence. For instance, during the first day we could explore the participant's “I”, create a narrative story line of his or her successes, achievements, life goals, and visions, which the participant would tell in 1st-person terms; during that same day, this participant would engage in an open dialogue with others about this narrative (2nd-person), and then the participant may go through psychometric testing (3rd-person perspective of his or her own 1st-person).
Thus, the “I” dimension would be examined through “I” itself, as well as through “We” and “It”. The same process would occur the next day, when we would focus on the “We” dimension (“We” would be seen through the self, culture, and science). The third day is the “It” day, or the day of strategic and financial planning, systems, and environmental factors, also following the same pattern. Finally, on the fourth day we will combine all three perspectives and show how smoothly they interact with and relate to each other, and at this point we can provide each person with individualized materials, mind maps, and written stories incorporating all three dimensions of being.
We have yet to decide on the exact format and content of the event, but the structure of the event (or series of events) will follow this pattern:
1) “I” experienced through:
a. “I”
b. “We”
c. “It”
2) “We” experienced through:
a. “I”
b. “We”
c. “It”
3) “It” experienced through:
a. “I”
b. “We”
c. “It”
4) Integration of “I”, “We”, and “It”
Therefore, our participants will experience the Beautiful, the Good, and the True (i.e., “I,” “We,” and “It”); engage in a more integrative way of thinking; and, hopefully, learn to apply this pattern to their own activities and decision-making processes.
Conclusion
As you have seen, “Transition Time” is an organic and timely response to an entire set of complex issues people face today. In times of financial crises and environmental degradation, it is absolutely crucial for us to obtain a deeper understanding of our own lives and activities. Only this will enable us to construct comprehensive, all-encompassing solutions to the emerging challenges.
We have attempted to show that the process of creating solutions is a process of conscious evolution, moving from challenge to challenge and from opportunity to opportunity. This evolution is unstoppable and it will constantly unearth new dimensions of challenges. We believe that any multidimensional challenge requires an effective multifaceted approach to solve it, enacting one's deeper potential. This is why we feel your participation in the forum “Transition Time” is absolutely crucial for creating successful solutions to the present-day situation.
Initiatives 2010–2011
Initiatives: “Global Dialogue: Russian Contribution”
During the last 20 years, we have been collecting stories of American and European leaders in business, politics, science, and culture whose achievements and success was significantly affected in some way or another by Russia. The stories are about visits to Russia, about reading the works of Dostoyevsky or Tolstoy, or about interacting with Russians on a personal level, often in the context of collaborative projects.
We have found that, while the Russian perspective proved to be of great value for many individual Americans in specific situations, there has never been an effort to describe this impact in a systematic way. Much of the evidence of the positive contribution of Russian culture on many Western leaders has remained anecdotal, and, at the same time, has been overshadowed by the usual, widespread prejudices and stereotypes.
In order to address this shortcoming, we will organize a number of events. We will present stories of interactions with Russian culture, and we will facilitate dialogue about how the experience of the leading representatives of Russian culture can be a valuable resource for the global effort to overcome the world economic crisis and to ensure environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the goal will be to enable the participants to look at their own life situations from a Russian cultural perspective, and we will dialogue about how Western/Russian synergy can manifest itself in their individual lives.
The principle of our work in organizing events is co-authorship, so we invite all interested parties to contact us with any suggestions and ideas in regards to the preparation of this series of events.
Initiatives: “Golden Fleece - the Georgian Contribution to the World”
We would like to invite your participation in the following events inaugurating our new international program "Golden Fleece - the Georgian Contribution to the World". The U.S. event series will take place in Washington D.C., Nov 20, 2010; New York, Nov 21; and Los Angeles, Nov 22. Follow-ups are planned for Brussels, Geneva, and London (precise dates to be announced).
Background
The name "Golden Fleece" is an appropriate metaphor for the Georgian contribution to world culture. It refers to the well-known Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts, who crossed the Black Sea from Greece in search of the legendary Golden Fleece - a symbol of wealth and abundance. Their quest found success in the Kingdom of Colchis, which was situated in today's Western Georgia. Therefore, we suggest comparing present-day visitors to Georgia to the Argonauts, seeking and finding the deepest values of contemporary Georgian culture.
For a number of years now, we have been "looking at Georgia through the eyes of foreigners." To be precise, we have been collecting recent narratives of people who had an enriching experience in connection with Georgia. These narratives are from American and European businessmen, scholars, administrators, artists and students. Their experiences are experiences of living, working, or traveling in Georgia, as well as of interacting with Georgian friends and partners and their culture. The stories clearly show that there are a number of unique features of the Georgian culture, which are important and useful for members of the global community to know about. (More about the organizers and the endorsements the program has received, both in Georgia and in other countries, see appendix.)
Core ideas
The core ideas for this event series: (a) culturally diverse groups are becoming more and more frequent in all spheres of human activity; (b) each culture and each nation has a number of unique strengths, each culture has something special to offer to the world; (c) in order for culturally diverse groups to work efficiently together, the group members have to have a sense of appreciation for each other's strengths; (d) the Georgian feast, the supra, is a time and a space where such appreciation is occurring; e) the supra is, therefore, one of the most important features the Georgian culture has to offer: for Georgians, the appreciative behavior required at a supra is second nature. Since it is part of the their culture, it is also part of their individual identity, as well of the set of their unconsciously acquired skills. f) In this sense, Georgians can play a key-role in helping to bring about collaboration within diverse groups of people (see appendix, p.2).
Goals
Our goal is to demonstrate how the core values of the leading representatives of Georgian culture are needed on an international and intercultural level. More precisely, we intend to: (a) highlight, emphasize, and popularize their particular strengths and abilities; (b) ensure recognition and acknowledgement of these strengths by the international community; (c) demonstrate in which ways their strengths can be applied to various international projects in the areas of business, medicine, government, research, and education (see appendix, p.3).
The target audiences for the U.S. event series are: (a) in Washington D.C. - representatives of the U.S. legislative and executive, as well as members of the diplomatic corps and leaders of the trade association; (b) in New York - executives of banks and investment companies; (c) in Los Angeles - representatives of organizations promoting international business, as well as scientific and cultural exchange between the state of California and other countries; (d) in addition, representatives of universities, print and electronic media, members of the Georgian community and American friends of Georgia, representatives from the business, academic, and artistic arenas will participate in all three cities.
Format, structure, and content
Our innovative format uses a combination of business presentation and celebration. This format allows serious topics to be treated in a relaxed and festive atmosphere. For this purpose we combine a number of different elements within the framework of a Georgian feast, a supra. As is customary, the supra is led by a tamada, a toastmaster, who will not only give toasts himself, but who will also allow others to speak. In Georgian, this custom is called "alaverdi," that is, asking another member of the table to elaborate on a particular toast.
This format allows us to incorporate the following elements of events:
1) Official words of welcome by a representative of a governmental institution (U.S. congress, United Nations, Georgian embassy)
2) Success stories of both Americans, who had important learning experiences in connection with Georgia (see appendix, p.1), as well as stories of "Global Georgians" - i.e. people whose outlook is global, and who have proven their ability to adapt to modern ways of doing business and managing resources (see appendix, p.1-2).
3) Examples of successful Georgian/American - collaboration. Here, we present cases of Georgian/American joint ventures in different areas of economic and social life, focusing on the cultural features that allow these endeavors to be successful.
4) Presentations of new projects and initiatives in business, culture, education, etc.: (a) joint ventures in Georgia and United States, (b) Georgian/American - collaboration in other Post-Soviet countries, (c) projects launched by members of the Georgian Diaspora in the United States.
5) Short academic presentations - the goal here is to explain the deeper value of the Georgian supra and its potential significance for different spheres of human activity - business, administration, education, and others. The underlying concept here is the identification of the supra as an "appreciative space," (see appendix, p.2) that is, a place, which fosters positive relationships and builds on the basic goodness in a person, a situation, or an organization.
6) Recognition awards - for particular merits of both the contemporary "Argonauts," that is, people who found special value - a "golden fleece"- in modern Georgia, as well as by Global Georgians. There will also be a special recognition for those who make these events possible by supporting them financially and otherwise.
7) All the above parts of the event will be embedded in a traditional Georgian supra, which includes musical performances, poetry recitals, and, of course, the traditional sequence of toasts.
Overall, the purpose of these events in general, and the recognition awards in particular, is to attract the attention of the American public and media to the extraordinary values represented in the culture of Georgia.
Invitation to collaborate
We are open to explore possible forms of collaboration by considering the invidual situation of every interested party. We are hoping that the present description of events will start an informal dialogue between us - the organizers - and different potential partners and participants. Specifically, the following types of participation in the events are possible: (a) share your own story or recommend someone whose experience deserves to be popularized (see item 2 above); (b) share the outcomes of a joint project (see 3); (c) present your own project or recommend interesting initiatives by others (see 4)
You can either participate in person or through a live video connection. A third option is to make a video recording of your presentation, which we will show at the event of your choice. Registration deadlines: personal participation - Sept 1; participation by video - Oct 1.
In addition, we are interested in partnering with organizations and individuals, in order to promote the goals of Golden Fleece in different parts of the world and different spheres of professional activity.
Additional information about the planned events (time, place, speakers, etc.), as well as about the program Golden Fleece (e.g. its organizers and partners, its methodology, the results of its pilot projects) is available by request.