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Putten 2002 |
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Inspired by its mission, Encounter organised its first major conference in November 2002 at Vanenburg Castle, Putten, The Neterlands.
For two days 88 participants from the international business world, political organisations, NGOs, social and philosophical movements and different scientific and religious backgrounds were brought together in the Netherlands. Special to the conference was its structure. An intensive, direct form of dialogue had been chosen in which all participants were asked personally - with their hands on their hearts - to be open to others and in this way to prepare the ground for direct and concrete co-operation on the issues to be dealt at the conference. During the conference it became clear how fruitful it can be when participants dare to enter into dialogue from a personal, often spiritual engagement. Showing and sharing one's colours contributes to mutual understanding and willingness to support each other. The 2-day encounter resulted in the assembly's unanimous appeal to establish an international network of action-oriented 'Communities of Practice and Dialogue' focused on 7 themes, namely:
An intense dialogue concerning personal barriers of participants took place. Barriers that when remain unspoken, often hinder true dialogue. In intensive sessions, the working groups cited positive and negative historical examples of effective and non-effective dialogue on global concerns. They expressed their dreams for the future, and their hopes for putting them into action. These intensive sessions produced a wide array of suggestions coming from individuals sharing a strong desire to foster encounters and dialogue with others on a deeper level - and to connect with each other on the level of the heart. This resulted in the formation of Communities of Practice - small groups of participants who share a concern, a set of problems or a passion and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on a ongoing basis. More details |
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