IPCR Outreach 2011

Beginning in February, 2011, The Interfaith Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization (IPCR) Initiative has been sending outreach messages by postmail to many people, in many related fields of activity. 

Believing there is an urgent need to build bridges between diverse communities of people, this writer (founder and outreach coordinator, Stefan Pasti) has been sending out summary information about The IPCR Initiative (“A Four Page Summary of The IPCR Initiative”), and encouraging people to make best use of whatever IPCR material they find which is of value to them (all IPCR documents and resources are accessible for free at www.ipcri.net ). 

Documents and Resources Associated with the Outreach

The "Four Page Summary of The IPCR Initiative" makes reference to The IPCR Journal/Newsletter (Winter 2010-2011 issue) (58 pages) which is a most comprehensive introduction to IPCR Initiative (articles include “The IPCR Initiative:  Creating a Multiplier Effect of a Positive Nature”, “Introducing the Concept of ‘Peace Returned on Resources Invested’”, and “A Call to Women’s Organizations Associated with Peacebuilding and Philanthropy”). 

The outreach mailings also make specific reference to a paper titled "Recalibrating Our Moral Compasses".  There is a 19 page section in the "Recalibrating..." paper ("Statistics and Observations") which includes many of the indicators that are informing this writer’s assessment of challenges ahead, and which may clarify why this writer believes there are now “many danger signs flashing”, and there is an urgent need for solution-oriented momentum.

Current Thinking on Appropriate Recepients

How is this writer determining who would be an appropriate recipient of “IPCR Outreach 2011”?  Here is a passage from “Sample Cover Letter #1” (link below) which represents the current thinking on the subject of “appropriate recepients”:

“I believe that you will be able to see the potential of Community Visioning Initiatives and “Community Teaching and Learning Centers”—and I believe you will be able to think of pathways for actualizing that potential, and people who would want to participate in such a process. I would especially encourage you to consider the article “A Call to Women’s Organizations Associated with Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization” in The IPCR Journal/NewsletterWinter 2010-2011 issue—which includes the following passage (in a section titled “The Only Question Remaining”):

“If readers of this message are in agreement that organizing and implementing 1000 Community Visioning Initiatives is practical and doable, that there are sufficient financial resources to cover the costs of 1000 Community Visioning Initiatives, and that there is the possibility that such an effort would do much to identify and create solution-oriented activity which represents a high ratio of “Peace Returned on Resources Invested”—then the only question remaining is: are there any coalitions of organizations which could nurture, support, and sustain such a project? This writer believes that there are… that women’s organizations working in the peacebuilding field (and in related fields of activity)—and women’s philanthropy organizations and funding networks—could collaborate to do this kind of peacebuilding work… and that it is just the kind of peacebuilding work which would benefit from women’s natural capacity for relationship building, compassion, forgiveness, and reconciliation. “

In accordance with the belief expressing above, this writer is directing a majority of his outreach efforts towards women’s organizations in general, and specifically towards women’s organizations associated with peacebuilding and philanthropy.

“For IPCR Outreach 2011” List on Twitter Illustrates Potential

As a tribute to the networking potential of Twitter, this writer affirms that he has discovered many women’s organizations and initiatives, and many other appropriate recepients for “IPCR Outreach 2011”, by doing searches on Twitter.  In particular, once some related organizations and individuals have been identified, one can search through both who those people and organizations are “following”, and the people and organizations who are “following” them.  This writer’s efforts along these lines has resulted in a public list accessible from his Twitter profile page titled “For IPCR Outreach 2011”.  Readers of this message who take the time to scan that list (currently referencing 96 people and organizations) will see that there is much potential energy which could be encouraged to collaborate on 1000 Community Visioning Initiatives (one of the goals of “IPCR Outreach 2011”—1000 Community Visioning Initiatives can create much solution-oriented momentum).

Much Potential for a Just Transition to Solution-Oriented Employment 

One very important feature of the Community Visioning Initiatives the IPCR Initiative proposes is the job fairs which come at the end of the Community Visioning Initiative process.  Such job fairs provide opportunities for all key stakeholders in the community (businesses, organizations, institutions, government, etc) to demonstrate their upgraded awareness—and their interest in the welfare of the community—by offering and facilitating new employment opportunities… and thus assisting with a just transition from patterns of investment which in only limited ways represent solutions to prioritized challenges to patterns of investment which in many ways represent solutions to prioritized challenges.

We have the resources necessary to overcome the challenges of our times.

Getting Beyond the Sticking Point of Agreeing on a Common Narrative

Agreeing on a common narrative for responding to the many challenges before us seems to be a difficult sticking point… with the IPCR approach the narrative is identifying local specific challenges and local specific solutions.  Results from well thought out preliminary questionnaires (circulated to at least 150 key leaders from a significant variety of fields of activity in the community) can help residents appreciate the need for Community Visioning Initiatives, and for ‘Community Teaching and Learning Centers’.   Momentum can build quickly for community building approaches capable of inspiring citizen participation, integrating diverse inputs, and contributing to consensus building on all priority challenges at the same time.  And if communities of people become familiar with the Community Visioning approach, they can do it over and over again, and get very effective with it.  By this process, common narratives which are local community specific and regional specific can be “grown organically”, and such narratives will be more in tune with local specific themes, and more likely to inspire commitments of time, energy, and financial support.  In addition, even if there were not many critical challenges ahead, this kind of community building process identifies many useful civic skills and community resources which would be valuable for community residents to cultivate.

Note:  All of the IPCR documents mentioned in this post are also accessible for free from the IPCR Initiative website homepage at www.ipcri.net

This Writer is Encouraging People to Assist with Improving Content and Message Pathways

This writer is now preparing for a time beginning in July when he will begin another round of outreach.  It may be that there are readers of this message who would like to help the process along, by contributing ideas for improving the content of the outreach (cover letter, summary), or improving the means by which the outreach occurs (currently discussion forums, twitter, and post mail).  Anyone who would like to help the “IPCR Outreach 2011” process is encouraged to comment on this post, and contact this writer directly at stefanpasti@ipcri.net   The combination of Community Visioning Initiatives and “Community Teaching and Learning Centers” are an example of problem solving and community building approaches which will help many other people make their contributions to problem solving and community building approaches.  I hope there will be more and more people who will see the potential of this approach, and help realize this potential.

With Kind Regards,

Stefan Pasti, Founder and Outreach Coordinator

The IPCR Initiative