About the Embassy
‘The image of a gathering place where problem owners come together,
not pressing for the immediate solutions but having the patience and tolerance
to stick with the moving ground. Where thinking, dreaming and acting are related,
making sense. And I see these ‘gathering places’ operating on all seven continents
around the globe’
Frank Heckman
photo: Patrick Augenstein
Severe complex challenges face our planet. Global warming is spinning out of control. Challenges that cannot be approached in a linear fashion. In these environments, solving a problem in one place often creates a multitude of new ones elsewhere. With time not on our side, we´ve got to find new ways to solve problems.
Crisis!
What's the secret?
The shared focus is surely on the issues at hand but the real secret lies in restoring the social fabric first by unleashing the power and spirit of the social community. About freeing up and tapping into the collective intelligence, experience, knowledge and intuition. About social creativity and turning thought into tangible results. About an environment in which responsible people take the lead to go beyond self-interest to serve the common purpose, and pursue the desired future.
A diverse community of people developing the capacity to actively adapt to challenges, again and again.
Embassies are on ´neutral ground´. Embassy of the Earth is set up as ‘a free haven’ that includes and goes beyond religion, politics and power. Embassies of the Earth can found all over the planet. They are not brick and mortar, but flexible, movable gathering places. Like the Yurt, a tent that still plays a central role with nomadic people in Mongolia. But it could easily be any tent, longhouse or lodge for that reason. Striking down where the need arises. Mobile, light on our feet, in tune with the rhythms and cycles of place.
What is it?
The space reserved for stillness, dialogue, intuition, inspiration and ceremony is called the Sacred Space. Here we pause, rekindle our spirit and the relationships to all of life.
Sacred Space
Shared Space
Putting the multi dimensional jig saw puzzle of the problem together as a group is done in another space.
In the Shared Space the ‘puzzle holders’ learn, plan and design together.
Work Space
When plans and designs have to be worked out, tried out, actually crafted or prototyped, there´s the Work Space.
World Space
Our local problems are not unique. In the World Space designs are checked against the backdrop of the world, using media, mining specific data, building on-line alliances and more.
The Search Conference is a real practical application that fits the idea and concept of Embassy of the Earth beautifully. The SC implies that any system – an organization or community – has an open and direct relationship with its larger environment.
A system learns from its environment and, in turn, changes its environment in a purposeful way. This dynamic response-ability thrives in even the most turbulent environments. Participative Design is a way to get the community self-organized to realize their future plans - coordinating, decision-making, cooperatives, governance and what more is needed.
For creating and developing new products, concepts, services we have employed Scrum Short Cycle approach, a very practical way of putting things on the ground.
In all, the Embassy makes use of the the best possible interventions in all 4 spaces of its design. Often we use local, traditional or indigenous approaches, or novel ones, because foremost, the people, who are the problem-owners, are in charge!
Practice
Board
Arjan Elst - Chair
Maryan Klomp - Treasurer
Theun Karelse - Secretary
Diana van Aalst - member
Camiel van Damme - member
Spiritual keepers:
Bruce Hardwick
Duane Kinnart
Van Archiquette