It's been our great pleasure to work in support of a number of enterprises and organizations who are trying to make the world a better place.

Our work with these different initiatives frequently comes at two levels.

First, we are engaged in vision, planning and design. We approach our work with using an emergent living systems model. Big words, but they basically mean we live in an unfolding universe where we have to be constantly learning and reflecting about what's  actually happening. We work to help others clarify their purpose, identity, structure and process for all work. Our experience is that the clearer these aspects are, the more likely success is.

Second, we help initiatives use the Internet to connect and increase the capacity of their work. Through construction of websites and inclusion of features like asynchronous computer conferencing, virtual data bases and calendars, and online reference libraries, we can help the participants in different initiatives work and learn together. Through use of list-serves, web forms, and new programs that come along regularly, we're able to help initiatives use all available tools in support of their vision and purpose.

As you can guess, in work like this, we have a number of relationships. Here are some of the relationships most important to us:

The Berkana Institute was formed a number of years ago by Meg Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Sciences. Berkana was the lead institution for From the Four Directions and is presently broadening its conception of itself to provide a wide new array of supports for leaders around the world. Meg's work has been an inspiration to many. Like our mutual friend, the late Robert Theobald, Meg helps people give voice to, and make meaning of the experiences of living in these turbulent times.

Chaordic Commons was formed to give birth and support to enterprises and networks that use chaordic concepts and principles as the basis for their organization. Tom Hurley, Coordinating Director of the Commons and its global enterprise, Terra Civitas, has spent more than 20 years helping people connect with the spirit of transformation.

Cultural Creatives is the result of the landmark work of Sherry Anderson and Paul Ray. Paul and Sherry have studied populations in North America and Europe, and listed to their stories. Their conclusion is a lot more of us are ready to move to lives that are more sustainable, more spiritual, more balanced, and more in tune with the rest of the planet.

Engage! InterAct is a nonprofit in the Netherlands which helps people learn how to use art, drama and their bodies to engage their hearts and minds. Working throughout Europe, as well as other parts of the world, Tim Merry and his colleagues help people change their minds.

From the Four Directions is a global initiative bringing leaders together in local conversation circles to help them develop clarity and courage about the leading they want to do, in their own lives, in their organizations, and their communities.

Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) was founded more than twenty-five years ago by astronaut Edgar Mitchell. It's been an important gathering point for people from all around the world concerned with the emergence of a new integral culture. Wink Franklin, President of IONS and Chris Bache, Director of Transformative Learning, are dedicated to building communities of learners who work together to create a better world.

Interchange of Denmark is one of those exquisite points of creativity in the world. Toke Mueller and Monica Nissen are just wonderful, incredible folks. They "pop-up" everywhere -- in World Cafe work, in Open Space, in Pioneers of Change, in From the Four Directions.

PeerSpirit has spent years studying and teaching the practice of circle and council. In my opinion, this form is crucial in the world today. It is one place and process through which we can deepen our capacity to truly listen to each other. The PeerSpirit circle process is used as the cornerstone of From the Four Directions. Christina Baldwin, co-founder of PeerSpirit has incredible insight into the mystery of circle -- and its magic.

Pioneers of Change is a global network of young people committed to supporting each other in living lives that hold social justice and ecological integrity among the highest values. Pioneers also serve as an excellent example of a global enterprise structured with chaordic principles. Marianne Knuth joins with Mille Bojer and Colleen Bowker to create one of the most inspiring networks I've found on the planet.

Shikshantar is the educational development organization founded by Manish Jain in India. Using an asset-based development model, they are doing incredible work to explore and redefine learning in India.

Transformational Learning Community was one of the early places on the internet to think and learn about social transformation. Robert Theobald and I started Transformational Learning Community in the early nineties as a place to gather people and resources together. It now is an excellent repository of Robert's work.

World Cafe, developed by Juanita Brown and David Isaacs, is a wonderfully effective process for bringing groups of people together in conversations that matter. Used recently for the 1,200-person annual meeting of IONS, the World Cafe allows large and small groups of people to move quickly to a level of deep intimacy and reflection with each other.

For more information on New Stories' involvement in large scale change initiatives, contact Bob Stilger