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NETWORK OF CIRCLES - COLLABORATION AND CONNECTION
The Network of Circles project is a response to emerging new possibilities and needs.
The NOC network supports collaboration between participating groups and individuals, providing ways that groups and individuals can build fluent and flexible networks that can rapidly adapt to changing conditions and motivation.
Groups can create circles, and its members can move between these circles and any other circles where they are a member.
Individual members can create their own circles and invite participation from any member group.
Some of the participating groups are linked in the drop-down menu at the upper right. Each group runs its own network and its own circles. Individual participants can be members of several groups, and can join and interconnect circles from all their groups.
Network of Circles is a non-commercial project, sponsored by the Interspirit Foundation. The project is built on the Interspirit online database, which brings together a number of major interfaith and new-consciousness groups and includes more than 32,000 people.
THE WOMAN'S CIRCLE MOVEMENT
The Network of Circles project has largely been inspired through the leadership and vision of the international women's circle movement, which we believe is providing spiritual leadership to a world badly in need of new ideas and new ways to come together.
Some of the projects leading the way in this important area include
An excellent resource for circle development is The Co-Creator's Handbook, published by Global Family.
CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION
For the past eight years, we have been directly involved in local circle processes here in Santa Barbara, generally through our local Conscious Evolution community and the "CEN" (Conscious Evolution Network). We are happy to say that the CEN is moving to this new framework.
RESONANCE
A primary discovery emerging from our involvement in circles is the concept of "resonance". After years of involvement in interfaith projects, we have become convinced that resonance is a powerful key for bringing diverse groups and individuals together. This approach can create a "wordless unity of the spirit" that transcends ideology, and creates understanding and trust even when there may be deep disagreement on ideology and issues.
In response to these inspiring new insights, we built our Global Resonance Network, which now offers a database containing more than 7,500 quotations on the nature of spiritual Oneness and the path of freedom.
THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY
Under a wide variety of influences, and in response to contemporary political conditions, we are evolving a new "integral" approach to politics, based on concepts of resonance, collaboration and teamwork.
The democratic process itself should become resonant and collaborative, rather than confrontational and accusatory. Growing from the grassroots up, a network of circles process could revitalize our collective self-governance, and empower the birth of a cultural renaissance.
We believe that well-organized computer network support can significantly strengthen the democratic process, in ways that are entirely constructive and inclusive. The Spirit of Democracy project is being moved into our Network of Circles framework, and is now available as a circle.
THE SCIENCE OF NETWORKS AND CIRCLES
We are deeply appreciative of the intuitive and holistic approach to relationships that has led to the global circle movement. And we are also interested in scientific and engineering-based approaches to networking concepts based on circles.
A circle is a natural form of network. It has powerful and primal characteristics, some of which emerge from "ontology" and the mathematical properties of circles. We are exploring some of these issues, and considering their meaning in a live network context, through our Bridge Across Consciousness network.
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