As a young lawyer in South Africa, after being thrown out of the train for his skin color, Gandhi spent the night at the train station shivering with cold and intensely struggling with his reaction. Rather curiously, he later called it "the most creative night of my life". A unique kind of "soul force" awoke in him, that would lead him to conclude that "in a gentle way, you can shake the world."
On Jan 19th (and 20th), you are invited to join us for a "live from the Gandhi Ashram" stream -- featuring a performance by kids studying at the Gandhi Ashram, global luminaries, inspiring singers and storytellers, alongside a few surprises that aim to ignite this subtle but significant force of compassion. (If you know friends in India who'd like to join in-person, let us know.)
Some background context -- in mid-January, noteworthy change-makers from 16 countries are coming to the Gandhi Ashram to ask uncommon questions. Some of them are influencers whose work has impacted billions, while some are invisible ladders whose "deepcast" efforts are vividly felt by the world -- and all of them find themselves holding an underlying unease that today's poly-crises require a more fundamental change to our collective social operating system. Their search brings them to India, to explore "Gandhi 3.0" values, the depth of relationships borne in such a field, and the unexpected emergence that might flow out from there. If, in times of Gandhi, social action organized in one-to-many formation (one Gandhi and many of us), and if his successor, Vinoba Bhave, built a stronger network by walking across India and cultivating one-to-one connections, what is the 3.0 version of that uprising of collective "soul force"? Perhaps it rises up like a fountain and spreads in many distributed drops around the world.
We hope you can join and bless this intention, adding your merits to the shared space! Among the live listeners will be founder of Youku ("China's YouTube"), Victor Koo; president of Mind and Life Institute, Susan Bauer-Wu, UK singer Rachelle Jeanty, who toured with Celine Dion; Ashoka Europe CEO Marie Ringler; founder of B Corp movement, Jay Coen Gilbert; youngest chaplain appointed at an Ivy League university, Rev. Charles Howard; a peacebuilder who walked across South Africa; pioneer behind Europe IDG movement; spiritual elders and mystics; groundbreaking educators; heartful business leaders, all resonating with a simple organizing principle: "We are not merely what we do, but who we become by what we do." That, like Einstein said, if problems can't be solved at the level of consciousness that created them, perhaps we can come together like a flock of starlings and plant seeds for a new field.
Thank you for helping co-create this field of collective emergence. When individuals come together to move beyond the known-unknown spectrum, we start collectively touching the unknowable, the hem of the Infinite. That gentle force can surely move mountains, and perhaps be summoned to respond to the suffering in today's world.
To join us, simply RSVP on this page, and you'll be emailed the live-stream details and other ways to follow-up after the event. Please note that while your RSVP information will show Jan 19th details, we'll also inform you about Jan 20th after the Jan 19th event concludes.
