Unflattening (+ 2 New Websites, Pod, Retreats)

Incubator of compassionate action.

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Dear Friends,

In Flatland, a 19th-century novel, a humble square lives in a two-dimensional world. One day, it meets a mysterious visitor—a sphere. But the square, limited by its flat perception, sees only a circle growing and shrinking, unable to grasp the fuller dimension right before its eyes. So too, we humans are shaped by the limits of our senses and systems. Bees see ultraviolet. Platypuses sense electric fields. And here we are—scrolling through endless rectangles of distraction—risking a great forgetting. Forgetting that we are not pixels or profiles, but pulsing, multidimensional beings.

In a world seduced by speed, shaped by transactions, and flattened by algorithmic certainty, what happens to wonder? To grace? To the quiet symphony of nuance and mystery that once guided our becoming?

On July 13th, the New Story Pod returns -- a global 21-day invitation to reimagine the story we live by. Through daily soul-stirring prompts, we'll explore moments of imperfection, generosity, courage, and awe. Every week, we'll also gather in live calls, guided by storytellers, singers, and seers. And together, across 30+ countries, we'll remember the contours of a story that holds the whole of us: Join New Story Pod

Meanwhile, last couple months have gathered growing momentum around our efforts to weave the sacred into AI – as we imagine how modern tools can uniquely help us recirculate the ancient, in the face of complex, multi-polar crises upon us …

  • AwaKin.ai launch! With a new site and backend, dozens of our bots (from GandhiBot to InterfaithBot) are now publicly accessible. Following much time in deep listening and design, we’re seeding a five-layered vision for AI that nurtures presence, wisdom, and collective regeneration. The guiding question: how can our innovations be led by fulfillment of needs and not multiplication of wants?

  • DailyGood 2.0 launch: — after decades of daily good news, we’ve now turbo-charged it with an AI that analyzes new stories through our unique compassion metrics, publishes it on our new site and facilitates discovery of unique engagement pathways. This isn’t just a feed – it feels like a compass. And a beginning of much more.

  • Social Permaculture: our experience with countless circles and retreats is now blooming into a unique social vision for operationalizing love. We’re imagining how AI efficiencies can be deposited into commons of our consciousness. Beyond broadcasting, it’s deepcasting – tools that make us more human, by activating a deeper web of connection through acts of service.

These don't feel like projects, but more like poems in process, prayers in motion, that are asking: How do we unflatten what it means to be human? How do we build invisible architectures of presence, where life can regenerate at the speed of love and trust?

We hope you can join the New Story Pod this month, engage with the paradoxes of AI, and volunteer with your heart intelligence!

Thank you for co-creating new pathways for a world at a crossroads.

 

 

 

P.S. RECENT RETREAT TIDBITS ...

.. In India, where "Moved by Love" retreats have nourished hearts for over a decade, wings continue to stretch. This month, Rahul, Rupali, Drishti and crew hosted a luminous gathering at a senior center -- bridging generations in stillness, service, and song. [See group photos]

... In Kenya, a cascade of grace unfolded in June - from public gatherings and Awakin Circles to a Laddership Retreat with Kennedy Odede from SHOFCO, Jessica from Girl Effect and other leaders who are transforming the lives of millions. It has now led to many sparks and ripples, including an upcoming Laddership Pod with love warriors from six African nations. After one spirited gathering, community leaders from Kibera's slums spontaneously broke into a Swahili song of solidarity - a celebration of why love is a force more powerful.

... In America, monks Jin Wei and Jin Chuan will help host a first-of-its-kind Bodhisattva Retreat in early September -- a gathering rooted in the timeless path of compassion-in-action. As part of the retreat, we'll hold a festive Community Night (in a redwood forest!) to celebrate ancient wisdom meeting modern times. From a revered Buddhist monk to a Rabbi, a Muslim philanthropist to the co-founder of Pinterest, a neuroscience pioneer in meditation research to an Indigenous wisdom keeper -- many remarkable souls will be joining us for an evening of shared presence and inspiration. [RSVP here to reserve an early-bird spot.]

... In Austria, Claudia, Moriz, and a dozen Gandhi 3.0 alumni are convening "Europe 3.0" -- a convergence of hearts and disciplines. Among the invitees: former president of Slovakia who has an 18-year Zen practice, Ashoka Europe's director who is thinking about #heartivism, founder of a restaurant chain run by grandmothers, a wildly successful tech entrepreneur whose deepest calling is farming! The soil is fertile in Europe, and the seeds are already sprouting.

... In Vietnam, Hang-Mai, Giang, Loan, and Lam are quietly scheming a year-end gathering of disruptive mischief. :) Meanwhile in Japan, Kotaro and Miyagi-san are preparing their annual Kuni Pilgrimage -- a weeklong walk that remembers the sacred with each step. As Hang-Mai once asked so wisely: What is the right 5% for us to do, so nature can take care of the remaining 95%?





"It takes two to know one." --Gregory Bateson




 

 

ServiceSpace is a unique incubator of volunteer-run projects that nurture a culture of generosity. We believe that small acts of service can nurture a profound inner transformation that sustains external impact. To get involved, you can subscribe to our newsletters or create an account and complete our 3-step process to volunteer.

 

 

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