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Contracted through Association Building Community, I worked 20-40 hours each week, 20 of which were paid, as Executive Director for Aiki Extensionsfrom June to mid December 2008. What follows are some words about that. In March 2009 I accepted the AE Board of Directors nomination to membership and continue to serve a term there.
Association Building Community (ABC is a 501c3 intentional, distributed community based in Berkeley, CA) is dedicated to the development of the "process arts", the field to which we believe (through deep listening, dialogue, and deliberation) many distinct approaches contribute. While many process arts are most often in use in a "business as usual" way (through advertising and corporate media, for instance) many of these contemporary, purposeful, culture-making practices with roots in psychology (Nonviolent Communication, ombudsmanship, group facilitation, psycho-therapies, organizational development, coaching, etc.) work toward citizen-based education and the co-creation of cultures such that conflict is done well rather than "as usual" and social justice (peace) is the result. This is the clearest way we have found to frame "the largest social movement in the history of humanity" (Paul Hawken).
To deliver "community building on purpose" through the process arts, Aiki Extensions contracted with ABC to provide yours truly as AE's Executive Director. I originated the process arts idea and publicly reserved (copyleft) its use to the commons. AE's programs deliver specific process arts (in this case extensions of aiki into many peace practices) that directly aim to benefit vulnerable or marginalized children, adults, families, and their communities through a wide range of support for various, locally directed projects. At this time, Aiki Extensions most frequently introduces aikido in the form of keiko, and thereafter related process arts (including dialogue and somatic methodologies), to the most disadvantaged children and adults in California, the favelas in Sao Paolo Brazil, and in Addis Abbaba and Awassa, Ethiopia, to name a few.
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An overhaul of the AE official website is in progress. Phases one and two are complete and include dues-paying members being able to sign in once again to update their personal information on our roster, a direct payment (no Pay Pal) feature for dues (and soon donations) - leading soon to the use of international currencies, and the addition of memberships available to dojos and groups. Phase three will involve the creation of an AE Online Marketplace that includes event registrations. The new shopping cart feature will allow you to sell your books and aiki-related products to bring income into your pocket and a small percentage of each purchase to build AE for the long term.
Gratitude to outgoing AE Executive Director Brandon WilliamsCraig for his service through 2008!
To go to our central, organizational website, click here
or here for: dues, donations, member roster, resources, and projects
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All members are entitled to a two paragraph profile in the AE international newsletter, please develop one on your wiki memberpage here and include 1) a brief biographical summary 2) details about your vocation and recent work. Email [ editor at aiki-extensions.org ] when you are ready to be included! Please update your user page whenever possible with new information and a small but recognizabley current photo. Always feel free to send suggestions to us via [ staff at aiki-extensions dot org ].
Please let us know the moment you feel moved to support your area's AE cluster or any project. There are manageable contributions to be made all over, but we have to know you are interested.
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