In August Achim Ecker and Ina Meyer-Stoll were again traveling in the Wild West. Invited by the „US-Sommercamp“ Team, who, inspired by the ZEGG Sommercamp, for more than 20 years annualy organize a two-week big camp, one at the east and one at the west coast.
After that they were invited to the "Dancing Rabbit" community in Missouri. At the end they invited US-Forum-Facilitators for a deepening course to Ganas in Staten Island NY,
Here a short travel report:
We started from the second last day of the ZEGG Sommercamp „Holding the world“. There we held the international group and supported people from all parts of the world in the intense experience of the camp.
After a long flight we finally landed in Oregon, for the second week of the US-Sommercamp West. The summercamp west was initiated in 1994 by people from the US who had visited ZEGG summercamp. We joined for the very first time.
It is something special. Everybody is camping, there is a big geodesic dome for meetings, a love temple in a barn and a „Transformation Station“ for changing to unusual costumes. Clothing is optional and the attitude „sex positive“.
2009 the two of us offered a two-week forum training with 25 participants in Ganas community. It wasn´t the first forum training in the US, but the first training ending with a certificate.
In the Camp there is a big forum every day with all the 90 to 100 participants and a big Forum team. First we observed and then we gave feedback. The forum was good, but not very deep. The common understanding was: Forum is there to show yourself, meaning to share your story. We soon felt we wanted to support deepening forum and gave input and reflection. There was enthusiasm but also doubt if people would refrain from telling their story.
We offered several workshops and forums to prepare and introduce a deeper level. We got positive feedback and the forum faciltator´s crew joined this new level with joy and success. The quality of reception raised my deep respect for the strange camp participants in their bizarre outfits.
We visited some old friends who Achim met 40 years ago when he was an intern at the „Resource Center for Non-Violence“ in Santa Cruz, founded by Joan Baez. After that we traveled to Missouri. There is the community "Dancing Rabbit", we had already visited once 13 years ago. People from california went there 20 years ago because there is cheap land and no building restricions. We offered a forum and community course. It was great how willing the participants were to open up and go deeper. We were moved by the people and our connection and common searching, especially in the America of Donald Trump!
After that we went by the Amtrak train to New York. It is incredible how slow and swaying the train goes, very unlikely to our trains. But there is a panorama wagon with big windows offering a gorgious view on the landscape.
In New York we offered a Forum course for facilitators, a small group we trained in 2009. In our week at the US Sommercamp we felt the need and got the idea of a deepening training around world view and the political aspect of the forum, forum as a social change agent. How do we look at people? What are our values in Forum? We had three full and very inspiring days with input, deep conversation and forum.It is so good to meet people who are politically engaged with heart and mind. Again and again we were also mourning together about what is happening in the world. The common US culture is quite consumer oriented. We showed our video "ZEGGnd", raising joy and concern at the same time.
Most of the time we enjoyed our journey, even though our way of traveling was also exhausting. It is great what a good team we are and such a gift to be on our journey together.
Comments of participants:
„Every person in the room had a good and powerful experience. Many of us will continue using the ideas and exercises in Dancing Rabbit. I am happy to have two new friends who I admire because they contribute to creating the new earth I am hoping for. “ Danielle – Dancing Rabbit
My strongest impression of our whole event: mature. We were there primarily for Forum, not for our needs. This gave power to the presencing of the circle throughout out our hours. Far more than I remember for any other Forum here in the states. And Ina and Achim have advanced so much in their work. Michael, Ganas Deepening Course
I felt nourished by the presence you offered, and totally inspired in my quest for working towards living on a more loving planet. I learned a lot from you that I will take with me. The easiest way to express it is: it's so nice to meet fellow love revolutionaries. I'm not very good at putting feelings into words, but I want you to know that being with you had an impact on me that I am very grateful for. Gracias.
Marta Gradilone Rodriguez, NFNC 17
