Maria Arpa
Maria’s Mindful Midweek Moments
WORK – WELLNESS – WISDOM
The Kalikalos Holistic Network is run by an intimate core team of conscientious people. Each year these individuals, with the support of volunteers from all over the world, come together between the months of May and October in the Pelion Region of Greece. Their goal is to create a space for open communication and practices that will heal self, society and planet.
In 2016, the network invited us to assist in reorganising their community.
They needed a solid platform from which to transform their cultural ideology and apply it to a daily practice. They specifically needed to develop an effective, workable method of communication, to adopt methods which would support the volunteers and participants and enable them to embrace, nurture and support an equal and transparent community. The Dialogue Road Map was the perfect match.
“I had the privilege to attend one of Maria’s and David’s workshops at the Holistic Community Center Kalikalos in Greece. I am impressed by their ability to safely guide our community through conflicts and emotional issues. Only after learning how to use their Dialogue Road Map we now find ourselves confident and able to deal with organisational issues.
I am amazed to realise to which extent interpersonal conflicts block efficient and transparent decision making. We intend to ask Maria and David to accompany us with their supervision to ensure we are able to implement what we learnt in their workshop.”
-Friederike Ernst-
This year we were invited back to witness how the volunteers have progressed. They had evolved considerably. It was impressive. Not only did we have a more self-assured and committed team to work with, their experience had enabled them to take on additional responsibilities for running the centres. This meant that we were able to go far beyond the usual one to one conversations and conflict mediation. The DRM supports the development of systems and structures without hierarchy or top-down leadership and was extremely rewarding that we were able to demonstrate this.
“Thank you, Maria and David, for an inspiring seminar in Pilion. I feel we are all in the wave which was set in motion… GREAT! Your full presence and devotion inspired me a lot! Efkaristo Poli!”
-Bettina Ritter-
14 participants signed up for the Dialogue Road Map training and our work began. We got the ball rolling by asking deep questions about equality. For example:
- -Should a volunteer who is staying for only 4 weeks -with no tangible investment in the community- have as much of a say in decision making as others who have committed to the whole season?
- -Are they as equal as someone who has taken on additional responsibilities that involve personal financial risk?
- -Do those people who have taken on additional responsibilities actually trust each other at a fundamental level?
These types of questions provoke many responses. The Dialogue Road Map came into its own as participants used it to connect with our common humanity instead of defaulting to a system of debating and voting. Once a sense of trust and connection was established we were able to develop processes which serviced the community life and contributed to harmony.
With every voice being heard, the sense of equality in creating a framework gave the participants the confidence to entrust important decisions to those bearing the most risk, in full faith of an effective consultation process.
“Like last year, we, the Kalikalos Holistic Network in Greece, invited Maria and David again in 2017 to support us in re-structuring our community. Our need was to get a valid tool which enables us to evolve to a more egalitarian and transparent community.
The Dialogue Road Map was the greatest help I could imagine. Maria’s commitment and trust in our ability to go through emotional issues using the DRM. The experience was amazing. I want to express my heartfelt thanks, although words can hardly transmit my gratitude for having met and worked with Maria and David!”
-Friederike Ernst-
“Maria Arpa is truly incredible! She teaches a communication tool which is so enabling in the most seemingly impossible situations of conflict. The Dialogue Road Map empowers people with a way to move forward when they feel stuck. I am truly grateful to have been present at one of her workshops along with my fellow community members. We achieved a new level of understanding amongst ourselves and were left with a great sense of something having shifted – our hearts were opened and we were filled with a sense of awe and wonder at that which we had achieved together. Thank you Maria, – you rock!!”
– Pip Hammond-
STOP PRESS! IN OTHER NEWS.
The DRM continues to thrive in Dartmoor Prison. We have just completed a 2nd training course with 12 prisoners, and 3 staff.
The feedback has been exceptional. We are delighted to hear that they are currently facilitating 10 mediation cases. In addition, there is an increasing number of informal daily conversations between the prison community.
With love, light and gratitude. Maria Arpa -x-
As ever, running a charity means asking for help and support.
One thing you can do to help is to tell others about our work so that we can spread the word. It would also help us greatly if you would post, repost, tweet and support us to get more subscribers. If you have time to spare, or if you have an idea to share, or want to get involved please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.