We are happy to present the 2021 Initiative Forum program.

This year we have a wide variety of inspiring and insightful lectures and workshops, as well as interactive activities for the participants to engage in meaningful conversation. Since the forum welcomes participants from all over the world, many of the lectures and workshops will be recorded to allow participants from different time zones to view them at a moment that best suites their schedule. For this same reason, we are offering two opportunities to participate in sharing groups, one at 9:30 - 10:30 CET (which includes the framing of the day) and the second at 19:00 - 19:40 CET.

We are very excited for this year's lineup of contributors, who will be zooming in from all over the globe to share their wisdom on a diverse range of complex topics.

There are still more details and activities to come, so stay tuned!

13:30 - 15:00

A training session for anyone that is not yet comfortable on zoom.
You will learn how to, change your name, use non verbal reactions, join and change breakout rooms, mute and unmute yourself, turn on and off your webcam, and use the chat. We will also talk through additional information, such as google docs/slides, that you may need to know for some of the IF sessions.

15:30 - 16:30

Let us come together and celebrate the opening of Initiative Forum 2021! You will have the opportunity to meet YIP13 in various artistic ways and get a first picture of the flow of the following days. We will also begin our deep dive into the calling question of the forum: “ARE YOU LISTENING?” There will be song, movement, warm welcoming and smiling faces.

16:30 - 17:30

After the Opening Ceremony, come join us to hear more about the upcoming week, set intentions, and connect with the forum community. Here you will also have an opportunity to ponder some questions regarding the theme of the forum and engage in dialogue with other forum participants.

20:30 - 22:00

For this workshop, we will be listening to the creative process. Lynn Ostermann has prepared some Avant-garde concepts to share, in hopes of connecting the audience to their own inner artist. You are invited to bring your favorite art supplies, watercolors or a ballpoint pen, and any kind of paper. Music will be provided, however, we also support those who’d like to vibe to their own taste.

20:30 - 22:00

Tune into the R U LISTENING FM radio hour to hang out with fellow participants while listening to stellar tunes and live podcast episodes! Your dj UV-RAY will be spinning playlists with themes such as, ‘soundtracks for social change’, ‘around the world in 15 songs’, and ‘hidden gems - music by IF participants’... so send in your music submissions to [email protected]. Streaming through zoom, our radio show is the perfect soundtrack for cooking dinner, home-alone dance parties, or unwinding at the end of the day.

07:20 - 08:15

Movement practice is a playful exploration of your body, mind, and soul through physicality. It is not any specific sport, but rather it incorporates various athletic disciplines, namely somatic, martial arts, dance, acrobatics, and object manipulation. Everyone can do it, and the motivation is to be a better mover and keep practicing with a beginner's mindset. It is not easy to explain movement in words, the only way to truly understand the essence of movement practice is to do it! Therefore, come to morning movement, and you will discover new ways to move through the world, challenge what your body is capable of doing, and HAVE FUN while doing it!

What to bring:
- Comfortable clothes to move in
- Water nearby
- As much free space as you can find
- Materials to create a cross on the floor (such as non-transparent tape, scarves, long socks, ribbon/ string)

09:30 - 10:30

Sharing Groups, also called check-in groups, are at the core of our YIP experience. Sharing Groups are a safe space where you are invited to speak from your heart and listen with full attention. At the Initiative Forum, you have the opportunity to be in a small group of around 5 people, hosted by a Yippie, where you can share how you are and what is alive in you. This 40-minute session embraces the theme of 'are you listening, as it is a space where you can practice deep listening to yourself and others! Participants have the choice of either joining the morning sharing groups or the evening sharing groups. We have created two sharing group slots for maximum inclusivity as we are conscious of individuals joining the forum from different time zones.

11:00- 12:30

The lecture with Theo Fischer will tackle the theme of value. In our current capitalist economic system, the tendency is that money is omnipresent and that it defines what is valuable. But, is money in itself that important? How much value should we give to money? What is it that we actually value? These are some questions that Theo will be exploring in an engaging and participatory way during his interactive lecture.

13:30 - 15:00

In this session, we invite you to dive deeper into the question, "what do we value in the world right now, and how does it affect us?" We will be using the method of the “World Café”, from the Art of Hosting, as a framework for how we enter into discussion. The "World Café” opens the space for different views and experiences to be heard. Our conversations will be catalyzed by questions such as, What do we value? What implications do our values have on our lives? How does this influence the future? We will begin the session by meeting altogether and then break up to discuss in smaller groups and discover more questions to carry with us over the following days.

15:30 - 17:00

When speaking about the current climate crisis we are often quick to jump into comparing statistics and percentages. However, when do we take the time to fall back in love with the earth and connect with all living beings? We will be joined by Kailea Frederick, Inte Koster and Lauren Dalberth Hage to discuss how we, as individuals, can build a personal relationship to the land and how this connection and shift in perspective can support true healing and regenerating of the land.

15:30 - 17:00

After all this screen time you need to take a break and go outside? With the deep time walk, we are offering you the possibility to have a meaningful, thought-provoking outdoor experience. You will be invited to walk 4.6km, representing our planet's 4600 million-year history, whilst listening to the story of planet earth's evolution. This will be facilitated by the App “Deep Time Walk: Earth History” and is a great opportunity to physically realize our impact as human beings on our planet. For that activity, you need a device on which you can download (beforehand) “Deep Time Walk: Earth History”, available on the Play Store and App Store.

17:30 - 18:30

During this session, Nora Rahimian, creative consultant and co-founder of #CultureFix, will bring us a workshop on how we, as individuals, artists, or entrepreneurs, move beyond performance “activism” towards making a real impact in our communities. The workshop will explore questions such as, “what is the difference between 'performance' and 'impact' in the context of activism?" and "how can one use their platform, or personal network, to actively dismantle systems of oppression and catalyze real change?"

18:00 - 19:00

If you can’t find any time to prepare and cook a nice meal between all the lectures/workshops, and/or as YIP Alum you are missing the Tallevana downstairs kitchen, join the cooking show of Chef Oberfrank and Chef Becker! Our chefs want to create with you a fun, interactive, and chilled “cook along“ experience. The recipes will be shared with you beforehand so you can have all the ingredients ready in time to cook with us. See you there!

19:00 - 19:40

Sharing Groups, also called check-in groups, are at the core of our YIP experience. Sharing Groups are a safe space where you are invited to speak from your heart and listen with full attention. At the Initiative Forum, you have the opportunity to be in a small group of around 5 people, hosted by a Yippie, where you can share how you are and what is alive in you. This 40-minute session embraces the theme of 'are you listening, as it is a space where you can practice deep listening to yourself and others! Participants have the choice of either joining the morning sharing groups or the evening sharing groups. We have created two sharing group slots for maximum inclusivity as we are conscious of individuals joining the forum from different time zones.

20:30 - 22:00

Gather round musicians and poets, dancers, dreamers, drummers, and dragons! All are encouraged to come and share at our Open Mic, hosted by the YIP13 arts & culture team. It will be a night of community, art, and inspiration, featuring surprise special guests! See you there 🙂

07:20 - 08:15

Movement practice is a playful exploration of your body, mind, and soul through physicality. It is not any specific sport, but rather it incorporates various athletic disciplines, namely somatic, martial arts, dance, acrobatics, and object manipulation. Everyone can do it, and the motivation is to be a better mover and keep practicing with a beginner's mindset. It is not easy to explain movement in words, the only way to truly understand the essence of movement practice is to do it! Therefore, come to morning movement, and you will discover new ways to move through the world, challenge what your body is capable of doing, and HAVE FUN while doing it!

What to bring:
- Comfortable clothes to move in
- Water nearby
- As much free space as you can find
- Materials to create a cross on the floor (such as non-transparent tape, scarves, long socks, ribbon/ string)

09:30 - 10:30

Sharing Groups, also called check-in groups, are at the core of our YIP experience. Sharing Groups are a safe space where you are invited to speak from your heart and listen with full attention. At the Initiative Forum, you have the opportunity to be in a small group of around 5 people, hosted by a Yippie, where you can share how you are and what is alive in you. This 40-minute session embraces the theme of 'are you listening, as it is a space where you can practice deep listening to yourself and others! Participants have the choice of either joining the morning sharing groups or the evening sharing groups. We have created two sharing group slots for maximum inclusivity as we are conscious of individuals joining the forum from different time zones.

11:00- 12:30

Orland Bishop will contribute a lecture on the topic of Deep Listening which will work with the theme of detangling narratives in order to ask the question, “Am I truly listening to myself?” A kindler of will-fires, a listener to the old and the new, and an advocate for the infinite potential within the Human Being, we joyfully welcome Orland back to Initiative Forum!

13:30 - 15:00

In this workshop, Hazel Archer-Ginsberg will lead us through an inspiring, encouraging deep dive into the topic of the Divine Feminine by sharing her knowledge and opening up space for reflection around some pivotal questions: What are the qualities of the Divine Feminine? How can we use them to empower an innovative way of thinking, feeling & willing, to create a new world, where the human being is free? Everyone is welcome to join this interactive workshop to explore what a non-gendered feminist reality could be like for all.

15:30 - 17:00

“Transforming Institutional to Sacred” will be brought by German Gallardo, along with a few others from La Junta Collective. La Junta Collective, in South Central LA, is four educators (German Gallardo, Rebecca Rodriguez, Carlitos Cortez, and Pedro Gomez) who are starting a school that will be a place for an entire community to heal from trauma together. As a school founder, German seeks to bring the founding principles that have guided his career to the families he serves. He does this by focusing on healing generational trauma through the use of powerful educational experiences and the use of indigenous healing practices to create a school that challenges all forms of oppression and helps the community radically reimagine what is possible.

15:30 - 17:00

A fun and playful way to meet and connect with other participants! Conversations will be sparked by a variety of questions. Participants will then be paired up randomly and invited to talk on the questions with their partner. There will be several rounds with different questions so you will have the opportunity to meet and connect with lots of wonderful beings! You may either use the questions to spark conversation or decide to have an open chat with your partner. If you want more opportunities to meet participants outside of the lectures and workshops you can also hang out in our Wonder room which is open 24/7. Click here to find out more.

17:30 - 18:30

Led by the intuitive Frank Escamilla, also known as the Bus Stop Prophet, this session will combine a lecture and workshop format that will be more of a dialogue between Frank and the participants than a monologue. During this session, he will touch on the importance of honoring where a person is (in themselves, in their environment, and in relation to others) as well as the importance of recognizing opportunities to really listen. We will also have the possibility to practice the capacity of listening during the session. One aspect of this will be the practice of cultivating intentional questions, an activity that demands the act of deep listening to yourself and to your surroundings.

18:00 - 19:00

If you can’t find any time to prepare and cook a nice meal between all the lectures/workshops, and/or as YIP Alum you are missing the Tallevana downstairs kitchen, join the cooking show of Chef Oberfrank and Chef Becker! Our chefs want to create with you a fun, interactive, and chilled “cook along“ experience. The recipes will be shared with you beforehand so you can have all the ingredients ready in time to cook with us. See you there!

19:00 - 19:40

Sharing Groups, also called check-in groups, are at the core of our YIP experience. Sharing Groups are a safe space where you are invited to speak from your heart and listen with full attention. At the Initiative Forum, you have the opportunity to be in a small group of around 5 people, hosted by a Yippie, where you can share how you are and what is alive in you. This 40-minute session embraces the theme of 'are you listening, as it is a space where you can practice deep listening to yourself and others! Participants have the choice of either joining the morning sharing groups or the evening sharing groups. We have created two sharing group slots for maximum inclusivity as we are conscious of individuals joining the forum from different time zones.

20:30 - 22:00

Whether you're getting ready for bed, just making breakfast, or even coming into the middle of your day we invite everyone to bring your pajamas, minky blankets, pillows, and everything that will make you feel warm and snug. As a participant, the Pajama Party is the ULTIMATE SLEEPOVER where you can have random conversations about some of the topics that have intrigued you during the Initiative Forum. Bring a friend and a friend of a friend!

07:20 - 08:15

Movement practice is a playful exploration of your body, mind, and soul through physicality. It is not any specific sport, but rather it incorporates various athletic disciplines, namely somatic, martial arts, dance, acrobatics, and object manipulation. Everyone can do it, and the motivation is to be a better mover and keep practicing with a playful beginner's mindset. It is not easy to explain movement in words, the only way to truly understand the essence of movement practice is to do it! Therefore, come to morning movement, and you will discover new ways to move through the world, challenge what your body is capable of doing, and HAVE FUN while doing it!

What to bring:
- Comfortable clothes to move in
- Water nearby
- As much free space as you can find
- Materials to create a cross on the floor (such as non-transparent tape, scarves, long socks, ribbon/ string)

09:30 - 10:30

Sharing Groups, also called check-in groups, are at the core of our YIP experience. Sharing Groups are a safe space where you are invited to speak from your heart and listen with full attention. At the Initiative Forum, you have the opportunity to be in a small group of around 5 people, hosted by a Yippie, where you can share how you are and what is alive in you. This 40-minute session embraces the theme of 'are you listening, as it is a space where you can practice deep listening to yourself and others! Participants have the choice of either joining the morning sharing groups or the evening sharing groups. We have created two sharing group slots for maximum inclusivity as we are conscious of individuals joining the forum from different time zones.

11:00 - 12:30

This session will involve breakout room discussions around several questions relating to connecting with people through a screen. There will also be a poll for each question.

13:30 - 15:00

In her lecture, Mariam Soliman will present an alternative, ethical, and fair way to do business: the Economy of Love.This is centered on the four interconnected pillars that constitute the Economy of Love: Environment, Society, Economy, and Culture. The Economy of Love is a great part of Mariam's work with SEKEM, an Egyptian initiative implementing the Economy of Love in their own processes of production.

15:30 - 17:00

For this panel, we will be joined by Diane Longboat, Dr. Anne Poelina, and Pat McCabe to discuss the importance of reconnecting spiritually with the land and its original peoples in order to heal social, economic, and climate injustice. Some questions that may be explored during the course of this discussion are, “what role does the land play in indigenous narratives and how does this affect the treatment of the land and each other?", and/ or "how might finding our own inner divinity connect us more deeply to the spirit of all beings?” We are very honored to have both Anne and Diane share their time and wisdom with us for this important conversation.

17:30 - 18:30

Following the conversation on centering Indigenous narratives in our collective healing, we will dedicate this one-hour slot to digesting and discussing the many insights that were brought into the space during the panel. We will be giving participants a few questions to ponder on some of the themes that arose during the discussion. The participants will have the opportunity to enter into dialogue in smaller groups about what collective healing means for them and what is on their minds and in their hearts after hearing the panelists.

18:00 - 19:00

If you can’t find any time to prepare and cook a nice meal between all the lectures/workshops, and/or as YIP Alum you are missing the Tallevana downstairs kitchen, join the cooking show of Chef Oberfrank and Chef Becker! Our chefs want to create with you a fun, interactive, and chilled “cook along“ experience. The recipes will be shared with you beforehand so you can have all the ingredients ready in time to cook with us. See you there!

19:00 - 19:40

Sharing Groups, also called check-in groups, are at the core of our YIP experience. Sharing Groups are a safe space where you are invited to speak from your heart and listen with full attention. At the Initiative Forum, you have the opportunity to be in a small group of around 5 people, hosted by a Yippie, where you can share how you are and what is alive in you. This 40-minute session embraces the theme of 'are you listening, as it is a space where you can practice deep listening to yourself and others! Participants have the choice of either joining the morning sharing groups or the evening sharing groups. We have created two sharing group slots for maximum inclusivity as we are conscious of individuals joining the forum from different time zones.

20:30 - 22:00

Come get your groove on at 2021’s funkiest function yet! Radio show host dj UV-RAY and LeekMan are collaborating to host a night that promises laughter, community building, and tunes that will make you break a sweat on the dancefloor. The LeekMan legend was born at last year’s Initiative Forum online party… anything is possible! Join us and you might make history!

09:30 - 10:30

After the framing of the day, we offer you a time of reflection, stillness, and thoughtfulness. We will give you two reflection questions and invite you to go on a solo walk to ponder over the questions or journal to detangle your thoughts.

11:00 - 12:30

Open Space Technology (OST) is a powerful group process that enables groups of all sizes to brainstorm creative solutions to complex issues in a short period of time. In this session, you will have the opportunity to host a conversation of your choice or join a conversation hosted by a fellow participant. OST is a tool commonly used in ‘The Art Of Hosting’ methodology and encourages collaborative and creative problem-solving. Bring your questions, curiosity, and thinking caps to this session!

13:30 - 15:00

Our Project Lab is inspired by the Art of Hosting's "Proaction Cafe", which is a model designed to help people with early-stage ideas and initiatives receive feedback, critique, and gather collective wisdom from others. If you have a project or vision you would like to bring to the group, email us [email protected], and the yippie hosts of this session will reach out to you! As a participant of this session, you will choose to meet with a ‘project holder’ to help them envision possibilities and brainstorm practicalities!

15:30 - 16:15

After having spent almost 5 days together, connecting with each other, co-creating, and envisioning the future we wish to build, the closing ceremony will bring everyone back together and round off the event. The purpose is to send out and disperse the condensed energy cultivated during the forum into the world. We hope the forum gives energy and inspiration for future conversations and initiatives to blossom, and of course, for each participant to leave with a new understanding of the importance of listening.