Why we need to revillage…
The revillage movement was born in response to some of the biggest challenges of our time, as a shift of a paradigm, and disruption of the path we are on. It invites us to deepen the conversation, whose outcome remains unknown:
At what threshold are we standing? What possibilities are we inviting in? Who else can we be? What futures can we create? How do we want to live? What is our real work?
We believe that to create a world that is free, relational, regenerative, and thriving for all, we need to build an ecosystem of people, places, and practices that nurture inner development, build strong communities, and co-create a new story of what it means to be human through shared, lived experiments and creative explorations.
revillage is…
…a space in which to grow individually
by connecting to our inner knowledge and intuition, our sense of imagination and creativity, opening to new experiences and co-creating with others
exploring some of the most pressing questions of our time, accessing deeper collective wisdom, shared values, and new ideas
…a testing ground for new ideas
…a holistic way of gathering
with a diverse group of participants allowing for a collective opening of a space in which new, often surprising outcomes can be achieved
…an ever evolving ecosystem of people, places and practices
focused on (un)learning, reimagining and co-creating new ways of living and working
Self-Exploration
To disrupt the path we are on, we need to create space from which we can see our problems anew. That process begins with our inner work, embodying, unlearning, integrating, and reconnecting with our creative potential. Each question and interaction with others serves as an invitation to re-examine our narrative, let go of our biases, respond consciously, and create space for something new. This is not a linear process, but an ongoing dialogue, requiring the engagement of all our senses, and return to a natural flow of life. We all have unlimited potential that once unlocked can change not only our lives but the lives of people around us too.
“When we succeed in moving outside our normal processes of self-reference and can look upon ourselves with self-awareness, then we have a chance at changing. We break the seal. We notice something new”
Margaret Wheatley
Diversity of Thought
In addition to individual inner work, we also need places in which the most diverse groups of people can come together to connect, explore, share, learn, and co-create. This means representation from all, i.e. diversity of ages, gender, experiences, education, disciplines, nationalities, etc, breaking the silos and barriers imposed by our organizations and society, so we can access deeper collective wisdom, shared values, and new ideas. The types of issues we will explore will depend on the questions that are most alive for each group, addressing individual, community, business, and societal needs. We will gather for learning events, exploration weekends, and long-term residencies that focus on (un)learning, co-creating, and testing with our community and partners.
“Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”
Rainer Maria Rilke
Meaningful Gatherings
Although a diverse, multi-disciplinary approach is essential, how we gather is equally important: from engaging our minds, bodies, and emotions, to examining the questions without a need to solve, learning how to: work with the unknown, resist the urge to translate and make sense, let go and unlearn without a need to defend, and co-create using a variety of holistic practices: meditation, system constellation, breathwork, yoga, art, music, improv, role play, dance, group discussion, prototyping, etc. It is important to mention that the exploration of future scenarios demands we go beyond the specific framework, methodology, or even knowledge and language of the current paradigm.
“We do not always create works of art, but rather experiments. It’s not our intention to fill museums, we are gathering experience.”
Joseph Albers
Local/Global Balance
We need a balance between grounding ourselves in local communities and learning from our elders while simultaneously keeping all future possibilities available, working to collectively redefine the boundaries of possible. By connecting people, spaces, and projects into a global community we can ensure learnings and experiences are shared from one region to another, helping us create a global ecosystem as a foundation for the new, emergent story we need. This will over time provide us with spaces where people can work and live, a testing ground for new ideas, and a global community of change-makers, artists, and disruptors. Because we can’t do it alone, and it will take a village.
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
Albert Camus
Long term investment
To overcome the short-term mindset, pressures of financial returns, and other metrics that the current system imposes we need to create conditions for a paradigm shift and long-term focus: 10-50-100 years. That means starting with the conscious decision that this type of investment is crucial for our survival, regardless of immediate returns and benefits. To support an ongoing inquiry, we need to invest in people, places, tools, and practices and agree that these types of explorations can not be recognized by the values, and rules of the current system.
To “build a new road leading to a new destination” we need to forge a new path, learn as we go along, and become more conscious and deliberate in the process. This raises the question of how we fund and protect this essential work, which the current system not only doesn’t recognize as important but will see as a threat to its survival.