Adding the Missing Conversation is a new organization forming to implement the ToBe Project
Posted Feb 28,2025
Presentation: "American Democracy is collapsing ... we need a Breakthrough" at www.FixDemocracyFirst.org
Nov 20, 2024 ... just after the election of Donald Trump for the second time.
Jan 2022 it starts ... A national Wisdom Council in Austria on climate change
The national government in Austria has awarded consultant group 800,000 Euros to put on a short national Wisdom Council Process on the issue of climate change. See (in German) the national story ... https://orf.at/stories/3243223/
February 2020 ... A proposal for global governance ... submitted to the UN
To solve society’s GLOBAL problems like climate change … We need to come together globally as “We the People”, face these problems, co-create win/win solutions and provide responsible leadership to governments, civil organizations and the marketplace. See the proposal: A facilitative approach to co-creating Global Governance
Jean Rough dies -- June 22, 2019 Jean Rough was pivotal in forming the Center for Wise Democracy. She put aside her passion ... working with children ... to help her husband set up this world-restructuring effort. Her support, understanding and organizing skills made this work possible. You can get to know her and how she died through the Jean Rough Memorial page.
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Wisdom Council experiment in Santa Cruz county ....Jan 12,13, 2019
The issue is a hot one ... what to do with the old Rail corridor. It's been a ten year controversy that affects the whole county. And the process feels like it is taking forever, with no action resulting. So a citizen group stepped up to organize the first stage of a Wisdom Council Process. After attending the "Dynamic Facilitation and Wisdom Council seminar" Nov. 9-11, 2018 a core group of seminar participants are continuing to make it happen. For more information contact Corrina McFarlane [email protected]. See www.PeopleWisdom.org
The Austrian state of Vorarlberg conducted the first ever “Bottom up” Wisdom Council in the fall of 2017
There have been over 100 Wisdom Councils in the state of Vorarlberg, such that the Wisdom Council Process was added to the state constitution. One exciting provision in the Constitution provides for anyone to identify an issue for a state-sponsored Wisdom Council (Bürgerat). That person need only gather 1000 signatures of support. See the news article (in German). By way of comparison, if you want to sponsor a citizens initiative, this would take 5000 signatures plus a team of lawyers to write it up as a legalistic proposal, plus a lot of campaigning.
The Global Challenges Foundation -- $5 million dollar prize
The Global Challenges Foundation set up a contest with big prize money for the best ideas to re-envisage global governance. We know how to do that! ... and winning this prize would allow us to start making it happen. See an essay on the strategy at “” (Submission date is Sept 30, 2017) The ToBe Project: How to facilitate “a global ‘We the People’
Pattern language for “Wise Democracy”
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Tom Atlee of the Co-Intelligence Institute has established the Wise Democracy Project to articulate and shape the concept of Wise Democracy into a Pattern Language. Tom is probably the most knowledgeable person alive about all the techniques of democracy and collective wisdom. He has used his experience with these many different approaches in creating this “pattern language” of “Wise Democracy.”
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Citizen group in Asheville NC convenes a Wisdom Council experiment
The state of Vorarlberg changes its constitution to include the Wisdom Council Process
Over last six years OFRI (the Office of Future Related Issues) in the state of Vorarlberg, Austria has encouraged mayors of cities to use the Wisdom Council when facing difficult public issues. Many did. The process was so successful it was adopted by elected officials in state government as well, to help them better communicate among themselves. Recently, the governor and all four political parties enacted a change to their Constitution to include the Wisdom Council. The actual change to the constitution is to include a focus on "participative democracy" as well as "direct democracy" and "representative democracy." There are three resolutions explaining "participative democracy" that mention the Wisdom Council directly:
This change provides the citizens of Vorarlberg with a way to raise important issues into public consciousness, shift the public conversation toward more open-minded and open-heartedness, and reach new conclusions as a whole system. It's a way a minority viewpoint on some hot issue, can get a fair and respectful hearing from the general public, where new choices emerge. This is a powerful experiment in democracy just getting under way, that has great promise for all levels of human organization.
- There will be two statewide Wisdom Councils each year on topics chosen by government. The governor chooses one and political parties take turns choosing the other.
- The citizens can spark a state-sponsored Wisdom Council simply by submitting a topic with 1000 signatures supporting that topic.
- Government will officially respond to any points Wisdom Councils raise that are directed to government.
This change provides the citizens of Vorarlberg with a way to raise important issues into public consciousness, shift the public conversation toward more open-minded and open-heartedness, and reach new conclusions as a whole system. It's a way a minority viewpoint on some hot issue, can get a fair and respectful hearing from the general public, where new choices emerge. This is a powerful experiment in democracy just getting under way, that has great promise for all levels of human organization.
See Tom Atlee's post about Tom's history with the Wisdom Council and DF'ing… "An unsung treasure for facilitators and civilizations"
Brown Bag Lunch – Dynamic Facilitation and the Wisdom Council—new tools for transforming society and self
OCTOBER 19, 2012 12:30 PM
Dynamic Facilitation is a way to evoke the natural brilliance in people, where they can come together to solve impossible-seeming problems. The Wisdom Council can facilitate this high quality of thinking in large systems, to help citizens achieve “Wise Democracy.” These methods are being tested and proven in cities of Central Europe, especially Austria where the Wisdom Council is being incorporated into the Constitution for Vorarlberg.
Jim Rough, the originator of these approaches, is visiting from the United States. He is a consultant and teacher of Dynamic Facilitation, presenting seminars all over the world. He is co-founder of The Center for Wise Democracy (www.WiseDemocracy.org) and author of “Society’s Breakthrough! Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People” (www.SocietysBreakthrough.com) In this short session, Jim will share a taste of these methods and his vision for social change.
Jim Rough, the originator of these approaches, is visiting from the United States. He is a consultant and teacher of Dynamic Facilitation, presenting seminars all over the world. He is co-founder of The Center for Wise Democracy (www.WiseDemocracy.org) and author of “Society’s Breakthrough! Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People” (www.SocietysBreakthrough.com) In this short session, Jim will share a taste of these methods and his vision for social change.
1) Oct 8-10, 2012
An international conference on "How Shall we Grow?" supported by the Austrian government (See http://www.growthintransition.eu/conference2012/). The "Department of Life" in Austria will be conducting an Austria-wide Wisdom Council on the topic as well. Jim will be presenting a plenary key note talk on "How can we get into common action?"
2) Oct 12-14
The other conference is "Way of Hope: Spiritual Initiative for a Change of Society" (http://wayofhope.info/index.php). This is an interfaith network of deeply concerned people who are meeting without the usual plenary speakers in favor embedding a Wisdom Council into the conference. Twelve people have been randomly selected from attendees to arrive early, meet for a day and a half with the DF'er (Jim Rough will be coaching the DF'er) who will then present to the conference on the morning of the first day.
An international conference on "How Shall we Grow?" supported by the Austrian government (See http://www.growthintransition.eu/conference2012/). The "Department of Life" in Austria will be conducting an Austria-wide Wisdom Council on the topic as well. Jim will be presenting a plenary key note talk on "How can we get into common action?"
2) Oct 12-14
The other conference is "Way of Hope: Spiritual Initiative for a Change of Society" (http://wayofhope.info/index.php). This is an interfaith network of deeply concerned people who are meeting without the usual plenary speakers in favor embedding a Wisdom Council into the conference. Twelve people have been randomly selected from attendees to arrive early, meet for a day and a half with the DF'er (Jim Rough will be coaching the DF'er) who will then present to the conference on the morning of the first day.
On Sept 5, 2012, as part of the Singapore Facilitators Conference, Jim Rough gave a one-day plenary experience on Dynamic Facilitation and the Wisdom Council. This was followed by a one day workshop for interested people. The event fit perfectly with "The National Conversation" now being organized by the Singapore government.
On April 21, 2012 Jim Rough spoke as part of the Better World Forum, a web-based conference featuring a selection of strategies for transforming the world.
Wise Democracy: A Practical Approach to Re-inventing our World
Albert Einstein said "You cannot solve today’s problems with the same level of thinking that created them." … This is true both individually and collectively. Especially needed is a high quality thinking among all of us, as "We the People." Once we are thinking together open-mindedly, respectfully and creatively, we achieve breakthrough progress on most all of today's impossible-seeming issues. Then too, all the brilliant solutions presented in this conference can be thoughtfully considered for implementation. In this session Jim Rough, originator of Dynamic Facilitation, co-founder of the Center for Wise Democracy, and author of Society's Breakthrough, shares a practical strategy for sparking the necessary shift in thinking. Jim will also share examples of how this new strategy is working in cities, states and organizations from around the world.
Wise Democracy: A Practical Approach to Re-inventing our World
Albert Einstein said "You cannot solve today’s problems with the same level of thinking that created them." … This is true both individually and collectively. Especially needed is a high quality thinking among all of us, as "We the People." Once we are thinking together open-mindedly, respectfully and creatively, we achieve breakthrough progress on most all of today's impossible-seeming issues. Then too, all the brilliant solutions presented in this conference can be thoughtfully considered for implementation. In this session Jim Rough, originator of Dynamic Facilitation, co-founder of the Center for Wise Democracy, and author of Society's Breakthrough, shares a practical strategy for sparking the necessary shift in thinking. Jim will also share examples of how this new strategy is working in cities, states and organizations from around the world.