Wow! What a weekend! I am still on a high from the experience with both of you and all the rest of the group. I have already held two meetings this morning with senior staff and we have discussed “What Kind of World Do You Want?”

Thanks to both of you for thinking of me when selecting potential candidates to attend this “unconference.” Please let me know when the next is scheduled.

I was so honored — no, I was BLOWN AWAY to be in the presence of such amazing people who ARE changing the world. As I said to you on Monday, looking around the room and connecting people with the stories in the book was a profound experience for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me.

I was SO HAPPY that the group embraced the idea of sending books to Serbia. I think the effects of our action will reverberate through eastern Europe in ways we can’t even imagine yet. I know our support of Rosemary changed her world, and made it a little more possible for her to see a different future for her friends in Serbia — really, for all of us.

WOW! My head is still spinning! Won’t it be fun to look back on that weekend and see the difference it made in all our lives — in all our worlds?

Back into the rush of office life again and still enjoying the afterglow. On the plane ride back to Vancouver I decided that the kind of world I want is one which includes more people like our unconference group.

I happened to run into Ryan Wilson last night. Remember Jim, he was the young man who asked you what you were doing as we were setting up in the Great Hall for the community-wide preview to the workshop. He then attended the workshop when Emily did. I told him I had spent the weekend with you and others. He got so excited. He told me he uses it often in his business life. He is attending UBC and running his own business at the same time.

His Dad spoke up and said he can still remember when Ryan returned from the workshop. He said he can’t remember seeing him as excited. Anyway Ryan said to me that he’s been thinking about how he can give back to the school. Too soon for the checkbook he said, although that will come. I’m going to send him a book. I wanted you to know how grateful I am to be able to support Ryan by sending him a book.

If you are considering an annual summit idea I would be more than willing to help in the organization of such an event. Just let me know how I can help.

Have to run now, too much happening for my own good!

Warm regards,
Debbie

It was nice to be in such an international group and get broad perspective. All together it made for an extraordinary weekend.

I’ve had those feelings of “missing camp” just like when I got home after a week in camp as a kid :)

After the campfire the last night, I said something to myself that means more to me than I can tell you: “These are the people I belong with and connect to.” Do you know how powerful that is?

Please use me as a catalyst in any way, shape or form that I can assist you. I am so very grateful for the gift you have afforded me through your invitation this weekend and I hope I am able to assist you in some way in return.

May you be commended for your courage to bring us all together in such an open format.

I have been sharing the stories of our meeting and all of you, as I slowly made my way back to Victoria (delayed by a heavy storm in Dallas). I feel blessed to have been present, as well as by the extraordinary gift of yourselves and the books that I am bringing back to Serbia with me next week. Thank you all!

You can find my wiki at http://hopebuilding.pbwiki.com. You can read the stories without being logged in; if you would like to contribute stories, please ask me for the log in, or else send me the story and I will write it up and put it on the wiki.

I’m writing this on the weekend following the “event” as I have no other way of describing it. My head was so full of the weekend last week, that I had a difficult time focussing on my patients and medicine. I was in such a different and phenomenal space coming home. People have asked me what I did at Little Rock and it was hard to find the words to describe the experience.

I was thinking earlier today about Rosemary and the books she is taking to Serbia soon. My only regret is that I can’t be there with her to witness what happens when she gives a book to someone. I can only imagine!!

I want to thank all of you especially Jim and Pam for letting me attend. It was wonderful getting to meet and know everyone. I’m looking forward to long and ongoing relationships with you.

Thanks so much for the most unique weekend of sanctuary I have ever experienced. All of this was a tribute to the respect the gathered friends have for you which was easily transferred through the entire group. Never have I witnessed such deep caring among some virtual strangers; spent a 15 hour day actively listening and felt so affirmed by a group of positive people. Saturday felt like an all day meditation and that’s from an ADHD kinda guy. No watch, no Blackberry and a quiet focus that has been missing for sometime in my life.

I am going to hold a book discussion with our department for starters and would very much like to participate in getting the books into the hands of Oprah’s kids if that is possible.

An annual gathering would be of interest to me—at our cost of course! We could take some our ideas into actions and share the results.

Let me know how I can help you in return. I will try to get the book into Gore’s hands the Center on Philanthropy and other places you think would be important.

Even though being in Zambia kept me from being at the unconference, I had the opportunity to read your book to and with a group on a porch in the village here this afternoon. 12 people, all living with HIV or living with someone who has HIV, all living in extreme poverty and with lack of health care. The simple beauty of your words resonated for them. Interestingly, they thought the concepts of creating happiness was good for westerners. They live with such quiet dignity in the face of hardship that they understand immediately what your work suggests. The people on the porch tonight really do believe you can reframe the human condition. They do it by accepting what is, taking care of each other and and being grateful for “this day”.

I am so glad I brought the book, so happy they wanted to hear it and read some of it and delighted that you have shared it with me and the people of Zambia.

I had lunch with Minnie Jean Trickey, one of the Little Rock 9, who entered Central High 50 years ago, and she is so excited about reading the book. She was already underlining during lunch!

I also visited Skip Rutherford, the Director of the Clinton School of Public Service, in the building next to the Clinton Library, and gave him a book.

My sister is reading the book now and will then write a message for Julian Bond and for Bill Clinton and give it to them. She finds our conversations enlightening and says that much of what we talk about is not covered in academia, but should be.

Thank you again for another life changing experience.

I arrived home and all was such a whirlwind of catching up after our amazing, marvelous time together that it has taken me this long to write.

I too struggle to find the words to describe the weekend. I feel deeply honoured and blessed to have been part of the early (ish) days of such a movement. To have met such a wonderful, amazing, fantastic AWESOME group of kindred spirits. I enjoyed being with you, your humour, your kindness your NOWNESS. As Jim H. says - a srot of walking meditation during the day.

I cannot thank you all enough and most especially Pam and Jim for this wonderful gift to me personally and to those I will touch further building on our work together. If there is any way I can help any of you take this forward, please let me know.

Blessings to you all

Dearest Jim and Pam, How honored I felt to be included in the “unconference group”. What an impressive group of people, all of whom have changed the world in a positive way. The book gives us further direction and guidance on how to impact our world in positives ways. The “unconference” was a life altering experience for its attendees.Being with these people gives me great hope and confidence in the future. Thank you for including me and know that you can count on me to assist in anyway you see as appropriate. Your friend, Dick Boysen.