Gatherings Reports
Inspired by The Gatherings screenplay, we have started the journey of bringing "Desired Futures" Gatherings to life. Every Gathering unfolds differently—sometimes leading to tangible projects, and sometimes to the deeper connection and clarity that make those projects possible. Here are some of the results!
The Hive Community, Ontario, Canada
April 26, 2026
Duration: 3.5 hours Participants: 7
Summary
This Gathering at a farmhouse community brought together participants drawn by a shared sense that we are living in a time of significant change—and a desire to explore how small groups might play a role in shaping a more positive and grounded future.
Participants arrived with a mix of curiosity, prior exposure to The Gatherings screenplay, and a strong interest in finding meaningful, practical responses to the challenges of our time. The conversation quickly surfaced a set of deeply held values, including freedom, safety, connection, and the importance of living in alignment with one’s principles.
A central theme throughout the Gathering was the tension many participants feel between these values and the realities of modern life—particularly in relation to governance, economic pressures, social division, and the erosion of trust within communities. At the same time, there was a clear recognition that meaningful change begins at the individual and local level.
As participants shared their experiences, a strong convergence emerged around the importance of self-responsibility, authenticity, and the role of small, trust-based groups in rebuilding connection. Many spoke to the need for spaces where people can speak openly, feel heard, and engage across differences without fear of judgment.
By the end of the Gathering, the group had identified shared ground around several core principles: the importance of caring for one another, the value of personal responsibility, and the role of community in creating a sense of safety and belonging. Participants left feeling more connected, hopeful, and affirmed in the idea that even simple actions—taken together—can begin to shift the direction of a community.
Outcomes / Projects
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Strengthening small-group connection: Clear alignment around the importance of continuing to meet in small groups to build trust, share perspectives, and support one another.
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Everyday community-building actions: Commitment to simple, tangible steps such as meeting in person, supporting local food systems, and building relationships with neighbors.
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Modeling self-responsibility and authenticity: Emphasis on leading by example—living in alignment with personal values and encouraging others to do the same.
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Growing local networks: Intention to bring more people together and expand community connections through future gatherings and informal meetups.
Orillia, Ontario, Canada
April 24 & 25th, 2026
Duration: 9 hours Participants: 13
Summary
This two-day Gathering brought together community members with a shared desire to create a more connected, responsive, and life-affirming future for Orillia. Participants included individuals actively engaged in their community, including several people considering or already pursuing roles in local government.
The conversation moved fluidly between personal experience, community concerns, and broader societal questions.
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Strong themes emerged around the importance of healthy families, self-development, and spiritual grounding as the foundation for a thriving community. Participants expressed a deep desire for more authentic connection, clearer communication, and a greater sense of shared responsibility for the future of their city.
There was also significant energy around local governance—particularly the need for greater transparency, accountability, and meaningful public participation. Many participants voiced frustration with existing systems, alongside a growing recognition that change would require grassroots engagement and leadership from within the community itself.
As the process unfolded, the group began shifting from concerns to possibility. A sense of momentum built around the idea that small, committed groups of people can take practical steps together—starting locally—to create meaningful change. By the end of the Gathering, participants reported feeling more hopeful, connected, and motivated to take action.
Perhaps most notably, several individuals experienced personal “breakthrough” moments, including decisions to step into leadership roles and engage more actively in civic life. The Gathering reinforced the power of structured, facilitated dialogue to surface shared values, strengthen relationships, and spark collective action.
Outcomes / Projects
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Support for local leadership: Several participants committed to running for municipal office, with others stepping forward to actively support their campaigns.
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Grassroots community engagement: A clear strategy emerged around door-to-door conversations and small, informal gatherings to connect with neighbors and increase civic participation.
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Fully Informed Voter Initiative: Early steps were identified toward creating a community-based effort to help residents better understand policies, candidates, and local governance.
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Ongoing Gatherings and workshops: Participants expressed commitment to continuing the process through future Gatherings, leadership support sessions, and community events to sustain momentum.
Staten Island, New York April 19, 2026
Duration: 3.5 hours Participants: 5
Summary
This Gathering brought together participants living in an intentional community with a shared curiosity about how we relate to one another—and what it might mean to co-create a more “loving” and connected future. Many arrived with backgrounds in practices such as Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Buddhism, and group facilitation, and were interested in exploring how the Gathering process aligns with or differs from these approaches.
Rather than moving quickly toward solutions, the conversation unfolded as an exploration of fundamental questions: What does it mean to listen deeply? What is “loving” in action? How do we stay in relationship with people whose perspectives differ from our own?
Participants openly named both interest and resistance to the process itself. Some found the structure—speaking only to the facilitator—unfamiliar or challenging, while others experienced it as a rare opportunity to feel fully heard. This tension became part of the inquiry, revealing how difficult—and important—it is to create spaces where honest expression and deep listening can coexist.
As the dialogue continued, a set of shared themes began to emerge across diverse perspectives: the importance of healing (both individual and collective), the central role of listening in navigating conflict, and a recognition that our futures are deeply interconnected. Participants also explored the idea that love is not simply a feeling, but an action—one that requires practice, effort, and awareness.
By the end of the Gathering, there was a noticeable shift. Participants reported a sense of relief, connection, and renewed appreciation for the power of structured dialogue. While the group did not converge around a single concrete project, there was meaningful alignment around the value of continuing to practice listening, healing, and relational awareness together.
Outcomes / Projects
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Commitment to continued practice: Interest in reconvening in 2–3 months to deepen the practice of listening and explore what emerges over time.
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Reviving a community of practice: Momentum around reactivating or creating a group focused on Nonviolent Communication, listening, and relational skills.
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Exploration of “loving in action”: Ongoing inquiry into what it means to express love through concrete actions, especially across differences.
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Support for personal and collective healing: Recognition of the need for spaces that allow honest expression, feedback, and healing work—both individually and in groups.
Brooklyn, New York
January 23rd & 24th, 2026
What emerged was a rich conversation about possibility and limitation: What can a small group actually accomplish? Some saw clear limits; others pointed to history — small groups that sparked movements, ideas that spread far beyond their origins. The tension between wanting support and wanting collective action surfaced early, along with curiosity about what makes a Gathering different from other kinds of groups.
Participants offered honest feedback: some appreciated being heard and the balance of voices; others felt the conversation was ’meta’ — like having a meeting about having a meeting. Many expressed a hunger for direction, for knowing where the train was going.
The evening closed with a question that would carry into Day Two: What is THIS Gathering about? And what might it become?
Day Two: Deepening and Discovery
Saturday, January 24, 2026 — Brooklyn Army Terminal
The group reconvened smaller — some from Friday evening couldn’t continue — and began with a two round check-in circle. Then a participant asked for a third round. In that unexpected opening, something shifted: someone who had passed twice before chose to speak, pouring out what they had been holding. This person’s courage deepened the room, and others followed with their own truths.
After reviewing Friday’s harvest and making corrections together, participants journaled on two questions: What would you like to walk away with by the end of the day? and What do you want to talk about, to arrive at that outcome? The answers revealed the room’s full range of longing: concrete hope, a committed group, protection for the undocumented, seeing one substantive conversation that moved through polarization,a way to break free from the steamroller of daily news. One voice named what many felt:
wanting everyone to feel heard about the things most important to them.
Then the Deep Dive unfolded. Various initiatives and project ideas emerged: designing a support group format for finding hope in hard times; clarifying the structure and purpose of CCDF Gatherings; and — perhaps most striking — exploring “love strategies” for organizing. Love up Trump. Love up the ICE agents. Not naive sentimentality, but fierce questions: How do we see those we oppose as human? How do we deliver the medicine of love?
Concerns were held alongside possibilities. Doubts were not suppressed but harvested: Some people would consider these solutions naive. Education can be used for good or bad. Larger questions crystallized: What configuration of a Gathering achieves change? How do we find ways to talk about those we fear with compassion?
The day closed with three rounds of single words — tired, hopeful, annoyed, brighter, done, kindness, forgiveness, mad, justice, completion, grateful, thank you — the full spectrum of what it means to do this work together.
One participant’s words from earlier in the day echoed as people prepared to return to their homes: “I am not leaving empty-handed.”
Outcomes/Projects
1. Pamphlet: How to nourish ourselves in current times
2. Protesting with love: Resources
Duration: 9 hours. Participants: 9
Summary
Day One: The First Gathering Begins
Friday evening, January 23, 2026 — Brooklyn Army Terminal
Nine participants, including three facilitators, gathered to explore a single question: “How might we begin to improve the quality of life for everyone in the neighborhood where we live?”
The evening began with a shared meal and moved into the first round of the Co-Creating Desired Futures Deep Dive— a process where people speak one at a time, different perspectives are welcomed, and the facilitator reflects back what’s heard, recording it on chart paper.