Fatima Lassar - Art Design, Petaluma, CA USA

Bruce Heeter - Technical Design, DKH, Chicago, Illinois USA

Munir Peter Reynolds - Content Manager/Webmaster

Halima Sussman, DUP International Board of Directors

Darvesha MacDonald, Johara Judith Reynolds, Saphira Patsy Boyer,

Shahar Solander, and Steve Gray - Artistic and functionality concepts

Anahata Iradah - Video segments

Maitreya Jon Stevens - Resource library scanning and .mp3 preparation

Malika Merrill Endres and Azimat Lane Schulz - Copy editing

Sky Majida Roshay, Warren Lynn, Laerte Willmann - Photographs

Johara Judith Reynolds - Photo editing

Sophia Sylvia Murillo - Spanish translations

Shakura Cathryn Tezha Swann - Photo Montage

Leaders Guild Guidance Council - Malika Merrill Endres,

Philip Tansen O'Donohoe, Halima Sussman and Darvesha Victoria MacDonald (Chair)

for revisioning of the MTG Certfication Guidelines

and

Oneness Project for their generous financial support

Text Discussions:

Name Change to Dances of Universal Peace International

Regions Policy

Recorded Telecon Discussions:

Young Adult Forum - Transcript of a discussion on encouraging young adult participation in the Dances of Universal Peace on September 27, 2010 with Maitreya Jon Stevens, Katie Hamida Wiese (MA), Heidi Stinson (PA), and Alliann Rutherford (NY), and Jen Friedman (CO). Moderator: Jen Friedman.

Click here to listen to this streaming audio of the telecon on the DUP North America website.

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Mentor Telecon - Darvesha MacDonald and Munir Peter Reynolds of the Guidance Council make a presentation to mentors, answer questions about the new MTG Guidelines and Dances of Universal Peace International (June 6, 2010).

Click here to listen to this 1-1/4 hour streaming audio of the telecon.

PeaceWorks International Center for the Dances of Universal Peace

is changing its name to

Dances of Universal Peace International
 

Thanks to everyone who commented on the name change proposals. (Those comments are still posted below.)

At their June 8, 2010 meeting the Board of Directors affirmed unanimously the name Dances of Universal Peace International as the logical and most useful name for the nonprofit corporation that supports the Leaders Guild and the international Dance network.

Please note that we are not changing the name of the practice ("Dances of Universal Peace") nor the name of our web site (www.DancesofUniversalPeace.org).

We will begin using this name in our correspondence and website development work and will make a decision by the end of the year whether a re-filing of corporate documents will be necessary.

To comment you may write to Executive Director Munir Peter Reynolds.

"My preference would be Dancing Peace International as you said it sounds lively and verbs convey the image of action.   Peace Dance sounds more like a label but would be the next choice (for me) 

"Just One thought though if it is going to be translated into different languages anyway would each one be registered separately in each country and would it matter if it was slightly different.  it would take on its own entity  but be linked into whatever we end up calling  ourselves as the central organization. I am not sure you can ever really translate something literally.  When I sought advice on how to translate DUP into Maori it was suggested  Te whanu o te waewae pure o te Rangimarie which means (not literally) The Family walking/moving/dancing Sacred steps of Peace.  There is no generic term for dance, each form is specific. ( Well There is kani kani but that is a modern addition and doesn't convey what we do)."
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From Trevor (United Kingdom) on 5/7/2010:

"Thank you for the update and e-newsletter. I haven't responded directly before to the changes, guidlines, etc. and the huge amount of hard work put in by you all over this past time but would like now to add my thanks for all that's been done. I also take this opportunity to wish Martha well in her new role.

"As far as the possible name change is concerned; if we need a change - although I'm not sure that we do - then may I add my voice to Shafia's and give my vote to "Dancing Peace International"?

I know this wasn't an option but, personally, I may even go further and suggest that just "Dancing Peace" could/would be fine. Each area or country may then, if it wishes, add its own area/country name as desired and appropriate to designate it as a part of the international umberella.
I have always disliked the Dances being referred to as "Peace Dances" and I still find that to be an unattractive term. In my view, it is an 'inactive', rather ugly and inaccurate term and doesn't really do justice to what the Dances offer.

"Far preferable for me would be the 'active' term "Dancing Peace (International)", which seems to be a very good description of what we are about - and short enough to please all those who seek to abbreviate names (something I can be guilty of myself) to their shortest possible substitute, especially without the "International". It may even prevent the acronym DP or DPI from replacing INDUP as it's brief enough in itself to be used in full."
Yours, Dancing Peacefully,
Trevor (UK)
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From Barakat Carolynn Bryan, Prescott, AZ USA 5/10/2010

Like the two commentaries listed on the website, I too prefer Dancing Peace to the other options. Our particular Board here has Peace Dances in its title and I've never cared for it (nor do the current Board members). Dancing Peace seems to describe what we're about; it's active, has movement to it (hmmm, imagine that!) and suits my personal preferences quite well. If the "International" could be left off, at least like so many corporations do in omitting the Inc. part of their organizational title except when listed in legal documents, I think it would be quite lovely. So my vote goes for Dancing Peace!

Hope our paths cross again in the near future.

With love,
Barakat
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From Ayesha Candy Cruz, Portland, OR USA 5/10/2010:

Thanks to all for the work you are doing to keep us vital.

I am inclined to stay with PeaceWorks name; it is familiar and accurate.  We all know it is about the dances.I see the term Peace Dances as a generic or catch-all phrase people use for various types of dances.

Thank you for being open to feedback.

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 From Catherine and Nasir, New Zealand, 5/10/2010:

Thank you for all the good work you are doing on our behalf in helping to re-organise our international dance network, so as to make it more responsive and effective.

Re. the proposed name change: Peace Dance International has the virtue of being simple and clear.  We still like the old "International Network for the Dances of Universal Peace" or INDUP . However, we don't feel strongly enough to want to block introduction of a new name, so long as it gives us clear definition and is not close to any other name that might be confused with that of our network.

Notes from Munir: The current legal name of the international Dance organization is "PeaceWorks International Center for the Dances of Universal Peace." The name "INDUP" was part of a reorganization begun in the early part of this decade but was never made the legal name. INDUP has been used by some folks and not others.

INDUP is an acronym that means nothing to people not directly involved in the Dances. The Unity Council pointed out that the name of the organization serving the network (PeaceWorks International) is not the same as the network itself. The network is the living, breathing body of Dance leaders doing this work, which exists whether or not there is an organization. This confusion between the network and the organization serving it has caused some difficulty in the past in defining PeaceWorks mission and goals.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions!

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From Shakura Cathryn, Prescott, AZ 5/10/2010:

PEACE DANCE INTERNATIONAL -YES!

 I like it. It is simple and direct, as few syllables as possible, and expresses what we do quite admirably!

 (Peaceworks, a lovely word, could involve many different types of activities of peaceful intention.)

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From Cheryl Lee Gama, Hawaii, USA 5/10/2010:

Aloha Munir Peter,

thanks for for all your energy with the Dances.
I agree, the name is long.

I am honored to be one of the South Kona Dances of Universal Peace for nine years, now ...
I often shorten the name to "the dances" among my friends and fellow leaders.

As a visionary artist, mystic musician and creator of Sacred Geometry Gardens,
I am a professional, specializing in illustration, airbrush, murals, logos, graphic arts and advertising design ...
I love a classic design rule my art school teacher shared over 27 years is ... "less is more"   and   "form follows function".

"Peace Dance" or "Peace Dances" has my vote.

Is it really necessary to say "International" in the name?
I feel it is enough to know the organization is International.
It is easy to communicate that we are an international organization when discussing our lineage and blossoming.

"Peace Dances" has a Native feeling in my heart that resonates deeply.
"Peace Dances International" has a more formal feeling.

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From Zubin Nur, The Netherlands, 5/10/2010:

Ya Hayyoo and Ya Shakur Beloveds,

Greetings and blessings from NL. Thank you for all your work and for the sharing of the newest initiatives. I can understand the need to change from the really long name. Peace Dance International is good. I do like PeaceWorks because it does. So my only suggestion would be PeaceDanceWorks ... because it too does ; )

 with no attachment and much much gratitude for all your work

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From Yasmin Haut, Pennsylvania, USA, 5/11/2010

I love the words PeaceWorks. For me it is an invitation to more than is apparent. Yes, it does not name the outer form of what we do, but certainly has the feel of what we do. As I understand your description of its function - it names the legal entity, and the way we link to each other.

I completely agree with disposing of the acronym.

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From Ellen Kaf-i-Mariam Fietz-Hall, Nevada City, CA USA 5/12/2010:

I'm going to lobby again for Dances of Universal Peace International

No other group is ever going to use the name "Dances of Universal Peace International."  There are 100's of references to "peace dance" -- kind of like saying "food". It doesn't tell you much and doesn't distinguish us from much. At least "Dances of Universal Peace" is odd enough to be worth a moment's pause and maybe a web click.

Our practice is not dance as most people understand the word dance, so we might as well have the organization name clue people right from the start.   We aren’t "Give Peace a Dance" or ecstatic dance for peace.

Dances of Universal Peace International is simple and clear (even if what it is is not known). Better to add more syllables rather than be simple and vague (and be certain that what it is is not known).

If the organization name is Peace Dance International, then that appears on the letterhead with the logo which has the words Dances of Universal Peace nearby.  One could ask, "So what shall I call this: Peace Dances or Dances of Universal Peace? If there is value in keeping the name "Dances of Universal Peace," then the organization should model that value, n'est-ce pas? Two different terms adds complexity.

The website address is Dances of Universal Peace, the logo says Dances of Universal Peace, what we do is Dances of Universal Peace. Wouldn't advertising experts say that is strong "branding," and for most effect, should be the organizational name?

The name Dances of Universal Peace International is a reminder that we are the organizational form for the  international interconnection of/for the Dances of Universal Peace -- a precious transmission inviting us to awaken to Universal Peace-- something more than inner peace, inter-personal peace, international peace--which I imagine are the domains of most Peace Dances.

PDI or PWI or DUPI of DPI have an equal probably of being written-- and even being spoken.

We already say "Dances"  when we mean 'Dances of Universal Peace."  We could say "International" to refer to "Dances of Universal Peace International" to distinguish from UK, NA, NdL ---initials that we do speak as well as write. Or  "Dances International." Or "DanceIn."  We could establish the abbreviation from the start.

Ahh, names.  Nevada City Cohousing has twice discussed giving ourselves a new legal name, and but abandoned the efforts both times. So we officially remain our meaningless default development name of Broad Street Commons.  (We don't change to the obvious "Nevada City Cohousing" because lenders think cohousing means commune so they don't want to sell mortgages-- names do have practical and impractical ramifications ;-)

Love, Ellen Kaf-i-Mariam

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From Hayat Terry Morrison, 5/22/2010:

My first thought was PeaceWorks International as it would be the less work( not having to do legal papers)and simpler.If we could drop the International that would feel less formal and shorter,but is this name for our organization or the teacher's guild?

I really like Dancing Peace.It has a very good and strong vision of what we do but I too have used Dances of Universal Peace for 20 years and know exactly what that is and what it means so could we not stay with that?

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From Constance Heidenreich, Billings, MT USA 5/26/2010:

Thank you to all of you who are so dedicated to our beautiful ongoing work of creating peace in the world. My thoughts on the idea of a name change for the International organization could not be better expressed than those of Ellen Kaf-i-Mariam (above).

Dances of Universal Peace, International says it all.  It is shorter than the current name; it includes the word “dance”; it is not confusing in that it is immediately recognizable as being directly linked to Dances of Universal Peace, rather than, well who knows.  Peace Dance could be anything, Dancing Peace could be anything, even PeaceWorks is confusing (unless a person already knows of the connection) but we know what Dances of Universal Peace are.  Since a new entity is not being created, but rather evolving, let us keep the direct link to Sam!

PS You can’t avoid an acronym – especially in these current times of communication!

Toward the One, Constance

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Hi Munir and Board:

Peace Dances International "sounds nice", but it makes it appear that it might be a different organization from Dances of Universal Peace.  Why not use Dances of Universal Peace International - yes it might be a little longer, but there is no confusion of it being another organization. Keep it simple with one name.

Peace and blessings!

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From Mary Martha Metzler, Goshen, Indiana, USA 5/29/2010:

Yes !   I agree completely -  Dances of Universal Peace, Int.  -  says it all.   Thank you Constance and Ellen for articulating perfectly the points I was making in my head to write in re the name change.  

Deepest gratitude to all the dedicated souls working to unfold our legacy so beautifully and graciously and coherently. 

Regions Policy

The Regions Policy as adopted is posted here.

Following are comments submitted as the draft policy was being reviewed:

From Anahata Iradah, Brazil 5/7/2010
Greetings Munir and all,

I agree with everything that is being suggested, except the name!

These are the reasons that "region" doesn't work or fit for me.

The word region is too geographically based. In the thesaurus, region is defined in the following way: area, district, county, section, province, constituency, territory, zone, locality. Specifically my students are spread all over the world. In Brasil alone they are literally all over the country. So if I were to create a "region" it would by necessity include the whole country. So I believe the wrong word has been selected with possible negative implications. I am not a region, I am a person, an individual who attracts or draws people to me for the work I am offering. People are drawn to me and the work as I move around the world. Region has the implication of a fixed entity, but the dance work is something fluid, ever changing. Look at the joy created by people being able to visit other circles in countries near and far.

I am not the only person with mentees spread over vast distances. I believe a word needs to be chosen that has less territorial implications. Something more like cluster, group, affiliation, association, zones, branch. Of all the words that I have listed I like affiliation and branch best because they are words connoting connection to something else, and the most important thing is the connection back to the Mother organization.

The word "region" having such geographical implications also would make it hard for another group to co-exist close by, and I think that is what we are moving away from. We want to be able to co-exist with another group close by, who for any number of different reasons my want to be a separate entity.

The other question that arises for me is whether people can belong to more than one "region" at a time, because many people have different affiliations. I would encourage this. I would encourage people to belong to as many groups as they are drawn to. This helps to prevent territorialism.

I can imagine my mentees being affiliated with something I set up, but I can't even imagine them joining my "region".

So truly I would encourage you to re-think the feeling tone of this move, and choose a name with a more co-operative meaning. Branch links us to the tree of our ancestors and to each other. I would also like to encourage you to entertain the idea that people can have more than one affiliation.

These are my reactions to your proposal and I send them with much appreciation for the work you are all doing to bring clarity and purpose to our work in the world.
With love,
Anahata

Munir - Thanks so much Anahata! The Regions task force will definitely take your thoughts into consideration!

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From Catherine and Nasir, Tauopo, New Zealand, 5/10/2010:

We like the idea of creating regions in a way that builds on natural relationships and shared resources. New Zealand and Australia work so well together that they are in effect creating their own region simply by dancing together, and consulting regularly. This is much better than having a regional arrangement imposed from elsewhere.

Unlike Anahata, we have never perceived a region to be formed around a particular leader and mentees, but between groups of mentors/leaders/dancers who are geographically linked.

From Munir: Thanks for your comments! True that that is how it has been in the past. Geographic regions today are still strong and serve a major service and function. But, the idea here is to loosen the geographic requirement imposed in the past. The internet gives rise to all sorts of associations among people that may serve to strengthen the Dance network if allowed to go forward. We want to use technology to the fullest. Also, there have been some parts of the world where people do not want to organize around geographic areas, but are drawn to organize in other ways. This is the idea we are playing with…. Thanks again!

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Response From Anahata Iradah, Brazil 5/17/2010

Catherine said "Unlike Anahata we never perceived a region to be formed around a particular leader and mentees, but between groups of mentors/leaders/dancers who are geographically linked".

I just want to say in response, that in fact I myself did not perceive this either, but my comments were a little out of context, meaning that in fact I was responding to (Munir's letter in which he) said to me "What this new policy means is that you could go forward to organize your mentees or others into a "region". I was responding to this by saying that "I am not a region". I just don't want to give the idea that I am setting out to do anything in particular, but responding to the current proposals, which I believe are very interesting and far reaching. Knowing how regional and territorial conflicts have arisen over long periods of time around the world, it is my sense that as a team you are approching these circumstances in one sense by simply taking the charge out of them. If there is no one group or individual in power, then there is nothing to grasp at, nothing to gain. My contribution was to say "yes" and you can take it one step further by allowing people to be affiliated with more than one group, which further allows team building across countries, languages, circles and friends. The image that I have in my mind is Indra's Net. That it is now time to acknowledge that each individual is a crystal bead and the net cannot exist without all of it's parts, all of it's members. Sometimes by honoring diversity (which is what I perceive your team doing) we paradoxically end up with more unity. The framework of allowing clusters of people to be more organically self organized will allow us to celebrate our differences as a strength.
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From Munir - Yes, the idea we're playing with is to continue to work with geographic regions, as we have in the past, but also allow the creation of other "networks" within our worldwide family.
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From Nasir, Tauopo, New Zealand, 5/22/2010:Thanks for enlarging on these points, Munir, I can see what you are getting at, e.g. leaders interested in dances for children could coalesce in this way and, indeed, as Anahata pointed out, mentees associated with a particular mentor. As to the name, so long as it is easy to remember, that's the main point.

Blessings from the South Pacific, Nasir