CONNECTIVE PRACTICES /

FIELD OF COMMITMENT 

WHAT IS FELD DER BEGEGNUNG /FIELD OF COMMITMENT?

Feld der Begegnung / Field of Commitment is for you and for the planet.

In Feld der Begegnung / Field of Commitment individuals create a specific ‘place of encounter’ [Ort der Begegnung] in a partnership with a tree and make a commitment about what they want to change or work on in the inner field of their thinking, and/or the outer field of visible action.

This place of encounter and commitment –identified by careful exploration of the place and possible tree partners, and made visible with a golden-yellow band on a tree – becomes a local anchor point on the planet: for you, for families and communities, for schools and organizations to return to again and again.

It makes a big difference having this tree-partner and place in the world where you can go to reflect on and develop your commitments, both alone and with others.

Each place of encounter is also strengthened and takes on a new character by being part of a growing field of commitments and encounters.

Gradually a visible and energetic field develops – a field of enlivened will – in a particular village, town or city on the planet.

It becomes a new space in which individuals and groups come together to exchange and think about how we see the world, about their commitment, and about what needs to change in order to overcome the unnecessary exploitation and destruction in the world.

In short, the field of commitment makes visible the will as a force, as an invisible material in the field of transformation, of social sculpture, and the strength of commitment in an area to working individually and together to shape a viable future.

It connects the inner field of human beings – our thinking, our values, our fears, our longings, our insights – with each other and with the more-than-human world.

The minimum commitment people are asked to make, is to not give up, and to never look away. But one can also make more specific commitments and pledges that relate to one’s locality and/or to bigger ecological-social transformations.

Field of Commitment / Feld der Begegnung is an individual and collective process for:

‘coming to our senses’ in the world
exploring our relationship to the world and the lenses with which we see it
new vision toward a viable future, and
strengthening ones capacities and resolve to work towards this.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION

Field of Commitment / Feld der Begegnung is closely connected to a specific area, village, town or city. It is an invitation to everyone in a particular locality – in this instance Kassel- to create a visible field of the will to shape a living future. [See attached downloadable leaflet and notes on “a visible field of the will”]

 During the Kassel-21 Social Sculpture Lab, Field of Commitment / Feld der Begegnung is shared is the following ways

1.With people in Kassel – to find out about and then to develop the field

We are inviting the first 100+ local people, schools and groups to participate in developing a Feld der Begegung in Kassel [During the Covid period we are doing regular online introductions to the process, for individuals and groups in Kassel].

2. As a live training for people outside Kassel [who can come to Kassel]  who want to develop a Field of Commitment /Feld der Begegnung in their own region of the world.

3. For visitors to Kassel. You can experience the local Field of Begegnung in Kassel, and sign up for a future live or online training.

4. In Spring 2022, as an online training [in English].

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED…   in Kassel

If you live in or very near to Kassel, contact Martina Schäfer [feld-kassel@universityofthetrees.org] to:

1. Sign up for an introductory [online] session [see Program]

2.Join a bicycle or walking tour to some of the existing places of encounter and get a sense of the field of commitment and the process.

3. Make a time [with Martina Schäfer feld-kasel@universityofthetrees.org] to create your own ‘Place of Encounter’ in Kassel – from the beginning of April 2021 onwards. You can do this on your own with Martina, or with friends, family and colleagues present.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED… from outside Kassel

If you are able to visit Kassel, you are welcome to join an introductory session and a bicycle or walking tour. Although you will not be able to create an Ort der Begegnung in Kassel you will be able to experience what it means to create such a place of encounter and the value of a visible Willensfeld. This will help you consider if you want to facilitate a Field of Commitment / Feld der Begegnung in your village, town or city in the future and do the FIELD OF COMMITMENT Training.

If you live far from Kassel –  in another city, country or continent, then, as long as you can communicate with us in English or German, you can participate in an online session to learn more about it. Later you can sign up for a facilitator training and become a keeper of the field in your area.

[In future we hope to do the introductions and training in Feld der Begegnung in other languages – including French, Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese].

COSTS
Participation in the creation of the field of commitment is free.

We see Field of Commitment /Feld der Begegnung it as a commons to be used to make many Fields of Commitment on the planet. We do however need to ask people to pay for the  golden tree band and if possible to make a contribution, according to what you can afford, to fund other costs like the websites and leaflets.

The 3.5 day training to coordinate and facilitate a Field of Commitment has a small cost on a sliding scale. But no-one will be refused a place if you cannot pay. We will ask you to try an find sponsorship. Or others in the group to assist.

Who enables you to make your own place of commitment?
Martina Schäfer is currently the ‘keeper of the field’ [Hütterin des Feldes]. She works with others in Kassel, from the local University of the Trees group to:

1. Help individuals and groups develop their own specific anchor point and place of encounter in Kassel.

2. Organize regular tours for participants and visitors to the different Orte der Begegnung that make up the Field of Begegnung.

3.Run introductions and training for people outside of Kassel and in distant places.

BECOMING PART OF THE FELD DER BEGEGNUNG TEAM – IN KASSEL
During the Kassel-21 Social Sculpture Lab we hope to expand the Field of Commitment/Feld der Begegnung, Kassel team. People who have taken part in the process will be able to be trained to help others create their Place of Commitment / Ort der Begegnung.

The Field of Commitment multipliers training [4 -7 September, 2021] includes a focus on what one does to help someone create an Ort der Begegnung, and an exploration of the capacities needed to do this. It is also about coordinating /facilitating a Feld der Begegnung in your area.

CONTACT Martina Schäfer at feld-kassel@universityofthetrees.org to create an Ort der Begegnung in Kassel, or if you have interest in the training for creating a Feld der Begegnung beyond Kassel.

Feld der Begegnung is about inner and outer field research, field awareness and field Gestaltung that will help us move towards a humane and ecologically viable future.