Founding Partners
Interspiritual Dialogue (Read about the history of ISD)
InterSpiritual Dialogue (ISD) is the original network formed in 2003 under the tutelage of Brother Wayne through members of the United Nations non-governmental organization community, and other religious and activist leaders in New York and the northeastern region of the United States. It's focus is "Interspiritual Dialogue" and developing "Interspirituality" in the context those words have been used by, among others, Brother Wayne Teasdale in his book The Mystic Heart: Finding a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions".
InterSpiritual Dialogue has offered a farflung and varied forum for discussion about how this experience and life is informed by various traditions and paths, ranging from regular local gatherings to its annual "InterSpiritual Ceremony for Peace" and its participation with Bro. Wayne in designing a session on InterSpiritual Dialogue at the 2004 Parliament of the Worlds Religions. ISD's forms are horizontal and nurturing; it views diversity and differences as a way of increasing the richness of its circle. Since the founding of ISDnA, ISD continues to center on this worldwide work and particularly the fostering of circles and focus groups regarding the unfolding of Brother Wayne's dream. ISD's corporate name is InterSpiritual Dialogue (ISD); its internet name is InterSpiritual Dialogue Action Council (ISDAC).
The Crossings (visit their website)
Through Common Ground 2005, The Crossings, a progressive learning center, meeting place, and wellness spa that is home to the annual Common Ground workshop, was introduced to Kurt Johnson, a member of InterSpiritual Dialogue (ISD). After Common Ground 2005, founding members Chuck Ragland, Bill "Gorakh" Hayashi, Kurt Johnson, Adam Blatner, and The Crossings co-founders Ken and Joyce Beck formed an interspiritual group that later became InterSpiritual Dialogue 'n Action (ISDnA). ISDnA is a tool for people to be in dialogue with each other. Deanne Quarrie, also of The Crossings, is the moderator for the ISDnA Forum.
Chicago Circle of Light and Empowerment (visit their website)
The Chicago Circle consists of six Artist/Seekers who came together at the 2005 Common Ground meeting and have continued to meet monthly to support one another in identifying their life purpose/calling and to find ways to offer their spirit gift to serve the "unfolding of world dream." Through sharing ritual, symbolic expression, active listening and matrix resonance, they have found ways to create other Light Circles around their individual passions and creative modes: transforming college classrooms into alchemical vessals, offering audio and video podcasts as technologically based circles, working with play and imagination in both children and innovative magicians, creating workshops on animal communication and soul-art, bringing together music, sound, energy and movement in musical composition, generating meetings of creative artists to share ritual and personal symbols, developing methods to include audience members in co-creating Light Circle performance pieces. These extended circles carry out our dream of transforming global consciousness through the "ripple effect" of generating ever expanding and inter-connected Light Circles. As a group, we hope to share our co-creative efforts in offering a multi-media installation and performance at the 2006 Common Ground meeting entitled, "Responding to the Call of the Times."
Cooperating Partners
The Aspen Grove (visit their website)
ISDnA has joined in the last two years with The Aspen Grove (www.theaspengrove.org) to effect Bro. Wayne's vision of regularly bringing people together in long-term quiet meditative space to explore the unfolding of collective consciousness into engaged transformative action. Members of ISDnA and Aspen Grove have attended three such gathering at The Lifebridge Sanctuary in New York and the recent international "Spiritual Summit" in Aspen, Colorado convened by the Globel Peace Initiative of Women (see www.gpiw.org). Both Kurt Johnson and Gorakh Hayashi of ISDnA also serve as "Stewards" of The Aspen Grove.
One Spirit Learning Alliance and Interfaith Seminary (visit their website)
One Spirit Learning Alliance and its associated Interfaith Seminary (hereafter, "One Spirit") nurture a broad-based interfaith community of several thousand persons in the New York City region. One Spirit is ISDnA's partner in creating and promulgating the Wayne Teasdale-based curriculum and program in "InterSpirituality and Integral Multifaith". This program, instituted in 2008, provides a wide range of seminary, public learning alliance and One Spirit community programs built from the core of Brother Wayne's trans-traditional religious and spiritual teachings, linking them profoundly and potently with the vision of Integral thinkers like Ken Wilber and Don Beck. Core Integral courses use Bro. Wayne's The Mystic Heart and Ken Wilber's Integral Spirituality as their reference texts and aspects of this coupled vision also unpin major aspects of the spiritual depth, core of human wisdom and leadership training curricula at One Spirit. These programs aim at fulfilling Bro. Wayne's words: "The Interspiritual Age will require institutions and structures to carry, express and support it". One Spirit is also an active partner in New York's vibrant OneVoice Coalition, cofounded by ISDnA.
Friends of InterSpiritual Dialogue
The Friends of Interspiritual Dialogue in Action are a farflung international group of spiritual writers, teachers, leaders and social activists who actively support the vision of Brother Wayne in the context of the ISDnA network and have worked to help develop the network since its inception. A list of the Friends of InterSpiritual Dialogue, with short biographies and links can be found here.
The Spiritual Caucus at the United Nations
The Spiritual Caucus at the UN is composed of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and traditions who support the fullest expression of the goals and ideals of the United Nations as described in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Caucus was founded and is maintained by working members of the United National NGO community whose organizations have their roots in the world's various religious, ethical and philosophical traditions. It cooperates with the Spiritual, Values and Earth Value caucuses also centered at the United Nations.
The Parliament of the World's Religions (visit their website)
The mission of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions is to cultivate harmony among the world's religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its other guiding institutions in order to achieve a peaceful, just, and sustainable world. Members of ISDnA have participated regularly in the Parliament and Bro. Wayne was a member of its Trustee board.
The National Service Conference of the American Ethical Union (visit their website)
The National Service Conference of the American Ethical Union (NSC) serves as the sponsor/mentor of InterSpiritual Dialogue at the United Nations. NSC began this relationship with ISDnA at the inception of ISD's founding with Brother Wayne. NSC is the service organization of the coalition of American ethical socities (the American Ethical Union) founded by ethical philsopher Felix Adler in the late 19th Century. NSC is accredited by the United Nations Department of Public Information and a member of the spiritual, values, and earth values caucuses at the UN.
Coalition of New York Groups Working for Transformation
This coalition, called "OneVoice" (of which ISDnA is a founding member) meets monthly to discuss and effectuate joint efforts in inter-religious work centered on social transformation. It involves, among others, What is Enlightenment and EnligthenNext, New Realities, the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Friends of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, the UN Committee on Spirituality and Global Concerns, the Alliance for a New Humanity, the World Wisdom Alliance, and others.
World Wisdom Alliance (visit their website)
ISDnA is a founding member of the World Wisdom Alliance, a worldwide coalition of groups, organizations, and networks working for transformation. WWA was founded at a seminal meeting of such groups in Toronto, Canada in August 2006 attended by ISDnA. The website noted just above will guide you to all updates and expansions regarding the World Wisdom Alliance.
Centro Espiritual Universal Inkari (visit their website)
CEUI has been a part of the ISD international network since its inception (see www.isdac.com). In the summer of 2006, CEUI hosted an international gathering as part of the ongoing outreach of ISDnA. A report on this gathering is available in the fall 2006 Infinite Sensitivity.
Theatre Group Dzieci (visit their website)
Theatre Group Dzieci (“Children” in Polish) has a integral relationship with ISD and ISDnA. Specializing in “sacred theatre”, Dzieci correographs and co-hosts ISD’s annual “InterSpiritual Ceremony for Peace” at the United Nations annual International Day of Peace. In addition Dzieci accompanied ISD to the 2004 Parliament of the World’s Religions to perform its signature piece “Fool’s Mass” and also help host ISD’s session on interspiritual dialogue.
Marc Chagall Window, Meditation Center, The United Nations, New York, New York