the power of strong collaboration
We have a big vision and depth of wisdom to share. And we are only holding one piece of a larger puzzle. Strong and authentic collaborations enable us to further our mission, enrich our learning and increase the impact of our work on the ground. This allows for the continued unfolding of a larger story, one with many threads, interwoven through the actions and ideas of many individuals and organizations. We are committed to building strong and flexible relationships with others, believing this will enable our collective work to realize its full potential in the world.
Over the past decade, we have worked in partnerships around programmatic activity and convenings.
2010: 
Working with many other groups, we helped convene a “Transformative Track” at the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit. This included numerous workshops, a People’s Movement Assembly, space for ongoing practice and more.
2009: The conference entitled, Deep Change: Transforming the Practice of Social Justice, was a national collaboration between stone circles, Movement Strategy Center, Rockwood Leadership Foundation and the Seasons Fund. Held at the Blue Ridge Assembly in Asheville, the gathering brought together 100 frontline organizers, intermediary organizations and funders to explore how transformational practice is changing organizing on the ground. Watch the slide show about the gathering here.
2008-2009: Sustainability and Solidarity program (or “SuSo”), a yearlong leadership development program co-designed by stone circles and OpenSource Leadership Strategies to help progressive North Carolina leaders build relationships of solidarity, foster understanding of sustainable practices, and generate a collective vision for social change. The program convened 19 powerful leaders working in solidarity teams on environmental justice, immigrant rights, arts and social change, healthy families, food justice, and community development.
2007: Working with Kindred and a coalition of practitioners from a range of spiritual and cultural traditions, we created a Healing and Spiritual Practice Space at the United States Social Forum in Atlanta, GA. Over 500 activists participated in workshops, for meditation, yoga, healing arts, and ceremony from many traditions. This was a turning point for all those involved, a ground-breaking collaboration between spiritual activists from many traditions and healers of many different modalities.
2006-current: Since its inception, stone circles has been helping to shape the Seasons Fund for Social Transformation, a funders collaborative that mobilizes resources, makes grants, and supports learning activities to strengthen and shed new light on the connections between personal and social transformation. Here’s a great slideshow of the work of Seasons’ grantees, including many shots of our work.
2005: With a stewardship group, we convened a 4-day gathering at the Garrison Institute entitled “Spiritual Activism: Claiming the Poetry and Ideology of a Liberation Spirituality.” The group of 50 leaders included activists, artists, spiritual teachers, trainers, academics, and funders. The gathering helped to further identify the field and define a collective theory of social change. Both an extensive report and video were produced from this event. To watch the video trailer, click here. For the longer video and study guide, contact us.
2004-2005: We designed and facilitated “Seeding a Movement of Sustainable Activism” with leaders of five grassroots organizations from the Next Generation Leadership program based at the Rockefeller Foundation. This initiative included a mini-grants program, technical assistance and a national conference.
2003-2004: Our stone circles Fellowship fostered collaboration between the organization and leaders in spiritual activism across the country; these fellows – still some of our closest allies – represent diverse and vial institutions. The Fellowship included Kenny Bailey, Design Studio for Social Innovation (Boston, MA), Arrington Chambliss, Life Together, Episcopal Diocese (Boston, MA), Simon Greer, Jewish Funds for Justice (New York, NY), Albino Garcia, La Plazita Institute (Albuquerque, NM), angel Kyodo williams, Center for Transformative Change (Oakland, CA), and shash yahzi, (Boston, MA).
2000-2001: We worked with fellows from leadership programs at Kellogg Foundation, Fetzer Institute and Rockefeller Foundation to convene two gatherings on Spirituality and Leadership, hosted at the Fetzer Institute.
additional collaborations
We have worked with many other organizations and institutions including:
~The Community Development Law Clinic at the University of North Carolina Law School provides much of our legal work and great experience for the law students.
~The Nicholas School for the Environment at Duke University has helped us create a land use management program.
And much more…
