We the People
Finding a path through polarization to social harmony
A workshop with Seth Jordan and Robert Karbelnikoff, in partnership with Threefold Driftless
February 20-23, 2025
At the time it came into being, the US Constitution represented a huge advance in human civilization. For the first time, a government was formed with the express intention of limiting its role in the lives of free individuals, while also providing the structures and processes necessary for those individuals to create and uphold common agreements. For over 200 years, this accomplishment has inspired the lives of people around the world.
But human beings have created a host of new problems that the founders of our country never could have imagined. Every day these new problems seem to bring our world closer to the brink of the abyss. In the face of these realities we might ask:
Is it possible to put aside our polarized worldviews and work together on a more far-reaching vision for spiritual, social, and economic transformation?
Can we imagine a new kind of constitution — a new set of guiding agreements, suitable for our times — that could bring our world back into balance?
In this workshop we will:
Seek to understand the deeper roots of social and political polarization;
Practice transforming our own polarized perspectives by working with the Braver Angels “Depolarizing Within” approach, as well as other approaches;
Begin to identify guiding principles that could help us begin to imagine a new constitutional framework for our lives at the local, state, and national levels.
To do so, we will draw on the social insights of Rudolf Steiner, often called “social threefolding” because they work to harmonize society’s three functions — the economic, political, and cultural. Come join us as we chart a course from polarization and fragmentation to social healing and social cohesion!
Schedule
The workshop will begin Thursday evening and end Sunday midday. If you can’t make the whole workshop, but live locally, some parts of the weekend will also be open to the public. Those public portions will be announced closer to the event, and a more detailed schedule of the whole workshop will be available at the start of the workshop.
Cost
Sliding scale: $200-$400 — but anyone who wants to attend is welcome to, regardless of what they can contribute. We don't turn people away for financial reasons.
Your contribution includes breakfast and dinner (lunch is available at a number of local eateries). It does not include housing, but affordable local homestays are available. See the registration page for more info.
Other logistics
These sessions are community events where everyone helps with the meal set-up and clean-up. This allows us to keep the costs low, have more fun, and build a stronger sense of community.
Facilitators
Seth Jordan is a teacher and organizer living in Santa Cruz, California. He writes at The Whole Social (thewholesocial.substack.com).
Robert Karbelnikoff (AKA Robert Karp) is a writer, educator, and consultant whose work is informed by the insights of Rudolf Steiner and social threefolding. You can learn more about Robert on his website at robertkarp.net.
For more info or to register
Feel free to email us at threefolddriftless@gmail.com if you have any questions about the event, or register here:
***If you received our September 8th announcement, you’ll have seen a different title and description for this workshop. That’s because we’ve switched the workshops and plan to hold that workshop later in 2025 or else in 2026.