The following is a report from ToP network colleague and current president, Irina Fursman about her work with the network of facilitators she developed in the Ukraine. Summer 2014 Dear OE Colleagues, As we hear the distressing news from Ukraine about continued fighting and hardship, I am eager to share some very good news with you, hoping that you might consider joining George and me in financially supporting the peace conference initiative organized by Irina Fursman, (who is from Ukraine and now living in MN) and an accomplished facilitator who uses ICA ToP methods. I think that you will find the report below to be heartening, and if you want to be a part of this effort, please se the donation information at the end of the report. Richard and I are writing this letter to thank you for your generous support of our efforts to promote peace at the grassroots in Ukraine. We wanted to share with you a few of the highlights that give us hope for the people even as the fighting continues. The Summit was held on July 4 and 5. The Hilton facility (donated by Hilton) reached capacity quickly at 250 participants who came from many different parts of Ukraine, including areas where there is intense fighting. The participants included local government, business people, students, professors, NGO's, and others from various walks of life. To help with the large number of participants, 20 volunteer facilitators from Ukraine, Germany, England, France , The Netherlands, and Taiwan gathered with us. After a few introductory remarks, the team split up to facilitate small groups of about 12 with the assignment of discovering common values of the "whole." After an hour, a beautiful Word Cloud of the groups' values was created. The values were then used throughout the summit to guide outcomes. The next exercise focused on decentralization of the government. This was a vital part of the process as citizens discussed individual responsibility for their own communities, and their role in establishing lasting peace. The assignment (for small groups again) was to come up with a definition of decentralization that could be understood by a 12 year old student. Once the assignment was completed, the 250 participants were divided into groups by association. Government, business people, professors, NGO's, and other groups identified their "Principles of Decentralization" which would be shared with the regional and central government to guide law making and decision making. When it came time to share the "principles", it became apparent to the participants, that they all wanted the same thing! The next day, participants from the same regions were grouped together to work on action plans to take back to their communities. They worked in their groups from 9AM - 1PM. At the closing, teams shared the beginnings of their plans and impressions on the event. Much to our surprise, the participants did not want to leave. Following the closing event, most of the participants went back to their groups to finish their action plans and assign roles and responsibilities for each action. Results: The citizens found their voice in the future of Ukraine and for the first time felt connected and appreciated. They wanted in the most sincere way, to make a difference and help build a peaceful future. Several regions are now planning their own summits (some have actually held them already!). Some participants have decided to run for local office, others have volunteered for local charity efforts. Groups have been formed to support each other, to fight corruption, and to recognize efforts of those who are helping build community. Our group has been invited back to many regions. While it is not possible for Richard and I to participate in all of these events, our team in Ukraine is now ready and prepared to take this responsibility and challenge on. A bit on contributions: Donations were used to help fund the travel and lodging of the volunteers, and conference supplies. Hilton provided their hotel for the conference space, while local organizations helped reduce costs of travel, supported web messaging, helped with student participation and others who had no means to travel to the event. It's been truly remarkable experience , thank you for your generous donation! Irina Fursman To join this hope-filled effort: Write check to: Global Synergy Group , with the memo "PEACE SUMMIT" Address: Eileen Maxwell (GSG Treasurer) 337 21st Avenue North, Hopkins MN 55343