Contemplative Alliance

Launched by GPIW in 2008, the Contemplative Alliance is an inter-spiritual movement grounded in contemplative practices and approaches with the goal of heightening awareness and generating actions to address the critical issues of our times. We seek to accomplish this by creating an alliance of organizations and individuals from across religious, faith and worship traditions who believe that inner development is an essential element in the positive transformation of the global community.  By sharing this message, our vision is that individuals and organizations will act from a place of deep inner wisdom to advance the wellbeing of the global community and our Earth’s living systems.

OUR PROGRAMS

• Address the world’s critical issues beyond political, social and economic strategies and address the psychological and spiritual roots of these issues.

• Foster the idea that inner change is the basis for outer transformation and individual transformation leads to societal transformation.

• Bring the insights born of contemplative practice into action by:

  • Looking at problems from the perspective of the wellbeing of the whole — human community & the natural world

  • Increasing public awareness of the relevance and value of contemplative practice

  • Emphasizing shared values and mutual respect for diverse contemplative traditions

  • Offers a new paradigm of wealth that balances outer development with inner richness

BACKGROUND

In November 2008 approximately 250 members of different contemplative communities across religious traditions gathered at the Aspen Institute campus in Colorado in response to the urgent challenges facing the nation.  Out of that meeting emerged the idea for a Contemplative Alliance.  The goal was to explore how the wisdom and compassion born of deep contemplative and spiritual practice could help shift the collective mindset of the country from one of separation and polarization to one of unity and common ground to address pressing economic, social, and environmental issues.  Building a groundswell across the nation, the Contemplative Alliance has held programs in Maryland, California, Iowa, Michigan, Washington, D.C. and two in New York.  To facilitate, focus and energize this movement, we gather in the USA and Europe to share thoughts and disseminate information on how we as a contemplative body of concerned global citizens can more effectively draw upon and bring forth the spiritual resources of our collective practices toward effective social action.