What Does Beyond War Have To Offer?

[Bill Scheurer]

So far, hundreds of individuals and two foundations have chosen to invest in Beyond War, and thousands have joined the Beyond War renewal. Still, many have not yet chosen to do so.

What is it that Beyond War uniquely offers that makes it a compelling investment and an irresistible draw? What are we (or can we become) really good at? And, is it essential? And, to whom?

It is important to recognize that many individuals and foundations who share our commitment to peace have their own perspectives and priorities that may or may not match up well with our own. One key to building good relationships is to understand others on their own terms. Another is to know ourselves.

For us to reach optimal success at fundraising and other forms of outreach we need to develop a clear focus on what it is we do (and do not do), why this matters (to others, not just ourselves), how uniquely good we are at it (by proven results, not vague ambitions), and where we fit in the bigger picture.

It takes a great deal of honesty and courage to face these questions. It is very easy to turn away from them and go out trying to raise money and grow our membership instead. Of course, we must continue to do all of these and more. However, we can go about it as an act of discovery as well as necessity – like explorers journeying in a new land, learning to live off that same land as we map it and find our way.

That is where Beyond War may still be at this time? If so, that is not a bad thing. It is a wonderful thing. Risky? Yes. Exciting? Yes. Hopeful? Definitely!

As we gain a clearer view of ourselves, and of others, and where we do and do not fit together, then our fundraising and outreach efforts will become much simpler tasks of connection and presentation. Our impressive, yet limited, successes to date indicate that we are not there yet. We have more to do.

If we can bring this humbling more tempered perspective to our work, we will be more successful at it and enjoy it a whole lot more! As we go about our efforts to raise funds together, perhaps you will also join me in beginning to explore some of these challenging, important and exciting questions as well?

[Winslow Myers]

Hi Bill,

I hesitate to even engage you in dialogue while you continue to recover.

Your question, What Does Beyond War Have to Offer? implies that some of us or most of us are not as sure about the answer to this question as we might like. I felt that also in our granting-agency discussion the other night--a vague sense that we don't quite know who we are, and that that vagueness is possibly contributing to a certain suspended quality in our work. One aspect of this is in the discipline, one of five that Peter Senge suggested were necessary to a learning organization, Senge called Building a Shared Vision. When I try to picture or define what the ED's vision is of the organization, I continue to experience a vagueness. When I picture what the Board's vision is, I see the strategic plan, modified by the addition of the Education Director, though I also feel uncertain whether we, the collective we of the Board, ED and staff, are all still committed to the strategic plan. It might help me if you were willing, at your leisure, to do a two-column description of where you think we're at: in one column, where in your view the Board seems to be at, and what effect that is having on you, activating or restraining, and in another column, what your vision is of the organization, including what changes you might make, if any, even to our fundamental DNA, or what your ideas are about what we ought to be and do. While you are the leader, you may also feel obligations to follow the directives of the Board that you experience as unnecessary restraints, or you may just feel puzzled about next steps.

[Bill Scheurer]

Winslow, wonderfully engaging questions! In the interest of focus, I will defer the questions about our internal governance and strategic plan to other forums, but will happily take on the one about my personal vision.

To me, Beyond War is exploring ways to build peace through relationships of good will. As a community, we gather around 3 guiding principles and 3 core practices which direct this shared exploration. That vision has been crystal clear for me from the beginning (although exposure to the Traubman's work and others in the extended BW/FGC community have helped me come to elevate an emphasis on relationship). I've never felt the least hesitation or confusion in that driving vision, and have been trying to share it since coming here.

When we begin to break apart the key concepts -- "explore" "ways" "build" "peace" "relationships" "good will" -- it unfolds a deep and expansive vision, which calls us to great depth and breadth and diversity.

Still, returning to the practical side of the conversation, what are we really offering and to whom? Most of the foundations investing in peace have very clearly defined focal points and objectives -- be it policy expertise, fieldwork, lobbying, grassroots activism, or whatever. They look for groups that are "good at" these with proven results. What can we show them we are "good at" and how can we show them it is important to their concerns about peace? When we turn to fundraising, we have to look at what our work means to them, not just to us.

Our limited (yet impressive to me!) results so far for the past seven years, both in fundraising and outreach, speak for themselves. We are still much more important to ourselves than we are to others. We haven't yet learned how to become important to (very many) others. That's what fundraising and outreach will require. The way I describe it to myself is that our abilities and our approach are not yet consistent with our ambitions.