April 13th –17th 2009: Deep Ecology for Earth Day
(Monday 4pm-6pm, plus dinner; Tuesday – Friday 9am-11am)
Drop in for one or more sessions is possible with prior registration.
Explorations into Deep Ecology through a series of 5 experiential sessions, culminating on in the “March of all Beings” on Auroville’s Earth Day (Sat 18th April)

The workshop will be a series of sessions adapted from the work of Joanna Macy and John Seed with the “Council of All Beings”, where participants take on an alternate life form, or ‘ally’ acting as a channel for the expression of this being in a ritualistic Council. In this context, instead of a Council, we will work towards a “March of All Beings” on Earth Day…
click to learn more

April 20th –24th 2009: An Exploration into the Concepts of Deep Ecology
(daily 9am – 11am, plus dinner on Monday and lunch on Friday)
For many people currently involved in environmental action the belief that technology and the current economic and socio-political setup can solve our collective environmental predicament seems to be hopelessly naive. In this workshop we will see how Deep Ecology, maintains that the root cause of the current crisis is to do with the way that people think…
click to learn more

July 30th - 31st 2009: Systems Thinking – Participatory Project Management
For more information, please ..

August 14th – 16th 2009: Environmental Change Through Observation
(starts at 5pm on Friday, ends at 5pm on Sunday)
In this program we combine two of the six keys of our curriculum as a base for understanding the larger environmental picture. Phenomenology and Awareness through the Body converge in an opportunity for environmental change through observation…
click to learn more

September 14th – 18th 2009: Deep Ecology – Concepts and Expression
(starts at 9am on Monday)
For many people currently involved in environmental action the belief that technology and the current economic and socio-political setup can solve our collective environmental predicament seems to be hopelessly naive. In this workshop we will see how Deep Ecology, maintains that the root cause of the current crisis is to do with the way that people think… click to learn more

October 16th – 18th 2009: Family Convergence
(starts at 5pm on Friday, ends at 5pm on Sunday)
In this program we create a space for families to discover the spirit of learning together. We invite children and adults together to step inside and be refreshed, to be less of who we think we are and more a part of everything. We are reminded that wisdom is not about bits and pieces, but about relationships, and about the compassion that comes when we realize our deep relatedness. The activities encourage a quest for knowledge of the self as a human being. By educating our inner selves, by exploring our patterns of thinking, learning and being throughout life, and being true to our essence, we experience the interconnectedness within our selves, within each other and with the environment…
click to learn more

November 30th - December 4th 2009: An Introduction to Systems Thinking
In this program we will use the Systems Thinking approach as a way to challenge ourselves to see the connections between the separate parts of what we do in order to view those parts as a whole. During the course we will explore different contemporary environmental issues and employ a systems perspective to see these issues from a new standpoint…
click to learn more

January 8th - 10th 2010: Deep Ecology – Concepts and Expression
For many people currently involved in environmental action the belief that technology and the current economic and socio-political setup can solve our collective environmental predicament seems to be hopelessly naive. In this workshop we will see how Deep Ecology, maintains that the root cause of the current crisis is to do with the way that people think… click to learn more

February 19th – 21st 2010: Holistic Food Systems
(Starts at 5pm on Friday)
In this program we will take an in-depth look at how contemporary lifestyles are changing our food habits…click to learn more

March 5th - 7th 2010: Environmental Change Through Observation
(starts at 5pm on Friday, ends at 5pm on Sunday)
In this program we combine two of the six keys of our curriculum as a base for understanding the larger environmental picture. Phenomenology and Awareness through the Body converge in an opportunity for environmental change through observation…
click to learn more

April 12th – 16th 2010: Earth Day Celebration (more details to come)

Tailor-made Convergence programs: - Ongoing
We work hand-in-hand with you to design a custom program that will reconnect you with nature. Whether you have available only a couple of days or a couple of weeks an immersion into Convergence, our forest and way of life will have a lasting impact on you.
To start a dialogue on ways to infuse environmental awareness please ..

Convergence in two weeks: unscheduled
In order to seek solutions to the planet's great challenges of climate change, shrinking natural resources and exponential increases in waste, to name but a few, a convergence of ideas is urgently needed. During our two-week program participants will gain exposure to a multi-faceted approach for understanding these challenges and creating solutions...
click to learn more

Convergence in a month: - unscheduled
This month-long program is the most holistic experience of our curriculum. Our aim is to bring together concerned people from around the world to share their knowledge, experiences and inspirations with one another in an attempt to find locally- based solutions that are informed by global perspectives...click to learn more

Regular Convergence days:
Every Thursday (starting July 23rd 2009): Open-Day at Convergence
An open invitation for people to come and share the space, experience one of our sessions on a variety of different subjects, and offer of their own experience, knowledge, expertise…for a schedule of upcoming open-day sessions, please ..

Every Saturday (starting July 25th): Work in Evergreen Forest
We spend the morning working in the forest, doing seasonal tasks, under the guidance and inspiration of Erumalai, Evergreen’s forest manager. For more information please
..

Deep Ecology for Earth Day
“The intention of taking on a being is to heal our separation from the natural word, to know our inter-existence with all beings, or to find in the web of life the power that will help us to act in it self defense... our life as earth.

What humankind is capable of loving from mere duty or moral obligation is very limited. The extensive moralizing within the ecological movement has given the public the false impression that they are primarily asked to sacrifice, to show more responsibility, more concern, and better morals…(but) the required care flows naturally if the self is widened and deepened so that protection of free nature is felt and conceived of as protection of our very selves…”
Excerpts taken from ‘Coming Back to Life’, by Joanna Macy

For a full schedule of the week’s activities, click here to download

Return to the top of the page

An Exploration into the Concepts of Deep Ecology
For many people currently involved in environmental action, the belief that technology and the current economic and socio-political setup can solve our collective environmental predicament seems to be hopelessly naive. In this weekend course we will see how Deep Ecology, maintains that the root cause of the current crisis is to do with the way that people think and feel.

Through workshops and sharing, An Introduction to Deep Ecology will explore ways in which we can deepen our perception of ourselves as an integrated part of the environment. We will explore the value of different aspects of nature outside of their relationship to the needs of human beings. During the workshop we will look at objects from the “soil” through the “soul” with the desire to harmonize our “society”, connecting us once again to Satish Kumar’s holistic trinity. 

By the end of the program participants will have gained an understanding of the essence of Deep Ecology and the movement that has formed around it. The focus of the workshops will be to facilitate a careful consideration of our own perceptions and ideas about our relationship with the rest of the “natural environment”. Click here to see our application form or you can for more information.

Return to the top of the page

Environmental Change through Observation
In this workshop we combine two of the six keys of our curriculum as a base for understanding the larger environmental picture. Phenomenology and Awareness through the Body converge in an opportunity for environmental change through observation.

Phenomenology is a tool for reflective and transformative inquiry, exploring how we, as humans, deep down, experience and relate to the natural world. Awareness through the Body is a tool for noticing limitations that we impose on ourselves and for allowing an expansion of our possibilities.

In this workshop we take the time to recognize our own perceptions and patterns that trap us in contemporary lifestyles. Participants are given the space to “step out of the box” and reach for a deeper connection to the essence of self. This discovery allows the innate sense of ecological sensitivity to emerge, evoking the desire for change. The workshops will facilitate different ways of observation through a series of sensorial games, creative exploration through different medium, visualizations and relaxations, discovering the power of breath, and projection and identification exercises. During the workshop we will look at objects from the “soil” through the “soul” with the desire to harmonize our “society”, connecting us once again to Satish Kumar’s holistic trinity.
Click here to see our application form or you can send us an e-mail for more information.

Return to the top of the page


Deep Ecology – Concepts and Expression
For many people currently involved in environmental action, the belief that technology and the current economic and socio-political setup can solve our collective environmental predicament seems to be hopelessly naive. In this weekend course we will see how Deep Ecology, maintains that the root cause of the current crisis is to do with the way that people think and feel.

Through workshops and sharing, An Introduction to Deep Ecology will explore ways in which we can deepen our perception of ourselves as an integrated part of the environment. We will explore the value of different aspects of nature outside of their relationship to the needs of human beings. The workshops will facilitate different ways of observation through a series of sensorial games, creative exploration through different medium, visualizations and relaxations, and projection and identification exercises. During the workshop we will look at objects from the “soil” through the “soul” with the desire to harmonize our “society”, connecting us once again to Satish Kumar’s holistic trinity. By the end of the program participants will have gained an understanding of the essence of Deep Ecology and the movement that has formed around it. The focus of the workshops will be to facilitate a careful consideration of our own perceptions and ideas about our relationship with the rest of the “natural environment”. As a practical application of the Deep Ecology principles, we will experience “The Council of All Beings”, a ritualistic workshop which will help us to integrate our new perspectives. Many people understand in an intellectual way that humanity and nature are one and inseparable, but few of us have actually experienced this intimate connection with nature. The Council of All Beings will help us to remember our deep connection with the Earth, and rediscover our priorities for action. During the workshop we will try to develop and experience empathy for the Earth and its plight, and by realizing that its pain is our pain, its fate our fate, we hope to find new clarity, inspiration and commitment.

There will be time for quiet introspection, creative discovery and ritualistic expression where we will find a space to channel the energies released by despair and empowerment into facilitating a profound change to deep ecological awareness.
Click here to see our application form or you can for more information.

Return to the top of the page

Family Convergence
In this program we create a space for families to discover the spirit of learning together. We invite Children and adults together to step inside and be refreshed, to be less of who we think we are and more a part of everything. We are reminded that wisdom is not about bits and pieces, but about relationships, and about the compassion that comes when we realize our deep relatedness. The activities encourage a quest for knowledge of the self as a human being. By educating our inner selves, by exploring our patterns of thinking, learning and being throughout life, and being true to our essence, we experience the interconnectedness within our selves, within each other and with the environment.

During the program, we will link the ideas of Systems thinking - a tool to think in a less fragmented, more integrated way, Deep ecology – a movement which instills a wider sense of self, Phenomenology - a tool for reflective and transformative inquiry, exploring how we, as humans, deep down, experience and relate to the natural world, and Awareness through the Body - as a tool for noticing limitations that we impose on ourselves and for allowing an expansion of our awareness, opening up to new possibilities.

Selected sessions would be for children and adults together and others will be separate. The activities bring about awareness through sensorial games, creative explorations and visualizations. Some of the games give us an inside view of the way nature works. While we play the games, we act out dynamically and feel directly, the natural cycles and processes. Still other games tune our finer feeling to the special qualities of nature – her peace and beauty, her energy and grandeur; her mystery and wonder. We commune with nature directly by touch, smell, taste, sight and sound. The experience also shares a way of life that is in harmony with the forest around us.

Click here to see our application form or you can send us an e-mail for more information.

Return to the top of the page

Systems Thinking
In this program we will use the Systems Thinking approach as a way to challenge ourselves to see the connections between the separate parts of what we do in order to view those parts as a whole. During the course we will explore different contemporary environmental issues and employ a systems perspective to see these issues from a new standpoint. The first part of our Ecological Thinking course will provide a general overview of the approach and examine how systems or ‘joined up thinking’ can help us to see the world in a more practical way. In the second half we will focus on practical examples from our own experiences, and employ a systems perspective to develop alternative understandings. Throughout the course we will work to improve our ability to integrate and apply knowledge. What can we do to help ourselves make the connections? For example, in a practical sense, what does ecology have to do with society, spirituality and economics? What are the connections that will help these questions get answered? In this workshop we take the time to recognize our own perceptions and patterns that trap us in contemporary lifestyles. Participants are given the space to “step out of the box” and reach for a deeper connection to the essence of self. This discovery allows the innate sense of ecological sensitivity to emerge, evoking the desire for change. During the workshop, we will link the ideas of Phenomenology - a tool for reflective and transformative inquiry, exploring how we, as humans, deep down, experience and relate to the natural world, and Awareness through the Body - a tool for noticing limitations that we impose on ourselves and for allowing an expansion of our possibilities.

Come and join us for 5-days of Systems Thinking and explore the connections that help to make sense of some of the world’s problems. In the process we’ll learn a new approach, a systems approach, for creating new and integrated solutions. Click here to see our application form or you can for more information.

Return to the top of the page


Holistic Food Systems
In this program we will take an in-depth look at how contemporary lifestyles are changing our food habits. The once common wholesome recipes made at home are being forgotten in favor of processed factory-made products. Although it is very convenient to opt for ready-made food there are some social, health and ecological consequences that require us to think about whether this is the best way we can nurture our bodies, preserve our natural resources and support our local communities. During the Holistic Food Systems program our main aim is to experience together the art of cooking from a holistic perspective and share our views, experiences and discoveries in relation to it. Theoretical sessions will be linked with hands-on activities, like harvesting, cooking and establishing your own kitchen garden, as well as sensorial games and relevant movies.
Click here to see our application form or you can for more information.

Return to the top of the page


Convergence in two weeks
In order to seek solutions to the planet's great challenges of climate change, shrinking natural resources and exponential increases in waste, to name but a few, a convergence of ideas is urgently needed. During our two week program participants will gain exposure to a multi-faceted approach for understanding these challenges and creating solutions.The program will take participants on an eye-opening exploration of Convergence’s curriculum while also helping them to take a deep look at their own path and it's meaning as part of the network of paths that connect life as a whole. We offer a natural space and open framework for people to explore the current state of the environment, for gaining new perspectives on possible solutions and for learning interactively from each other.

The course will be set at Convergence’s residential forest site in Auroville, India. This setting will help us to highlight the benefits of a love for nature and the meaning of community in addressing environmental concerns.

Designed for those who are unable to attend the full 4-week course, participants will have the chance to completely immerse themselves into the process of inquiry as in the one month program, while remaining based in Auroville.

At Convergence you will take a deep look at your own path and it's meaning as part of the network of paths connecting life as a whole.
Click here to see our application form or you can for more information.

Return to the top of the page


Convergence in a month
This program is the most holistic experience of our curriculum. Our aim is to bring together concerned people from around the world to share their knowledge, experiences and inspirations with one another in an attempt to find locally based solutions that are informed by global perspectives. To ensure diversity in the course 5 scholarships will be set aside for participants who would otherwise not be able to participate. The first two weeks of the course will be spent in a similar fashion to our two week program. We’ll be taking a look into Deep Ecology, Awareness through the Body, Systems Thinking, Phenomenology and Holistic Food Systems, while incorporating Peer-to-Peer Learning the whole way through. A key feature of the course is that we will be providing scholarships to 3 students from the region of Hampi, Karnataka to participate in the course. During week three of the course we will be traveling to Hampi to explore firsthand what our co-participants have been sharing with us throughout the course. While there we will also be taking the time to explore the wilderness of the area and for reflection as well. The last week of Convergence is dedicated to giving a space for all of the participants to run workshops for each other. These workshops will creatively explore the expertise and experience of each participant and will help to cross-pollinate the actions that everyone will be developing for their return home. The participant workshops are the key step towards effective action emerging after the course is finished. This framework for interaction and meaningful dialogue involving multiple perspectives is intended to build new bridges between people from diverse backgrounds in order that the future actions of the participant from New Delhi, for example, will take into consideration that of their fellow participants from around the world, and vice versa. Click here to see our application form or you can for more information.

Return to the top of the page