Dear presenters and participants at the “Collective Wisdom” conference,

when we gather in groups, as we do at this conference, together we can unfold a way of creativity, intelligence and wisdom that goes far beyond our individual abilities. Collective Intelligence is a completely natural phenomenon within reach of everybody. Out of the uniqueness of each single individual it gets woven together into something totally new and often even miraculous. In every area of society, like no other force it can support and nourish the very best both in the individual and in the collective. It is likely that solutions to all our urging societal questions can only be found through the unfolding of collective wisdom.

However, at any time and place in the world groups could and can turn into stupid, blind and inhuman collectives, at the same time exerting a dark and hardly comprehensible attraction.

The conference cordially invites all of us to explore together the intelligent, creative and wise possibilities of groups, and to unfold and realise them in our lives, while being equally aware of our dark collective potential and its origins.

We are so glad that so many top-flight presenters from many different fields come together: peaceworkers from many different world regions, conflict researchers, spiritual teachers, scientists, survivors of the Nazi and later terror regimes, psychotherapists and not least artists and musicians!

The World Café at the beginning and the Community Council at the end will connect us through enjoying our own wisdom in groups even beyond the conference. We wish all of us a beautiful and fruitful conference and many new friends to join together for promising next steps.

Welcome in Würzburg!

 

Dr. Albrecht Mahr            Britta Mahr